Zinc supplementation in male infertility

Background: Inferile males have been shown to have lower levels of seminal plasma zinc which have been associated with reduced levels of zinc in their blood. Supplementation improve semen parameters by improving zinc level in blood.  Objective: To fnd out whether zinc supplementation is effective in improving semen parameters in oligo­asthenozoospermic patients. Method: The study was carried out in the Infertility unit of the Dept of Obs & Gynae, BSMMU during the period of March 2011 to February 2012. Seventy five oligo-asthenozoospermic patients having no history of medical treatment were recruited for the study. The patients were divided into two groups by odd and even numbers. Odd numbers received tablet zinc 20 mg twice daily (Group A) and even numbers received placebo (Group B).Serum zinc level and seminal zinc level estimation were done by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectropho­tometry and semen analysis was done according to WHO guidelines (1999). Data analysis was done using software SPSS (version 16) by applying ANOVA (PostHock) and Paired Student's 't' test. Results: Serum zinc level was low in oligo­zoospermic patients which showed significant improvement with zinc supplementation (A+ 197.83 mmol/1, P<0.01). Mean (±SD) seminal plasma zinc level showed significant improvement in group A following zinc supplementation (+942.39 mmol/L, P<0.001). The mean increase in sperm count, sperm motility, sperm rapid linear motility, sperm morphology in group A following zinc supplementation for 12 weeks was 14.83 million/ml (P<0.01), 16.30% (P<0.01), 11.96% (P<0.01), 4.26% (P<0.001) respectively, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study shows zinc deficiency affects sperm count, sperm motility, rapid linear motility and sperm morphology and with zinc supplementa­tion there can be significant improvement in semen parameters

Agricultural livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh under climate and environmental change - A model framework

We describe a novel integrated modelling system aiming to approximate the impact of environmental change on farmers' livelihoods in Bangladesh.</p

Field performance of Brassica rapa L. doubled haploid lines and hybrids in Saskatchewan

Brassica rapa cultivars occupy about 44% of Canada's five million hectares of canola. However, B. rapa cultivars yield 15 to 20% less seed than those of B. napus. In order to increase the competitiveness of B. rapa , significant increases in seed yield must be achieved. The development of hybrid cultivars of B. rapa could provide the basis for high yield. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of B. rapa doubled haploid (DH) lines and their potential use as parents in hybrid cultivars. A total of 162 DH lines, derived from five B. rapa breeding populations were evaluated in field tests at Saskatoon. Bud pollination was used to obtain selfed seed for evaluation of the DH lines. Sixteen top cross and 27 polycross progenies and 45 single cross hybrids were evaluated in the field to measure combining ability of DH lines. Many B. rapa DH lines were chlorophyll deficient as a result of expression of recessive alleles, a classical inbreeding phenomenon. Average seed and biological yield and number of seeds/pod of DH lines were only 24, 48, 46% of their donor populations, indicating severe inbreeding depression. Inbreeding greatly extended days to flowering. However, seed weight, pod length and days to mature were less severely affected than other traits measured. Several DH lines equaled their donor population in plant weight and height at specific stages of growth, however, on average the overall growth and development of the DH lines was slower than their respective donor populations. One DH line (BC-3015) equaled the seed and biomass yields of its donor population, suggesting that dominance deviation not overdominance was the genetic basis of high yield in B. rapa . It is suggested that chlorophyll deficient, late flowering DH plants could be discarded on the basis of greenhouse performance. Top cross and polycross procedures were equally effective in ranking DH lines for general combining ability (GCA). The top cross method of predicting GCA is the preferred method since it will allow the use of a weak, recessive tester which will not mask dominant alleles present in DH lines. Hybridity of top cross seed was high as measured by the erucic acid marker. The single cross procedure identified heterotic combinations which were different from those identified in the top cross and polycross methods. It was concluded that this difference was caused by the differential effects of male parents used to determine GCA. One single cross hybrid yielded significantly more seed than the check cultivar Tobin (130%). It is concluded that DH lines of B. rapa will be useful in developing inbred parents for hybrid development and procedures for combining ability testing and maintenance of SI DH lines for the production of hybrids is proposed

Scenarios of population change in the coastal ganges Brahmaputra Delta (2011-2051)

This paper provides an overview of population dynamics and scenarios of population change in the environmentally vulnerable coastal Ganges Brahmaputra Delta region. The main data sources used for the study include the historical and most recent Census data, data from Sample Vital Registration System (SVRS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The research adopts the standard cohort component approach for population projections and provides population estimates for the period 2011-2051. The results include scenarios of future population change in the coastal Ganges Brahmaputra Delta (GBD) and district-level population projections by age and sex. The results show that population growth is likely to continue in some, but not all, districts in the study area. The findings also suggest that migration is most likely to be the deciding component of population change in the region. The paper concludes by discussing selected policy implications in the context of expected changes in population structure in the Ganges Brahmaputra Delta, including population aging and rapid urbanisation in some districts

The association of meteorological factors and mortality in rural Bangladesh, 1983&#x2013;2009

Introduction: While the association of weather and mortality has been well documented for moderate climate zones, little is known about sub-tropical zones, particularly Bangladesh. This study aims to assess the short-term relationship of temperature and rainfall on daily mortality after controlling for seasonality and time-trends. The study used data from Matlab, Bangladesh, where a rigorous health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) has been operational since 1966. Material and methods: Matlab HDSS data on mortality and population for the period 1983&#x2013;2009 were used. Weather data for the same period were obtained from a nearby government weather station. Time series Poisson regression with cubic spline functions was applied allowing for lagged effects of weather and extreme weather events on mortality, and controlling for time trends and seasonal patterns. Analysis was carried out using R statistical software. Results: Both temperature and rainfall showed strong seasonal patterns, explaining a significant part of mortality in all age groups. After adjusting for seasonality and trend, mortality and temperature show a U-shaped pattern; below a temperature of around 29&#x00B0;C, a decrease in temperature resulted in an increase in mortality, whereas above 29&#x00B0;C, increased temperature resulted in increased mortality. The strongest negative mortality temperature association was observed in the elderly (5.4% increase with every 1&#x00B0;C decrease in temperature at temperatures below 23&#x00B0;C), and the opposite trend was observed in the age groups 1&#x2013;4 and 5&#x2013;19 years old. At aggregate level, the rainfall&#x2013;mortality association is statistically weak. However in the age group 5&#x2013;19, a 0.6% increase in mortality per 1 mm additional rainfall was found, at rainfall levels over 100 mm per day. Multivariate analysis showed high mortality risks for women aged 20&#x2013;59 years of age during cyclone episodes. Discussion: Weather and extreme weather were associated with mortality with differential impacts in age and sex sub-groups. Further studies should investigate these findings more closely and develop policy recommendations targeted at improving public health and protecting population groups susceptible to environmental stressors

The hydro-environment and livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh

Deltas represent one of the most densely populated areas in the world. This is especially true for the coastal zone of Bangladesh where more than a thousand people live in each square kilometre of land. Livelihoods, food security and poverty in Bangladesh are strongly dependent on natural resources affected by several factors including climate variability and change, upstream river flow modifications, commercial fish catches in the Bay of Bengal, and engineering interventions such as polderisation. The scarcity of fresh water, saline water intrusion and natural disasters (e.g. river flooding, cyclones and storm surges) have negative impact on drinking water availability and crop irrigation potential; thus severely affect land use and livelihood opportunities of the coastal population. Hydro-environmental changes can be especially detrimental for the well-being of the poorest households that are highly dependent on natural resources. The ESPA Deltas project aims to holistically examine the interaction between the coupled bio-physical environment and the livelihoods of these poor populations in coastal Bangladesh. Here we describe a new integrated model that allows the long-term analysis of the possible changes in this system by linking projected changes in physical processes (e.g. river flows, nutrients), with productivity (e.g. fish, rice), social processes (e.g. access, property rights, migration) and governance/management (e.g. fisheries, agriculture, water and land use management). This integrated approach is designed to provide Bangladeshi policy makers with science-based evidence of possible development trajectories within the coastal delta plain over timescales up to 50 years, including the likely robustness of different governance options on natural resource conservation and poverty levels. This presentation describes the model framework and aims to illustrate the cause-effect relationship in-between changes of the hydro-environment and the livelihoods of the coastal population of Bangladesh. Thus, it adds the human dimension to a civil engineering modelling approac