Effect of Early Childhood Malnutrition on Tooth Eruption Sequence in Nepalese Children

Child under-nutrition has effects which last a lifetime. The consequences can be both short term and long term. Malnourished children tend to be physically, emotionally and intellectually less productive and suffer more from chronic illnesses and disabilities compared to healthy children. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence of under-nutrition and investigate association between early childhood malnutrition and deciduous tooth eruption in children aged 0-59 months in Mugu district of Nepal. A structured questionnaire based on Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2011 questionnaire was used. Weight and height of 246 children, aged 0-59 months were measured. Dental caries status and eruption sequence were noted. Among the total, 14 .1% had moderate/severe wasting of muscles, 25.2% were moderately stunted and 36.6% were severely stunted. From the total, 30 .5% were moderately underweight and 18.3% were severely underweight. A significantly higher proportion with wasting presented with delayed eruption sequence than those without wasting (p <0.05). From the total, 25.4% who presented with delayed eruption also had at least one decayed tooth (p><0.05). From this study, it was concluded that malnutrition causes delayed tooth eruption, affects the oral health of the child, and results in an increased caries experience.

A Study of Written English in Nepal

People in Nepal speak different languages. English is taught as a compulsory subject up to bachelor level. Writing skill in compulsory English occupies 40% weight age in class XI syllabus. This research was conducted with the main purposes of analysing the writing tasks and writing serves various purposes in a person’s everyday life. Its role is vital for upgrading students and job placement. It has been prescribed in English textbooks for higher secondary level across four subject streams and finding out the English teaching learning processes in the development of writing skills. The study had been delimited to the Kathmandu Valley. The sample comprised Class XI students. Mixed methods were utilized for gathering data such as questionnaire for students, test, students’ interview, teachers’ opinionnaire, teachers’ interview and class observation. All the higher secondary schoolteachers of English of the sample schools and 25 students of four streams were the respondents. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 and the t-test. The nature of exercises related to writing in textbooks of Class XI is almost similar, sequential and aims at developing creative writing. Science students performed the best of all on the test followed by Management, Arts and Education students. Almost all the informants expressed that writing grammatically correct sentences is of top most importance. Most of the teachers used process methodology in teaching writing. All informants interviewed expressed writing as a vital skill but it lacks separate classes.

Impact of COVID-19 on University Education, Nepal

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has now become a pandemic and major health threat. Almost countries of the world including Nepal have suspended their academic activities by closing schools and colleges. Some attempts are being made to overcome this gap by providing virtual classes to the students. But such efforts are also being proven inaccessible and challenging especially for the poor students residing in remote parts of the countries. Regarding the practical courses where acquisition of psychomotor skill by the students is mandatory together with other cognitive and affective skill, virtual online classes remain ineffective. The date and time of opening of schools and colleges has become unpredictable. In this review, the author has highlighted the potential impacts of this outbreak in education, academic institutions, and students.

Buddhist Attitude towards Health Related Physical Fitness in Kathmandu Valley

This study entitled “Buddhist Attitude towards Health Related Physical Fitness in Kathmandu Valley”, was carried out to find out the Buddhist attitude towards health related physical fitness. The necessary information was taken from six Monasteries and Bihars of Kathmandu Valley. Altogether, there were 310 respondents for quantitative data and six respondents for qualitative data. The major source of data was primary. The researcher used attitude scale and in-depth interview for data collection. The researcher found that the health-related physical fitness is most important aspect for improving physical condition, fighting against diseases, to reduce stress and maintaining mental fitness. Similarly, it helps us to maintain the degree of health, bodily posture, physique, proper functioning of organs and good health habits along with an adequate amount of endurance, strength, stamina and flexibility. Another finding highlighted that, through meditation and walking meditation, the body achieves a greater state of balance and breathing is regulated. Our mind becomes focused, clear, and organized. Unnecessary desires and improper thoughts are eliminated. Most of the Buddhist have had positive attitude towards health related physical fitness.

On Fatou Topologies of Inextensible Riesz Spaces

In this paper we shall discuss the general properties of Fatou topologies on Inextensible Riesz Spaces. We find that on a given inextensible Riesz Spaces, there may be no non-trival Fatou topologies but if it has any Hausdorff Fatou topology, it has only one and this has several special properties.

Phytochemical Screening of Medicinal Plants and Study of the Effect of Phytoconstituents in Seed Germination

Phytochemical screening of ten different locally available plant parts was done in methanol extract. Tannin, quinine, terpenoid, flavonoid, steroid, alkaloid, cardiac glycoside, glycoside, volatile oils, etc were the phytoconstituents found in plants. The study of the effect of phytoconstituents in the germination of Pisum sativum seeds revealed that the phytoconstituents present in plant extracts showed the cytotoxic effect in living cells i.e. in germinating Pisum sativum seeds. The phytoconstituents present in the plant extract showed an effect on cell proliferation and growth. Hence these plants could be used to develop drugs against cancer cells and also may be effective against microbes and bacteria

Employment Empowering Women: An Experience of Nepal

The study aims to examine the association between employment and the empowerment of Nepali currently married women. It harnesses women’s employment status and their empowerment; in terms of ‘household decision making’, ‘attitudes towards wife-beating’, and ownership of the house/land’ with the help of the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2016 data set. Married women’s employment exhibits a significant association (0.05) with their socio-demographic characteristics, and empowerment variables as well. The employment status of married women influences their household decision-making, and attitudes towards wife-beating. The study adheres to the belief that employment accelerates women’s empowerment, still, it is complex to determine the strength of the relationship in between. Thus, based on the findings of the study, other variables and empowerment indicators are to be considered and analyzed further for concrete insights. So, employment cannot be assumed as a mere engine and an only instrument for empowering women.

Romantic Elements in Laxmiprasad Devkota’s Muna-Madan

This article is an attempt to study Laxmiprasad Deckota’s poetic work Muna-Madan to see how much it concords the romantic philosophical parameters. It analyses the textual properties of the work on the basis of romantic principles and philosophy propounded by William Wordsworth in his famous essay “Preface to Lyrical Ballads.” It also invokes C. W. F. Von Schlegel’s poetic theory and the philosophically grounded definitions of romanticism given by authors like Bertrand Russell, Justin and Gaarder. Finally the paper comes to the conclusion that Devkota’s Muna-Madan contains all the major characteristics like strong subjectivism, foregrounding of folk culture, privileging the common over the sophisticated and spiritualization of nature that a romantic poetry should possess.

Sexual Harassment and its Effects on the Mental Health of the Adolescents School Girls in Lalitpur and Rupandehi District

A cross-sectional study was conducted to find the prevalence of mental health on adolescent girl students and the effect of sexual harassment on their mental health: depression, anxiety, and stress. A concurrent mixed method was used and the study was conducted at both community and institutional schools of Lalitpur and Rupendehi districts. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for quantitative data collection along with depression, anxiety and stress score test (DASS -42 points) to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. Focus group discussion (FGD), in-depth interviews (IDI), and key informant information (KII) were used for qualitative data collection. Poor and ill mental health were found among the respondents and the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress were45%, 52%, and 35% respectively among the sexually harassed girls. As sexual harassment was found as one of the major factors that is responsible for the poor mental health status of girl students, it is necessary for every school to adopt antisexualharassmentpoliciesandtotakeactionagainstittocreateahealthylearningenvironment.

Deuki Pratha in Nepal: Problems and Changing Beliefs

In the far-western region of Nepal, particularly, in Doti, Baitadi and Dadeldhura, deuki pratha has been practiced as a long established tradition. However, Deuki pratha is considered illegal in Nepal. Deukis are offered to different deities by parents or others (wealthier couples). The reason behind deuki pratha rests on the belief that one’s family gets protection and good favour from the gods. Once offered as Deuki, the girl is not allowed to get married and is devoid of the family support. The major duty of Deuki is to serve the goddess and temple such as cleaning and looking after the temple. The study was conducted in Melauli Municipality of Baitadi district in Sudurpaschim province. This paper aims to highlight the social issues due to deuki in the study area. The study aimed to understand the socio-cultural beliefs of deuki tradition in the changing social and cultural contexts from the gender perspective and development. The study was based primarily on qualitative methods. The study revealed that deuki tradition is still practiced, though it is reported to be declined in the recent years. Unlike in the past, with the growing awareness by the joint efforts of government and non-government organizations' agencies, practice of Deuki has declined to a great extent but not abolished yet. There was mixed reaction regarding beliefs upon Deuki tradition among the locals. The study found that Deuki women who had been offered to the deity was unknowingly been isolated, when still as a girl and abused from the society as these came at the cost of personal and social life of women. With the growing awareness, and changing society, the locals and the followers of deuki pratha seem to welcome the changes and attitudes towards deuki pratha. However, the social and economic life styles of deukis are at stake. Though, some deukis own some private property, due to the lack of emotional and social support are bound to live forbidden and isolated life. Unlike, in the past, where deukis received reverence and importance, the perception towards deukis has worsened in the study area often belittled as prostitution and the disgrace to the society.