Nursing and management of early produced larvae of Thai pangas (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) using greenhouse concept

This experiment was conducted for the development of nursing techniques of early produced larvae of Thai pangus (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) using Greenhouse concept for a period of 40 days from 10th February to 20th March 2020. The experiment was designed into two treatments (i) Greenhouse pond (GP) and (ii) Control or open ponds (CP) having three replicates each. Greenhouse concept was used for increasing the temperature during the winter month for proper growth and survival of the spawn. For this purpose, three ponds were covered with transparent polyethylene sheet fastened into bamboo frame and three ponds with no such covering. All the nursery ponds were stocked at a density of 20 g hatchling/decimal with 3 days old P. hypophthalmus. After 40 days of nursing period, the highest mean final length, weight gain and survival rate of fry were found to be 9.75 cm, 12.44g and 73.19% in greenhouse pond where in Control ponds it was 6.39 cm, 7.22g and 58.08%, respectively. A significantly higher (p<0.05) mean gross production of 6.07 kg/ decimal was found in greenhouse pond where in Control ponds it was 2.80 kg/ decimal in 40 days of nursing period. Water quality parameters were found to be better with good primary production in the green house ponds due to retaining day light temperature by polyethylene sheet. Results from the present experiment indicated that greenhouse technique can be suitable for the nursing and management of early produced larvae of Thai pangas with proper growth and good survival rate

First record of induced breeding and fry production techniques of Pialy fish, Aspidoparia jaya (Hamilton, 1822) in Bangladesh

This experiment was conducted for the development of induced breeding techniques of Aspidoparia jaya using the pituitary gland (PG) extract at the Floodplain Sub-station, BFRI, Santahar, Bogura, Bangladesh. Three breeding trials were conducted in May, June and July, 2021 where in May, none of the fish was ovulated. But breeding response was observed in June and July when we applied 8 mg (T1), 10 mg (T2) and 12 mg (T3) PG/kg body weight of female, and 5 mg (T1), 6 mg (T2) and 7 mg (T3) PG/kg body weight of male fish. Among all the treatments, significantly (P<0.05) highest breeding performance in terms of ovulation rate (78.87±1.71%), fertilization rate (79.39±1.40%) and hatching rate (86.98±1.20%) were observed in T3 treatment in the month of July when injected with single dose of 12 mg and 7 mg PG/ kg body weight of female and male, respectively. Significantly (P<0.05) higher values of mean gonado-somatic index were observed during June, July, August, December and January for females where July (10.15±1.50%) and January (9.55±1.30%) showed the highest peaks which indicated that they might be spawn twice in a year (from May to August and from December to January). The results from the present experiment reveals that induced breeding of Aspidoparia jaya, using PG extract is successful which might be helpful for the large-scale seed production of this species for the aquaculture as well as to conserve the species from being extinct from the biodiversity

Reproductive biology and gonadal cycle of Indian Potasi, Neotropius atherinoides (Bloch 1794) in Bangladesh

The present study was conducted to investigate the reproductive biology of Neotropius atherinoides in Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Floodplain Sub-station, Santahar, Bogura, Bangladesh. A total number of 70 fish samples were collected on monthly basis from Atrai River and Jamuna River during the period from September 2021 to August 2022. The highest mean value of the gonado-somatic index (GSI) was recorded in July (12.55±2.50), whereas the lowest was found in January (0.46±0.11). Highest individual fecundity (7000±1900) and ova diameter (0.50±0.07 mm) was also observed in July. From the histological observation of the ovary, early peri-nucleolar stage, late peri-nucleolar stage, yolk vesicle stage, yolk granule stages were identified where the highest percentage (80%) of mature oocytes were observed in July. Based on the GSI, fecundity, and gonadal histology, the breeding season of N. atherinoides was observed from May to August and recorded a remarkable peak in July. In case of length weight relationship (LWR), the coefficient of determination value (r2) was found 0.95 and slope was found b=1.02 which indicated the pattern of negative allometric growth of this species as b<3. In contrast, an increase was recorded in the fecundity associated with the rise of total length, body weight, and gonad weight, showed a significant linear relationship. This study would assist in the development of induced breeding techniques and provide valuable information for the sustainable management of this population in the inland open ecosystem

Growth and production performance of Mud Eel, Monopterus cuchia (Hamilton, 1822) using different types of feed in the Northern region of Bangladesh

The experiment was conducted to assess the growth and production performance of freshwater Mud Eel (Monopterus cuchia) using different types of feed in nine earthen ponds in Bogura and Naogaon district of Bangladesh over a period of 180 days from 01 July, 2020 to 31 December, 2021. Three different treatments having three replicates each [T1 {Live fish spawn (60%), Vermi compost (40%)}, T2 {Live fish spawn (40%), Fish paste (60%)} and T3 {Vermi compost (40%), fish paste (40%), Rice bran (10%) and Wheat flour (10%)}] were used where significantly higher (P< 0.05) gross production and low FCR were recorded in T1 treatment. Juvenile cuchia were stocked @ 400 nos/dec in each treatment having mean initial body weight of 25 g and mean initial body length of 20 cm where highest weight gain of 130.09±1.79 g was found in T1 (p<0.05), followed by the T2 (112.89±1.51 g) and T3 (95.02±0.16 g). Survival rate (82.11±2.21%) and specific growth rate (1.01± 0.02 % day-1) were also found to be highest in T1 compared to the T2 and T3. Feed were applied twice a day up to satiation level using feeding tray to check feeding performance of fish. Water quality parameters like temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and alkalinity were in the optimum range for fish culture. Results from the present study clearly indicate that live fish spawn and vermi compost is suitable for the grow-out culture of M. cuchia in earthen ponds for its better growth, survival rate and production

Sense and Manner of WASH and Their Coalition With Disease and Nutritional Status of Under-five Children in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of caregivers and their relationship to the disease and nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in rural areas of Sylhet, Bangladesh. A total of 110 households with at least a child aged 6 to 59 months were selected by simple random method from 10 rural communities of three Upazila of Sylhet from September 2019 to February 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the “Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene” (WASH) knowledge and practice, and multivariate chi-square analyses were performed to assess associations among diseases and nutritional status with WASH following a structured questionnaire. The study found a significant association between WASH with childhood disease and nutritional status, and 65% of children were found to be in a diseased state and 35% of children were found in a no exposure of disease state within the last 6 months. The findings sketched that mother with poor WASH knowledge and practice was at greater risk for disease outbreaks, disease frequency, and duration. The highest incidence of diarrhea was 17% in children aged 12 to 23 months. A significant effect of WASH was also found in children’s nutritional status, which was reflected in the ratio of stunted, underweight, and wasted children. Integrated convergent work focusing on providing clean water within the household, stopping open defecation, promoting handwashing, behavior change, and poverty alleviation is needed to improve the situation. Health, nutrition, and livelihood programs should be uninterrupted, and mothers or caregivers should be encouraged to participate in these programs

Fisheries in the Context of Attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh: COVID-19 Impacts and Future Prospects

Fisheries and the aquaculture sector can play a significant role in the achievement of several of the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda. However, the current COVID-19 situation can negatively impact the fisheries sector, impeding the pace of the achievement of development goals. Therefore, this paper highlighted the performance and challenges of the fisheries sector in Bangladesh, emphasising the impact of COVID-19 and the significance of this sector for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through primary fieldwork and secondary data. The total fish production in the country has increased more than six times over the last three decades (7.54 to 43.84 lakh MT) with improved culture techniques and extension services. Inland closed water contributions have increased to 16%, while inland open water has declined to 10%, and marine fisheries have dropped to 6% over the past 18 financial years (2000–2001 to 2018–2019). COVID-19, a significant health crisis, has also affected various issues associated with aquatic resources and communities. Transportation obstacles and complexity in the food supply, difficulty in starting production, labour crisis, sudden illness, insufficient consumer demand, commodity price hikes, creditor’s pressure, and reduced income were identified as COVID-19 drivers affecting the fisheries sector. The combined effect of these drivers poses a significant threat to a number of the SDGs, such as income (SDG1), nutrition (SDG2), and food security (SDG3 and SDG12), which require immediate and comprehensive action. Several recommendations were discussed, the implementation of which are important to the achievement of the SDGs and the improved management of the aquatic sector (SDG14—life below, and SDG16—life above water)

Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundFuture trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050.MethodsUsing forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline.FindingsIn the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]).InterpretationGlobally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.</p