Augmenting Marine Food Production Through Fisheries Management and Mariculture

There is new aspiration of sustainable exploitation of marine resources and to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG 14) in recent years. In this context, this document delineates new scope of venturing into the blue economy relative to marine fisheries and mariculture. Potential interventions in marine fisheries include – (i) expansion of the commercial fishing area (beyond the 80 m depth) for harvesting high value fish species (such as tuna, lakkha), (ii) exploration for new fishing grounds and fisheries, (iii) value addition and reducing post-harvest losses, and (iv) assessment of fisheries stocks for estimation of potential yields and optimum sizes of harvest. Food production through mariculture mostly relies on – (i) domestication of new species (such as finfish: seabass, mullet, hilsa, grouper; crustaceans: mud crab; plants: seaweeds) for product diversification and risk reduction towards economic stability, (ii) production intensification (such as semi-intensive farming) and adoption of innovative fish/shellfish farming (such as marine cage culture, aquasilviculture, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) to create new business opportunities, and (iii) live feeds (such as rotifers, artemia biomass) production for hatchery for sustaining the mariculture industry. Nevertheless, investments, knowledge, innovations, new technologies, new breeds and newly domesticated mariculture species can promise a blue revolution in Bangladesh

Subcellular components of probiotics Kocuria SM1 and Rhodococcus SM2 induce protective immunity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) against Vibrio anguillarum

The efficacy of cellular components of probiotics Kocuria SM1 and Rhodococcus SM2 to protect rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) against vibriosis was assessed. Groups of fish (average weight = 10–15 g) were immunized intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 0.1 ml of subcellular materials, i.e. 0.2 ± 0.05 mg protein per fish, comprising extracellular proteins (ECPs), cell wall proteins (CWPs) and whole cell proteins (WCPs) of SM1 and SM2, respectively, or with 0.1 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to serve as the control. Seven days after administration, fish from each group were challenged i.p. with 0.1 ml of a suspension in PBS of 3 × 105 cells ml−1 per fish of Vibrio anguillarum. Use of CWPs and WCPs demonstrated significantly (P 0.05), compared to 86% mortalities of the controls. The mode of action reflected activation of innate immune factors by CWPs and WCPs, demonstrating significantly (P 0.05) and immunoglubolin level (from 27 mg ml−1 to 28.5–33 mg ml−1; P > 0.05) were observed with the experimental groups. These results indicate that cell components of the probiotics stimulate an immune response

Prospects of Hyperloop Transportation Technology: A Case of China

Hyperloop transportation technology is amongst the most promising sustainable and climate-friendly transportation systems of the modern era. Now China has taken steps to build this transportation system in Tongren city, which located on Guizhou's eastern part [8]. So far, not much work has been conducted on the prospects of this technology, especially for China. In this paper based on extensive literature review, we have analyzed the prospects of this technology in China. Furthermore, this article also discusses the possible hurdles and proposes some suggestions for overcoming the problems in the adoption of this climate-friendly technology

Gut Microbiota of HIV patients: Investigation by IlluminaMiSeq Shallow Sequencing

Mastergradsoppgave i næringsrettet bioteknologi, Avdeling for lærerutdanning og naturvitenskap, Høgskolen i Hedmark, 2014. Master of applied and commercial biotechnology.The colonization of a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a primary target for HIV infection. HIV infection causes inflammation, which results in disruption of the mucosal surface of the gut and the breakdown of the gut wall integrity which causes the free flow of pathogenic microbes to the lymph nodes. HIV infection causes alteration of gut microbiota in affected subjects, compared with healthy subjects. However the pattern of gut microbiota depends on many variables. Studies supported that probiotic supplement could bring back the normal gut microbiota to some extent as well as possibly suppressing pro inflammatory responses. This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between the gut microbiota and HIV infection progression in the Swedish patients. There were fifteensubjects under this study and divided into five groups (three subjects in each) such as Baseline, Follow up, Elite control, Immune-deficient and Control. One subject of Elite control was rejected as it was failed QC of MG-RAST.The analysis of gut microbiota is carried out through library preparation and sequencing using theNextera XT DNA kit and MiSeqsystem, respectivelyat the in Norwegian Univeristyof Life Science. The taxonomical and functional abundance was analyzed by the help of the MG-RAST pipeline. The abundance between groups were significantly different in different taxonomical levels from phylum to genus. Firmicuteswas the only bacterial phyla whose abundance was found significantly different between the subject groups. Akkermansiamuniciphilawas the only bacterial species which represent the bacterial phylum Verrucomicrobia, and weremost abundant in the immune-deficient group. Clostridia, bacteria that play a critical role in the body's immune defense mechanism, were less abundant in the control group than the infected groups. Bacterial families showed much more variety of abundance among the groups. Bacterial genes functioning for membrane transport, defense, virulence and disease were less abundant in immune-deficient group

Distribution of aquatic macrophytes in the coastal area of Salimpur, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

This preliminary study was conducted to investigate the distribution pattern of the aquatic macrophytes in the inter-tidal coastal belt of Salimpur, Chittagong. During this study, 3 species of mangrove, i.e., Sonaratia apetala, Avicennia marina and Acanthus ilicifolius, 1 species of wild rice related to salt marsh grass, i.e., Porteresia coarctata, 3 species of macro-algae, i.e., Ulva intestinalis, Catenella nipae and Dictyota dichotoma and 1 species of poison lily Crinum defixum were identified from this coast. The dominant macrophyte was planted Sonaratia apetala, followed by Porteresia coarctata in the coast line of Salimpur. Considering from the ecological and economic view, especially Catenella nipae, could be an important living resource for cultivation and sea ranching in this area. Besides, the importance of these aquatic inter-tidal macrophytes for fishery resources and overall ecosystem processes should not be over looked in this coastal area

Azithromycin and cefixime combination versus azithromycin alone for the out-patient treatment of clinically suspected or confirmed uncomplicated typhoid fever in South Asia: a randomised controlled trial protocol.

Background: Typhoid and paratyphoid fever (enteric fever) is a common cause of non-specific febrile infection in adults and children presenting to health care facilities in low resource settings such as the South Asia.  A 7-day course of a single oral antimicrobial such as ciprofloxacin, cefixime, or azithromycin is commonly used for its treatment. Increasing antimicrobial resistance threatens the effectiveness of these treatment choices. We hypothesize that combined treatment with azithromycin (active mainly intracellularly) and cefixime (active mainly extracellularly) will be a better option for the treatment of clinically suspected and culture-confirmed typhoid fever in South Asia. Methods: This is a phase IV, international multi-center, multi-country, comparative participant-and observer-blind, 1:1 randomised clinical trial. Patients with suspected uncomplicated typhoid fever will be randomized to one of the two interventions: Arm A: azithromycin 20mg/kg/day oral dose once daily (maximum 1gm/day) and cefixime 20mg/kg/day oral dose in two divided doses (maximum 400mg bd) for 7 days, Arm B: azithromycin 20mg/kg/day oral dose once daily (max 1gm/day) for 7 days AND cefixime-matched placebo for 7 days. We will recruit 1500 patients across sites in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We will assess whether treatment outcomes are better with the combination after one week of treatment and at one- and three-months follow-up. Discussion: Combined treatment may limit the emergence of resistance if one of the components is active against resistant sub-populations not covered by the other antimicrobial activity. If the combined treatment is better than the single antimicrobial treatment, this will be an important result for patients across South Asia and other typhoid endemic areas. Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT04349826 (16/04/2020)

PCR-TTGE Analysis of 16S rRNA from Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Gut Microbiota Reveals Host-Specific Communities of Active Bacteria

This study assessed the relative contributions of host genetics and diet in shaping the gut microbiota of rainbow trout. Full sibling fish from four unrelated families, each consisting of individuals derived from the mating of one male and one female belonging to a breeding program, were fed diets containing either vegetable proteins or vegetable oils for two months in comparison to a control diet consisting of only fish protein and fish oil. Two parallel approaches were applied on the same samples: transcriptionally active bacterial populations were examined based on RNA analysis and were compared with bacterial populations obtained from DNA analysis. Comparison of temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) profiles from DNA and RNA showed important differences, indicating that active bacterial populations were better described by RNA analysis. Results showed that some bacterial groups were significantly (P<0.05) associated with specific families, indicating that microbiota composition may be influenced by the host. In addition, the effect of diet on microbiota composition was dependent on the trout family

Risk factors for mortality among children under 5 years of age with severe diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries: Findings from the WHO-coordinated Global Rotavirus and Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Networks.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age globally. The burden of diarrheal mortality is concentrated in low-resource settings. Little is known about the risk factors for childhood death from diarrheal disease in low and middle-income countries. METHODS: Data from the WHO-coordinated Global Rotavirus and Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Networks, which are composed of active, sentinel, hospital-based surveillance sites, were analyzed to assess mortality in children less than five years of age who were hospitalized with diarrhea between 2008-2018. Case fatality risks were calculated, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for mortality. RESULTS: This analysis is comprised of 234,781 cases, including 1,219 deaths, across 57 countries. The overall case fatality risk was found to be 0.5%. Risk factors for death in the multivariable analysis included younger age (for <6 months compared with older ages, OR = 3.54; 95% CI = 2.81-4.50), female sex (OR = 1.18; 95% CI= 1.06-1.81), presenting with persistent diarrhea (OR = 1.91; 95% CI= 1.01-3.25), no vomiting (OR = 1.13, 95% CI= 0.98-1.30), severe dehydration (OR = 3.79; 95% CI = 3.01-4.83), and being negative for rotavirus on an ELISA test (OR = 2.29; 95% CI= 1.92-2.74). Cases from the African Region had the highest odds of death compared with other WHO Regions (OR = 130.62 comparing the African Region to the European region; 95% CI= 55.72-422.73), while cases from the European region had the lowest odds of death. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support known risk factors for childhood diarrheal mortality and highlight the need for interventions to address dehydration and rotavirus-negative diarrheal infections

Aetiology and incidence of diarrhoea requiring hospitalisation in children under 5 years of age in 28 low-income and middle-income countries: findings from the Global Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance network.

Introduction: Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. Systematically collected and analysed data on the aetiology of hospitalised diarrhoea in low-income and middle-income countries are needed to prioritise interventions. Methods: We established the Global Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance network, in which children under 5 years hospitalised with diarrhoea were enrolled at 33 sentinel surveillance hospitals in 28 low-income and middle-income countries. Randomly selected stool specimens were tested by quantitative PCR for 16 causes of diarrhoea. We estimated pathogen-specific attributable burdens of diarrhoeal hospitalisations and deaths. We incorporated country-level incidence to estimate the number of pathogen-specific deaths on a global scale. Results: During 2017–2018, 29 502 diarrhoea hospitalisations were enrolled, of which 5465 were randomly selected and tested. Rotavirus was the leading cause of diarrhoea requiring hospitalisation (attributable fraction (AF) 33.3%; 95% CI 27.7 to 40.3), followed by Shigella (9.7%; 95% CI 7.7 to 11.6), norovirus (6.5%; 95% CI 5.4 to 7.6) and adenovirus 40/41 (5.5%; 95% CI 4.4 to 6.7). Rotavirus was the leading cause of hospitalised diarrhoea in all regions except the Americas, where the leading aetiologies were Shigella (19.2%; 95% CI 11.4 to 28.1) and norovirus (22.2%; 95% CI 17.5 to 27.9) in Central and South America, respectively. The proportion of hospitalisations attributable to rotavirus was approximately 50% lower in sites that had introduced rotavirus vaccine (AF 20.8%; 95% CI 18.0 to 24.1) compared with sites that had not (42.1%; 95% CI 33.2 to 53.4). Globally, we estimated 208 009 annual rotavirus-attributable deaths (95% CI 169 561 to 259 216), 62 853 Shigella-attributable deaths (95% CI 48 656 to 78 805), 36 922 adenovirus 40/41-attributable deaths (95% CI 28 469 to 46 672) and 35 914 norovirus-attributable deaths (95% CI 27 258 to 46 516). Conclusions: Despite the substantial impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction, rotavirus remained the leading cause of paediatric diarrhoea hospitalisations. Improving the efficacy and coverage of rotavirus vaccination and prioritising interventions against Shigella, norovirus and adenovirus could further reduce diarrhoea morbidity and mortality

The Global Landscape of Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Data Reported to the World Health Organization-Coordinated Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Network, 2014-2019.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates the Global Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (IB-VPD) Surveillance Network to support vaccine introduction decisions and use. The network was established to strengthen surveillance and laboratory confirmation of meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis. METHODS: Sentinel hospitals report cases of children 137 000 suspected meningitis cases were reported by 58 participating countries, with 44.6% (n = 61 386) reported from countries in the WHO African Region. More than half (56.6%, n = 77 873) were among children <1 year of age, and 4.0% (n = 4010) died among those with reported disease outcome. Among suspected meningitis cases, 8.6% (n = 11 798) were classified as probable bacterial meningitis. One of 3 bacterial pathogens was identified in 30.3% (n = 3576) of these cases, namely S. pneumoniae (n = 2177 [60.9%]), H. influenzae (n = 633 [17.7%]), and N. meningitidis (n = 766 [21.4%]). Among confirmed bacterial meningitis cases with outcome reported, 11.0% died; case fatality ratio varied by pathogen (S. pneumoniae, 12.2%; H. influenzae, 6.1%; N. meningitidis, 11.0%). Among the 277 children who died with confirmed bacterial meningitis, 189 (68.2%) had confirmed S. pneumoniae. The proportion of pneumococcal cases with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) serotypes decreased as the number of countries implementing PCV increased, from 77.8% (n = 273) to 47.5% (n = 248). Of 397 H. influenzae specimens serotyped, 49.1% (n = 195) were type b. Predominant N. meningitidis serogroups varied by region. CONCLUSIONS: This multitier, global surveillance network has supported countries in detecting and serotyping the 3 principal invasive bacterial pathogens that cause pediatric meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common bacterial pathogen detected globally despite the growing number of countries that have nationally introduced PCV. The large proportions of deaths due to S. pneumoniae reflect the high proportion of meningitis cases caused by this pathogen. This global network demonstrated a strong correlation between PCV introduction status and reduction in the proportion of pneumococcal meningitis infections caused by vaccine serotypes. Maintaining case-based, active surveillance with laboratory confirmation for prioritized vaccine-preventable diseases remains a critical component of the global agenda in public health.The World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Disease (IB-VPD) Surveillance Network reported data from 2014 to 2019, contributing to the estimates of the disease burden and serotypes of pediatric meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis