Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan?

Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity.

Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor presenting as a huge peritoneal mass and mimicking as mesothelioma - A case report.

Introduction And Importance: Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors are group of soft tissue neoplasm, which originates outside the gastrointestinal tract comprising of less than 5% of the total gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Case Presentation: A 67 years old male came with a history of vague abdominal pain, discomfort and loss of appetite. Per abdominal examination showed a palpable firm mass which was filling both the flanks.

Trends in and determinants of visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health care in Nepal: comparison of three Nepal demographic health surveys, 2006, 2011, and 2016.

Background: Maternal and child health care services are available in both public and private facilities in Nepal. Studies have not yet looked at trends in maternal and child health service use over time in Nepal. This paper assesses trends in and determinants of visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health needs using nationally representative data from the last three successive Nepal Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS).

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in Deula community, Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Infections with intestinal protozoans, helminths, and other parasites are major, but overlocked problems in developing countries. Accurate surveys of intestinal parasites in Deula community inform empirical treatment regimens and can assess the impact of community-based drug treatment programs. There is limited information on this topic in Nepal.

Chronic otitis media and subsequent hearing loss in children from the Himalayan region residing in Buddhist Monastic schools of Nepal.

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of chronic otitis media and determine the corresponding hearing loss in children from Nepal's Himalayan region now residing in Buddhist Monastic schools of Nepal.

Methods: The study was conducted among children at Buddhist monastic school in different parts of Nepal. A total of 3174 children aged between 5 and 15 years, who were originally from the Himalayan region of Nepal and were currently residing in monastic schools, were screened for ear problems and hearing loss.

Agreement Between Mothers and Fieldworkers While Assessing Child Development Using Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition in Nepal.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) is becoming a widely used developmental assessment tool. The ASQ-3 can be completed by the caregivers (referred to as "mail out"), or by trained personnel under direct observation of the children (referred to as "home procedure"). The study was carried out to compare results obtained by the ASQ mail out with those of the ASQ home procedure in a community setting of Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Impact of Adsorbed Water on the Interaction of Limonene with Hydroxylated SiO: Implications of π-Hydrogen Bonding for Surfaces in Humid Environments.

The indoor environment is a dynamic one with many variables impacting indoor air quality and indoor air chemistry. These include relative humidity (RH) and the presence of different surfaces. Although it has been suggested that the indoor concentrations of gas-phase compounds increase at higher relative humidity, because of displacement of these compounds from indoor surfaces, little is known from a molecular perspective about how RH and adsorbed water impact the adsorption of indoor relevant organic compounds such as limonene with indoor relevant surfaces.

Resistin is co-secreted with adiponectin in white mouse adipocytes.

In the current work we have investigated the cellular and molecular regulation of resistin secretion in cultured and primary mouse adipocytes. Resistin is an adipose tissue hormone proposed to contribute to metabolic disease. In rodents, resistin is secreted from white adipocytes whereas it is in humans synthesised and released from other cell types within white adipose tissue.

Effects of vitamin B12 supplementation on neurodevelopment and growth in Nepalese Infants: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common and affects cell division and differentiation, erythropoiesis, and the central nervous system. Several observational studies have demonstrated associations between biomarkers of vitamin B12 status with growth, neurodevelopment, and anemia. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of daily supplementation of vitamin B12 for 1 year on neurodevelopment, growth, and hemoglobin concentration in infants at risk of deficiency.

An Approach to Monitor Exocytosis in White Adipocytes.

Exocytosis, the fusion of vesicles with the plasma membrane, can be measured with the patch-clamp technique as increases in membrane capacitance. Here we provide detailed information on how to monitor white adipocyte exocytosis using this method. We describe how to isolate the stromal vascular fraction of cells (SVF) within adipose tissue and how to differentiate SVF and cultured 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes suitable for patch-clamp studies.

Awareness on Social Health Insurance Scheme among Locals in Bhaktapur Municipality.

Background: Illnesses impose a huge economic burden on individuals and families. Costly health care also discourages people from using health services thereby generating prolonged or worsened health problems. The recently endorsed National Health Insurance Policy forecasts the integration of all social health protection schemes thereby ultimately achieving universal coverage.

Prevalence of Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity in Adults in Bhaktapur, Nepal in 2015-2017.

There is an increase in the double burden of malnutrition globally, with a particular rise documented in Asia. In Nepal, undernutrition has been prevalent for decades. Today, however, the incidence of overweight and obesity (OWOB) in the country has increased substantially.

Recurrence of ruptured intracranial epidermoid cyst - A rare case report and presentation.

Introduction: Intracranial epidermoid cysts are congenital tumors that develop from ectodermal remnants during neuroembryogenesis between the third and fifth weeks of gestation. These tumors are benign and usually present with local mass effect. Here, we present a rare case of ruptured intracranial epidermoid cyst with recurrence.

Serological markers and molecular analysis of hepatitis B infection in a tertiary care hospital at Kathmandu, Nepal.

Aim: To analyze the serology and molecular markers of the hepatitis B-infected patients from the tertiary care hospital at Kathmandu in Nepal.

Methods: A total of 399 blood samples of patients from Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku, Kathmandu, were collected. Samples were tested for HBsAg, HBeAg, and IgM anti-HBc using ELISA method.

Crowding and the shape of COVID-19 epidemics.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is straining public health systems worldwide, and major non-pharmaceutical interventions have been implemented to slow its spread. During the initial phase of the outbreak, dissemination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was primarily determined by human mobility from Wuhan, China. Yet empirical evidence on the effect of key geographic factors on local epidemic transmission is lacking.

The Feasibility of the Full and Modified Versions of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) and the Prevalence of Social Withdrawal in Infants in Nepal.

Background: Sustained social withdrawal in infancy may have organic and nonorganic causes and could hinder normal development. The Alarm Distress Baby (ADBB) scale is a widely validated screening tool of social withdrawal in children 2-24 months. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the full and modified ADBB in Nepalese infants in a community-based study.

Genetic analysis of children with congenital ocular anomalies in three ecological regions of Nepal: a phase II of Nepal pediatric ocular diseases study.

Background: Genetic eye diseases constitute a large and heterogeneous group of childhood ocular morbidity. Individual diseases may cause multiple structural anomalies and developmental features. Nepal Pediatric Ocular Disease Study (NPODS) was a population-based epidemiological study conducted across three ecological regions of Nepal to determine the prevalence and etiology of childhood ocular morbidity and blindness.

Effect of exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fuel types and eye disorders in women from hilly and plain regions of Nepal.

Background/aim: To study the association between exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fuels andi cataract, visual acuity and ocular symptoms in women.

Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among women (≥20 years and without a previous diagnosis of cataract, ocular trauma or diabetes or those taking steroids) from hilly and plain regions of Nepal. Eligible participants received an interview and a comprehensive eye assessment (cataract development, visual acuity test and ocular symptoms).

A novel sequence to improve auditory functional MRI with variable silent delays.

Purpose: Auditory functional MRI (fMRI) often uses silent inter-volume delays for stimulus presentation. However, maintaining the steady-state of the magnetization usually requires constant delays. Here, a novel acquisition scheme dubbed "pre-Saturated EPI using Multiple delays in Steady-state" (SEPIMS) is proposed, using spin saturation at a fixed delay before each volume to maintain steady-state conditions, independent of previous spin history.

Sutureless and rapid deployment implantation in bicuspid aortic valve: results from the sutureless and rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement international registry.

Background: Benefits of sutureless and rapid deployment (SURD) bioprostheses in bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) are controversial. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for BAV from the Sutureless and Rapid-Deployment Aortic Valve Replacement International Registry (SURD-IR).

Methods: Of the 4,636 patients who received primary isolated SURD-AVR between 2007 and 2018, 191 (4.

Colectomy Rates Are Increasing Among Inpatients With Concomitant Ulcerative Colitis and Clostridioides difficile.

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an important cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exacerbation and is associated with increased risk of hospitalization, colectomy, and mortality. Previous analysis have reported an increasing rate of CDI and associated mortality in IBD patients. We examined the trends in CDI-associated outcomes in hospitalized patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) over the last decade.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic response on intrapartum care, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality outcomes in Nepal: a prospective observational study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic response is affecting maternal and neonatal health services all over the world. We aimed to assess the number of institutional births, their outcomes (institutional stillbirth and neonatal mortality rate), and quality of intrapartum care before and during the national COVID-19 lockdown in Nepal.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, we collected participant-level data for pregnant women enrolled in the SUSTAIN and REFINE studies between Jan 1 and May 30, 2020, from nine hospitals in Nepal.

The safety and efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy against psychotic symptomatology: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a third-wave psychological intervention that has attracted considerable clinical and research attention. A previous meta-analysis of ACT trials in psychosis reported a large effect size of ACT against overall psychotic symptomatology. However, there were critical methodological issues in the review that justify replication.

Modeling seasonal water yield for landscape management: Applications in Peru and Myanmar.

A common objective of watershed management programs is to secure water supply, especially during the dry season. To develop such programs in contexts of low data and resource availability, program managers need tools to understand the effect of landscape management on the seasonal water balance. However, the performance of simple, parsimonious models is poorly understood.