Sex Ratio at Birth: Where Did Our Female Fetus Go?

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the ratio of male to female gender at birth and compare the sex ratio between primipara and multipara women. Methods: This is a cross sectional retrospective study done using the data available from the medical records of the patients who were admitted in the labor room of Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital from July 2016 to June 2017 (Shrawan 2073 to Asad 2074). Results: In one year period, a total of 1625 women were admitted for delivery. There were 845 male and 780 female babies delivered to those women. The sex ratio calculated was 108 male births for every 100 females. When comparing the sex ratios at birth for primipara, multipara with previous abortions and fetal death and mulipara with no history of abortions and fetal death, the sex ratio was 81.75, 125.89 and 120.16 respectively. Conclusions: Overall there were more male births than female. But in primiparous women more female babies were born unlike in multipara. There is definitely a need of in depth study to identify the cause for the skewed value. The society needs to acknowledge that high sex ratios at birth will adversely affect the fertility patterns causing the imbalance in the overall development of community.  J-GMC-N | Volume 11 | Issue 01 | January-June 2018, Page: 1-

Optical Studies of Zero-Field Magnetization of CdMnTe Quantum Dots: Influence of Average Size and Composition of Quantum Dots

We show that through the resonant optical excitation of spin-polarized excitons into CdMnTe magnetic quantum dots, we can induce a macroscopic magnetization of the Mn impurities. We observe very broad (4 meV linewidth) emission lines of single dots, which are consistent with the formation of strongly confined exciton magnetic polarons. Therefore we attribute the optically induced magnetization of the magnetic dots results to the formation of spin-polarized exciton magnetic polarons. We find that the photo-induced magnetization of magnetic polarons is weaker for larger dots which emit at lower energies within the QD distribution. We also show that the photo-induced magnetization is stronger for quantum dots with lower Mn concentration, which we ascribe to weaker Mn-Mn interaction between the nearest neighbors within the dots. Due to particular stability of the exciton magnetic polarons in QDs, where the localization of the electrons and holes is comparable to the magnetic exchange interaction, this optically induced spin alignment persists to temperatures as high as 160 K.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figs - submitted for publicatio

REACTIVE POWER COMPENSATION AND VOLTAGESTABILIZATION FOR WIND POWER IN A WEAK DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

One of the most promising alternate sources of energy is wind energy. Energy of the wind is converted to electrical energy in wind farms and is then connected to a weak distribution network to supply local loads. Most wind farms use induction generators for electricity generation. These induction generators draw excessive reactive power for their operation and this causes shortage of reactive power in the system and leads to voltage collapse. This problem is simulated on PSCAD/EMTDC platform. For static compensation, capacitor banks are used and for dynamic compensation, Static Var Compensators (SVCs) are used

Pregnancy Outcome in Women Having Oligohydramnios in Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Background: Amniotic fluid index is one of the most commonly used methods of amniotic fluid volume assessment and is a predictor of adverse maternal and perinatal outcome. Objectives: To compare the maternal and perinatal outcome in women with singleton term pregnancies having amniotic fluid index (AFI) ≤5 cm to those having AFI ≥5 to 20 cm. Methods: This is a prospective, case-control study which was conducted at Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital over a period of one year from July 2017 to July 2018. It included 60 pregnant women at term pregnancy with amniotic fluid index ≤5 cm. The control group included 60 pregnant women at term pregnancy with amniotic fluid index ≥5 cm. The two groups were compared. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test to calculate the P- value. Results: There was a significantly higher incidence of overall cesarean rates due to fetal distress, low birth weight babies and adverse neonatal outcome like 5 minute Apgar score ≤7, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates, and meconium aspiration syndrome in the group with oligohydramnios as compared to the group with normal liquor volume. Conclusion: Oligohydramnios adversely affects the perinatal outcome. However a favorable outcome can be expected by good antenatal and intrapartum surveillance and neonatal care

Optically Induced Magnetization of CdMnTe Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

We demonstrate that resonant excitation of CdMnTe self-assembled quantum dots creates an ensemble of spin-polarized magnetic polarons at B=0 T. The strong spatial confinement characteristic of quantum dots significantly increases the stability of magnetic polarons so that the optically induced spin alignment is observed for temperatures > 120 K.Comment: accepted for publication in Applied Physics Letter

Rapid gains in yield and adoption of new maize varieties for complex hillside environments through farmer participation. II. Scaling-up the adoption through community-based seed production (CBSP)

Participatory varietal selection (PVS) led to the identification of Population-22 and its later release as Manakamana-3. Subsequently further mother–baby trials tested five unreleased open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), ZM-621, Shitala, Population-45, Hill Pool White, and Hill Pool Yellow to compare them with Manakamana-3. Farmers again preferred Manakamana-3 as well as ZM-621 for their stable, higher grain yield, and for other traits such as stay-green, non-lodging, large white grains, and tolerance to foliar diseases. However, Manakamana- 3 and ZM-621 both had late maturity, open husks and dented grain. Both were tested with farmers on-farm coordinated farmers field trials (CFFTs) and had not been identified as this was more contractual type of participatory research. Individual traits were measured but overall farmers’ preferences were not elicited. In the more collaborative participation of the mother– baby trials the overall preference was determined and farmers traded-off the late maturity and dented grains of Manakamana-3 and ZM-621 against other favorable traits. Depending on location, these genotypes yielded 15–45% more grain than the local varieties in the mother–baby trials. These results led to the release of ZM-621 as Deuti in 2006. Farmers had adopted Manakamana-3 (released in 2002) and ZM-621 (Deuti) as a direct result of PVS trials and increased area under them year after year. Farmers awareness of the varieties has increased and seeds of these varieties are under community-based seed production (CBSP). Involving farmers through a collaborative mode of participation in varietal selection overcame bottlenecks to finding new varieties that had occurred with more contractual on-farm research

A Comparative Study between Staplers and Suture (Silk 2-0) for Skin Closure in Cesarean Sections at Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital

Background: Skin closure in the abdominal surgeries is an important factor that affects the prognosis of wound in terms of hospital stay as well as overall outcome of the surgery. Objectives: Cesarean section being the commonly performed operation, choice of suture material has the unexceptional role on it. This study has been performed with an objective to look for the merits and demerits of the skin closure by suture (Silk 2-0) and stapler. Methods: Prospective comparative study conducted among the patients admitted in a Maternity Ward of Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital for elective and emergency cesarean section. The comparison has been made in terms of time taken during the skin closure, presence or absence of soakage and wound dehiscence, day of suture removal and pain during the suture removal. Results: The average time taken for skin closure for suture group was found to be 5.46 min (±0.97) and the same for stapler group was found to be 1.22 min (±0.15) respectively. Similarly, the mean day of stitch removal in suture and staples were found to be 6.94 (±1.75) and 7.95 (±1.89) respectively. Surgical site infection (SSI) i.e. soakage was present in eight percent of those in suture group and 20% in stapler group. Wound dehiscence was present in two percent among the suture group and five percent among the stapler group. The severity of pain is more in stapler group than that of suture group during its removal. Conclusions: Our study concluded suture being superior to staplers for skin closure during cesarean section. Though time taken for the closure is less in the stapler group, other factors like wound complications, duration of hospital stay, pain during its removal favored for the suture to be used. J-GMC-N | Volume 11 | Issue 01 | January-June 2018, Page: 1-