Morphological variability and genetic diversity of Aman rice germplasm of Bangladesh cultivated in Mymensingh region

Thirty-one Aman rice germplasm were evaluated to assess their morphological variability and genetic diversity considering ten quantitative and thirty one qualitative traits at the field experimental plot of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh, following randomized complete block design. The germplasm showed significant differences for all the studied traits. The highest grain yield/plant was recorded in Sentu-16 whereas the lowest was found in Gaindha. The genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was lower than those of the corresponding phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for all the traits. High PCV and GCV along with heritability, genetic advance (GA) and GA in percentage of mean were recorded for number of filled grains/panicle and number of unfilled grains/panicle. Grain yield/plant had positively significant correlation with plant height, number of total tillers/hill, number of effective tillers/hill, number of filled grains/panicle and thousand grain weight. Path co-efficient analysis suggested that grain yield/plant had positive direct effect in association with days to fifty percent flowering, number of effective tillers/hill, panicle length, number of filled grains/panicle and thousand grain weight. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three components accounted for 79.57% of cumulative variance. Cluster analyses were revealed that the studied rice germplasm organized into five clusters based on D2 values where maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster II and V. Qualitative characterization by distinctness, uniformity and stability test revealed that a wide range of variation was observed among the genotypes. Therefore, this study would be useful for breeders to choose and identify the revival and preservation of beneficial genes for crop improvement

Evaluation of Infant and young child feeding through a Trial for Improved Practices (TIPs) in rural Varanasi

Background: Intervention targeting exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding has the greatest impact on child survival. In view of these facts a formative research was conducted in rural Varanasi with objectives-To assess the status of IYCF practices prevailing in the experimental area and to demonstrate the effect of intervention among selected mothers for improved IYCF practices. Methodology: Follow up intervention study, on 2 types of cohort (0-6 and 7-36 months old mother & child pair) conducted for the period of November 2011- October 2012.  Cohorts were followed for a period of 3 months, using a formative research methodology. A total of 293 mother & child pair were enrolled for intervention using appropriate sampling methodology. WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and a child feeding index (CFI) were created. The latter consisted of five components: breastfeeding, use of bottle, dietary diversity, food frequency and meal frequency which were adjusted for three age groups: 7-24 and 25-36 months Results: There was inadequacy of optimal breastfeeding and sub optimal Practice regarding Complementary feeding. Measurement of anthropometric Indies indicates that 46.7% were stunted, 35.5% are wasted and 29.6% are underweight. Inferential analysis for Difference in exclusive breast feeding and complementary feeding Index during pre and post TIPs intervention phase indicated a significant (p=0.001) change in exclusive breast and complementary feeding. Conclusion: Study indicated, it is possible to change short-term child-feeding behaviours to promote exclusive breast feeding and complementary feeding using TIPs methodology. However, long-term sustainability of these changes requires further study, and the effect of increased feeding of complementary foods, intakes of breast milk and total daily consumption of energy & nutrients requires further research

Frequency of Modifiable Risk Factors in Ischemic Stroke Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore Pakistan

Objective: The objective was to find out the frequency of modifiable risk factors among patients of ischemic stroke at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore Pakistan. Study type,settings& duration:This observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Medical Department Services Hospital, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore Pakistan from January 2019 to January 2020. Methodology:After an informed consent 105 patients with ischemic stroke aged between 18-65 years from both sex wasincluded in this study. Patients with trauma, tumor, arteriovenousmalformations, unstable cardiopulmonary condition, psychiatric disease and hemorrhagic stroke were excluded. Demographic information and detailed history with physical examination was noted. Blood pressure and sugar levels were measured for all patients. All bloods test including fasting lipid profile were determined. SPSS version 17.0 was used for data analysis. Results:A total of 105 patients of ischemic stroke were enrolled in the present study. Mean age of the patients was 51.2±8.4 years and 73 (69.5%) were male. Mean BMI was 29.3±2.9 kg/m2. Hyperlipidemia was the most frequent risk factor seen in 53 (50.5%) patients with ischemic stroke followed by obesity in 48 (45.8%) patients, smoking in 43 (40.9%), hypertension in 41 (39.1%) and diabetes mellitus in 41 (39.1%) patients. Conclusion:Hyperlipidemia was the leading risk factor in ischemic stroke patients in the present study followed by obesity, smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypertension respectively

Optimizing Nutrition in Preterm Low Birth Weight Infants—Consensus Summary

Preterm birth survivors are at a higher risk of growth and developmental disabilities compared to their term counterparts. Development of strategies to lower the complications of preterm birth forms the rising need of the hour. Appropriate nutrition is essential for the growth and development of preterm infants. Early administration of optimal nutrition to preterm birth survivors lowers the risk of adverse health outcomes and improves cognition in adulthood. A group of neonatologists, pediatricians, and nutrition experts convened to discuss and frame evidence-based recommendations for optimizing nutrition in preterm low birth weight (LBW) infants. The following were the primary recommendations of the panel: (1) enteral feeding is safe and may be preferred to parenteral nutrition due to the complications associated with the latter; however, parenteral nutrition may be a useful adjunct to enteral feeding in some critical cases; (2) early, fast, or continuous enteral feeding yields better outcomes compared to late, slow, or intermittent feeding, respectively; (3) routine use of nasogastric tubes is not advisable; (4) preterm infants can be fed while on ventilator or continuous positive airway pressure; (5) routine evaluation of gastric residuals and abdominal girth should be avoided; (6) expressed breast milk (EBM) is the first choice for feeding preterm infants due to its beneficial effects on cardiovascular, neurological, bone health, and growth outcomes; the second choice is donor pasteurized human milk; (7) EBM or donor milk may be fortified with human milk fortifiers, without increasing the osmolality of the milk, to meet the high protein requirements of preterm infants; (8) standard fortification is effective and safe but does not fulfill the high protein needs; (9) use of targeted and adjustable fortification, where possible, helps provide optimal nutrition; (10) optimizing weight gain in preterm infants prevents long-term cardiovascular complications; (11) checking for optimal weight and sucking/swallowing ability is essential prior to discharge of preterm infants; and (12) appropriate counseling and regular follow-up and monitoring after discharge will help achieve better long-term health outcomes. This consensus summary serves as a useful guide to clinicians in addressing the challenges and providing optimal nutrition to preterm LBW infants

Effectiveness of iron-fortified infant cereals on hemoglobin levels of children aged 12–24 months: A cross-sectional study from New Delhi, India

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia represents 3rd largest disease burden, with an estimated 6.9 billion disability-adjusted life years.Iron-fortified cereals (IFIC) can contribute substantially in preventing iron deficiency anemia and maintaining an adequate body iron status. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of IFIC intake along with other complementary food/s on the hemoglobin (hb) level of children from 12 to 24 months of age. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2015 to February 2016 in three pediatric outpatient clinics of New Delhi, India. A predesigned questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-demography, complementary feeding, and intake of IFIC from 66 mother and child pairs. Child's anthropometric measurement and hb levels were recorded by the pediatrician. Chi-square and Student's t-tests were used to compare the key study variables between IFIC (minimum 1–2 serving/day) and non-IFIC groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the independent correlates of anemia in the study groups. Results: Out of 66 children, 60.6% (n = 40) of children were boys. The prevalence of anemia (hb% <11 g/dl) was 42.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 30.5%–55.2%, n = 28). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the children in IFIC group were unlikely to be anemic (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.007, 95% CI: 0.001–0.079, P < 0.001). On the contrary, boys (adjusted OR: 11.6, 95% CI: 1.23–108.9, P = 0.032) and children with low birth weight (adjusted OR: 11.7, 95% CI: 1.23–111.76, P = 0.032) were associated with anemic status. Conclusion: Intake of IFIC (minimum 1–2 serving/day) was associated with the lesser chance of anemia in children of 12–24 months. However, gender and low birth weight were also associated with anemia. IFIC may have a role in mass fortification programs. However, further larger and controlled studies are recommended to test this hypothesis