CONTEXT AWARE PRIVACY PRESERVING CLUSTERING AND CLASSIFICATION

Data are valuable assets to any organizations or individuals. Data are sources of useful information which is a big part of decision making. All sectors have potential to benefit from having information. Commerce, health, and research are some of the fields that have benefited from data. On the other hand, the availability of the data makes it easy for anyone to exploit the data, which in many cases are private confidential data. It is necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the data. We study two categories of privacy: Data Value Hiding and Data Pattern Hiding. Privacy is a huge concern but equally important is the concern of data utility. Data should avoid privacy breach yet be usable. Although these two objectives are contradictory and achieving both at the same time is challenging, having knowledge of the purpose and the manner in which it will be utilized helps. In this research, we focus on some particular situations for clustering and classification problems and strive to balance the utility and privacy of the data. In the first part of this dissertation, we propose Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) based techniques that accommodate constraints defined explicitly into the update rules. These constraints determine how the factorization takes place leading to the favorable results. These methods are designed to make alterations on the matrices such that user-specified cluster properties are introduced. These methods can be used to preserve data value as well as data pattern. As NMF and K-means are proven to be equivalent, NMF is an ideal choice for pattern hiding for clustering problems. In addition to the NMF based methods, we propose methods that take into account the data structures and the attribute properties for the classification problems. We separate the work into two different parts: linear classifiers and nonlinear classifiers. We propose two different solutions based on the classifiers. We study the effect of distortion on the utility of data. We propose three distortion measurement metrics which demonstrate better characteristics than the traditional metrics. The effectiveness of the measures is examined on different benchmark datasets. The result shows that the methods have the desirable properties such as invariance to translation, rotation, and scaling

How Safe is the use of Antiseptics and Disinfectants in Children?

A wide range of antiseptic preparations and disinfectants have been used in varying concentrations and combinations in children but much research work regarding their safety and efficacy is not available. The aim of this review is to expand and broaden the pre-existing guidelines useful to the health care professionals so that antisepsis in the pediatric field can be performed appropriately, and at the same time, guarantee safety for children. Previously published studies were also assessed while writing this review. As per the data, there may be several local and systemic toxic effects related to the use of antiseptics and disinfectants in children. Properly designed large multicenter randomized clinical trials are required to direct the healthcare professionals regarding the most appropriate and safe antiseptic and disinfectant to use in pediatric patients

Thyroid Function and Thyroglobulin Level in Iodine-Deficient Children of Eastern Nepal

Iodine deficiency during childhood affects physical and mental development. Iodine deficiency or excess both can negatively impact thyroid function. We conducted this study to assess iodine nutrition and thyroid function in children with insufficient urinary iodine concentration. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the selected schools of Udayapur district. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was measured in 1012 school children (6-14 years). Based on UIC data, 83 blood samples were collected to measure serum thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4). UIC was measured by ammonium persulfate digestion method, and Tg, TSH, fT4, and fT3 were measured using ELISA kits. The median UIE was 236 µg/L, and 11.1% of the children had insufficient UIC. The mean fT3, fT4, and TSH in children with insufficient UIC were 2.55±0.43 pg/mL, 0.96±0.28 ng/dL, and 3.60±1.44 mIU/L respectively. Among children with low UIC levels, the median Tg was 17.5 ng/mL. Overt hypothyroidism was seen in 6%, and subclinical hypothyroidism in 3.6%. The children had sufficient iodine nutrition, and the frequency of thyroid dysfunction was low among the children with insufficient UIC

Comprehensive review of LCA studies in Civil Engineering

This review paper explores the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the domain of civil engineering, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current research, methodologies, challenges, and future trends. LCA serves as a pivotal tool for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects, yet gaps persist in its integration with socioeconomic dimensions, regional considerations, and dynamic modeling. By analyzing existing literature and scholarly discussions, this review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for enhancing the applicability and effectiveness of LCA in civil engineering. Moreover, it examines future trends such as the integration of advanced technologies, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation, poised to shape the landscape of LCA practices in the civil engineering sector. Ultimately, this review paper contributes to the understanding of LCA's potential to drive sustainable decision-making in infrastructure development, paving the way for more informed and environmentally conscious practices

Prevalence of Hypertension, Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome in Nepal

Background. This study was carried out to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular risks such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in Eastern Nepal. This study also establishes the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its relationships to these cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle. Methods. 14,425 subjects aged 20–100 (mean 41.4 ± 15.1) were screened with a physical examination and blood tests. Both the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) and National Cholesterol Education Programme's (NCEP) definitions for MS were used and compared. Results. 34% of the participants had hypertension, and 6.3% were diabetic. 28% were overweight, and 32% were obese. 22.5% of the participants had metabolic syndrome based on IDF criteria and 20.7% according to the NCEP definition. Prevalence was higher in the less educated, people working at home, and females. There was no significant correlation between the participants' lifestyle factors and the prevalence of MS. Conclusion. The high incidence of dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity could be the major contributors to MS in Nepal. Education also appears to be related to the prevalence of MS. This study confirms the need to initiate appropriate treatment options for a condition which is highly prevalent in Eastern Nepal

Anticoagulant Utilization and Cost Analysis among Cardiology Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of Western Nepal

Introduction. Anticoagulants have a wide spectrum of use and risks associated with their therapy due to their narrow therapeutic range. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoagulant utilization and cost analysis in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal. Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients admitted to the cardiology ward of Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH), Pokhara, Kaski, Nepal, from August to November 2019. All patients (n = 132) aged ≥18 years of either gender receiving anticoagulants for any indication in the cardiology ward were included in the study. Anticoagulant utilization, the average prescribed daily dose (PDD/DDD) and the cost of anticoagulant per patient were calculated. Descriptive statistics were performed using IBM-SPSS 20.0. Results. Acute coronary syndrome (66.67%) was a common indication, unfractionated heparin + enoxaparin (45.45%) and enoxaparin (27.3%) were the most frequently prescribed anticoagulants. The performance of monitoring parameters such as international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and renal function test were consistent with the American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) guidelines. The average prescribed daily dose of anticoagulants was 1.3 (unfractionated heparin), 2.25 (enoxaparin), 0.5 (warfarin), and 1.0 (dabigatran). Heparin was associated with the majority of cases of drug interactions (52 cases). Enoxaparin was the most expensive of all the anticoagulant drug classes. The median (IQR) cost of anticoagulants used per patient was US$79.92 ($46.32). Conclusion. Our study suggests that the utilization of unfractionated heparin and enoxaparin and the cost of anticoagulants per patient were higher in the patients admitted to the cardiology ward of the hospital

Safety and Efficacy of Spinal Anaesthesia in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Introduction: Renal stone is one of the common entities occurring in our population. There are different treatment modalities of stones; out of those percutaneous nephrolithotomy is one of the most popular and effective for the renal and upper tract stones. This study is based to compare the safety and efficacy of spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia in PCNL. Methods: In a randomized prospective study 60 patients were divided in two groups; group 1 (n=30) underwent PCNL in general anaesthesia and group 2 (n=30) underwent PCNL in spinal anaesthesia in prone position with the conventional technique. Demographic, operative data, post operative complications, patients’ satisfaction rate and follow up complications were recorded and analyzed between two groups. Results: Mean age in group 1 was 39.10±12.45years and 36.10±14.18 in group 2 (P=0.100). Mean stone size in group 1 was 3.75±1.27cm and 3.23±1.36cm in group 2 (P=0.129).Similarly the operative time was 89.10 ± 49.38 min and 62.53±35.91 min in group 1 and group 2 respectively (P=0.042). There was no significant difference between the complications regarding the anaesthesia. Post operative nausea and vomiting were significantly higher in group 1 and headache in group 2 (p=<0.001). Overall patient satisfaction rate was higher in group 2 then in group 1 (p=0.01). Hospital stay in group 1 was 5.27±1.87 days and 4.53±1.88 days in group 2 (p = 0.07). Stone success rate was similar in each group (p =0.50). Conclusions: Spinal anaesthesia is a safe and effective method in performing PCNL. 
 Keywords: general anaesthesia; percutaneous nephrolithotomy; spinal anaesthesia. | PubMe

An Exploratory Investigation of Implementation of Building Information Modeling in Nepalese Architecture–Engineering–Construction Industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has gained a lot of traction in Nepal lately due to many AEC firms’ desire to improve their productivity. This research explores the current state and potential of Building Information Modeling in the Nepalese context. The main objective of this research was to gain a holistic view of the digital design and construction approach in the AEC sectors and identify the current state of practice, future trends and opportunities, and challenges for the wider adoption of BIM in the AEC sector. A systematic survey was conducted among various AEC stakeholders; based on their responses, the status of BIM maturity is presented in this paper. We found that the lack of standards and guidelines slows stakeholders’ efforts to unify BIM implementation in projects. However, the survey results show that AEC stakeholders are eager to learn, explore, and implement BIM in their workflows of design and construction practices. The wider implementation of BIM can improve the productivity of design and construction in developing countries such as Nepal. The contributions of this research are methodological and practical. It is demonstrated in this study that qualitative and quantitative data can be integrated in different ways to allow for different avenues of analysis. The logistic regression model deployed in this study identifies the determinants of BIM use and the intensity of their effects on the future use of BIM in the Nepalese AEC industry. The findings of this study can help to formulate BIM standards and training materials that are specific to the Nepalese AEC industry