User experience and perceived usability of nurse-led telemonitoring among women with gestational diabetes in Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Objective: To assess the usability and acceptability of nurse-led telemonitoring in managing gestational diabetes among Nepalese women.

Methods: We conducted a convergent mixed-method study among 91 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal. Participants received glucometers and blood pressure monitors, along with training and instructions to measure and record their blood pressure and glucose levels at home once a week.

Association of gestational weight gain rate with infant birth weight and cesarean delivery: A prospective cohort study in Nepal.

Gestational weight gain (GWG) is linked to pregnancy outcomes, such as birth weight and delivery mode, though research in low-income countries like Nepal is limited. We examined the association of GWG rate with infant birth weight and cesarean delivery in a prospective cohort of 191 pregnant women in Nepal, using data collected from August 2018 to August 2019 at a peri-urban hospital in Dhulikhel. Participants included women with singleton, full-term live births, with GWG rate calculated from weight gain between the second and late pregnancy stages, divided by the weeks in between.

Water dispersible carbon nanomaterials reduced N, P, and K leaching potential in sandy soils: A column leaching study.

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) - amendments with carbon in nanoscale form -could potentially enhance fertilizer delivery efficiency in agriculture, but their interaction with soil properties and nutrient co-mobility, especially in coarse-textured soils, remain poorly understood. We conducted a column leaching study in repacked soil columns to compare the co-leaching of novel water-dispersible CNMs and soil nutrients across two levels of CNMs applications (200 & 400 mg kg), two fertilization rates (low:80 mg kg of N, P and K and high: 200 mg N kg, 100 mg P kg, 200 mg K kg, applied as ammonium nitrate, potassium phosphate, and potassium nitrate) and two soils (Spodosol with pH = 5.1, Alfisol with pH = 6.

Synergistic enhancement of maize crop yield and nutrient assimilation via zinc oxide nanoparticles and phosphorus fertilization.

Background: Low recovery of conventional fertilizers remains a significant bottleneck for maize production globally. In particular, with phosphate fertilization, zinc (Zn) is prone to precipitation in soil, reducing recovery of both phosphorus (P) and Zn by maize.

Results: The present study was designed to investigate the synergistic effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and P on maize crop growth, yield, and nutrient uptake under ZnO seed coating and foliar application in a randomized complete block design.

Comparative effectiveness of carbon nanoparticles and biochar in alleviating copper stress in corn (Zea mays L.).

The application of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) and biochar in agriculture for improving plant health and soil quality and alleviating metal stress offers alternative approaches to meet the ever-increasing demand for food. However, poor understanding of their roles in improving crop production under Cu stress represents a significant obstacle to their wide application in agriculture. To clarify how CNPs and biochar affect corn (Zea mays L.

Above-and below-ground feedback loop of maize is jointly enhanced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in drier soil.

Drought is a potent abiotic stressor that arrests crop growth, significantly affecting crop health and yields. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can offer to protect plants from stressful environments through improving water, and nutrient use efficiency by strengthening plant root structure and harnessing favorable rhizosphere environments. When Acaulospora laevis (AMF) and Bacillus subtilus (PGPR) are introduced in combination, enhanced root growth and beneficial microbial colonization can mitigate drought stress.

Designing and Developing a Mobile App for Management and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes in Nepal: User-Centered Design Study.

Background: Mobile apps can aid with the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by providing patient education, reinforcing regular blood glucose monitoring and diet/lifestyle modification, and facilitating clinical and social support.

Objective: This study aimed to describe our process of designing and developing a culturally tailored app, Garbhakalin Diabetes athawa Madhumeha-Dhulikhel Hospital (GDM-DH), to support GDM management among Nepalese patients by applying a user-centered design approach.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team of experts, as well as health care providers and patients in Dhulikhel Hospital (Dhulikhel, Nepal), contributed to the development of the GDM-DH app.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Cesarean Section in Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital.

Background The Cesarean Section (CS) is a major obstetric life-saving procedure used to avoid pregnancy and childbirth complications. Cesarean sections are becoming more popular across the world, as well as in Nepal. Objective To assess the prevalence of cesarean section and its associated factors among women in Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Increase in cotton yield through improved leaf physiological functioning under the soil condition of reduced chemical fertilization compensated by the enhanced organic liquid fertilization.

Introduction: Low agricultural nutrient input efficiency remains a significant impediment for crop production globally. To address this issue in cotton agroecosystems, there is a need to develop sustainable crop nutrient management strategies to achieve high crop yields. We hypothesized that organic liquid fertilizer (OF) combined with reduced chemical fertilizer (CF) would enhance cotton yield by improving leaf functioning and soil properties.

Carbon nanomaterials are a superior soil amendment for sandy soils than biochar based on impacts on lettuce growth, physiology and soil biochemical quality.

A significant bottleneck of current agricultural systems remains the very low agronomic efficiency of conventional agrochemicals, particularly in sandy soils. Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been proposed to address this inefficiency in sandy soils, which could potentially improve soil fertility and enhance crop growth and physiological processes. However, the effects of different rates of CNMs on crop physiological and soil biochemical quality in sandy soils must be compared to other carbon sources (e.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and its associated factors among survivors of 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

Background: Natural disasters cause long term psychological consequences, especially post-traumatic stress disorders. It has been regarded as the most prevalent of psychiatric disorders after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and determine its associated factors in adult survivors three years after the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

SharpRazor: Automatic removal of hair and ruler marks from dermoscopy images.

Background: The removal of hair and ruler marks is critical in handcrafted image analysis of dermoscopic skin lesions. No other dermoscopic artifacts cause more problems in segmentation and structure detection.

Purpose: The aim of the work is to detect both white and black hair, artifacts and finally inpaint correctly the image.

Utilization of Cervical Cancer Screening and Associated Factors among Women in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Background Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Nepal causing highest cancer mortality among women of reproductive age. However, it can be prevented through early and regular screening. Objective To assess utilization of cervical cancer screening, its awareness and perception among women, and associated factors.

Effect of a social media-based health education program on postnatal care (PNC) knowledge among pregnant women using smartphones in Dhulikhel hospital: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Postnatal care services helps in detecting and subsequently managing life threatening complications. With the ubiquitous use of the mobile phone in Nepal, social media based postpartum education has the potential to increase PNC knowledge among pregnant women. This study aimed to assess the effect of social media-based health education program on PNC knowledge among pregnant women attending Dhulikhel hospital, Nepal.

ChimeraNet: U-Net for Hair Detection in Dermoscopic Skin Lesion Images.

Hair and ruler mark structures in dermoscopic images are an obstacle preventing accurate image segmentation and detection of critical network features. Recognition and removal of hairs from images can be challenging, especially for hairs that are thin, overlapping, faded, or of similar color as skin or overlaid on a textured lesion. This paper proposes a novel deep learning (DL) technique to detect hair and ruler marks in skin lesion images.

Seasonal Variations and Health Risk Assessment of Trace Elements in Seti River Basin, Gandaki Province, Nepal.

To explore the seasonal variability and associated health risks of dissolved trace elements (TEs), a total of 45 water samples (15 samples in each season) were collected from the Seti River Basin during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. A total of 15 TEs were analysed and the results revealed that Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), and Nickel (Ni) were primarily controlled by lithogenic sources, whereas, Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Cesium (Cs), Cupper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn) were derived from both anthropic and geogenic sources. Additionally, the concentration of Zn was markedly high, especially during the post-monsoon season nearby the landfill site, indicating the anthropic signatures.