A Quantitative Study of Infraslow intracranial EEG and Resting State fMRI Network Activities in Human Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting over 50 million people worldwide. Approximately one-third of these patients are refractory to anti-epileptic drugs and surgical resection of epileptic focus remains their only hope for cure. Despite many diagnostic tools, the clear identification of a resectable epileptic focus is still a major bottleneck. This work presents a set of comprehensive quantitative analysis techniques for analyzing and synthesizing infraslow intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) signals and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) to quantify infra-slow (0.01- 0.1 Hz) network activities, localize seizure onset zones and determine pathological propagation pathways. Firstly, we examine the existence of a stable network from infra-slow to very high frequencies throughout multiple phases of focal epilepsy using quantitative methods based on spectral Granger causality and graph measures. We show that the strongest infra-slow iEEG (IsEEG) signal correlates highly with the location of the visible seizure focus, and also with that of the strongest high frequency EEG signal, in both the preictal and interictal phases of the epilepsy cycle. Secondly, we present a novel quantitative analysis technique to localize the seizure focus by seeding the focus locations from iEEG to rsfMRI. We show that the iEEG electrode contacts with the strongest infraslow iEEG signal correlates with the slow spontaneous blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations in corresponding locations; and those voxels form a highly significant grouping when compared to others throughout the entire brain. This presents an exciting direction in refractory epilepsy to link an invasively recorded iEEG infra-slow network, from a few hypothesized cortical areas, to a non-invasive, whole brain fMRI network

Analysis of Fault location methods on transmission lines

Analysis of different types of fault is an important and complex task in a power system. Accurate fault analysis requires models that determine fault distances in a transmission line. The mathematical models accurately capture behavior of different types of faults and location in a timely manner, and prevents damaging power system from fault energy. The purpose of this thesis is to use two methods for determining fault locations and their distance to the reference end buses connected by the faulted transmission line. The two methods used in this investigation are referred to as impedance-based and traveling wave methods. To analyze both methods, various types of faults were modeled and simulated at various locations on a two-bus transmission system using EMTP program. Application and usefulness of each method is identified and presented in the thesis. It is found that Impedance-based methods are easier and more widely used than traveling-wave methods

Impact of Educational Status and Parity of Mother-in-Laws on Practies of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness in Banke District

  Introduction: Pregnancy and childbirth is considered as a physiological process and it is associated with certain risks to the life of mother and newborn baby. Birth-preparedness and complication readiness is a comprehensive strategy to improve maternal and newborn health. This study was done to observe impact of educational status and Parity of mother-in-laws on awareness and practices regarding birth preparedness and complication readiness.   Methods: The study was conducted in Banke district. The duration of study was from August 2011 to August 2012. Descriptive cross-sectional study was followed. One hundred mothers-in-law were selected through simple random procedure. Semi-structure interview schedule was used to collect information.   Results: The mean age of mothers-in-law was 52.33 (SD=8.96) years. Majority (82.0%) mothers-in-law were illiterate with lack of awareness and practice about birth preparedness and complication readiness.   Conclusion: Inadequate practices on birth preparedness and complication readiness were prevalent in illiterate mothers-in-laws

Assessment of Pesticide Use in Major Vegetables From Farmers\u27 Perception and Knowledge in Dhading District, Nepal

A field study was carried out to assess the pesticide use status in major vegetable crops from farmers\u27 perception and knowledge in Dhading, Nepal in 2019. Field study was carried with 100 commercial farmer\u27s using semi-structure questionnaire by face to face interview. This study was analyzed by categorization of farmers into small holder (51) and large holder (49) groups on the basis of mean area of vegetable cultivation (6.48 ropani). The highest amount of pesticides is needed in tomato in both large holders and small holders according to the farmer\u27s experience. Among the study farmer\u27s, 41% of them spray the pesticides by making a cocktail or mixed method and 56%  follow the waiting period of 3-5 days in both of the cases. A significant positive correlation was found at 5% level of significance between the knowledge and practice pattern of waiting period of the pesticides and negative correlation was found between the Personal Protective equipment score and health hazard score. Headache was the major health hazards faced by the farmers which was higher in small holders (66.7%) as compared to the large holders (46.9%). Mask was the most used PPE by the farmer\u27s i.e. by 83% in overall. Fourty three percent of the farmer\u27s throw the pesticide containers in secret place after using of it.The use of PPE was seen lower in small holders as compared to the large holders. This study reveals the necessities of suitable program and policies regarding the knowledge, safe handling and use of pesticide among the farmer\u27s level

Assessment of pesticide use in major vegetables from farmers’ perception and knowledge in Dhading district, Nepal

A field study was carried out to assess the pesticide use status in major vegetable crops from farmers’ perception and knowledge in Dhading, Nepal in 2019. Field study was carried with 100 commercial farmer’s using semi-structure questionnaire by face to face interview. This study was analyzed by categorization of farmers into small holder (51) and large holder (49) groups on the basis of mean area of vegetable cultivation (6.48 ropani). The highest amount of pesticides is needed in tomato in both large holders and small holders according to the farmer’s experience. Among the study farmer’s, 41% of them spray the pesticides by making a cocktail or mixed method and 56%  follow the waiting period of 3-5 days in both of the cases. A significant positive correlation was found at 5% level of significance between the knowledge and practice pattern of waiting period of the pesticides and negative correlation was found between the Personal Protective equipment score and health hazard score. Headache was the major health hazards faced by the farmers which was higher in small holders (66.7%) as compared to the large holders (46.9%). Mask was the most used PPE by the farmer’s i.e. by 83% in overall. Fourty three percent of the farmer’s throw the pesticide containers in secret place after using of it.The use of PPE was seen lower in small holders as compared to the large holders. This study reveals the necessities of suitable program and policies regarding the knowledge, safe handling and use of pesticide among the farmer’s level

Prevalence of suicide risk and its associated factors in patients presenting in antenatal clinic

Introduction: Suicide during the antenatal period is one of the major indirect causes of maternal death. This study aims to determine the prevalence of suicidal risk and its related factors among the patients attending the antenatal clinic of a tertiary care center. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the antenatal clinic Patan Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal among 124 pregnant patients using purposive sampling and face-to-face interviews applying a semi-structured proforma and P4 suicide screener. Ethical approval was obtained. The percentage of patients with suicide risk was calculated and stratified into minimal, lower, and higher risk of suicide. The association between suicide risk and different sociodemographic and clinical variables was done using the Chi-square test. A p-values ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: The prevalence of suicide risk was 32 out of 124 patients (25.8%). When risk stratification was done a maximum of 22(17.7%) had a higher risk for suicide. The risk was associated the employment status (p=0.039), history of previous suicide attempts (p=0.04), and diagnosed mental disorder (p=0.027). Conclusion: Our study shows the suicide risk among antenatal females was 25.8% reaffirming the need for proper screening and referral

Analysis of Fault location methods on transmission lines

Analysis of different types of fault is an important and complex task in a power system. Accurate fault analysis requires models that determine fault distances in a transmission line. The mathematical models accurately capture behavior of different types of faults and location in a timely manner, and prevents damaging power system from fault energy. The purpose of this thesis is to use two methods for determining fault locations and their distance to the reference end buses connected by the faulted transmission line. The two methods used in this investigation are referred to as impedance-based and traveling wave methods. To analyze both methods, various types of faults were modeled and simulated at various locations on a two-bus transmission system using EMTP program. Application and usefulness of each method is identified and presented in the thesis. It is found that Impedance-based methods are easier and more widely used than traveling-wave methods

Water poverty in Western Nepal: assessment of Alital Rural Municipality in Rangun watershed

Water poverty is an emerging issue in Nepal. Several factors, including population growth, climate change, land-use transitions, and poorly planned road construction, significantly impact water quality and quantity. Water poverty in Alital Rural Municipality, Dadeldhura, in Rangun Watershed is examined in this study. Elements of the water poverty index (WPI) were used – (i) access, (ii) resource, (iii) use, (iv) capacity, and (v) environment. The WPI was determined as 57, indicating a medium-low level of water poverty. The WPI for the various wards, the smallest administrative units, ranged from 54 to 64. The environment component yielded the highest score, the use component the lowest. Water use for household and agricultural purposes was negligible compared to other uses. Effective water management plans are essential for increasing household water use and consumption in the watershed. The WPI can be used as an integrated tool for water resource management at various scales, from local to national, by linking all environmental factors to identify and prioritize the areas that require immediate management interventions for integrated, multi-disciplinary, and sustainable water resource management. HIGHLIGHTS Nepal, despite being water-rich, is experiencing increasing water poverty and scarcity.; The water poverty indicators and issues differ with location, so it is important to select appropriate indicators.; In certain areas, accessibility to water resources is particularly low, forcing people to travel long distances to meet their water needs.; Alital Rural Municipality has a medium-low WPI, with ward 7 having the worst water poverty.; The WPI takes access to resources, the environment, and human capacity for using them into account, making it an effective integrated tool for water resource management.

AMMI and GGE biplot analysis of yield performance of wheat genotypes under irrigated, heat stress and heat drought environments

Wheat is the third most important cereal crop in Nepal. The impact of global warming is threatening global wheat production and food security. The terminal heat stress reduces the grain quality of wheat. However, the drought is affecting more than 15% of global wheat productivity. To find out the stable and high- yielding wheat genotype the experiment was carried out in Rupandehi, Nepal with twenty genotypes under three different environmental conditions namely heat drought, heat stress and irrigated in an alpha lattice design with two replications in each environment. The AMMI (Additive mean effect multiplicative interaction) biplot analysis shows differences in 20 different genotypes in terms of yield and stability. The analysis of variance model showed the share of GE (genotype and environment) interaction in the variation in grain yield of twenty wheat genotypes. The grain yield of genotype varied significantly with environmental impact (p ). The AMMI stability value (ASV) examined NL1387 as the most stable line. The tested environments were discriminative for genotype and showed negative correlation between them. The GGE biplot analysis was conducted to find out the best performing line under different environments and the stable line in diverse environments. The NL1420 was found stable genotype in all three tested environment. The NL1376 line is most ideal ranking first in the ranking biplot. The mean versus stability model indicated NL1369 and NL1376 as elite genotypes and NL 1404, BL4919 and NL1387 can be recommended as new cultivars