RESPONSE OF LOCAL POTATO CULTIVARS TO LATE BLIGHT DISEASE (Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

Developing host resistance is an economic and long-term approach to disease management; however, resistance reactions that differ depending on the genotypes. Potato late blight is the devastating disease caused due to Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary.  In order to identify late blight resistance in potato genotypes, seven local potato cultivars (Bardiya Rato Local, Bardiya Seto Local, Cardinal, Deukhuri Rato Local, Deukhuri Seto Local, Kailali Local and Khumal Ujjowal) were evaluated in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during October 2018 to January 2019 on naturally infested soils in Deukhuri, Dang, Nepal. Results showed that significantly the highest disease incidence (99.17%), and the highest disease severity (88%) were found on Cardinal followed by Deukhuri Rato Local (64%), and Deukhuri Seto Local (60%). Potato cultivar namely Khumal Ujjowal was moderately resistant, whereas Deukhuri Rato local and Deukhuri Seto Local were susceptible to late blight disease. Significantly the highest yield (12.67 t ha-1) was produced by Khumal Ujjowal followed by Bardiya Rato Local (10.78 t ha-1) and Bardiya Seto Local (9.40 t ha-1). The disease incidence and Area under disease progressive curve (AUDPC) value was negatively co-related with the tuber yield. The potato cultivar Khumal Ujjowal followed by Bardiya Rato Local were found moderately resistant to late blight disease in Deukhuri conditions. This study suggests that potato cultivar Bardiya Rato Local can be grown for higher tuber production in Dang and similar topographic regions.DOI: 10.37637/ab.v3i1.46

Prevalence of Malaria among Infants and Children with febrile illness: A Hospital Based Study

Background: About half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria and the burden is particularly high in low-income countries like Nepal. Infants and children are more vulnerable to malaria. Acute febrile illness is the commonest presentation of malaria. Since it is one of the major causes of persistent febrile illnesses in Nepal, empirical antimalarial therapy is usually practiced, especially the endemic areas. A better understanding of the prevalence and clinical profile of malaria helps to tailor the treatment accordingly in cases of undifferentiated febrile illnesses and make the sue of antimalarials more rational. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 200 infants and children presenting with acute febrile illness in the Departments of Pediatrics, Nepalgunj Medical College, from June 2018 to May 2019.Patients were divided in two groups based on the Malarial parasite antigen status. Clinical and laboratory profile of both the groups were compared using Chi square Test. Results: Maximum number of cases in the malaria positive group were of age group 12-15 years. Palor, icterus, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were significantly more in malaria positive cases (p-value <0.001in all cases) eosinophilia and leucopenia were common in malaria positive cases. Diagnostic accuracy of malaria was found to eb 82 % on combining serology with clinical findings. Conclusion: Prevalence of malaria was found to be more among children than the infants. Although symptoms of malaria are non-specific, clinical findings like palor, icterus, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were found to have a significant association with malaria. Combining serology with clinical profile in the prediction of malaria helps promote rational use of antimalarial drugs

Sexual harassment in public transport and its coping strategies among bachelor students: A cross sectional study

Introduction: Sexual harassment in public transport is a common, yet little discussed form of gender-based aggression, predominantly to women. Such abuses have a significant on the mental health of the victims. It also leads them to abandon work and education due to the fear of being harassed on their route. Knowledge regarding the prevalence and coping strategies against such harassment is necessary to formulate effective plans for its mitigation. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done among 105 bachelor students of Maiya Devi Kanya College of Bharatpur, Chitwan. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used. A Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the association between variables. Results: Out of 105, 23 students mentioned that they had been sexually harassed in public transport. The non-verbal form was the commonest followed by verbal and physical. Almost half of the respondents mentioned that they would prefer to remain silent (47.6 %) and not react to the situation (54.3%). Self-discipline and effective law were deemed as major ways to prevent such abuses. Conclusion: When girls remain unsafe in public transport, it affects their self-esteem and ultimately hampers their personal productivity and national growth. Stricter laws, unprejudiced societies, and moral values are necessary to prevent as well as help women cope with such harassment

Student Pharmacists’ Personal Finance Perceptions, Projected Indebtedness upon Graduation, and Career Decision-Making

Objectives: To evaluate the extent to which students’ personal finance perceptions, projected student loan indebtedness, and demographic characteristics predict post-PharmD career intentions. Methods: Students at three pharmacy colleges completed a 31-item survey instrument that assessed personal finance perceptions, self-efficacy beliefs, anticipated student loan debt upon graduation, postgraduate intentions, anticipated practice setting upon graduation, and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression models were used to examine the extent to which personal finance perceptions, student loan indebtedness, and demographic characteristics predicted postgraduate intentions and anticipated practice setting. Results: A total of 763 usable responses were obtained (response rate=90.3%). Students reported an anticipated personal student loan debt mean at graduation of $162,747±87,093 and an estimated 7.4±5.8 years to pay off non-mortgage debt post-graduation. Fifty-three percent of students reported planning to practice in a community pharmacy setting post-graduation, and 54% indicated intentions to enter practice directly. Student loan indebtedness was not a significant predictor of planning to pursue postgraduate training. There was a significant association between debt influence and pressure perceptions and pursuance of postgraduate training (aOR=0.78;p=0.009). The odds of indicating hospital (vs. chain community) pharmacy as the anticipated setting decreased 36% with every 1-point increase in debt influence and pressure perceptions (aOR=0.64;p\u3c0.001 Conclusions: Perceived debt pressure and influence predicted intention to enter practice directly (vs. pursuing postgraduate training) and selection of chain community pharmacy (vs. hospital pharmacy). Student loan indebtedness was not a significant predictor of postgraduate training intentions. Interventions that equip students to manage pressure associated with student loan debt should be explored

The Progress of Tobacco Control Research in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Past 50 Years: A Systematic Review of the Design and Methods of the Studies

Over one billion of the world’s population are smokers, with increasing tobacco use in low-and middle-income countries. However, information about the methodology of studies on tobacco control is limited. We conducted a literature search to examine and evaluate the methodological designs of published tobacco research in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past 50 years. The first phase was completed in 2015 using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. An additional search was completed in February 2017 using PubMed. Only tobacco/smoking research in SSA countries with human subjects and published in English was selected. Out of 1796 articles, 447 met the inclusion criteria and were from 26 countries, 11 of which had one study each. Over half of the publications were from South Africa and Nigeria. The earliest publication was in 1968 and the highest number of publications was in 2014 (n = 46). The majority of publications used quantitative methods (91.28%) and were cross-sectional (80.98%). The commonest data collection methods were self-administered questionnaires (38.53%), interviews (32.57%), and observation (20.41%). Around half of the studies were among adults and in urban settings. We conclud that SSA remains a “research desert” and needs more investment in tobacco control research and training

Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-based interventions that enable public health researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to implement strategies that can mitigate diseases. It can also facilitate more rigorous monitoring of progress towards national and international health targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. For three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has filled that need. A global network of collaborators contributed to the production of GBD 2021 by providing, reviewing, and analysing all available data. GBD estimates are updated routinely with additional data and refined analytical methods. GBD 2021 presents, for the first time, estimates of health loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The GBD 2021 disease and injury burden analysis estimated years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries using 100 983 data sources. Data were extracted from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, censuses, household surveys, disease-specific registries, health service contact data, and other sources. YLDs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific prevalence of sequelae by their respective disability weights, for each disease and injury. YLLs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific deaths by the standard life expectancy at the age that death occurred. DALYs were calculated by summing YLDs and YLLs. HALE estimates were produced using YLDs per capita and age-specific mortality rates by location, age, sex, year, and cause. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for all final estimates as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles values of 500 draws. Uncertainty was propagated at each step of the estimation process. Counts and age-standardised rates were calculated globally, for seven super-regions, 21 regions, 204 countries and territories (including 21 countries with subnational locations), and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Here we report data for 2010 to 2021 to highlight trends in disease burden over the past decade and through the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Global DALYs increased from 2·63 billion (95% UI 2·44–2·85) in 2010 to 2·88 billion (2·64–3·15) in 2021 for all causes combined. Much of this increase in the number of DALYs was due to population growth and ageing, as indicated by a decrease in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates of 14·2% (95% UI 10·7–17·3) between 2010 and 2019. Notably, however, this decrease in rates reversed during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with increases in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates since 2019 of 4·1% (1·8–6·3) in 2020 and 7·2% (4·7–10·0) in 2021. In 2021, COVID-19 was the leading cause of DALYs globally (212·0 million [198·0–234·5] DALYs), followed by ischaemic heart disease (188·3 million [176·7–198·3]), neonatal disorders (186·3 million [162·3–214·9]), and stroke (160·4 million [148·0–171·7]). However, notable health gains were seen among other leading communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases. Globally between 2010 and 2021, the age-standardised DALY rates for HIV/AIDS decreased by 47·8% (43·3–51·7) and for diarrhoeal diseases decreased by 47·0% (39·9–52·9). Non-communicable diseases contributed 1·73 billion (95% UI 1·54–1·94) DALYs in 2021, with a decrease in age-standardised DALY rates since 2010 of 6·4% (95% UI 3·5–9·5). Between 2010 and 2021, among the 25 leading Level 3 causes, age-standardised DALY rates increased most substantially for anxiety disorders (16·7% [14·0–19·8]), depressive disorders (16·4% [11·9–21·3]), and diabetes (14·0% [10·0–17·4]). Age-standardised DALY rates due to injuries decreased globally by 24·0% (20·7–27·2) between 2010 and 2021, although improvements were not uniform across locations, ages, and sexes. Globally, HALE at birth improved slightly, from 61·3 years (58·6–63·6) in 2010 to 62·2 years (59·4–64·7) in 2021. However, despite this overall increase, HALE decreased by 2·2% (1·6–2·9) between 2019 and 2021. Interpretation: Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of causes of health loss is crucial to understanding its impact and ensuring that health funding and policy address needs at both local and global levels through cost-effective and evidence-based interventions. A global epidemiological transition remains underway. Our findings suggest that prioritising non-communicable disease prevention and treatment policies, as well as strengthening health systems, continues to be crucially important. The progress on reducing the burden of CMNN diseases must not stall; although global trends are improving, the burden of CMNN diseases remains unacceptably high. Evidence-based interventions will help save the lives of young children and mothers and improve the overall health and economic conditions of societies across the world. Governments and multilateral organisations should prioritise pandemic preparedness planning alongside efforts to reduce the burden of diseases and injuries that will strain resources in the coming decades. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation

Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse Impact on Binge Drinking among Adults in the U.S.

Background: In 2012, 62,939 cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) were reported in the United States (US). During the same year, binge drinking (BD) cost the US nearly $250 billion. Currently there are 38 million Americans who participate in BD. Researchers have found a significant association between adults who experienced adverse childhood events (ACEs) and BD in adulthood. However, CSA and BD have yet to be investigated using a nationally representative study sample. Objective: This study seeks to investigate the association between CSA and BD among adults in the US. Methods: Data from 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to analyze a sample of 25,037 adult participants from states that included the ACE questionnaire in the survey. CSA components, including forced touched sexually, forced to touch sexually, and forced sex, were assessed in relation to BD. Covariates included parental alcoholism, parental substance abuse, parental depression, age, sex, income, race, education level, and marital status. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were conducted using SAS 9.4. Results: Approximately 17% of the study sample reported BD. Adults who had been touched forcefully during their childhood had around 2.18 times increased odds (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.97 – 2.41) of being involved in BD compared to those who did not have this experience. Being forced to touch sexually or forced to have sex during childhood was not significantly associated with BD and was not included in the adjusted model. Having parents who abused drugs (aOR 6.14; 95%CI: 5.56–6.79) and parents who were depressed (aOR: 3.35; 95%CI: 3.09-3.64) significantly increased the odds of BD among this population. Conclusion: Forced sexual touch was found to be significantly associated with BD. Further epidemiologic studies are necessary to determine if this is consistent in different years for the association between CSA and BD, since forced to touch sexually and forced sex were not found to impact BD in adults. The increased odds for BD from experiencing forced touch identifies a population where health education and awareness is vital to reduce the risk for BD in adults, thus reducing alcohol-related health problems and injuries. Health promotion campaigns for families affected by parental substance abuse and parental depression is also important to reduce the risk for BD among adults growing up with these experiences

Association Between Sleep Duration During Adolescence and Violent Behavior Among Young Adults in the United States

Youth violence is a public health threat in the United States. Inadequate sleep is identified as a risk factor, however, the majority of previous studies were cross-sectional and focused only on adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the association between average hours of sleep during adolescence and violent behavior among youths. Individuals who participated in both Waves II (1996) and III (2000-2001) of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (n=3,557) were included. A composite variable on violent behavior was created using three different questions on fighting or using a weapon. Age, gender, ethnicity, violent behavior during adolescence, depressive symptoms, impulsivity, and current sleep hours were considered as covariates. Negative binomial regressions were conducted using SAS 9.4. The mean age of the participants was 15.85 years (SD=1.62) and 21.29 years (SD=1.60) in waves II and III, respectively. The majority of the participants were female (54.15%) and non-Hispanics (88.93%). Average hours of sleep during adolescence was not significantly associated with violent behavior during young adulthood (p=0.75). In the final model, gender (beta=1.65, p\u3c0.001), age (beta=-0.1267, p\u3c0.001), history of violent behavior (wave II) (beta=0.3158, p\u3c0.0001), current average hours of sleep (wave III) (beta=-0.073, p=0.044), depressive symptoms (beta=0.0834, p \u3c0.0001), and impulsivity (beta=0.1379, p\u3c0.0001) were significantly associated with violent behavior in early adulthood. Reduced number of sleep hours during early adulthood, unlike during adolescence, increased the likelihood of getting involved in violent activities during early adulthood. This information is useful to promote healthy behavior among individuals in all phases of their life

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Sexual Risk Behaviors among College Students in Appalachia

Background: Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) has been linked to a range of adult health problems. This study investigates the association between CSA and sexual risk behaviors of college students in Appalachia. Methodology: Students enrolled in introductory psychology courses at a four-year university in the Appalachian region participated in this survey in 2015. All analyses were completed in SAS. Among 995 participants, the average age was 20 and 69% were female. Simple and multivariate logistic regressions were completed for CSA to predict alcohol use before sex, self-reported diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), and unintended pregnancy. Age, gender, and other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (physical, emotional, verbal abuse, substance abuse in family, family mental illness, and family incarceration) were considered as covariates. Only significant covariates were included in the final model. Results: In the unadjusted models, CSA was significantly associated with alcohol use before sex (OR=2.66, CI=1.62-4.38), risk of STD (OR=2.42, CI=1.12-5.21), and unintended pregnancy (OR=5.72, CI=3.12-10.50). Association between CSA and unintended pregnancy (OR=3.12, CI=1.60-6.08) was significant in the final model. CSA increased the odds of drinking alcohol before sex by 1.83 among females compared to males (CI=1.31-2.54). In the final model, verbal abuse was significantly associated with alcohol use before sex (OR=1.56, CI=1.1-2.22) and STD (OR=4.05, CI=2.11-7.75) while physical abuse was a significant predictor of unintended pregnancy (OR=2.14, CI=1.07-4.30). Conclusion: CSA increased the odds of some risky sexual behaviors among this college aged sample. However, the importance of other forms of ACEs also deserve further exploration