Understanding the social identity of adolescents in the Indigenous Kodava Community of India.

The social identity development of adolescents in marginalized communities across the globe holds paramount significance in determining the overall well-being of its future population. Focusing on one such community, the Kodavas, an Indigenous community in South India, this study aims to understand the shifting configurations of social identity based on the changing sociocultural structure and its implications on identity perception among the adolescents belonging to the Kodava community in Kodagu district in Karnataka, India. This study used a qualitative research design to develop an analytical framework of social identity formation and its transitions in the context of the Kodavas. Data were collected from 188 adolescents (47% boys, 53% girls) between 13 and 17 years (M age = 15 years), in the form of essay writing. The findings based on thematic analysis highlight the core traditional elements of Kodava identity, factors influencing the transition in identity, and its reflection in the contemporary period.

Treatment with nanosomal paclitaxel lipid suspension versus conventional paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer patients - a multicenter, randomized, comparative, phase II/III clinical study.

Background: A novel nanosomal paclitaxel lipid suspension (NPLS), free from Cremophor EL (CrEL) and ethanol, was developed to address the solvent-related toxicities associated with conventional paclitaxel formulation. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of NPLS versus CrEL-based paclitaxel (conventional paclitaxel) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Design: A prospective, open-label, randomized, multiple-dose, parallel, phase II/III study. Methods: Adult (18-65 years) female patients with MBC who had previously failed at least one line of chemotherapy were randomized (2:2:1) to NPLS 175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (Q3W, n = 48, arm A), NPLS 80 mg/m2 every week (QW, n = 45, arm B) without premedication or conventional paclitaxel (Taxol®, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA) 175 mg/m2 Q3W (n = 27, arm C) with premedication. In the extension study, an additional 54 patients were randomized (2:1) to arm A (n = 37) or arm C (n = 17). Results: Pooled data from the primary study and its extension phase included 174 patients. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR). As per intent-to-treat analysis, ORR was significantly better in the NPLS QW arm as compared to conventional paclitaxel [44.4% (20/45) versus 22.7% (10/44), (p = 0.04)]. An improvement in ORR with NPLS Q3W versus conventional paclitaxel arm [29.4% (25/85) versus 22.7% (10/44)] (p = 0.53) was observed. Disease control rates observed were improved with NPLS Q3W versus conventional paclitaxel Q3W (77.7% versus 72.7%, p = 0.66) and with NPLS QW versus conventional paclitaxel Q3W (84.4% versus 72.7%, p = 0.20), although not significant. A lower incidence of grade III/IV peripheral sensory neuropathy, vomiting, and dyspnea was reported with NPLS Q3W versus conventional paclitaxel Q3W arms. Conclusion: NPLS demonstrated an improved tumor response rate and a favorable safety profile versus conventional paclitaxel. NPLS 80 mg/m2 QW demonstrated a significantly better response versus conventional paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 Q3W. Trial registration: Clinical Trial Registry-India (CTRI), CTRI/2010/091/001344 Registered on: 18 October 2010 (https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MjEzNQ==&Enc=&userName=CTRI/2010/091/001344), CTRI/2015/07/006062 Registered on: 31 July 2015 (https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=MTE2Mjc=&Enc=&userName=CTRI/2015/07/006062).

Role of nanosomal paclitaxel lipid suspension (NPLS) in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) Why was the study done? Paclitaxel is a commonly used drug for the treatment of breast cancer. Conventional formulation of paclitaxel is known to cause side effects like injection site reactions. A newer formulation named NPLS was developed to overcome the limitations of the conventional paclitaxel. The current study was done to compare the safety and effectiveness of NPLS and conventional paclitaxel in patients with advanced breast cancer. What did the researchers do? The research team conducted a large study in multiple hospitals across India, involving women with advanced breast cancer who had experienced treatment failure with previous chemotherapy. A total of 174 patients were randomly assigned to receive either of the three treatment schedules: (1) NPLS every 3 weeks, (2) NPLS every week, (3) conventional paclitaxel every 3 weeks. What did the researchers find? The results showed that NPLS, in a weekly schedule, led to better tumor response rates compared to conventional paclitaxel given every 3 weeks. Additionally, NPLS demonstrated a favorable safety profile, as compared to conventional paclitaxel. What do the findings mean? These findings suggest that NPLS could be a promising alternative for women with advanced breast cancer. NPLS improved the response to treatment, with a better safety profile compared to conventional paclitaxel.

Healthy eating encouragement and socio-demographic factors associated with cognitive development among pre-schoolers: a cross-sectional evaluation in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive development in pre-schoolers through healthy eating and socio-demographic support is crucial for their later lives. We investigated healthy eating encouragement, socio-demographic factors and their association with cognitive development in pre-schoolers. METHODS: Quantitative data were collected using a multi-stage random sampling between February and April 2021. Pre-schoolers 36 and 71 months and their primary caregivers were recruited from three local government units of Rupandehi district. We compared healthy eating encouragement, socioeconomic and demographic factors with cognitive development using t-test, one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analysis to identify the predictors of the cognitive development among pre-schoolers. RESULTS: Cognitive development in pre-schoolers is significantly positively associated with age 36-48 months (ß = 0.153; 95% CI: 0.12, 13.96), living in a nuclear family (ß = 0.121; 95% CI: 0.59, 6.88) and following Buddhism (ß = 0.148; 95% CI: 0.88, 14.32). Conversely, children from specific caste/ethnic backgrounds, such as Dalit (ß = -0.126; 95% CI: -10.79, -0.68), Janajati (ß = -0.237; 95% CI: -6.14, -2.09) and non-Dalit Tarai caste or ethnicity (ß = -0.133; 95% CI: -3.46, -0.25) and mothers employed (ß = -0.134; 95% CI: -10.62, -1.44) show significantly lower levels of cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS: The finding shows that socioeconomic factors have an influence on cognitive development and also stimulate the adoption of healthy eating encouragement practices.

Solitary Ileal Hemangioma in a 3-year-old Male.

Hemangiomas are rare small bowel tumors requiring a high index of suspicion for diagnosis. We present a case of ileal hemangioma in a 3-year-old male presenting with recurrent anemia. The patient was diagnosed with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography abdomen and managed surgically by resection and anastomosis. Histopathologically, it was a solitary ileal cavernous hemangioma with a submucosal infiltrative pattern with serosa involvement and a normal mucosa.

Role of 5 wt.% Mg Alloying in Al on Corrosion Characteristics of Al-Mg Coating Deposited by Plasma Arc Thermal Spray Process.

The corrosion of steel structures in coastal areas is a major issue. Therefore, in the present study, the protection against the corrosion of structural steel is carried out by depositing 100 µm thick Al and Al-5 Mg coatings using a plasma arc thermal spray process, immersing them in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for 41 days (d). To deposit such metals, one of the best known processes, arc thermal spray, is frequently used, but this process has severe defects and porosity. Thus, to minimize the porosity and defects of arc thermal spray, a plasma arc thermal spray process is developed. In this process, we used normal gas to create plasma instead of argon (Ar) and nitrogen (N2) with hydrogen (H) and helium (He). Al-5 Mg alloy coating exhibited uniform and dense morphology, where it reduced more than four times the porosity compared to Al, where Mg fills the voids of the coating, resulting in greater bond adhesion and hydrophobicity. The open circuit potential (OCP) of both coatings exhibited electropositive values due to the formation of native oxide in Al, while in the case of Al-5 Mg, the coating is dense and uniform. However, after 1 d of immersion, both coatings showed activation in OCP, owing to the dissolution of splat particles from the corner where the sharp edges are present in the Al coating, while Mg preferentially dissolved in the Al-5 Mg coating and made galvanic cells. Mg is galvanically more active than Al in the Al-5 Mg coating. Due to the capacity of the corrosion products to cover the pores and defects, both coatings stabilized the OCP after 13 d of immersion. The total impedance of the Al-5 Mg coating is gradually increased and is higher than the Al, which can be attributed to the uniform and dense coating morphology where Mg dissolves and agglomerates to form globular corrosion products and deposit over the surface, thereby causing barrier protection. The defect bearing corrosion products on Al coating led to the cause having a higher corrosion rate than the Al-5 Mg coating. A total of 5 wt.% mg in the Al coating improved the corrosion rate by a rate of 1.6 times compared to the pure Al in the 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution after 41 d of immersion.

Nutritional status and psychosocial stimulation associated with cognitive development in preschool children: A cross-sectional study at Western Terai, Nepal.

Quality education at the age of foundation to produce dynamic manpower is a public concern in developing countries including Nepal. Preschool children do not get proper care and support from their parents due to insufficient knowledge of proper feeding habits, nutrition status and methods of psychosocial stimulation, which may affect their proper cognitive development. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence cognitive development in preschool children aged 3-5 years in Rupandehi district of western Terai, Nepal. In this school based cross-sectional survey, a total of 401 preschool children were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. The study was conducted from 4th February to 12th April, 2021 in Rupandehi district of Nepal. Data on the children's socio-economic and demographic status, level of psychosocial stimulation, nutritional status, and stage of cognitive development were collected through scheduled interviews and direct observation. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of cognitive development in preschool children. A p-value less than 0.05 considered as statistical significance. Of 401 participants, 44.1% had a normal nutritional status based on height for age Z-score (HAZ). Only 1.2% of primary caregivers provided their children with high levels of psychosocial stimulation, and 49.1% of children had a medium level of cognitive development. Furthermore, cognitive development in preschoolers is positively associated with nutritional status based on the height for age z score (ß = 0.280; p<0.0001), psychological stimulation from caregivers (ß = 0.184; p<0.0001), and advantageous castes/ethnicity (ß = 0.190; p<0.0001), but negatively associated with the child's age (ß = - 0.145; p = 0.002) and family type (ß = -0.157; p = 0.001). Nutritional status and psychosocial stimulation appear to be major factors affecting cognitive development of preschoolers. Nutritional promotion strategies, as well as techniques for optimal psychosocial stimulation behavior, may play an important role in enhancing preschoolers' cognitive development.

Effects of Surface Treatment Conditions on the Bonding Strength and Electromagnetic Pulse Shielding of Concrete Using the 85Zn-15Al Arc Thermal Metal Spraying Method.

The surface treatment of concrete enhances the bonding of its metal coatings. Therefore, in the present study, on the concrete surface, prior to the deposit of an 85Zn-15Al coating via an arc thermal spraying process, different surface treatments were considered for the effective electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding properties of the concrete. However, the direct coating on a concrete surface possesses lower bond adhesion, therefore it is of the utmost importance to treat the concrete surface prior to the deposition of the metal coating. Moreover, to obtain better bond adhesion and fill the defects of the coating, the concrete surface is treated by applying a surface hardener (SH), as well as a surface roughening agent (SRA) and a sealing agent (SA), respectively. The metal spraying efficiency, adhesion performance, and bonding strength under different concrete surface treatment conditions were evaluated. The EMP shielding effect was evaluated under the optimal surface treatment condition. The proposed method for EMP shielding exhibited over 60% of spraying efficiency on the treated surface and a bonding strength of up to 3.9 MPa for the SH-SRA-SA (combining surface roughening and pores/defects filling agents) specimen compared to the control one, i.e., 0.8 MPa. The EMP shielding values of the surface-treated concrete with surface hardener, surface roughening agent, and sealing agent, i.e., SH-SRA-SA specimens, exhibited 96.6 dB at 1000 MHz. This was about 12 times higher than without coated concrete.

Association of Blood Mercury Level with Liver Enzymes in Korean Adults: An Analysis of 2015-2017 Korean National Environmental Health Survey.

Increased liver enzymes as a result of exposure to mercury and their toxic effects are not well understood in Korea at the population level. The effect of blood mercury concentration on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was evaluated after adjusting for sex, age, obesity, alcohol consumption habit, smoking, and exercise parameters in 3712 adults. The risk of abnormal liver function was measured using a multiple logistic regression analysis. Blood mercury concentration was divided into quartiles, and liver enzyme levels were compared for each quartile. ALT and AST levels were 10-20% higher in the second, third, and fourth quartiles compared to the first quartile. The risk of liver dysfunction or elevated liver enzymes was significantly higher in the second, third, and fourth quartiles than in the first quartile. As blood mercury levels increased, liver enzymes and mercury-induced hepatotoxicity increased. The increase in liver enzymes caused by mercury was more pronounced in the low-mercury concentration range. To reduce the long-standing problem of abnormal liver enzymes and liver function in Korea and other similar settings, it is important to decrease exposure to mercury through effective implementation of specific health and environmental strategies.

Maternal and dietary behavior-related factors associated with preterm birth in Southeastern Terai, Nepal: A cross sectional study.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a global issue although its burden is higher in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined the risk factors of PTB in Southeastern Terai, Nepal. Methods: In this community-based cross-sectional study, a total of 305 mothers having children under the age of 6 months were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected by structured interviewer-administered questionnaires and maternal antenatal cards from study participants for some clinical information. Predictors of PTB were identified using multi-level logistic regression analysis at a P-value < 0.05. Results: Of the total 305 mother-live-born baby pairs, 13.77% (42/305) had preterm childbirth. Maternal socio-demographic factors such as mothers from Dalit caste/ethnicity [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 12.16, 95% CI = 2.2-64.61] and Aadibasi/Janajati caste/ethnicity (AOR = 3.83, 95% CI = 1.01-14.65), family income in the first tercile (AOR = 6.82, 95% CI = 1.65-28.08), than their counterparts, were significantly positively associated with PTB. Likewise, other maternal and dietary factors, such as birth order first-second (AOR = 9.56, 95% CI = 1.74-52.53), and birth spacing ≤ 2 years (AOR = 5.16, 95% CI = 1.62-16.42), mothers who did not consume additional meal (AOR = 9.53, 95% CI = 2.13-42.55), milk and milk products (AOR = 6.44, 95% CI = 1.56-26.51) during pregnancy, having <4 antenatal (ANC) visits (AOR = 4.29, 95% CI = 1.25-14.67), did not have intake of recommended amount of iron and folic acid tablets (IFA) (<180 tablets) (AOR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.03-11.58), and not having adequate rest and sleep (AOR = 4.83, 95% CI = 1.01-23.30) during pregnancy had higher odds of having PTB than their counterparts. Conclusion: Some socio-demographic, maternal, and dietary behavior-related factors were independently associated with PTB. These factors should be considered while designing targeted health interventions in Nepal. In addition, we recommend specific measures such as promoting pregnant women to use available antenatal care and counseling services offered to them, as well as having an adequate diet to a level that meets their daily requirements.

Role of Coating Processes on the Corrosion Kinetics and Mechanism of Zinc in Artificial Seawater.

Zinc (Zn) coating is being used to protect steel structures from corrosion. There are different processes to deposit the coating onto a steel substrate. Therefore, in the present study, a 100 µm thick Zn coating was deposited by arc and plasma arc thermal spray coating processes, and the corrosion resistance performance was evaluated in artificial seawater. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the arc thermal spray coating exhibited splats and inflight particles, whereas plasma arc spraying showed a uniform and dense morphology. When the exposure periods were extended up to 23 d, the corrosion resistance of the arc as well as the plasma arc thermal spray coating increased considerably. This is attributed to the blocking characteristics of the defects by the stable hydrozincite (Zn5(OH)6(CO3)2).

Profile of Ectopic Pregnancy Cases in a Tertiary Hospital.

BACKGROUND: An ectopic or extra uterine pregnancy is one in which the blastocyst implants anywhere other than the endometrial lining of the uterine cavity. The objective of the study was to find incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation and mode of management of ectopic pregnancy. METHODS: Observational study was conducted at Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu. All the relevant data were recorded in performa. The collected data were entered in MS Excel and exported into SPSS 26 version for statistical analysis. RESULTS: About one third of the patients 10 (33.3%) was of 25-29 age group.The most common risk factor was pelvic infection in 23 (76.6%) cases, abortion in 11 (36.7%), and abdominal surgery in 8 (26.7%) of cases. The of classic triad of amenorrhea (100%), pain abdomen (99.7%) and per vaginal bleeding (66.7%). Ruptured ectopic seen in 26 (86.7%) cases, unruptured status in 1 (3.3%) case, tubal abortion in 1(3.3%) case and organized ectopic in 2(6.7%) cases. The most common site was found to be ampulla in 23 (76.7%) cases, fmbria 3(10%) cases, corneal in 3(10%) cases and ithmus in 1 (3.3%) case. All the cases managed surgically, of them unilateral salphingectomy, unilateral salphingo-opherectomy and wedge resection for corneal pregnancy were done in 25(83.3%), 2(6.7%) and 3(10%) cases respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ectopic pregnancy mostly present as ruptured form in young females in our context. Pelvic infection is the commonest risk factor with ampulla being the commonest site. All cases required surgical intervention in form of unilateral salphingo-opherectomy and wedge resection.

Ovarian Carcinoma in a Young Pregnant Woman.

Ovarian cancer during pregnancy is a rare event. Little is known about the treatment of this condition due to the lack of randomized trials and cohort studies. A case of 28 years female, from Kathmandu, visited Out-Patients Department with complaint of amenorrhea for 8 weeks associated with nausea and occasional pain abdomen. Dating scan was done which showed a single live intrauterine pregnancy corresponding to 8 weeks 4 days of gestation with incidental finding of adnexal cysts in both adnexa, measuring 3.6 x 3.6 cm on right and on left 3.2 x 3.6 cm. The cysts did not show any septations. At 38 weeks, she underwent caesarean section and delivered a healthy baby girl. Intra-operatively, bilateral ovarian cysts were identified, both 2x2 cm simple-looking cysts. Enucleation of bilateral ovarian cysts was done. The specimen was sent for histopathology which showed serous carcinoma of low grade in bilateral ovaries. Staging surgery was then carried out after 6 weeks. Histopathology report showed serous carcinoma of low grade in both ovaries. We present here the case of ovarian cancer during pregnancy. Keywords: Ovarian cancer; pregnancy.

Effect of Chloride Ions Concentrations to Breakdown the Passive Film on Rebar Surface Exposed to L-Arginine Containing Pore Solution.

In the present study, 0.115 M L-arginine (LA) has been used as an eco-friendly inhibitor in simulated concrete pore solutions (SP-0) in order to form passive films on a steel rebar-solution interface until 144 h. Hence, 0.51 (SP-1) and 0.85 M NaCl (SP-2) were added in LA containing SP-0 solution to breakdown the passive film and to initiate corrosion reactions. The electrochemical results show that the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of steel rebar exposed to SP-1 and SP-2 solutions increased with respect to immersion periods. The sample exposed to the SP-2 solution initiated the corrosion reaction at the steel rebar-solution interface after 24 h of NaCl addition and formed pits; on the other hand, the sample without NaCl added, i.e., SP-0, showed agglomeration and dense morphology of corrosion products.

pH-controlled synthesis of sustainable lauric acid/SiO2 phase change material for scalable thermal energy storage.

Lauric acid (LA) has been recommended as economic, eco-friendly, and commercially viable materials to be used as phase change materials (PCMs). Nevertheless, there is lack of optimized parameters to produce microencapsulated PCMs with good performance. In this study, different amounts of LA have been chosen as core materials while tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor solution to form silicon dioxide (SiO2) shell. The pH of precursor solution was kept at 2.5 for all composition of microencapsulated LA. The synthesized microencapsulated LA/SiO2 has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM and TEM confirm the microencapsulation of LA with SiO2. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed better thermal stability of microencapsulated LA/SiO2 compared to pure LA. PCM with 50% LA i.e. LAPC-6 exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency (96.50%) and encapsulation ratio (96.15%) through Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as good thermal reliability even after 30th cycle of heating and cooling process.

Deep versus superficial erector spinae block for modified radical mastectomy: A randomised controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Forero et al. described two approaches of erector spinae (ES) plane block: superficial and deep to erector spinae muscle. We hypothesised that the superficial technique would not lead to optimum analgesia as the drug would have to cross one more muscle layer. We aimed to compare the techniques in terms of analgesia and sensory blockade in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM). METHODS: Forty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I/II female patients in age group 18-60 years undergoing unilateral MRM were included in this prospective study. Group D patients received 20 mL 0.2% ropivacaine deep to erector spinae at the T4 level. Group S patients received 20 mL 0.2% ropivacaine superficial to erector spinae. Sensory level of block, perioperative opioid consumption, and adverse effects were noted. RESULTS: Twenty four hours morphine consumption was less in group D: 5.47 ± 1.1 mg and in group S was 7.66 ± 0.74 mg (P < 0.001). The sensory spread was more in deep group in the posterior axillary and mid axillary line. There were no reported adverse effects in either group. CONCLUSION: Injection of drug deep to ES muscle provides more cranio-caudal blockade of posterior and lateral chest wall, hence providing better analgesia following breast surgery. Injection of the drug superficial to the muscle leads to inferior analgesia.

Underweight and Associated Factors Among Teenage Adolescent Girls in Resource-poor Settings: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Understanding the undernutrition status of teenage adolescent girls living in urban slums and its associated factors is meaningful to formulate customized health strategies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of being underweight and associated factors among teenage adolescent girls in urban slums. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled a total of 418 teenage adolescent girls from five of 210 urban slums of Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh, India employing two-stage probability sampling for the selection of households and subjects, between September 2016 and July 2017. The study of underwight subjects was assessed with BMI for age using standard criteria. Factors associated with being underweight were determined by multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 418 study subjects, 49.76% (208/418) were underweight. Results revealed that sociodemographic factors such as teenage adolescent girls who were from SC/ST (schedule caste/schedule tribe) caste/ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.02, 95%CI: 1.00-4.23), subjects whose father's education level was primary or lower (AOR=1.87, 95%CI: 1.12-3.11), and number of people in the family >4 (AOR=2.18, 95%CI: 1.18-4.03) were associated with being underweight. Likewise, dietary behavior-related factors such as vegetarian (AOR=2.21, 95%CI: 1.25-3.92), and <3 meals per day (AOR=2.36, 95%CI: 1.40-3.98) than their counterparts were associated with being underweight. In addition, teenage adolescent girls from food-insecure households (AOR=3.33, 95%CI: 2.01-5.51) were more likely to be underweight than those from food-secure households. CONCLUSION: The higher burden of underweight among teenage adolescent girls in Indian urban slums needs to be addressed through specific public health interventions such as by improving education, providing education regarding dietary behavior, and having access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious foods.

Quality of Life among Primary Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy Living in Sarlahi and Rautahat Districts of Nepal.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the quality of life and factors associated with quality of life among primary caregivers of children with Cerebral palsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried between primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in rehabilitation group and non-rehabilitation group. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data Results: Median age of caregivers was 34 years (age 20-70 years), and there was significant difference between age in two groups (p=0.028). 83 (86.5%) caregivers were female with significant difference between gender in rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation group (p=0.03). Majority of primary caregivers were mother 71 (74%) in both groups. Among all 96 caregivers, 78.1% of caregivers had poor quality of life (Score in questionnaire below 75% taken as poor quality of life).There was no significant difference between quality of life in rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation group (p=0.42). Factors associated with quality of life in rehabilitation groups was illiteracy (p=0.005), aggressive nature of child (p=0.050), uncooperative nature of child (p=0.025), poor knowledge about child condition (p<0.001), and low financial support (p=0.051). Similarly, factor associated with quality of life in non-rehabilitation group was gross motor function classification system level of child (p< 0.001) and more perceived stress (p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Majority of primary caregivers was mother and had poor quality of life and there was no significant difference between overall quality of life of caregivers in rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation group.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Adults with Central Obesity at Janakpur Zone, Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Urbanization, surplus energy uptake, decreased physical activities are general risk factors of metabolic syndrome However, it's status, and associated components remain unexplored in the Terai region of Nepal. This study evaluated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among adults with central obesity of Terai region of Nepal using International Diabetes Federation criteria. METHODS: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted in three Terai districts of Janakpur Zone, Nepal. A total of 378 adults having central obesity were selected using cluster sampling by camp approach. Interview, physical and clinical examination, measurement of fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile were conducted for all participants. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components with 95% CI were estimated. RESULTS: The metabolic syndrome prevalence was 74.9% (95% CI:70.2-79.2%), with no significant differences between male (77.7%, 95% CI:71.0-83.5%) and female (72.2%, 95% CI: 65.2-78.3%). The most common factors observed were low high density lipoproteins with highly significant differences between male (77.7%, 95% CI:71.0-83.5%)) and female (90.2%, 95% CI: 85.094.0%-; p=0.001) and hypertriglyceridemia with significant differences between male (57.6%, 95% CI: 50.1-64.5%) and female (46.9%, 95% CI: 39.7-54.2%; p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors in Janakpur of Nepal likely suggest lack of awareness and health promotion activities for metabolic syndrome and indicate an urgency for a public health program to maintain quality of life.

Electromagnetic Shielding Performance of Different Metallic Coatings Deposited by Arc Thermal Spray Process.

Advancement in electronic and communication technologies bring us up to date, but it causes electromagnetic interference (EMI) resulting in failure of building and infrastructure, hospital, military base, nuclear plant, and sensitive electronics. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to prevent the failure of structures and electronic components from EMI using conducting coating. In the present study, Cu, Cu-Zn, and Cu-Ni coating was deposited in different thicknesses and their morphology, composition, conductivity, and EMI shielding effectiveness are assessed. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that 100 µm coating possesses severe defects and porosity but once the thickness is increased to 500 µm, the porosity and electrical conductivity is gradually decreased and increased, respectively. Cu-Zn coating exhibited lowest in porosity, dense, and compact morphology. As the thickness of coating is increased, the EMI shielding effectiveness is increased. Moreover, 100 µm Cu-Zn coating shows 80 dB EMI shielding effectiveness at 1 GHz but Cu and Cu-Ni are found to be 68 and 12 dB, respectively. EMI shielding effectiveness results reveal that 100 µm Cu-Zn coating satisfy the minimum requirement for EMI shielding while Cu and Cu-Ni required higher thickness.

Socio-demographic and Healthcare-seeking Predictors of Undernutrition among Children Under-five Years of Age in a Western District of Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is highly prevalent in Nepal, which interferes with physical and mental development among children. It is one of the severe health problems contributing to the significant portion of the disease burden. This study aimed to explore socio-demographic and healthcare-seeking related predictors of undernutrition among children under five years old in Dang, Nepal. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A sample of 426 children was participated through stratified proportionate random sampling to identify socio-demographics and healthcare-seeking predictors of undernutrition. Multivariable regression was applied to identify the independent predictors of undernutrition. RESULTS: This study found that children below 24 months of age were more likely to be undernourished than children aged 24-36 months. Female children (OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.19-4.54), illiterate or non-formally educated women (OR=4.09, 95% CI: 1.84-9.08), mother's occupation other than a housewife (OR=13.05, 95% CI: 4.19-40.68), labor work of father (OR=2.40, 95% CI: 1.04-5.57) had increased risk of undernutrition among children. Similarly, food insufficiency from their land, antenatal care visit, postnatal care visit, and delivery place were significantly associated with childhood undernutrition among children.  Conclusions: The study showed that undernutrition among children is associated with age and gender of children, educational attainment of the mother, food sufficiency, health-seeking practices of the mother during pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal. Socio-demographics and health-seeking practices related predictors must be explicitly considered to address undernutrition among children under the age of five years.