Economic growth and its relationship with the macroeconomic factors: An analysis of Oman

This study determines Oman’s most important macroeconomic factors between 1990 and 2019. The ARDL bound test findings for co-integration show that both long and short runs exist. The error-correcting mechanism further states that when the divergence from long-run equilibrium is rectified at an adaptation speed of 78.9%, it signals an inversion to a long-run stable state. In response to a change in the previous year’s economic growth, the final consumption expenditure indicates a rise of 0.472; the gross fixed capital formation and export indicate hikes of 0.149 and 0.358 at a 1% significance level. Additionally, the findings of co-integration regression using fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), and canonical co-integration regression (CCR) were used to strengthen and validate the results that export ranks first in Oman, followed by final consumption spending. Therefore, export, gross fixed capital formation, and final consumption expenditure are vital macroeconomic elements supporting Oman’s economic development

ALARMING SIGNALS OF DRUG ADDICTION AMONG THE SOUTHERN YOUTHS IN BANGLADESH: A SURVEY BASED RESEARCH

Background: Drug addiction is a serious public health crisis which affects almost every sphere in a community in a way or another and this in turn can possibly lead to social disharmony, severe crimes, degraded social status and most possibly physical and mental health deterioration. The sole purpose of our study was aimed to analyze the current awful situation of drug addiction at four different southern cities of Bangladesh. Methods: This cross sectional health based survey was carried out with a self-designed standard questionnaire by manual data collection over a nine months period (12.09.2015 to 10.04.2016) at four adjacent cities Gopalganj, Khulna, Bagerhat and Narail respectively. Total 300 substance abusers were investigated by majorly visiting at their home and sometimes visiting the places where they usually take drugs. Descriptive statistics were applied to the collected data and analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Results: In this cross sectional study we observed that, 82% addicts are predominantly young males mostly between the ages of 10-30. About 48% are addicted by cannabis, 19% and 17% by yaba and phensedyl respectively. In case of first starting of drug use curiosity, surrounding environment were the primary reason and cannabis as their first drug (61%) followed by phensedyl (16%). At least 53% addict\u27s relayed on locality like friends and 30% used local dealers as a main source to collect these abused drugs. Healthy financial support is very important for collecting abused drugs and 30% addicts spend pocket money, 23% job, 20% business source to buy these costly substances. Although it is important to mention that 61% addicts are compromising either physical or psychological complications but it is one of good symptoms to observe that more than 60% of drug addicts are trying to give up addiction forming agents in these days. Conclusion: In recent years drug addiction has significantly increased in the whole world especially in South Asian countries. It must be emphasized as an alarming sign by the government as well as awareness among the peoples are very essential to stop this critical condition from affecting our future young leaders. Keywords: Drug; Addiction; Youths; Bangladesh

ALARMING SIGNALS OF DRUG ADDICTION AMONG THE SOUTHERN YOUTHS IN BANGLADESH: A SURVEY BASED RESEARCH

Background: Drug addiction is a serious public health crisis which affects almost every sphere in a community in a way or another and this in turn can possibly lead to social disharmony, severe crimes, degraded social status and most possibly physical and mental health deterioration. The sole purpose of our study was aimed to analyze the current awful situation of drug addiction at four different southern cities of Bangladesh. Methods: This cross sectional health based survey was carried out with a self-designed standard questionnaire by manual data collection over a nine months period (12.09.2015 to 10.04.2016) at four adjacent cities Gopalganj, Khulna, Bagerhat and Narail respectively. Total 300 substance abusers were investigated by majorly visiting at their home and sometimes visiting the places where they usually take drugs. Descriptive statistics were applied to the collected data and analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Results: In this cross sectional study we observed that, 82% addicts are predominantly young males mostly between the ages of 10-30. About 48% are addicted by cannabis, 19% and 17% by yaba and phensedyl respectively. In case of first starting of drug use curiosity, surrounding environment were the primary reason and cannabis as their first drug (61%) followed by phensedyl (16%). At least 53% addict's relayed on locality like friends and 30% used local dealers as a main source to collect these abused drugs. Healthy financial support is very important for collecting abused drugs and 30% addicts spend pocket money, 23% job, 20% business source to buy these costly substances. Although it is important to mention that 61% addicts are compromising either physical or psychological complications but it is one of good symptoms to observe that more than 60% of drug addicts are trying to give up addiction forming agents in these days. Conclusion: In recent years drug addiction has significantly increased in the whole world especially in South Asian countries. It must be emphasized as an alarming sign by the government as well as awareness among the peoples are very essential to stop this critical condition from affecting our future young leaders. Keywords: Drug; Addiction; Youths; Bangladesh

Cultural Theories of Postpartum Bleeding in Matlab, Bangladesh: Implications for Community Health Intervention

Early recognition can reduce maternal disability and deaths due to postpartum haemorrhage. This study identified cultural theories of postpartum bleeding that may lead to inappropriate recognition and delayed care-seeking. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained through structured interviews with 149 participants living in Matlab, Bangladesh, including women aged 18-49 years, women aged 50+ years, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and skilled birth attendants (SBAs), were subjected to cultural domain. General consensus existed among the TBAs and lay women regarding signs, causes, and treatments of postpartum bleeding (eigenvalue ratio 5.9, mean competence 0.59, and standard deviation 0.15). Excessive bleeding appeared to be distinguished by flow characteristics, not colour or quantity. Yet, the TBAs and lay women differed significantly from the SBAs in beliefs about normalcy of blood loss, causal role of the retained placenta and malevolent spirits, and care practices critical to survival. Cultural domain analysis captures variation in theories with specificity and representativeness necessary to inform community health intervention

Mosaic dysfunction of mitophagy in mitochondrial muscle disease

Mitophagy is a quality control mechanism that eliminates damaged mitochondria, yet its significance in mammalian pathophysiology and aging has remained unclear. Here, we report that mitophagy contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of aged mice and human patients. The early disease stage is characterized by muscle fibers with central nuclei, with enhanced mitophagy around these nuclei. However, progressive mitochondrial dysfunction halts mitophagy and disrupts lysosomal homeostasis. Interestingly, activated or halted mitophagy occur in a mosaic manner even in adjacent muscle fibers, indicating cell-autonomous regulation. Rapamycin restores mitochondrial turnover, indicating mTOR-dependence of mitochondrial recycling in advanced disease stage. Our evidence suggests that (1) mitophagy is a hallmark of age-related mitochondrial pathology in mammalian muscle, (2) mosaic halting of mitophagy is a mechanism explaining mosaic respiratory chain deficiency and accumulation of pathogenic mtDNA variants in adult-onset mitochondrial diseases and normal aging, and (3) augmenting mitophagy is a promising therapeutic approach for muscle mitochondrial dysfunction.Peer reviewe

Blood Lead Levels and Health Problems of Lead Acid Battery Workers in Bangladesh

Introduction. Use of lead acid battery (LAB) in Bangladesh has risen with sharp rise of motor vehicles. As result, manufacture of LAB is increasing. Most of the lead used by these industries comes from recycling of LAB. Workers in LAB industry are at risk of exposure lead and thus development of lead toxicity. Objective. The objective of this study was to measure the blood lead concentration and to assess the magnitude of health problems attributable to lead toxicity among the LAB manufacturing workers. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the workers of LAB manufacturing industries located in Dhaka city. Result. Mean blood lead level (BLL) among the workers was found to be high. They were found to be suffering from a number of illnesses attributable to lead toxicity. The common illnesses were frequent headache, numbness of the limbs, colic pain, nausea, tremor, and lead line on the gum. High BLL was also found to be related to hypertension and anemia of the workers. Conclusion. High BLL and illnesses attributable to lead toxicity were prevalent amongst workers of the LAB manufacturing industries, and this requires attention especially in terms of occupational hygiene and safety

Phenotypic effects of dietary stress in combination with a respiratory chain bypass in mice

The alternative oxidase (AOX) from Ciona intestinalis was previously shown to be expressible in mice and to cause no physiological disturbance under unstressed conditions. Because AOX is known to become activated under some metabolic stress conditions, resulting in altered energy balance, we studied its effects in mice subjected to dietary stress. Wild-type mice (Mus musculus, strain C57BL/6JOlaHsd) fed a high-fat or ketogenic (high-fat, low-carbohydrate) diet show weight gain with increased fat mass, as well as loss of performance, compared with chow-fed animals. Unexpectedly, AOX-expressing mice fed on these metabolically stressful, fat-rich diets showed almost indistinguishable patterns of weight gain and altered body composition as control animals. Cardiac performance was impaired to a similar extent by ketogenic diet in AOX mice as in nontransgenic littermates. AOX and control animals fed on ketogenic diet both showed wide variance in weight gain. Analysis of the gut microbiome in stool revealed a strong correlation with diet, rather than with genotype. The microbiome of the most and least obese outliers reared on the ketogenic diet showed no consistent trends compared with animals of normal body weight. We conclude that AOX expression in mice does not modify physiological responses to extreme diets.Peer reviewe

Niacin Cures Systemic NAD(+) Deficiency and Improves Muscle Performance in Adult-Onset Mitochondrial Myopathy

NAD(+) is a redox-active metabolite, the depletion of which has been proposed to promote aging and degenerative diseases in rodents. However, whether NAD(+) depletion occurs in patients with degenerative disorders and whether NAD(+) repletion improves their symptoms has remained open. Here, we report systemic NAD(+) deficiency in adult-onset mitochondrial myopathy patients. We administered an increasing dose of NAD(+) booster niacin, a vitamin B3 form (to 750-1,000 mg/day; clinicaltrials.gov NCT03973203) for patients and their matched controls for 10 or 4 months, respectively. Blood NAD(+) increased in all subjects, up to 8-fold, and muscle-NAD(+) of patients reached the level of their controls. Some patients showed anemia tendency, while muscle strength and mitochondrial biogenesis increased in all subjects. In patients, muscle metabolome shifted toward controls and liver fat decreased even 50%. Our evidence indicates that blood analysis is useful in identifying NAD(+) deficiency and points niacin to be an efficient NAD(+) booster for treating mitochondrial myopathy.Peer reviewe

Effective treatment of mitochondrial myopathy by nicotinamide riboside, a vitamin B3

Peer reviewe

Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid of raw milk for the detection of bovine subclinical mastitis

Background and Aim: Bovine subclinical mastitis (SCM) is highly prevalent among dairy cattle. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangladesh to evaluate the performance of electric conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) tests for the detection of SCM. Materials and Methods: We randomly selected 108 milk samples from cows of different breeds in the primary milk-producing region of Pabna and Sirajgonj districts of Bangladesh. Samples were subjected to the California mastitis test (CMT), white side test (WST), electric conductivity (EC), TDS, and culture. A cow was considered positive for SCM if it tested positive in CMT, WST, and culture, whereas a cow was considered negative for SCM if it tested negative in all three methods. These gold standards have been used to evaluate the performance of the EC and TDS tests. The optimal EC and TDS cutoff values for the detection of SCM were determined using the “optimal cutoff” function in R version 4.3.1. Results: The optimal EC cutoff value for SCM detection was found to be 6159 μS/cm or 6.16 mS/cm. A positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 31.2 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.905 were obtained for this cutoff value. The optimal cutoff value for TDS was 3100 mg/L of milk, which resulted in a positive LR+ of 45.5 and an AUC of 0.924. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the performance of EC and TDS tests in detecting SCM in Bangladesh. These results suggest that EC and TDS tests, which are inexpensive, rapid, and easy to conduct, can effectively detect SCM at the farm level