The Era of Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation and Banking

DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v3i1.5516BSMMU J 2010; 3(1): 47-5

Haemoglobin E/Beta Thalassaemia- A Study in BSMMU

Background: Thalassaemias and haemoglobinopathies have been found sporadically in every ethnic group and geographic region, they occur with particularly high frequency from the shores of the Mediterranean and Africa through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Burma and Southeast Asia. Objective: The study was designed to find out the incidence of HbE/beta thalassaemia in BSMMU. Method: A total of 700 patients suspected to have been suffering from haemolytic anaemia were included in the study. Patients having evidence of haemolysis in peripheral blood film were selected for reticulocyte count and haemoglobin electrophoresis in cellulose acetate membrane at pH 8.6. Result: The study group of 700 patients underwent Hb-electrophoresis of which only 52 (7.4%) cases were diagnosed as HbE/beta thalassaemia. Out of 52 cases, 34 (65.4%) patients were found symptomatic and the remaining 18 (34.6%) patients were asymptomatic. Out of 34 symptomatic cases of HbE/beta thalassaemia, only 14 cases needed blood transfusion. Among the 14 patients, only 8 patients needed more than 10 units of transfusion and 6 patients needed frequent transfusion that is two units of blood in every month. Conclusion: It is clearly evident from the present and other studied so far carried out in this Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia that hereditary haemolytic anaemia due to globin chain defects are quite common in this region, especially in Bangladesh and are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Key words: Thalassaemia; Haemoglobinopathies; HbE/beta thalassemia. DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v2i2.4762 BSMMU J 2009; 2(2): 78-8

FISH DIVERSITY IN THE ANDHARMANIK RIVER SANCTUARY IN BANGLADESH

Gubitak biološke raznolikosti riba, posebno u kopnenim i obalnim područjima, jedan je od glavnih interesa održive proizvodnje riba. Neselektivni ulov ribe, klimatske promjene i mnoge druge antropogene aktivnosti sinergijski utječu na biološku raznolikost riba. U svrhu formuliranja održivog plan očuvanja biološke raznolikosti riba u rijeci Andharmanik, procijenjena je biološka raznolikost riba u 40 km dugačkom svetištu Hilsa, u južnom dijelu Bangladeša. Studija je provedena kako bi se utvrdio status raznolikosti ribljih vrsta i to uzorkovanjem na tri lokacije od prosinca 2014. do studenog 2015. Ukupno je pronađeno 93 vrste riba koje pripadaju 66 rodova, 45 porodica i 14 redova. Grgečke (27,65%) su utvrđene kao dominantni red, a slijede ih šaranke (20,21%), somovi (21,28%), sleđevke (7,45%), bodljikave jegulje (4,26%) i zmijoglave ribe (4,26%). Od 93 vrste ribe u rijeci, utvrđeno je udio osjetljivih riba 14%,, ugroženih 11%, kritično ugroženih 6% te neugroženih riba 59%. Četiri indeksa populacije, Shannon-Wiener-ov indeks raznolikosti (H), Simpsonov indeks dominacije (D), Simpsonov indeks raznolikosti (1-D) i Margalef-ov indeks (d), primijenjeni su kako bi se prikazala raznolikost, bogatstvo i ujednačenost ribljih vrsta na uzorkovanim područjima. Ukupne vrijednosti navedenih indeksa bile su 2,70-3,51, 0,10-0,12, 0,88-0,90 tj. 7,84-8,19. Procijenjene su glavne prijetnje biološkoj raznolikosti riba i preporučene mjere za očuvanje biološke raznolikosti ribe. Kao glavne prijetnje biološkoj raznolikosti u rijeci Andharmanik identificiran je neselektivni ribolov, koji koristi štetne mehanizme po biološku raznolikost, kao i gubitak hidrološke i ekološke povezanosti s okolnim staništima. Preporučuju se efikasno zajedničko upravljanje te neposredne akcije za jačanje staništa radi očuvanja i poboljšanja biološke raznolikosti ribe na istraživanoj lokaciji. Predloženi su i potrebni koraci za poboljšanje hidrološke i ekološke povezanosti radi zaštite staništa i uklanjanja svih štetnih ribolovnih alata radi očuvanja biološke raznolikosti u rijeci Andharmanik.Loss of fish biodiversity, especially in the inland and coastal areas, is a major concern in sustainable fish production. Indiscriminate fish catch, climate change and many other anthropogenic activities synergistically affect fish biodiversity. To formulate a sustainable fish biodiversity conservation plan, fish biodiversity in the Andharmanik River, a 40-km-long Hilsa shad sanctuary in the southern part of Bangladesh, was assessed. The study was conducted to understand the status of fish species diversity through sampling in three sampling stations between December 2014 and November 2015. A total of 93 fish species were found belonging to 66 genera, 45 families and 14 orders. Perciformes (27.65%) was found to be the most dominant order, followed by Cypriniformes (20.21%), Siluriformes (21.28%) Clupeiformes (7.45%) Mastacembeliformes (4.26%) and Channiformes (4.26%). Out of the 93 fish species of the river, the percentage compositions of the vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and not threatened were found to be 14%, 11%, 6% and 59%, respectively. Four population indices viz. Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index (H), Simpson\u27s dominance index (D), Simpson\u27s index of diversity (1-D) and Margalef\u27s index (d) were applied to demonstrate species diversity, richness and evenness of fish species in sampling areas, and the overall values of the indices were 2.70-3.51, 0.10-0.12, 0.88-0.90 and 7.84-8.19, respectively. The main threats to fish biodiversity were reviewed and the measures for fish biodiversity conservation of the river recommended. Indiscriminate fishing using biodiversity destructive gears, as well as losing hydrological and ecological connectivity with the surrounding habitats, were identified as major threats to biodiversity in the Andharmanik River. Effective sanctuary-based co-management, immediate actions for habitat enhancement to conserve and improve fish biodiversity in the river were recommended. Necessary steps to improve hydrological and ecological connectivity for habitat protection and elimination of all destructive fishing gears in order to conserve biodiversity in the Andharmanik River were also suggested

Fish Diversity in the Andharmanik River Sanctuary in Bangladesh

Loss of fish biodiversity, especially in the inland and coastal areas, is a major concern in sustainable fish production. Indiscriminate fish catch, climate change and many other anthropogenic activities synergistically affect fish biodiversity. To formulate a sustainable fish biodiversity conservation plan, fish biodiversity in the Andharmanik River, a 40-km-long Hilsa shad sanctuary in the southern part of Bangladesh, was assessed. The study was conducted to understand the status of fish species diversity through sampling in three sampling stations between December 2014 and November 2015. A total of 93 fish species were found belonging to 66 genera, 45 families and 14 orders. Perciformes (27.65%) was found to be the most dominant order, followed by Cypriniformes (20.21%), Siluriformes (21.28%) Clupeiformes (7.45%) Mastacembeliformes (4.26%) and Channiformes (4.26%). Out of the 93 fish species of the river, the percentage compositions of the vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and not threatened were found to be 14%, 11%, 6% and 59%, respectively. Four population indices viz. Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index (H), Simpson’s dominance index (D), Simpson’s index of diversity (1-D) and Margalef’s index (d) were applied to demonstrate species diversity, richness and evenness of fish species in sampling areas, and the overall values of the indices were 2.70-3.51, 0.10-0.12, 0.88-0.90 and 7.84-8.19, respectively. The main threats to fish biodiversity were reviewed and the measures for fish biodiversity conservation of the river recommended. Indiscriminate fishing using biodiversity destructive gears, as well as losing hydrological and ecological connectivity with the surrounding habitats, were identified as major threats to biodiversity in the Andharmanik River. Effective sanctuary-based co-management, immediate actions for habitat enhancement to conserve and improve fish biodiversity in the river were recommended. Necessary steps to improve hydrological and ecological connectivity for habitat protection and elimination of all destructive fishing gears in order to conserve biodiversity in the Andharmanik River were also suggested

Primary Data for the published paper entitled “Influence of seasons, habitat sanctuaries, gears and environmental variables on the catches of hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in Bangladesh waters”

Aim: Variations in catch per unit effort (CPUE) of hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha ) at different habitats (sanctuaries) of Bangladesh waters were observed to understand whether CPUE variations were due to differences in habitat complexity, environmental factors or both. Methodology: CPUE of hilsa data were collected from five different habitats in Bangladesh waters between July 2015 and June 2016. Various physico-chemical parameters were measured monthly and then examined for any relationship to CPUE. Results: The overall mean CPUE of hilsa from the investigated areas was estimated to be 7.93 ± 6.03 kg gillnet day. The monthly average values of CPUE was the highest in January 2016 amounting 11.63 ± 1.21 kg gillnet day and the lowest in March 2016 amounting 3.63 ± 0.83 kg gillnet day with significant differences among the months (p 0.05) with environmental variables and CPUE. Multiple regression analysis tests also indicated a weak overall correlation (62%) between environmental variables and CPUE of hilsa. Interpretation: Results likely indicate that habitat structure was more important in determining CPUE of hilsa (highest in Padma sanctuary) compared to environmental factors at the tested sites. This study emphasizes the need to conserve habitats that are often used as important fishing grounds for hilsa to ensure their adequate recruitment and ultimately sustainable management of this fisher

Primary Data for the published paper entitled “Catch trend and stock assessment of Hilsa Tenualosa ilisha using digital image measured length-frequency data”

The annual global average catch shares of the anadromous Hilsa, Tenualosa ilisha of Bangladesh increased rapidly from 74.5% all through 1984–2013 to 86.7% during the 2010–2015 periods. With a few exceptions, an increasing trend of Hilsa production over the last three decades was found in Bangladesh. Initially three options incorporating digital image measurements were compared to determine the best method for obtaining accurate length data. The length-frequency data measured from digital images showed that Hilsa have a moderate growth rate (K = 0.90 year−1) of up to 58.70 cm (L∞) TL. High fishing mortality (F = 2.83 year−1) and exploitation level (E = 0.67) suggest a slight overexploitation of the Hilsa fishery; the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was estimated at 526,000 metric tons/year if therecommended TL at first capture (Lc) of 27 cm is adhered to. The present annual Hilsa catch is about 496,417 metric tons, which indicates the potential benefit of achieving MSY through sustainable fisheries management by regulating mesh size of nets and protecting brood fish. Size distribution of Hilsa within sanctuaries revealed a remarkable presence of juvenile fish during February–March in some areas, which suggests a need to readjust the fishing ban period from March–April to February–March. More fisheries management is necessary to reduce the exploitation level of Hilsa by 17% and at the same time increase the allowable Lc to potentially increase the MSY and CPUE

Reimagining large-scale open-water fisheries governance through adaptive comanagement in hilsa shad sanctuaries

Almost a half million fishers in Bangladesh are predominantly reliant on the hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fishery in the Meghna River and estuarine ecosystem. This paper adopts a broadened concept of social-ecological traps to frame the complex dynamics that emerge from social and ecological interactions in this highly natural resource-dependent social-ecological system (SES). We analyze how endogenous self-reinforcing processes in the system and poor initial conditions, particularly debt and lack of livelihood options outside fisheries, keep fishing households in poverty. We identify a policy decision in favor of incentive-based fisheries management as a critical juncture that influenced a trajectory of recovery in hilsa shad stocks in this complex adaptive system. Normative assessment of stakeholder perceptions indicates that fishers perceive a nominal improvement in well-being as a result of this policy. Compensation in return for compliance with a seasonal fishing ban in sanctuary areas does not, however, disrupt trap dynamics perpetuating the cycle of poverty, social exclusion, and political disempowerment in which fishing households are entrenched. Poverty and lack of alternative livelihood opportunities remain significant reasons for noncompliance with the ban as long as fishers do not have any meaningful representation in resource management and decision making. A secured tenure system through adaptive comanagement involving fishers in monitoring and enforcement of compliance with fishing bans, supported by sustainable finance for livelihood improvements outside of natural resource exploitation and predicated on responsive and accountable institutions for and by people who depend on the fishery, can form the foundation for local stewardship in a unique demonstration of contemporary large-scale open-water fisheries governance in this complex SES

Population Genomics of an Anadromous Hilsa Shad Tenualosa ilisha Species across Its Diverse Migratory Habitats: Discrimination by Fine-Scale Local Adaptation

The migration of anadromous fish in heterogenic environments unceasingly imposes a selective pressure that results in genetic variation for local adaptation. However, discrimination of anadromous fish populations by fine-scale local adaptation is challenging because of their high rate of gene flow, highly connected divergent population, and large population size. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have expanded the prospects of defining the weakly structured population of anadromous fish. Therefore, we used NGS-based restriction site-associated DNA (NextRAD) techniques on 300 individuals of an anadromous Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) species, collected from nine strategic habitats, across their diverse migratory habitats, which include sea, estuary, and different freshwater rivers. The NextRAD technique successfully identified 15,453 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. Outlier tests using the FST OutFLANK and pcadapt approaches identified 74 and 449 SNPs (49 SNPs being common), respectively, as putative adaptive loci under a divergent selection process. Our results, based on the different cluster analyses of these putatively adaptive loci, suggested that local adaptation has divided the Hilsa shad population into two genetically structured clusters, in which marine and estuarine collection sites were dominated by individuals of one genetic cluster and different riverine collection sites were dominated by individuals of another genetic cluster. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the riverine populations of Hilsa shad were further subdivided into the north-western riverine (turbid freshwater) and the north-eastern riverine (clear freshwater) ecotypes. Among all of the putatively adaptive loci, only 36 loci were observed to be in the coding region, and the encoded genes might be associated with important biological functions related to the local adaptation of Hilsa shad. In summary, our study provides both neutral and adaptive contexts for the observed genetic divergence of Hilsa shad and, consequently, resolves the previous inconclusive findings on their population genetic structure across their diverse migratory habitats. Moreover, the study has clearly demonstrated that NextRAD sequencing is an innovative approach to explore how dispersal and local adaptation can shape genetic divergence of non-model anadromous fish that intersect diverse migratory habitats during their life-history stages

Fish Diversity in Relation to Salinity Gradient in the Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh

Variation in salinity is one of the major environmental factors influencing the species diversity of fish in an estuary. Therefore, evaluating the relationship between salinity and species diversity is important. In this study, fish diversity was assessed by fish sampling and visiting local fish markets from February to November 2021. Mean salinity was 10.59 psu (Practical Salinity Unit) and 0.46 psu during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Harpadon nehereus, Odontamblyopus rubicundus and Pseudapocryptes elongatus species were found as polyhaline (0.06~18.1 psu) species. Anguilla japonica and Arius gagora were abundant in brackish water conditions (0.35~14.2 psu). However, Acanthopagrus latus and Setipinna phasa were found in freshwater conditions (0.06~0.11 psu). The suitability index indicates that commercially important fish species such as Liza parsia, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Mugil cephalus, Penaeus monodon and Scylla serrata can be used for mariculture during the dry season, and Acanthopagrus latus, Pethia canius and Setipinna phasa during the wet season. Overall, these findings suggest that salinity, water temperature, and chlorophyll-a had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the fish distribution and assemblage composition in the study area. This finding will be helpful in developing policies for the conservation and management of the aquatic resources in the coastal zone to enrich the blue economy

Dominant phytoplankton groups as the major source of polyunsaturated fatty acids for hilsa Tenualosa ilisha in the Meghna estuary Bangladesh

The tropical estuarine ecosystem is fascinating for studying the dynamics of water quality and phytoplankton diversity due to its frequently changing hydrological conditions. Most importantly, phytoplankton is the main supplier of ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the coastal food web for fish as they could not synthesize PUFA. This study evaluated seasonal variations of water quality parameters in the Meghna River estuary (MRE), explored how phytoplankton diversity changes according to hydro-chemical parameters, and identified the major phytoplankton groups as the main source of PUFA for hilsa fish. Ten water quality indicators including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN = nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) and phosphorus, dissolved silica and chlorophyll-a were evaluated. In addition, phytoplankton diversity was assessed in the water and hilsa fish gut. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the spatio-temporal changes in the water quality conditions, and the driving factors in the MRE. Four main components were extracted and explained 75.4% variability of water quality parameters. The most relevant driving factors were dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and DIN (nitrate, nitrite and ammonia). These variabilities in physicochemical parameters and dissolved inorganic nutrients caused seasonal variations in two major groups of phytoplankton. Peak abundance of Chlorophyta (green algae) occurred in water in nutrient-rich environments (nitrogen and phosphorus) during the wet (36%) season, while Bacillariophyta (diatoms) were dominant during the dry (32%) season that depleted dissolved silica. Thus, the decrease of green algae and the increase of diatoms in the dry season indicated the potential link to seasonal changes of hydro-chemical parameters. The green algae (53.7%) were the dominant phytoplankton group in the hilsa gut content followed by diatoms (22.6%) and both are contributing as the major source of PUFAs for hilsa fish according to the electivity index as they contain the highest amounts of PUFAs (60 and 28% respectively)