Knowledge and practices regarding cigarette smoking among adult women in a rural district of Sindh, Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking and to obtain information on socio-demographic factors and attitude regarding cigarette smoking among adult women in a rural district of Sindh Province, Pakistan. METHODS: A cross sectional community based survey was done in a rural district of Sindh province of Pakistan using a two stage cluster sampling design. A pre tested questionnaire was used to interview 502 adult women (aged 18- 60 years) from the study site. The study was approved by the ethical research committee and informed consent was taken from participants. RESULTS: A total of 502 women were interviewed for this study. Approximately 71% of women were illiterate and 44% of women were in the age group of 18-24 years. A high number (10%) of adult women were smokers. Age at initiation among women (18-24 years) was 42%. A significant difference for questions regarding smoking effects on health (p = 0.02) and knowledge regarding smoking causes respiratory disease (p = 0.02) was observed in this survey. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the prevalence of smoking among women is on the rise in this rural district of Pakistan. Young age at initiation is an important finding that needs to be addressed

Automatic integration of spatial data in viewing services

Geoportals are increasingly used for searching viewing and downloading spatial data. This study concerns methods to improve the visual presentation in viewing services. When spatial data in a viewing service are taken from more than one source there are often syntactic semantic topological and geometrical conflicts that prevent maps being fully consistent. In this study we extend a standard view service with methods to solve these conflicts. The methods are based on: (1) semantic labels of data in basic services (2) a rule-base in the portal layer and (3) integration methods in the portal layer. To evaluate the methodology we use a case study for adding historical borders on top of a base-map. The results show that the borders are overlaid on top of the map without conflicts and that a consistent map is generated automatically as an output. The methodology can be generalized to add other types of data on top of a base-map

Short communication: First report of cyclopoid copepods (Oithonidae) from north-eastern Arabian Sea, Karachi, Pakistan

Among marine communities, the importance of small species has been neglected and major attention has been paid to the larger representatives. Small copepods are now assigned as a significant component within marine food webs. Their ecological habitat comprises estuarine, pelagic and coastal environments. Oithona plays a vital role as a food source for other copepods, Chaetognaths, fish larvae and planktivorous fishes. ... Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the species composition of the genus Oithona previously not known from the coastal waters of Pakistan

Knowledge, attitude and practice of private practitioners regarding TB-DOTS in a rural district of Sindh, Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is prevailing in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of private practitioners (PPs) regarding tuberculosis management have been reported only in urban areas of Pakistan. This survey was conducted for the first time in a rural area of Sindh, Pakistan.METHODS: This survey was conducted in January 2007 at Thatta, a rural district of Sindh, Pakistan. Study subjects were twenty-two allopathic qualified (MBBS) doctors of district Thatta, who were practicing in private setups for at least last one year. Before TB-DOTS training PPs had filled the KAP questionnaire regarding tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and management through DOTS. Survey data was analysed through SPSS version 11.05 software.RESULTS: On average, five TB suspects per month were seen by each PP. Only 14% of PPs advised sputum microscopy solely for pulmonary TB diagnosis, while 86% of PPs used different combination of tests (chest x-ray/sputum microscopy/ESR/tuberculin test) for TB diagnosis. Over 40% PPs did not prescribe TB treatment regimen according to TB-DOTS category. Majority PPs (85%) did not follow the treatment through sputum microscopy and instead relied on clinical improvement and x-ray clearance. Nearly 60% of TB patients at PPs clinic did not show compliance to the TB treatment and none of PPs were following the retrieval of default cases.CONCLUSIONS: A gross lack of PPs knowledge and right practice regarding TB diagnosis and management through DOTS was identified and needed to be addressed through providing DOTS training

Aquaculture technologies in Bangladesh: an assessment of technical and economic performance and producer behavior

This study evaluates the performance of a wide range of aquaculture systems in Bangladesh. It is by far the largest of its kind attempted to date. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the most important production systems, rather than to provide a nationally representative overview of the entire aquaculture sector of Bangladesh. As such, the study yields a huge amount of new information on production technologies that have never been thoroughly researched before. The study reveals an extremely diverse array of specialized, dynamic and rapidly evolving production technologies, adapted to a variety of market niches and local environmental conditions. This is a testament to the innovativeness of farmers and other value chain actors who have been the principal drivers of this development in Bangladesh. Data was collected from six geographical hubs. This survey was conducted from November 2011 to June 2012. Technological performance in terms of detailed input and output information, fish management practices, credit and marketing, and social and environmental issues were captured by the survey questionnaire, which had both open and closed format questions. The study generated insights that enable better understanding of aquaculture development in Bangladesh

(3Z)-3-Hydrazinylideneindolin-2-one

The title mol­ecule, C8H7N3O, is almost planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.0232 (2) Å from the least-squares plane. The Z conformation of the C=N double bond is stabilized by an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are linked by inter­molecular N—H⋯N and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag sheets parallel to the c axis; the sheets are further stabilized by π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.7390 (10) Å]

Relationship of Family Members’ Support with Practice of Community Midwives in Rural Sindh, Pakistan

Background: Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Community Midwives (CMWs) were introduced in 2006 as a new cadre of birth attendants who would bring midwifery services to rural areas by being based in designated communities. The CMWs face many obstacles and retaining them in practice is a challenge. This study aimed to examine whether there was a relationship between family support and CMWs retention in midwifery practice. We hoped to learn about influences on retention that might improve the Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programme. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in five districts of rural Sindh, a province in Pakistan. A list of all CMWs who graduated between 2007 and 2012 was obtained from the MNCH programme Sindh. The CMWs were tracked by MCHIP (Maternal Child Health Integrated Program) clinical supervisors posted in the respective districts to gather information about families’ support of CMWs. Findings: Of the 148 CMWs in the MNCH list, 112 (76%) were tracked. Of 112, 44 (39%) CMWs were in active practice while 69 (61%) had completed their training but had not started a practice. Of the 44 practising CMWs, 82% had family members who worked in a health-related field or previously were traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Only 18% of those who established a practice had a family without this profile. Conclusion: These preliminary findings indicate a strong relationship between family engagement in health care work and the capacity of CMWs to establish a midwifery practice. A further comparative analysis of practising and non-practising CMWs is warranted

Food and feeding habits of Omobranchus sp. (Blenniidae: Omobranchini) larvae in the seagrass-mangrove ecosystem of Johor Strait, Malaysia

The stomach contents of Omobranchus sp. (family Blenniidae) larvae were investigated in a seagrass-mangrove based ecosystem in Johor Strait, Malaysia from October 2007 to September 2008. Specimens of larval fish were collected through subsurface towing of a Bongo net from five different stations. The stomach sacs of 267 Omobranchus sp. larvae were separated and observed, which comprised of 24 significant food stuffs belonging to 6 main groups viz. phytoplankton (62.45%), zooplankton (18.24%), algae (5.56%), plant-like particles (5.75%), debris (4.22%) and unidentified particles (2.03%). In situ water parameters were also measured throughout the sampling cruises. There was a strong and significant positive correlation between stomach phytoplankton and salinity (r = 0.658, p < 0.05).? Canonical correlation analysis indicated a weak relationship (29.8%) between stomach contents and physico-chemical parameters. Only salinity appeared to be the controlling factor for the stomach contents of Omobranchus sp. larvae in the investigated area. Based on the stomach content analysis, it could be concluded that Omobranchus sp. were mainly herbivorous during the larval stages