TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXATION WITH NAPROXEN AND EVALUATION OF THEIR IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL, CYTOTOXIC AND ANTHELMINTIC PROPERTIES

Objective: The specific objective of this research was to synthesize transition metal complexes and investigate in vitro antimicrobial, cytotoxic and anthelmintic effects of naproxen and its complexes. Methods: Naproxen was complexed with copper, cobalt iron, silver and zinc and the characterization of these compounds were performed by proton NMR, FTIR, DSC, SEM, HPLC and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method and cytotoxicity was evaluated by using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and compared with vincristine sulfate. The anthelmintic activity was evaluated against Pheritima posthuma. Results: Naproxen silver and zinc complexes showed potent activity while copper and cobalt complexes showed variable antimicrobial activity against some tested microorganisms. Naproxen iron complex showed moderate antimicrobial and very potent cytotoxic activity. According to these results we thought there might be any possibility to have anthelmintic properties on those complexes. However, we did not find any anthelmintic activity from them. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that few naproxen metal complexes possess comprehensive antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities

The Historical Development of the Midwifery Profession in Bangladesh

Sexual and reproductive health and rights have been identified as the core areas of practice, theory and research for the midwifery profession. The midwifery profession, as defined by the International Confederation of Midwives Global Standards, is new in Bangladesh. This paper aims to give an overview of the historical process that has taken place in the past decades to develop the midwifery profession in Bangladesh. The professional development of midwives is the result of many years of collaboration and relationship building among stakeholders such as the government, non-government organizations, academia, professional associations, United Nations agencies, and donors. All are working toward achieving the common goal of preventing/ reducing maternal and child mortality through education, the development of supportive laws, policies and guidelines, and the deployment of midwives. Lessons learnt from the Bangladesh experience can provide useful guidance for other countries in Asia that are currently establishing midwifery as a profession that aims to provide safe and high quality sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn care

Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea in Children with Hematological Malignancy-Experience from a Pediatric Oncologic Centre, Bangladesh

Background: Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD) is considered to be one of the commonest causes of nosocomial diarrhoea worldwide. Gastrointestinal infections in the form of diarrhoea are common in pediatric oncology patients in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh. The study was conducted to find out the frequency of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among diarrheal children with haematological malignancy. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from April 2012 to March 2013 at the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, BSMMU, Bangladesh. Total 58 diarrheal episodes occurred in 51 children with various types of haematological malignancies were included consecutively. Faecal samples of the children were sent to International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) laboratory for detection of Clostridium difficile antigen (GDH) and toxins (A and/ or B) by Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA). Results: Among 58 diarrheal episodes 22.4% faecal samples were positive for GDH, but none of the faecal samples was positive for toxin A and or B. There were a significant association with leucopenia, severe neutropenia; usage of meropenem plus vancomycin, cefepime plus amikacin, imipenem, cytarabine and omeprazole with GDH positive diarrheal episodes. Conclusion: Positive GDH antigen with a negative result for toxin indicates C. difficile colonization. Among GDH positive episodes, a significantly higher proportion of children had leucopenia, severe neutropenia and usage of some drugs known as risk factors for C. difficile infection. To confirm the CDI advanced tests are needed

Comparison of Estrus Synchronization by PGF2α and Progestagen Sponge with PMSG in Indigenous Ewes in Bangladesh

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different synchronizing agents with different doses in indigenous ewes in Bangladesh. Indigenous ewes (n=65) were allocated initially into four groups and treated with intravaginal sponges containing two doses of Flurogestone Acetate (FGA 30 and 45 mg) for 12 days and two doses of PGF2α injection (Cloprostenol 100 and 175 μg) at 9 days apart. Ewes in estrus were identified using vasectomized rams. An investigation was made on vaginal smear in indigenous ewes. Fifty days after estrus and natural mating, pregnancy was determined by trans-cutaneous ultrasonography.. All the indigenous ewes used in four treatment groups exhibited signs of estrus during the observation period. Among sexual behaviors, firm standing, head-turning and soliciting were displayed more frequently. Ewes in Group I and Group II started to express receptive behavior between 48 h to70 h and in Group III and Group IV between 18-36 h following sponge removal. The time to estrus was slightly longer (58.6 ±2.64 h) in the groups treated with 175 μg Cloprostenol compared to the other groups (55.8 ±3.12, 32.9±1.60 and 30.8±2.04 h).There was significant differences (PFGA compared with other range of time. Similarly, 52.9 and 62.5% of ewes in Cloprostenol (100 and175 μg, respectively) showed oestrus during 49 to 60 h. There was no significant difference in ewes of all treatedgroups (P˃0.05). The estrus period was shown the predominance of superficial cells that was keratinized, largely anucleate, and had angular, folded cell margins or with pyknotic nuclei (Figures 5-6) in the vaginal smear of ewes in all the treated groups. The higher pregnancy rates observed in the 30 mg FGA based Group III (100%) compared with 100 μg Cloprostenol (88.2 %), 175 μg Cloprostenol (75%) and 45 mg FGA (93.8 %) group. It was concluded that though FGA sponge protocol presented superior results, PGF2α protocol was as efficient in synchronizing estrus as the former in indigenous ewes in Bangladesh

Community participation in health, family planning and development activities: A review of international experiences

The family planning (FP)/maternal and child health (MCH) program in Bangladesh has achieved success in the recent past, mostly through a large-scale government service-delivery system with support and cooperation from donors and nongovernmental organizations. There is concern about the financial and social sustainability of the program. Other issues include achievement of replacement-level fertility within a stipulated period and improvement of MCH-FP service quality. It is widely believed that most of the concerns will be taken care of with effective community participation. Before activating community initiatives, it is worth carrying out action research. A literature review was completed from July to October 1996 to identify a range of models used for increasing community participation and experiences in terms of implementation, management, financing, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability in both rural and urban areas. Attempts were also made to identify a set of indicators to assess the level of community participation in these programs. This report documents the results of the review

Interactome analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans synapses by TurboID-based proximity labeling

Proximity labeling provides a powerful in vivo tool to characterize the proteome of subcellular structures and the interactome of specific proteins. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most intensely studied organisms in biology, offering many advantages for biochemistry. Using the highly active biotin ligase TurboID, we optimize here a proximity labeling protocol for C. elegans. An advantage of TurboID is that biotin's high affinity for streptavidin means biotin-labeled proteins can be affinity-purified under harsh denaturing conditions. By combining extensive sonication with aggressive denaturation using SDS and urea, we achieved near-complete solubilization of worm proteins. We then used this protocol to characterize the proteomes of the worm gut, muscle, skin, and nervous system. Neurons are among the smallest C. elegans cells. To probe the method's sensitivity, we expressed TurboID exclusively in the two AFD neurons and showed that the protocol could identify known and previously unknown proteins expressed selectively in AFD. The active zones of synapses are composed of a protein matrix that is difficult to solubilize and purify. To test if our protocol could solubilize active zone proteins, we knocked TurboID into the endogenous elks-1 gene, which encodes a presynaptic active zone protein. We identified many known ELKS-1-interacting active zone proteins, as well as previously uncharacterized synaptic proteins. Versatile vectors and the inherent advantages of using C. elegans, including fast growth and the ability to rapidly make and functionally test knock-ins, make proximity labeling a valuable addition to the armory of this model organism

Soil Quality Variation under Different Land Use Types in Haramosh Valley, Gilgit, Pakistan

Soil quality is a fundamental component of environmental quality and impact of land use is also a keydetrimental factor in today’s rapid urbanization era. The study aims to evaluate the effects of different land-use type on selected soil quality indicators. Sixty soil samples were collected from various land use types, i.e, pasture, forest and agriculture from a depth of 0-15cm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the land use type significantly affected the soil’s physical and chemical properties. The moisture content was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the pasture (41.7%) than the forest (26.2%) and lowest in agricultural land (14.4%). The soil pH was significantly higher or slightly alkaline for agriculture (7.8), while for pasture (6.5) and forest (6.1), it was found to be slightly acidic. Electric conductivity (EC) and bulk density (BD) did not vary significantly with land use type, but the EC followed the decreasing order: forest (203.7μS/cm) < pasture (235μS/cm) < agriculture (328.7μS/cm). The soil organic matter (SOM) and soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly (p<0.05) differed with land use type and found in the order: forest (3.0%, 1.3 %) > pasture land (2.9%, 1.2%) > arable land (2.5%, 1.1%). NO3-N, available P and exchangeable K did not vary significantly across land use types. However, mean values were higher for agriculture (10.2mg/kg, 4.5mg/kg, 66mg/kg) than forest (10mg/kg,3.5mg/kg, 60mg/kg) and pasture (9.8mg/kg, 4.3, 60.2mg/kg). Alpine soils are good ecological indicators because of vulnerability to environmental change, therefore, regular monitoring of soil properties along with carbon stocks is essential to maintain soil health, enhance agricultural productivity and sustain agroecosystems

Health System Strengthening Through Professional Midwives in Bangladesh: Best Practices, Challenges, and Successes

In 2008, a cadre of professional midwives was introduced in Bangladesh. Since then, 120 midwifery educational programs have been established. There are 2,556 midwives serving at 667 government health facilities, and there are more midwives working in nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. This case study documents the process of establishing a midwifery profession with distinct midwifery expertise in Bangladesh and aims to guide other low- and middle-income countries in best practices and challenges. We describe the national administrative groundwork for the profession's launch, roll-out of an education program aligned with the International Confederation of Midwives, national deployment, enabling environments in deployment, and the professional association. Bangladesh's professional midwives' roles in humanitarian response and the COVID-19 pandemic are also discussed. The first and final authors were closely involved in supporting the government's establishment of the profession, and their direct experience is drawn upon to contextualize the topics. In addition, the authors conducted a desk review of documents that supported the profession's integration into the health system and documented its results. Both routine program data and existing research studies were reviewed. Outcomes show that midwives are deployed to 95% of government subdistrict hospitals. About 50% of these hospitals are fully staffed with 4 midwives, and within the hospitals, midwives are in charge of 90% of the maternity wards and attend 75%-85% of the births. Since the midwives' deployment, significant quality improvement for most World Health Organization indicators has been found, along with increases in service utilization. The experience of establishing a new midwifery profession in Bangladesh shows that it is possible for a lower middle-income country to introduce a globally standard midwifery profession, distinct from nursing, to improve quality sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services in both humanitarian and development settings

Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment and Landuse Planning of Mayoon, Hunza, GilgitBaltistan, Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan is highly vulnerable and hazard-prone area according to National DisasterManagerment Authority, based on frequency of avalanches, landslides, glacier lake outburst floods, rockfall and flashfloods. These hazards have been quite frequent since 2010, potentially due to changing climatic conditions and uniquetectonic setting resulting in massive destruction, economic loss and human migration. In this study, geospatial techniques(GIS/RS) were used to identify landslide hazard with elements at risk. The resultant maps will be used for betterplanning and resilience of local communities. Landslide area has been marked based on field observations (GPS data).Risk category is ranked high, medium and low based on field observations, geological setting and historical landslidedata. There are six offshoots of MKT crossing parallel to each other along KKH from Chalt to Ahmadabad. Chalt fault iscrossing nearby the Mayoon landslide, which may affect the entire valley. This study identifies landslide as a majorhazard in the area