Functional status and its associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in rural Nepal: findings from a cross-sectional study.

Background: The high burden of chronic conditions, coupled with various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging, may limit the functional ability of older adults. This study aims to assess the prevalence of poor functional status and investigate factors associated with poor functional status among community-dwelling older adults in rural communities of eastern Nepal.

Methods: Data on 794 older adults aged ≥ 60 years from a previous community-based cross-sectional study was used.

SW178 sp. nov., an intestinal bacterium of feral chicken.

A Gram-positive, coccobacillus, white raised and circular with an entire edge colony, and obligately anaerobic bacterium, strain SW178 was isolated from the cecum content of feral chickens in Brookings, South Dakota, USA. The most closely related strain based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain SW178 was ATCC 27756 ( ATCC 27756) with 96.94% similarity.

Hypoglycemia in a Patient with Hypercortisolism and Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Paradoxical Entity.

Adrenal cortical carcinoma is a rare and aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. Cases usually present with signs and symptoms of excessive hormone production. Hyperglycemia and Cushing syndrome are common, but tumor-associated hypoglycemia due to paraneoplastic secretion of insulin-like growth factor-2 (termed Anderson's syndrome) is uncommon.

Proximal Migration of Pancreatic Duct Stent in Pancreas Divisum: Challenges in Retrieval and Review of the Literature.

Pancreas divisum is the most common congenital malformation of the pancreas. Sometimes it is considered an etiology when patients present with recurrent episodes of pancreatitis. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) with selective cannulation of the minor papilla with sphincterotomy and stent placement are performed in these patients.

(Asteraceae), a new species from Humla, Nepal Himalayas.

A new species S.K.Ghimire & H.

Re-examining critiques of resilience policy: evidence from Barpak after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

This paper examines three common critiques of 'resilience': (i) that it is a 'top-down' policy discourse that pays too little regard to local specificities; (ii) that resilience policy represents a neoliberal shift towards the responsibilisation of communities and a retreat of the state from its role in providing protection; and (iii) that the focus on resilience tends to divert attention from the underlying causes of vulnerability. Using data collected after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the paper argues that these critiques have mixed salience in this context, but that (i) and (iii) in particular point to important problems in how the central government and its international partners have approached enhancing the resilience of communities. While there are benefits to considering resilience at the local level, it is important to recognise the inequalities within communities, how these might be reflected in differential degrees of vulnerability, and how they might be reinforced through resilience-building programmes.

The Role of GPR109a Signaling in Niacin Induced Effects on Fed and Fasted Hepatic Metabolism.

Signaling through GPR109a, the putative receptor for the endogenous ligand β-OH butyrate, inhibits adipose tissue lipolysis. Niacin, an anti-atherosclerotic drug that can induce insulin resistance, activates GPR109a at nM concentrations. GPR109a is not essential for niacin to improve serum lipid profiles.

Profiling Tissue and Biofluid miR-155-5p, miR-155, and miR-146a-5p Expression in Graft vs. Host Disease.

Acute graft vs. host disease (aGvHD) is a frequent complication following allogeneic haematopoeitic transplantation (HSCT). Despite recent advances, there are no universally accepted biomarkers to determine development of aGvHD.

Prevalence of Stroke and Stroke Risk Factors in a South-Western Community of Nepal.

Background: Stroke related studies in Nepal are primarily hospital-based and mainly from the capital city.

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of stroke and stroke risk factors in the South-Western community of Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2018 among 549 randomly selected Nepalese participants from diverse ethnicity, aged ≥15 years, in a region with the availability of neurological support facilities.

Butterfly species diversity and their floral preferences in the Rupa Wetland of Nepal.

Floral attributes often influence the foraging choices of nectar-feeding butterflies, given the close association between plants and these butterfly pollinators. The diversity of butterflies is known to a large extent in Nepal, but little information is available on the feeding habits of butterflies. This study was conducted along the periphery of Rupa Wetland from January to December 2019 to assess butterfly species diversity and to identify the factors influencing their foraging choices.

Alternative Management Systems of Beef Cattle Manure for Reducing Nitrogen Loadings: A Case-Study Approach.

Livestock manure is one of the main sources of agricultural nonpoint source pollution and poses a great threat to the environment and human health. Sustainable management of manure via recycling is an effective means to tackle the problem. Based on field interviews in China, multiple case studies were employed to investigate alternative manure management systems.

Exploring depressive symptoms and its associates among Bangladeshi older adults amid COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Depression, one of the most common mental disorders, is up-surging worldwide amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, especially among the older population. This study aims to measure prevalent depressive symptoms and its associates among older adults amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1032 older Bangladeshi adults, aged 60 years and above, through telephone interviews in October 2020.

Prevalence of non-communicable chronic conditions, multimorbidity and its correlates among older adults in rural Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study's objectives were to estimate the prevalence of major non-communicable conditions and multimorbidity among older adults in rural Nepal and examine the associated socioeconomic and behavioural risk factors.

Design: This was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted between January and April 2018.

Setting: Rural municipalities of Sunsari and Morang districts in eastern Nepal.

Processing methods affect phytochemical contents in products prepared from orange-fleshed sweetpotato leaves and roots.

Phytochemicals enhance human health by acting antagonistically on incidences of cancer and other chronic diseases. They are considered indispensable in a variety of nutraceutical, pharmaceuticals, and medicinal and cosmetic applications. This study evaluated the effects of common processing methods on inherent phytochemical content in the roots and leaves of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) varieties called Kabode and SPK031.

Primary Malignant Mesothelioma of the Liver: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Primary malignant mesothelioma of the liver is an extremely rare cancer, with only 16 cases reported in the literature so far. Diagnosis is challenging due to morphological similarity with common liver cancers and the extreme rarity of the condition.

Case Description: We present the case of a 70-year-old man who was found to have an incidental liver mass which was diagnosed as primary malignant mesothelioma of the liver.

Study of Ectopic Pregnancy at Tertiary Care Hospital in Province 1 of Nepal.

Background: Ectopic pregnancy can be managed expectantly, medically or surgically. Laparoscopic surgery is considered gold standard. The aim of this study was to find incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation and mode of management of ectopic pregnancy.

Community-based intervention for cervical cancer screening uptake in a semi-urban area of Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal (COBIN-C): study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Previous studies suggest that health intervention designed to increase cervical cancer screening has been effective to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of a home-based health education intervention for increasing cervical cancer screening uptake delivered by trained female community health volunteers (FCHVs), a category of community health worker in Nepal.

Methods: A community-based, open-label, two-armed, cluster-randomized trial [seven clusters (geographical wards) randomized for the intervention, and seven for the control arm].

Human gastrulation: The embryo and its models.

Technical and ethical limitations create a challenge to study early human development, especially following the first 3 weeks of development after fertilization, when the fundamental aspects of the body plan are established through the process called gastrulation. As a consequence, our current understanding of human development is mostly based on the anatomical and histological studies on Carnegie Collection of human embryos, which were carried out more than half a century ago. Due to the 14-day rule on human embryo research, there have been no experimental studies beyond the fourteenth day of human development.

Health Services Utilization among Older Adults in Pokhara Metropolitan City.

The Government of Nepal provides a range of welfare schemes to senior citizens, but little is known about the use of public benefits by older adults. This community-based cross-sectional survey thus aims to assess the utilization and correlates of health services (through both private and public health facilities), free essential health services (provided by the government through public health facilities), and other welfare schemes - discounts in health treatment for certain diseases, monthly senior citizen allowance, reservation and concession in transportation, and the government-run health insurance program - among 201 Nepali older adults. Notably, a sizable proportion of the participants (22.

Diarrhea Is Associated with Increased Severity of Disease in COVID-19: Systemic Review and Metaanalysis.

Unlabelled: COVID-19 has become a pandemic since its emergence in Wuhan, China. The disease process was initially defined by presence of respiratory symptoms; however, it is now well studied and shown in evidence that this is a multisystem process. Involvement of gastrointestinal (GI) system has been identified, and GI symptoms can be the only presenting symptoms in some patients.

Health Care Utilization by Older Adults in Nepal: An Investigation of Correlates and Equity in Utilization.

This study aims to evaluate factors associated with health care utilization (HCU) and to assess vertical and horizontal equity in utilization among Nepali older adults. Data are from an existing cross-sectional study involving systematic random sampling of 260 older adults in Far-Western (Sudurpaschim) Province of Nepal. Andersen's theoretical framework was used to assess predisposing, enabling, and need factors that have the potential to influence health care utilization.

Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems for Nitrogen Management: A Multi-Scale Spatial Analysis.

The size and productivity of the livestock operations have increased over the past several decades, serving the needs of the growing human population. This growth however has come at the expense of broken connection between croplands and livestock operations. As a result, there is a huge disconnect between the nutrient needs of croplands and the availability of nutrients from livestock operations, leading to a range of environmental and public health issues.

Real-Time Blinking Suppression of Perovskite Quantum Dots by Halide Vacancy Filling.

Despite the excellent optoelectronic properties of halide perovskites, the ionic and electronic defects adversely affect the stability and durability of perovskites and their devices. These defects, intrinsic or produced by environmental factors such as oxygen, moisture, or light, not only cause chemical reactions that disintegrate the structure and properties of perovskites but also induce undesired photoluminescence blinking to perovskite quantum dots and nanocrystals. Blinking is also caused by the nonradiative Auger processes in the photocharged quantum dots or nanocrystals.

Comparative Analysis Delineates the Transcriptional Resistance Mechanisms for Pod Borer Resistance in the Pigeonpea Wild Relative (L.) Thouars.

Insect pests pose a serious threat to global food production. Pod borer ( (Hübner)) is one of the most destructive pests of leguminous crops. The use of host resistance has been an effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for controlling several agricultural pests.