Covariates of Neonatal and Post-Neonatal Mortality in Bangladesh

This paper investigates covariates of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality in Bangladesh The study uses the data extracted from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey BDHS Multivariate proportional hazards models are employed to study the determinants of neonatal and post-neonatal mortality The results show that father s education place of residence housing materials number of children under five years of age and previous death of sibling have significant influence on neonatal mortality The findings also indicate that mother s education toilet facility number of children under five and breastfeeding have significant effect on post-neonatal mortality in Banglades

Nomadic pastoralism in southern Iran

The nomadic pastoralist system in Baft district in Kerman province is well known in Iran for producing cashmere from Raeini goats. However, there is little information on the production system. Interviews were carried out with 30 Siahjel nomad families of Raen origin in proximity of about 20 km to Baft city in 2010 to characterise the production system in terms of family labour force, work sharing, livestock numbers, management and marketing practices, and diseases. The nomads move their livestock over large distances within the rangelands of the region from May to November, and the majority migrate south during autumn and winter. Of the nomad families, 87% live with and manage their animals together with one or more other related families. All household heads are males. All family members are involved in raising livestock; males and hired labourers dominate the physically harder jobs like shepherding and breeding, while women are involved in milking and caring. Of the animals, 80% are owned by adult or young unmarried males, none by daughters. Average proportion of goats and sheep per family flock are 89% and 8%, respectively, which indicates that Siahjel nomads mainly rely on goats. Adult breeding females constituted the largest group within the goat herds. The rationale for keeping a high number of male goats may be related to their greater production of cashmere. Diseases accounted for 57% of adult and 88% of young animal deaths. The most prevalent diseases were enterotoxaemia, foot-and-mouth disease, pneumonia, agalactia and diarrhoea. Animal sales, meat, cashmere and milk production are the major reasons for keeping goats. Rangeland is considered as the main source of feeding (85% of total annual feed intake); the remaining 15% is provided by stubble grazing. However, the herds do not produce enough meat, milk and cashmere to sustain the life of the nomad families, and thus, they often have to sell part of their stock which will further decrease their income.Fil: Ansari-Renani, Hamid R. Animal Science Research Institute; IránFil: Rischkowsky, Barbara. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas; EtiopíaFil: Mueller, Joaquin Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Seyed Momend, S.M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Moradi, Sepehr. Animal Science Research Institute; Irán. University of Mashad. Agriculture College. Animal Science Department; Irá

Multiwavelength fiber laser based on bidirectional lyot filter in conjunction with intensity dependent loss mechanism

We experimentally demonstrate a multiwavelength fiber laser (MWFL) based on bidirectional Lyot filter. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is used as the gain medium, while its combination with polarization controllers (PCs) and polarization beam combiner (PBC) induces intensity dependent loss (IDL) mechanism. The IDL mechanism acts as an intensity equalizer to flatten the multiwavelength spectrum, which can be obtained at a certain polarization state. Using different ratio of optical splitter has affected to multiwavelength flatness degradation. Subsequently, when we removed a polarizer in the setup, the extinction ratio (ER) is decreased. Ultimately, with two segments of polarization maintaining fiber (PMF), two channel spacings can be achieved due to splicing shift of 0° and 90°

Observations on the efficiency of using different cashmere combs

The effect of using small or large cashmere combs on cashmere harvest, cashmere quality and combing time was studied on Raeini cashmere goats in nomadic goat breeding systems of the Iranian province of Kerman. Two groups of 20 goats of different ages were combed with either a large or a small comb, three times with intervals of 2 weeks in early spring when natural fiber shedding has started. Combed cashmere weight, duration of combing, fiber diameter, and down yield were measured. A sample of combed cashmere was analyzed using a Laserscan instrument. A general linear model including type of comb, stage of combing and age of goat was fitted to analyze the data. Small combs collect more cashmere (31.0 vs. 21.7 g, P 0.05) but combing time is higher (3.75 vs. 2.79 min, P < 0.01). In the first two combing sessions much more cashmere was obtained than in the last (28.1, 32.0 and 19.0 g, respectively, P < 0.01), but the weight of total combed cashmere was much less than typical shorn fleece weights. Combing can be justified only if a considerable price premium can be obtained from selling combed cashmere instead of selling shorn cashmere, or if the combed cashmere is used to add value on-farm. If this is the case, small combs with short rods are preferable since more cashmere can be collected without affecting its qualityFil: Ansari-Renani, Hamid R. Animal Science Research Institute; IránFil: Mueller, Joaquin Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Rischkowsky, Barbara. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas; EtiopíaFil: Seyed Momend, S.M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Ehsani, M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Moradi, Sepehr. University of Zanjan. Agriculture College. Animal Science Department; Irá

Cashmere quality of Raeini goats kept by nomads in Iran

The income of the nomads in Kerman Province depends mainly on Raeini goats that produce meat, milk and cashmere. This paper assesses the cashmere quality and its variation in Raeini herds to determine the scope for improvement. In April 2010 fleece weights (FW) and midside fleece samples were taken from a total of 686 male and female cashmere goats of 1, 2 and 3 years of age belonging to 29 herds. The herds were randomly chosen in the summer grazing area of nomads within 20 km of the city of Baft, province of Kerman, South of Iran, the main cashmere producing area in Iran. Cashmere yield (CY) was determined from the weight of dehaired cashmere to weight of shorn fiber. Cashmere fibers were analyzed using an OFDA instrument. A general mixed linear model including sex, age and sex by age interaction as fixed effects and herd as random effect was used to analyze the data and measure the relationships between different cashmere characteristics and fleece attributes. The overall means ± standard deviations were for fleece weights (FW) 507 ± 183 g, cashmere yield (CY) 56.5 ± 12.2%, mean fiber diameter (MFD) 19.7 ± 1.5 μm, fiber diameter standard deviation (FDSD) 4.5 ± 0.6 μm, fiber curvature (FC) 62.9 ± 8.5°/mm and staple length (SL) 54.2 ± 7.0 mm, respectively. Herd effect was significant for all traits except for SL and sex by age effect was only significant for MFD. One year old males and females had finer cashmere than older goats. FW and FDSD were higher in males and CY and FC was higher in young animals. Pearson correlation between MFD and FC, FDSD and MFD, MFD and FW was −0.647, 0.399 and 0.211 respectively. Raeini cashmere is white, has an excellent SL and FC but is relatively coarse. Given the differences between and within herds there seems to be substantial scope to improve the commercial value of Raeini cashmere.Fil: Ansari-Renani, Hamid R. Animal Science Research Institute; IránFil: Mueller, Joaquin Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Rischkowsky, Barbara. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas; SiriaFil: Seyed Momend, S.M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Alipour, O. Livestock Office of Agriculture Department of Baft; IránFil: Ehsani, M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Moradi, Sepehr. University of Zanjan. Agriculture College. Animal Science Department; Irán. Animal Science Research Institute; Irán

3-Form Flux Compactification of Salam-Sezgin Supergravity

The compactification of 6 dimensional Salam-Sezgin model in the presence of 3-form flux H is investigated. We find a torus topology for this compactification with two cusps which are the places of branes, while at the limit of large size L of the compact direction we also obtain sphere topology. This resembles the Randall-Sundrum I,II model. The branes at one of the cusps can be chosen to be 3- and 4-branes which fill our 4-dimensional space together with the fact that H=0 at this position restores the Lorentz symmetry. This compactification also provides an example for the so-called `time warp' solution, [0812.5107 [hep-th]]. According to a no-go theorem in $d\ne 6$, the time warp compactification violates the null energy condition. While the theorem is quiet for d=6, our model gives a time warp compactification which satisfies the null energy condition. We also derive the four dimensional effective Planck mass which is not obvious due to the time warp nature of the solution.Comment: 19 pages, 5 fig

Targeting IRE1 with small molecules counteracts progression of atherosclerosis

Metaflammation, an atypical, metabolically induced, chronic lowgrade inflammation, plays an important role in the development of obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. An important primer for metaflammation is the persistent metabolic overloading of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), leading to its functional impairment. Activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), a homeostatic regulatory network that responds to ER stress, is a hallmark of all stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation. The most conserved ERresident UPR regulator, the kinase/endoribonuclease inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), is activated in lipid-laden macrophages that infiltrate the atherosclerotic lesions. Using RNA sequencing in macrophages, we discovered that IRE1 regulates the expression of many proatherogenic genes, including several important cytokines and chemokines. We show that IRE1 inhibitors uncouple lipid-induced ER stress from inflammasome activation in both mouse and human macrophages. In vivo, these IRE1 inhibitors led to a significant decrease in hyperlipidemia-induced IL-1β and IL-18 production, lowered T-helper type-1 immune responses, and reduced atherosclerotic plaque size without altering the plasma lipid profiles in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. These results show that pharmacologic modulation of IRE1 counteracts metaflammation and alleviates atherosclerosis

Tetraplex PCR assay involving double gene-sites discriminates beef and buffalo in Malaysian meat curry and burger products

Replacement of beef by buffalo and vice versa is frequent in global markets, but their authentication is challenging in processed foods due to the fragmentation of most biomarkers including DNA. The shortening of target sequences through use of two target sites might ameliorate assay reliability because it is highly unlikely that both targets will be lost during food processing. For the first time, we report a tetraplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting two different DNA regions in beef (106 and 120-bp) and buffalo (90 and 138-bp) mitochondrial genes to discriminate beef and buffalo in processed foods. All targets were stable under boiling, autoclaving and microwave cooking conditions. A survey in Malaysian markets revealed 71% beef curries contained buffalo but there was no buffalo in beef burgers. The assay detected down to 0.01 ng DNA and 1% meat in admixed and burger products

Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Iran and its neighboring countries, 1990–2015

BACKGROUND: Summary measures of health are essential in making estimates of health status that are comparable across time and place. They can be used for assessing the performance of health systems, informing effective policy making, and monitoring the progress of nations toward achievement of sustainable development goals. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) as main summary measures of health. We assessed the trends of health status in Iran and 15 neighboring countries using these summary measures. METHODS: We used the results of GBD 2015 to present the levels and trends of DALYs, life expectancy (LE), and HALE in Iran and its 15 neighboring countries from 1990 to 2015. For each country, we assessed the ratio of observed levels of DALYs and HALE to those expected based on socio-demographic index (SDI), an indicator composed of measures of total fertility rate, income per capita, and average years of schooling. RESULTS: All-age numbers of DALYs reached over 19 million years in Iran in 2015. The all-age number of DALYs has remained stable during the past two decades in Iran, despite the decreasing trends in all-age and age-standardized rates. The all-cause DALY rates decreased from 47,200 in 1990 to 28,400 per 100,000 in 2015. The share of non-communicable diseases in DALYs increased in Iran (from 42% to 74%) and all of its neighbors between 1990 and 2015; the pattern of change is similar in almost all 16 countries. The DALY rates for NCDs and injuries in Iran were higher than global rates and the average rate in High Middle SDI countries, while those for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders were much lower in Iran. Among men, cardiovascular diseases ranked first in all countries of the region except for Bahrain. Among women, they ranked first in 13 countries. Life expectancy and HALE show a consistent increase in all countries. Still, there are dissimilarities indicating a generally low LE and HALE in Afghanistan and Pakistan and high expectancy in Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran ranked 11th in terms of LE at birth and 12th in terms of HALE at birth in 1990 which improved to 9th for both metrics in 2015. Turkey and Iran had the highest increase in LE and HALE from 1990 to 2015 while the lowest increase was observed in Armenia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iraq. CONCLUSIONS: The levels and trends in causes of DALYs, life expectancy, and HALE generally show similarities between the 16 countries, although differences exist. The differences observed between countries can be attributed to a myriad of determinants, including social, cultural, ethnic, religious, political, economic, and environmental factors as well as the performance of the health system. Investigating the differences between countries can inform more effective health policy and resource allocation. Concerted efforts at national and regional levels are required to tackle the emerging burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries in Iran and its neighbors

Team dynamics in emergency surgery teams: results from a first international survey

Background: Emergency surgery represents a unique context. Trauma teams are often multidisciplinary and need to operate under extreme stress and time constraints, sometimes with no awareness of the trauma\u2019s causes or the patient\u2019s personal and clinical information. In this perspective, the dynamics of how trauma teams function is fundamental to ensuring the best performance and outcomes. Methods: An online survey was conducted among the World Society of Emergency Surgery members in early 2021. 402 fully filled questionnaires on the topics of knowledge translation dynamics and tools, non-technical skills, and difficulties in teamwork were collected. Data were analyzed using the software R, and reported following the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Results: Findings highlight how several surgeons are still unsure about the meaning and potential of knowledge translation and its mechanisms. Tools like training, clinical guidelines, and non-technical skills are recognized and used in clinical practice. Others, like patients\u2019 and stakeholders\u2019 engagement, are hardly implemented, despite their increasing importance in the modern healthcare scenario. Several difficulties in working as a team are described, including the lack of time, communication, training, trust, and ego. Discussion: Scientific societies should take the lead in offering training and support about the abovementioned topics. Dedicated educational initiatives, practical cases and experiences, workshops and symposia may allow mitigating the difficulties highlighted by the survey\u2019s participants, boosting the performance of emergency teams. Additional investigation of the survey results and its characteristics may lead to more further specific suggestions and potential solutions