Arsenic mitigation: water quality of dug wells and tubewells

Arsenic concentration in very shallow and deep aquifers is comparatively lower than shallow aquifers in arsenic contaminated areas. As a result, dug wells and deep tubewells have emerged as two major water supply options for populations exposed to high levels of arsenic through drinking contaminated shallow tubewell water in Bangladesh and West Bengal (India). The concentrations of other impurities of health concern also vary with depth and other characteristics of the aquifer. Hence, shifting from one source to another may be the cause of exposure to health risk of a different nature. This paper presents an assessment of water quality of dug wells (DW) and deep tubewells (DTW) as compared to shallow tubewells (STW) for water supply. The results show that a shift from STW to DW reduces median arsenic ingestion from 151 μg/L (Mean 172μg/L) to 0.74 μg/L(mean 7.92μg/L), while DTW further reduces median arsenic ingestion to 0.41μg/L (mean 1.05μg/L). On the other hand, microbial contamination indicated by median value of Thermotolerant Coliform (TTC) count was found to be 48 cfu/100ml for DW water as compared to 0 cfu/100ml for both STW and DTW waters

Rearward visibility assessment and a proposed performance scoring for ASEAN NCAP

Asia has the highest number of registered motorcycles globally and the recent data has shown that motorcycles fatalities has been the major accident and death cases in ASEAN Region. One of the major concerns is the visibility of motorcycles to other vehicles on the road. Thus, in this project, ECE R46 and FMVSS regulations have been referred as the base guidelines to establish a novel test protocols for vehicles rearward visibility assessment. Sixteen cars have been benchmarked and analysed in term of their rear-view mirror (Class I) and external mirror (Class III) performance. Motorcycles visibility to the vehicles’ Class I and Class III mirrors also been assessed by converting the measured data into number of motorcycles based on its width. A proposed performance scoring system for ASEAN NCAP has been developed based on that to address the Motorcycle Safety pillar

REARWARD VISIBILITY ASSESSMENT FOR SELECTED PASSENGER IN ASEAN COUNTRIES

ASEAN region consists of the greatest number of motorcycle-related accidents with severe and fatal casualties in Asia. Limited or blocked rearward visibility of vehicles has long been viewed as one of the causes of motorcycle accident. In this study, the rearward visibility of sixteen passenger vehicles have been assessed and analyzed using a new assessment based on some aspects of ECE46 and FMVSS III international protocols for Class I (internal rearview mirror) and Class III (side-view mirror). A novel scoring system based on the average width of underbone-type motorcycles in Malaysia and Indonesia is proposed to highlight the importance of rearward visibility towards the conspicuity of motorcycles. The results of the assessment show that there are two distinct vehicle groups in terms of rearward visibility: pick-up trucks and non-pickup vehicles. Pick-up trucks tend to have more prominent rearward visibility for CLASS I and III due to its bigger mirror, windscreen and body structure

Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBL): Challenges and Opportunities

The rise of antimicrobial resistance, particularly from extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), poses a significant global health challenge as it frequently causes the failure of empirical antibiotic therapy, leading to morbidity and mortality. The E. coli- and K. pneumoniae-derived CTX-M genotype is one of the major types of ESBL. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are involved in spreading ESBL genes among the bacterial population. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of ESBL-E, there is a lack of specific standard examination methods. Carbapenem has been considered the drug of first choice against ESBL-E. However, carbapenem-sparing strategies and alternative treatment options are needed due to the emergence of carbapenem resistance. In South Asian countries, the irrational use of antibiotics might have played a significant role in aggravating the problem of ESBL-induced AMR. Superbugs showing resistance to last-resort antibiotics carbapenem and colistin have been reported in South Asian regions, indicating a future bleak picture if no urgent action is taken. To counteract the crisis, we need rapid diagnostic tools along with efficient treatment options. Detailed studies on ESBL and the implementation of the One Health approach including systematic surveillance across the public and animal health sectors are strongly recommended. This review provides an overview of the background, associated risk factors, transmission, and therapy of ESBL with a focus on the current situation and future threat in the developing countries of the South Asian region and beyond

Rearward visibility technology in ASEAN market

Recent trend in modern vehicle design tends to make thick roof pillar for stronger structure to withstand collision impact; which results in limiting rearward visibility. One of the ways to circumvent this reduced visibility is by using Rearward Visibility Technology (RVT). The objective of this review paper is to produce an overview of RVTs available in ASEAN market. RVTs in ASEAN can be categorised into classes and sub-classes: Original Equipment Manufacturer(OEM), After Market, Class I, Class III, CMS, Auto-Dim and others. It can be concluded that RVT is still in introductory phase to the ASEAN region; as RVTs only been implemented by OEMs in several models mainly in premium price range, Electric Vehicle and Sport Utility Vehicles. After market RVT products offers cost-effective prices but the performance in comparison to OEM RVT is yet to be known

Susceptibility and multidrug resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolated from cloacal swabs of live broiler chickens in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance is a major health problem, particularly in developing countries like Bangladesh, where there is a paucity of information on resistance patterns and prevalence of antimicrobial determinants. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of resistance, including multi-drug resistance (MDR), and the associated genetic determinants in Escherichia coli isolates from cloacal swabs of live broiler chickens in Bangladesh. Altogether, 400 cloacal swabs (200 from Rajshahi and 200 from Dhaka divisions) were randomly collected from individual chickens in 50 broiler farms. E. coli was isolated and identified using conventional bacteriological culture and biochemical methods. The isolates were further confirmed using genus-specific 16S rRNAtargeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. Antimicrobial susceptibilities and MDR of the isolates against nine different antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, colistin sulphate, and streptomycin) were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Resistance determinants of E. coli to ampicillin (blaTEM), streptomycin (aadA1), erythromycin [ere(A)], trimethoprim (dfrA1), and tetracycline [tet(A), tet(B)] were screened using PCR. Our results showed that all swab samples were positive for E. coli. The isolates were uniformly resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The isolates exhibited highest susceptibility to colistin sulphate (73.5%), followed by gentamicin (49%), and levofloxacin (17%). All isolates were resistant to three classes of antibiotics, 204 isolates (51%) were resistant to four classes, and 56 isolates (14%) were resistant to five. The highest prevalence of antimicrobial resistance gene was recorded for tetracycline (tet(A):95.25%; tet(B):95.25%) followed by ampicillin (blaTEM:91.25%), streptomycin (aadA1:88.25%), erythromycin (ere(A):84.75%), and trimethoprim (dfrA1:65.5%). In conclusion, surveillance for MDR bacteria in poultry is a critical piece of knowledge, which would be useful for optimizing empiric antimicrobial treatments and exploring alternative antimicrobial agents