Interface System for NAO Robots

This project seeks to create a more interactive entertainment experience using the NAO robots as a platform. The goal is to find an entertainment application for the vast array of sensors and capabilities available on these robots. The application includes a dance performance, interaction with the robots through voice commands, and a responsive handshaking program

Public Transit in the Capital of Enchantment: Improving Rider Information and Services

The goal of this project was to increase utilization of the Santa Fe Trails (SFT) public bus system. This was achieved by improving service and quality of information and proposing additional services to better utilize existing resources. To improve quality of information we conducted surveys and personal interactions to assess the quality of information available to riders. To quantify current utilization,we analyzed survey data to see when riders are utilizing the system,how long they are traveling to and from stops,and why riders are utilizing the system. To investigate redistribution of resources and create new services,an express bus was tested and we determined the feasibility of a college shuttle. Finally,research was conducted to assist SFT in future piloting of a feeder system

Post-implementation Review of the Himalaya Home Care Project for Home Isolated COVID-19 Patients in Nepal

Background: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a pandemic that has significantly impacted healthcare systems at a global level. Health care facilities in Nepal, as in other low- and middle-income countries, have limited resources for the treatment and management of COVID-19 patients. Only critical cases are admitted to the hospital resulting in most patients in home isolation. Methods: Himalaya Home Care (HHC) was initiated to monitor and provide counseling to home isolated COVID-19 patients for disease prevention, control, and treatment. Counselors included one physician and four nurses. Lists of patients were obtained from district and municipal health facilities. HHC counselors called patients to provide basic counseling services. A follow-up check-in phone call was conducted 10 days later. During this second call, patients were asked about their perceptions of the HHC program. Project objects were: (1) To support treatment of home isolated persons with mild to moderate COVID-19, decrease burden of hospitalizations, and decrease risks for disease transmission; and, (2) To improve the health status of marginalized, remote, and vulnerable populations in Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Data from 5823 and 3988 patients from May 2021-February 2022 were entered in initial and follow-up forms on a REDCap database. The majority of patients who received counseling were satisfied. At follow-up, 98.4% of respondents reported that HHC prevented hospitalization, 76.5% reported they could manage their symptoms at home, and 69.5% reported that counseling helped to limit the spread of COVID-19 in their household. Conclusions: Telehealth can be an essential strategy for providing services while keeping patients and health providers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

Internet addiction and sleep quality among adolescents in a peri-urban setting in Nepal: A cross-sectional school-based survey.

BackgroundExcessive use of the internet among adolescents often led to later bedtimes and poor sleep quality. This study assessed the relationship between internet addiction and sleep quality among adolescents in a peri-urban setting in Nepal.MethodThis cross-sectional study employed a questionnaire survey among 390 adolescent students recruited from two schools in Kirtipur Municipality in Nepal. The Internet Addiction Test and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to assess internet addiction and poor sleep quality respectively. The association between internet addiction and sleep quality was analysed by logistic regression.ResultsOne-fifth (21.5%) of the participants were identified with borderline internet addiction and 13.3% with possible internet addiction. Poor sleep quality was found among 31% of the participants. Internet addiction was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (OR = 1.85, p = 0.022 for borderline, and OR = 3.98, p = ConclusionAdolescents with internet addiction were more vulnerable to suffer from poor sleep quality. It is recommended that municipalities and schools should aware the adolescent students on the adverse effects of excessive internet use including poor sleep quality. The findings have implications for adolescents, parents, school authorities and researchers

State-of-the-Art Smart and Intelligent Nanobiosensors for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis

The novel coronavirus appeared to be a milder infection initially, but the unexpected outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), commonly called COVID-19, was transmitted all over the world in late 2019 and caused a pandemic. Human health has been disastrously affected by SARS-CoV-2, which is still evolving and causing more serious concerns, leading to the innumerable loss of lives. Thus, this review provides an outline of SARS-CoV-2, of the traditional tools to diagnose SARS-CoV-2, and of the role of emerging nanomaterials with unique properties for fabricating biosensor devices to diagnose SARS-CoV-2. Smart and intelligent nanomaterial-enabled biosensors (nanobiosensors) have already proven their utility for the diagnosis of several viral infections, as various detection strategies based on nanobiosensor devices are already present, and several other methods are also being investigated by researchers for the determination of SARS-CoV-2 disease; however, considerably more is undetermined and yet to be explored. Hence, this review highlights the utility of various nanobiosensor devices for SARS-CoV-2 determination. Further, it also emphasizes the future outlook of nanobiosensing technologies for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis

Cadmium selenide quantum dots and its biomedical applications

The focus of the present review is to provide a detailed discussion about the outstanding properties, namely physical, optical (majorly quantum confinement phenomenon), and electrical of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs). CdSe QDs have extensive utility in the biomedical domain owing to their unique properties. Thus, this review illustrates the wide range of applications of CdSe QDs in optical features, such as targeted drug delivery, drug resistance, drug analysis, photo-thermal therapy, antimicrobial activity, and tissue staining. Moreover, this review also highlights by discussing about the optical and optoelectronic application, which includes a good display, lasing, light emitting diode, and bioimaging that requires elevated photoluminescence spectra, quantum yield, and photostability

Optical characteristics and biosensing application of core@shell nanomaterials

Core@shell nanomaterials are a class of materials containing a core and a shell, both at the nanometer scale, as they have become a consequential research interest owing to their optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Moreover, various core@shell nanomaterials have also emerged in many other fields, such as catalysis, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical due to their less toxicity, surface area, good biocompatibility, adequate penetration power for biological tissue, and selectivity for target molecules. Hence, this review covers the optical properties of core@shell nanomaterials and biosensors based on various core@shell nanomaterials, for example, inorganic@inorganic (Au@Ag), organic@inorganic (polyurethane@Au), inorganic@organic (CeO2@polyaniline), and organic@organic (poly(vinylidene difluoride)@dopamine) for biomedical applications; along with this, it also discusses the advantage and disadvantage of core@shell nanomaterials

Internet addiction and sleep quality among adolescents in a peri-urban setting in Nepal: A cross-sectional school-based survey

Excessive use of the internet among adolescents often led to later bedtimes and poor sleep quality. This study assessed the relationship between internet addiction and sleep quality among adolescents in a peri-urban setting in Nepal

Evaluation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for Wound and Burn Care in Three Hospitals in Nepal

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs can decrease non-optimal use of antibiotics in hospital settings. There are limited data on AMS programs in burn and chronic wound centers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). A post-prescription review and feedback (PPRF) program was implemented in three hospitals in Nepal with a focus on wound and burn care. A total of 241 baseline and 236 post-intervention patient chart data were collected from three hospitals. There was a significant decrease in utilizing days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 PD) of penicillin (p = 0.02), aminoglycoside (p < 0.001), and cephalosporin (p = 0.04). Increases in DOT/1000 PD at post-intervention were significant for metronidazole (p < 0.001), quinolone (p = 0.01), and other antibiotics (p < 0.001). Changes in use of antibiotics varied across hospitals, e.g., cephalosporin use decreased significantly at Kirtipur Hospital (p < 0.001) and Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences (p = 0.02), but not at Kathmandu Model Hospital (p = 0.59). An independent review conducted by infectious disease specialists at the Henry Ford Health System revealed significant changes in antibiotic prescribing practices both overall and by hospital. There was a decrease in mean number of intravenous antibiotic days between baseline (10.1 (SD 8.8)) and post-intervention (8.8 (SD 6.5)) (t = 3.56; p < 0.001), but no difference for oral antibiotics. Compared to baseline, over the 6-month post-intervention period, we found an increase in justified use of antibiotics (p < 0.001), de-escalation (p < 0.001), accurate documentation (p < 0.001), and adherence to the study antibiotic prescribing guidelines at 72 h (p < 0.001) and after diagnoses (p < 0.001). The evaluation data presented provide evidence that PPRF training and program implementation can contribute to hospital-based antibiotic stewardship for wound and burn care in Nepal