The Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) is a commonly used outcome tool, which helps to identify the adherence rate of exercises and reasons for adherence and non-adherence. There is no evidence ...of the availability of any measurement tools to assess exercise adherence in the Nepalese context and cultural background. Therefore, we conducted a cross-cultural adaptation of the EARS into the Nepali language and investigated its reliability and validity.
Cross-cultural adaptation of the EARS was done based on Beaton guidelines. Psychometric properties were evaluated among 18 participants aged 18 years or older with pre-diabetes or confirmed diagnosis of any disease who were prescribed with home exercises by physiotherapists. Any disease that limited participants from doing exercise and individuals unwilling to participate were excluded. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency, using Cronbach's alpha. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed to explore construct validity and confirm its unidimensionality. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed to identify cut-off score, sensitivity and specificity of the tool.
The Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 for EARS-adherence behavior. The EFA of 6-items adherence behavior revealed the presence of one factor with an eigenvalue exceeding one. The scree-plot suggested for extraction of only one factor with strong loading (75.84%). The Area Under the Curve was 0.91 with 95% confidence interval 0.77-1.00 at p = 0.004. The cutoff score was found 17.5 with 89% sensitivity and 78% specificity.
The EARS was cross-culturally adapted to the Nepali language. The reliability and construct validity of the Nepali version of the EARS were acceptable to assess exercise adherence in Nepali-speaking individuals. This validated tool might facilitate the evaluation of exercise-related interventions. Future studies could investigate other psychometric properties of the Nepali EARS.
ABSTRACT
The effect of essential total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) like methionine and cysteine on the cecal microbiome of broilers was investigated at 2 different time points (days 21 and 42) of ...broiler rearing. A total of 360-day-old Cobb male broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 2 levels of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP: 0 and 0.05%) and 3 levels of TSAA (DL-methionine) either for starter (0.7, 0.8, and 0.9%) or finisher chicks (0.52, 0.62, and 0.72%), labeled as diets 1 to 6. Cecal digesta from each replicate (n = 10) were sampled on days 21 and 42. DNA was extracted for the amplification of the V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and subjected to Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses were performed using QIIME, Mothur, and ad hoc tools and functional profiles of the inferred metagenome were analyzed using PICRUST. Statistical difference was determined by 2-way ANOVA and PERMANOVA. Clustering of cecal communities using PCoA showed clear separation of microbial communities based on age (P < 0.05) of birds and between low and medium/ high levels of TSAA (DL-methionine). At day 21, bacterial richness and diversity were higher than at day 42 where Clostridium cluster XI and Lactobacillus were found most abundant. No variability in taxonomic richness at the genus level was observed with AGP and DL-methionine supplementation. Interbird variation for richness was greater at day 42 compared to day 21. The mean fold difference of richness was greater (1.5 mean fold) with diets 1 and 6, suggesting interactive effects of AGP and TSAA (DL-methionine) in the diet. KEGG function profiles calculated by PICRUST suggest that the cecal microbiome increased glycolysis and energy generation correlated with increased dietary TSAA (DL-methionine) supplementation levels during the late broiler growth period (day 42). This study increases our knowledge of microbial dynamics and functions that are relevant to host nutrition and performance that may help us tailoring alternative strategies for raising poultry birds under antibiotic-free conditions.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common during pregnancy and can result in adverse delivery and birth outcomes. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of STIs; Chlamydia ...trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Treponema pallidum (syphilis), Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomoniasis), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among pregnant women visiting an antenatal care center in Nepal.
We adapted and piloted the WHO standard protocol for conducting a prevalence survey of STIs among pregnant women visiting antenatal care center of Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal. Patient recruitment, data collection, and specimen testing took place between November 2019-March 2020. First catch urine sample was collected from each eligible woman. GeneXpert platform was used for CT and NG testing. Wet-mount microscopy of urine sample was used for detection of trichomoniasis. Serological test for HIV was done by rapid and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests. Serological test for syphilis was done using "nonspecific non-treponemal" and "specific treponemal" antibody tests. Tests for CT, NG and trichomoniasis were done as part of the prevalence study while tests for syphilis and HIV were done as part of the routine antenatal testing.
672 women were approached to participate in the study, out of which 591 (87.9%) met the eligibility criteria and consented to participate. The overall prevalence of any STIs was 8.6% (51/591, 95% CI: 6.3-10.8); 1.5% (95% CI: 0.5-2.5) for CT and 7.1% (95% CI: 5.0-9.2) for trichomoniasis infection. None of the samples tested positive for NG, HIV or syphilis. Prevalence of any STI was not significantly different among women, age ≤ 24 years (10%, 25/229) compared to women age ≥25 years (7.1%, 26/362) (p = 0.08).
The prevalence of trichomoniasis among pregnant women in this sub-urban population of Nepal was high compared to few cases of CT and no cases of NG, syphilis, and HIV. The WHO standard protocol provided a valuable framework for conducting STI surveillance that can be adapted for other countries and populations.
Suaahara was an innovative, complex, multi-sectoral, large-scale, nutrition programme in Nepal to increase exposure to nutrition-related information and services, improve nutrition-related knowledge ...and practices among pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children, and improve their nutrition. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Suaahara to improve nutrition and nutrition-related practices by comparing changes over 10 years between intervention and comparison districts. The samples of households at baseline in 2012 and endline in 2022 were 2040 and 2480, respectively, from 120 old wards. The impact was estimated using intent-to-treat regression models in which survey year, arm and their interaction were fixed effects, accounting for district clustering, with the interaction estimating differences between arms in changes over time. The intervention, relative to comparison, reduced maternal underweight by 8.43 percentage points (p < 0.001), consistent with improved maternal and fetal condition that was manifested as the greater length of 0.761 z-scores (p = 0.004) of infants 0-5.9 months. Complementary feeding practices with children between 6 and 23.9 months of age improved more in the intervention than comparison districts: child dietary diversity by 0.294 food groups (p = 0.072) and minimum dietary diversity by 9.51 percentage points (p = 0.028), feeding sick child more (p = 0.002) and administering oral rehydration solution and zinc for diarrhoea (p = 0.057) by about 17 percentage points each, and minimum meal frequency (p = 0.004) and minimum acceptable diet (p = 0.022) by about 15 percentage points each. Substantial impacts were demonstrated despite political restructuring, earthquakes, and other major challenges that Nepal and Suaahara faced and limitations in statistical power because of the reduced number of districts that then could be included in the study. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT05448287.
Development of molecules capable of binding to specific sequences of double-stranded (ds) DNA continues to attract considerable interest, as this may yield useful tools for applications in life ...science, biotechnology, and medicine. We have previously demonstrated sequence-unrestricted of dsDNA using Invader probes,
, DNA duplexes that are energetically activated through incorporation of +1 interstrand zipper arrangements of O2'-intercalator-functionalized RNA monomers. Nonetheless, recognition of extended dsDNA target regions remains challenging due to the high stability of the corresponding probes. To address this, we introduce toehold Invader probes,
, Invader probes with 5'-single-stranded overhangs. This design provides access to probes with shortened double-stranded segments, which facilitates probe denaturation. The single-stranded overhangs can, furthermore, be modified with affinity-enhancing modifications like LNA (locked nucleic acid) monomers to additionally increase target affinity. Herein, we report the biophysical and dsDNA-targeting properties of different toehold Invader designs and compare them to conventional Invader probes. LNA-modified toehold Invader probes display promising recognition characteristics, including greatly improved affinity to dsDNA, excellent binding specificity, and fast recognition kinetics, which enabled recognition of chromosomal DNA targets that have proven refractory to recognition by conventional Invader probes. Thus, toehold Invader probes represent another step toward a robust, oligonucleotide-based approach for sequence-unrestricted dsDNA-recognition.
This paper responds to the research question, “can urban farming in Nepal help create sustainable cities?” Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, urban residents have begun to realize that food ...transported from long distances is not always reliable. Urban farming can help produce fresh food locally and help urban residents become self-reliant by engaging in healthy eating habits and practicing sustainable agricultural techniques in food-desert areas, while creating a positive impact on the environment through regenerative agricultural methods. In doing so, urban farms can help the growers save on food expenditures and even earn some additional income, while also improving air quality and minimizing the effects of urban heat islands. This practice also helps reduce greenhouse gases through plant carbon use efficiency (CUE), as vegetation carbon dynamics (VCD) can be adjusted while supporting the circular economy. As urban lands command higher prices than agricultural land, urban farming usually happens on residential yards, roofs, balconies, community gardens, and dedicated areas in public parks. Rainwater harvesting and redirecting can help irrigate urban farms, which can be part of rain gardens. The national census of 2021 identified that 66% of Nepal’s population lives in urban areas. However, the World Bank (2018) showed that only 21 of Nepal’s population was projected to live in urban areas in 2021. It is not debatable that the urbanization process in Nepal is on the rise. Thus, urban agriculture can play an important role in supplementing residents’ food needs. Many cities in Nepal have already successfully adapted to urban farming wherein residents grow food on their building sites, balconies, and rooftop, often growing plants in pots, vases, and other types of containers. The UN-Habitat, with the support of the European Union and local agencies, published a rooftop farming training manual (2014), showing the feasibility of urban farming in Nepal. This paper discusses how public-private partnership (PPP) can promote urban agriculture and make the process more effective and attractive to urban-farming households. It also analyzes how a PPP approach also facilitates the use of better technology, advisory support, and use of research extension activities. This paper draws on a literature review, uses remote-sensing imagery data and data from National Census Nepal 2021, and the authors’ professional experiences related to best practices in the areas to analyze the benefits and challenges related to urban farming both in Nepal and Arizona, USA. The paper provides recommendations for Nepali cities to maximize the benefit provided by urban farming. It is expected to be useful to Nepali policymakers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations which promote sustainability, and organic farming with a sustainable supply chain.
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to evaluate the supplementation of probiotics on Salmonella colonization in the ceca and various internal organs as well as immune response in laying hens challenged ...with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE). Thirty-two 46-wk-old White Leghorns (W-36) were housed individually in wired laying cages under 16L:8D lighting schedule. Hens were challenged individually with nalidixic acid resistant Salmonella Enteritidis (SENAR) after which time they were grouped into four treatments: T1 = SENAR unchallenged control, T2 = SENAR challenged control, T3 = SENAR challenged + 0.05% probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum), and T4 = SENAR challenged + 0.1% probiotics. All hens, including T1, were euthanized and sampled for the liver with gall bladder (L/GB), ileum, ovary, spleen, and ceca on 7-days post-infection (dpi). Fecal screening was performed on individual hens at both 3 and 6 dpi. No difference was detected between the treatments in cecal SENAR enumeration, and the mean log 10 cfu/gm of SENAR in the ceca was 3.7 for all three treatments. The prevalence of SENAR was lowest for ovary in all treatments and was highest in the spleen. However, there were no significant differences among the treatments in the internal organs. There was no significant difference in the fecal shedding among the treatments on either 3 or 6 dpi, with incidence of positive feces higher at 3 dpi compared to 6 dpi (100 vs. 70% to 80%). SENAR challenge resulted in significant upregulation (P < 0.05) of interleukin (IL)-1β, 6, 10, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 mRNA expression. Highest level of probiotics resulted in a significant decrease in IFN-γ and elevation of IL-6 and IL-10 gene expression in the ileum. However, IL-1B and TLR-4 gene expression were not different from the SENAR challenge control. This study reveals that there was important regulation of immune genes by probiotics supplementation.
Introduction. Telephysiotherapy (TPT) is a provision of physiotherapy services at a distance, using telecommunication technology when an in-person visit is not a feasible option. The objective of ...this study was to investigate the effectiveness of TPT in management of pain caused due to various problems among patients living in rural areas of a developing country. Methods. This retrospective study conducted in rural areas of Nepal recruited all patients who met the eligibility criteria during a day campaign. Two physiotherapists, one for assessment and another for treatment, were involved. Based on pretraining assessment finding, evidence-based individualized physiotherapy was prescribed. Pamphlets containing pictures of the prescribed exercises and instructions in the Nepali language were distributed. The treating physiotherapist made telephone calls to every patient each week to give necessary information, correction, modification, and progression of the exercise whatever required. At the end of the second and fourth weeks, pain was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) through telephone calls. The data were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measures followed by pairwise comparisons. Results. Fifteen patients having pain due to various conditions participated in the study. The NPRS demonstrated significantly decreased pain (at rest: F = 3.5, p=0.04, when worst: F = 26.4, p<0.001, during activities of daily living: F = 16.6, p<0.001, and during occupation: F = 15.6, p=0.001) across time. The result met the minimal clinically important difference of NPRS, which is 2. Conclusions. The telephone-based TPT interventions demonstrated significant reduction in pain caused by various musculoskeletal problems. It could be a feasible and effective treatment option for the patients living in rural areas. However, we recommend for large-scale trials to establish effectiveness of the intervention and for its implication into routine clinical practice.
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of protease supplementation and reduced digestible amino acid (dAA)/ crude protein (CP) level on productive performance, AA digestibility, and egg ...quality parameters in Hy-Line W-36 laying hen from 30 to 50 wk of age. A total of 768 hens (12 replicates of 8 hens per treatment) were equally and randomly allocated into 8 experimental diets in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of dAA/CP level (100, 95, 90, and 85% of breeder recommendation) and protease (exclusion or inclusion). Protease was added at 60 g/metric ton of feed in the inclusion group. Hens were housed in raised-wire cages with a stocking density of 870 cm2/bird. The adequate (100%) diet was based on corn and soybean meal and formulated based on the digestible (d) Lys and dAAs (dMet, dThr, dTrp, dTSAA, dIle, and dVal) to meet 100% of the current management guide recommendation. Variations in dAA/CP (95, 90, and 85% diets) were accomplished by reducing the 100% dAA by 5, 10, and 15%, respectively. All diets were supplemented with phytase at 500 phytase units (FTU)/kg. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS 9.4. There was a main effect of dAA/CP level on 85% diet where it had a lower mean hen-day egg production (HDEP, P < 0.01), egg mass (EM, P < 0.01), and higher feed conversion ratio (FCR, P < 0.001). Higher egg weight (P < 0.01) was observed in 95 and 100% dAA/CP level diets. However, Haugh unit (P < 0.01) and albumen height (P < 0.01) were higher in 85 and 90% diets. The inclusion of protease reduced the feed consumption (P = 0.0247), FCR for dozens of eggs (P = 0.0049) from 30 to 49 wk of age without affecting the HDEP or EM. Protease supplementation and dAA/CP level had an effect on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP (P = 0.019), Lys (P < 0.01), Thr (P < 0.01), Trp (P = 0.017), and Val (P < 0.01). Addition of protease significantly increased egg income (P = 0.033) and return on investment (P = 0.00223) from 30 to 37 wk of age. At 38 to 50 wk of age, dAA/CP level had a significant effect on egg income (P < 0.001), feed cost (P < 0.001), and return on investment (P < 0.001). This experiment indicates that the inclusion of protease in 90 and 95% lower dAA/CP diets could help improve the digestibility of CP, and key amino acids and maintain productive performance of corn and soybean meal-based diets in Hy-Line W-36 laying hen from 30 to 50 wk of age.
Abstract
Sitting between the Greater Himalayan sequence (GHS) and Lesser Himalayan sequence (LHS), the Main Central Thrust zone (MCTZ) has experienced multiple episodes of anatexis, which presents an ...opportunity to explore the nature of partial melting and its response to Himalayan orogenic processes. A series of deformed rocks, including migmatites, gneisses, and leucosomes were collected across the MCT at Arun Valley, eastern Nepal. We investigated the bulk rock major and trace elements, Sr-Nd isotopes, mineral chemistry, zircon geochronology and Hf isotopes, and conducted phase equilibria modeling. The protolith boundary between the GHS and LHS is recognized on the basis of Sr–Nd isotopes with εNd(0) of −16.7 to −8.0 for the GHS and −31.2 to −23.9 for the LHS. Samples from both the GHS and LHS have undergone partial melting, as revealed by in situ leucosomes at outcrops and melt inclusions at thin-section scale. Leucosomes separated from their host rocks are divided into four groups: those derived from hydration melting, muscovite dehydration melting, amphibole dehydration melting, and feldspar accumulation. Phase equilibria modeling results for the GHS migmatite show isothermal decompression from peak P–T conditions of 11 kbar and 795°C, accompanied by muscovite dehydration melting evolving into biotite dehydration melting. In contrast, rocks from the LHS are modeled to have undergone hydration melting at P–T conditions of 9 kbar and 685°C. Zircon U–Pb geochronology suggests that long-lived partial melting (35–13 Ma) occurred in the MCTZ. Moreover, anatectic zircon Hf isotopes show that the protoliths for partial melting changed from the GHS to the LHS with εHf(t) of −19.4 to −5.7 during the early Miocene, and lower values of −42.5 to −16.7 during the middle to late Miocene. These zircon geochemical results indicate that hydrous metasediments from the LHS were progressively accreted to the base of the GHS, resulting in hydration melting of both the GHS and LHS assisted by MCT. The timing of activity of the MCT is constrained to 25–13 Ma, coeval with movement of the South Tibetan detachment system. Integration of petrogenetic modeling, the chronology of partial melting, and metamorphic P–T paths allows us to propose that thickened Himalayan crust was heated from the middle to late Eocene, and widespread anatexis occurred during the Oligocene to middle Miocene, forming a large-scale melt channel. The hot GHS channel flow moved upward in association with the synchronous activity of the MCT system, triggered intense dehydration of LHS metasediments, resulting in fluid-present melting in both the GHS and LHS during middle to late Miocene, and the formation of leucogranite with mixture features of GHS and LHS. Furthermore, with the cooling of the melt channel, duplexing has gradually operated since the middle to late Miocene in the shallow crust.
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