IMPACT OF MICROCREDIT ON INCOME AND NON-INCOME DIMENSIONS OF POVERTY – A STUDY ON DIFFERENT GROUPS OF POOR IN BANGLADESH

This study investigates the differential impact that microcredit borrowers of different income classes might have experienced in their poverty condition after borrowing microcredit loans. Methods of this study consisted of a cross-sectional survey as well as unstructured interviews with the female microcredit borrowers in Bangladesh. Results show that an overwhelming majority of microcredit borrowers has experienced improvement in their poverty condition, but the degree of benefits widely varies among different groups of borrowers. Borrowers with some resource base have been benefitted most; whereas the absolute poor borrowers, with hardly any asset holding, not only have experienced least improvement in their financial condition but also have become even poorer in few instances.  Article visualizations

Improved mechanical strength, proton conductivity and power density in an ‘all-protonic’ ceramic fuel cell at intermediate temperature

The authors AA and NR would like to thank Universiti Brunei Darussalam for providing a UGS scholarship to perform this research. This work was supported by the UBD CRG project: UBD/OVACRI/CRGWG(006)/161201.Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) have become the most efficient, clean and cost-effective electrochemical energy conversion devices in recent years. While significant progress has been made in developing proton conducting electrolyte materials, mechanical strength and durability still need to be improved for efficient applications. We report that adding 5 mol% Zn to the Y-doped barium cerate-zirconate perovskite electrolyte material can significantly improve the sintering properties, mechanical strength, durability and performance. Using same proton conducting material in anodes, electrolytes and cathodes to make a strong structural backbone shows clear advantages in mechanical strength over other arrangements with different materials. Rietveld analysis of the X-ray and neutron diffraction data of BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.15Zn0.05O3−δ (BCZYZn05) revealed a pure orthorhombic structure belonging to the Pbnm space group. Structural and electrochemical analyses indicate highly dense and high proton conductivity at intermediate temperature (400–700 °C). The anode-supported single cell, NiO-BCZYZn05|BCZYZn05|BSCF-BCZYZn05, demonstrates a peak power density of 872 mW cm−2 at 700 °C which is one of the highest power density in an all-protonic solid oxide fuel cell. This observation represents an important step towards commercially viable SOFC technology.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Diabetes Mellitus and Mortality after Acute Coronary Syndrome as a First or Recurrent Cardiovascular Event

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with adverse cardiovascular prognosis. However, the risk associated with DM may vary between individuals according to their overall cardiovascular risk burden. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether DM is associated with poor outcome in patients presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) according to the index episode being a first or recurrent cardiovascular event.We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study involving 2499 consecutively admitted patients with confirmed ACS in 11 UK hospitals during 2003. Usual care was provided for all participants. Demographic factors, co-morbidity and treatment (during admission and at discharge) factors were recorded. The primary outcome was all cause mortality (median 2 year follow up), compared for cohorts with and without DM according to their prior cardiovascular disease (CVD) disease status. Adjusted analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Within the entire cohort, DM was associated with an unadjusted 45% increase in mortality. However, in patients free of a history of CVD, mortality of those with and without DM was similar (18.8% and 19.7% respectively; p = 0.74). In the group with CVD, mortality of patients with DM was significantly higher than those without DM (46.7% and 33.2% respectively; p<0.001). The age and sex adjusted interaction between DM and CVD in predicting mortality was highly significant (p = 0.002) and persisted after accounting for comorbidities and treatment factors (p = 0.006). Of patients free of CVD, DM was associated with smaller elevation of Troponin I (p<0.001). However in patients with pre-existing CVD Troponin I was similar (p = 0.992).DM is only associated with worse outcome after ACS in patients with a pre-existing history of CVD. Differences in the severity of myocyte necrosis may account for this. Further investigation is required, though our findings suggest that aggressive primary prevention of CVD in patients with DM may have beneficially modified their first presentation with (and mortality after) ACS

Localized primary renal aspergillosis in a diabetic patient following lithotripsy – a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary renal aspergillosis is rare in diabetic patients. Diagnosis of localized primary renal <it>Aspergillus </it>infection in diabetic patients requires careful investigations due to its benign presentation and lack of associated systemic clinical features. There is also paucity of information on the role of conservative treatment of such localized infection with antifungal agents only. Here, we describe a case of localized renal aspergillosis in a type 2 diabetic patient with a brief review of literature.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe a case of unilateral renal aspergillosis following intracorporeal pneumatic lithotripsy (ICPL) in a type 2 diabetic man. The patient presented with mild pain in the left lumbar region and periodic expulsion of whitish soft masses per urethra, which yielded growth of <it>Aspergillus fumigatus</it>. He was treated initially with amphotericin B; however, it was stopped after 2 weeks, as he could not tolerate the drug. Subsequently, he was successfully treated with oral itraconazole.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Localized renal aspergillosis may be suspected in diabetic patients having history of urinary tract instrumentation, mild lumbar pain, passage of suspicious masses in urine and persistent pyuria. Examination of the suspicious substances expelled per urethra is essential for diagnosis as routine multiple urine analysis may yield negative results. Conservative treatment with oral itraconazole alone is effective in cases with incomplete obstruction.</p

Thalassemias in South Asia:clinical lessons learnt from Bangladesh

Abstract Thalassemias are emerging as a global public health concern. Due to remarkable success in the reduction of childhood mortality by controlling infectious diseases in developing countries, thalassemias are likely to be a major public health concern in the coming decades in South Asia. Despite the fact that Bangladesh lies in the world’s thalassemia belt, the information on different aspects (epidemiology, clinical course, mortality, complications and treatment outcomes) of thalassemias is lacking. In this comprehensive review, the aim is to to depict the epidemiological aspects of thalassemias, mutation profile and current treatment and management practices in the country by sharing the experience of dealing with 1178 cases over 2009–2014 time periods in a specialized thalassemia treatment centre. We have also discussed the preventative strategies of thalassemias from the context of Bangladesh which could be effective for other developing countries

Structure and dynamics of the active Gs-coupled human secretin receptor

The class B secretin GPCR (SecR) has broad physiological effects, with target potential for treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Molecular understanding of SecR binding and activation is important for its therapeutic exploitation. We combined cryo-electron microscopy, molecular dynamics, and biochemical cross-linking to determine a 2.3 Å structure, and interrogate dynamics, of secretin bound to the SecR:Gs complex. SecR exhibited a unique organization of its extracellular domain (ECD) relative to its 7-transmembrane (TM) core, forming more extended interactions than other family members. Numerous polar interactions formed between secretin and the receptor extracellular loops (ECLs) and TM helices. Cysteine-cross-linking, cryo-electron microscopy multivariate analysis and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that interactions between peptide and receptor were dynamic, and suggested a model for initial peptide engagement where early interactions between the far N-terminus of the peptide and SecR ECL2 likely occur following initial binding of the peptide C-terminus to the ECD

A novel fluorescein-bisphosphonate based diagnostic tool for the detection of hydroxyapatite in both cell and tissue models

Abstract A rapid and efficient method for the detection of hydroxyapatite (HAP) has been developed which shows superiority to existing well-established methods. This fluorescein-bisphosphonate probe is highly selective for HAP over other calcium minerals and is capable of detecting lower levels of calcification in cellular models than either hydrochloric acid-based calcium leaching assays or the Alizarin S stain. The probe has been shown to be effective in both in vitro vascular calcification models and in vitro bone calcification models. Moreover we have demonstrated binding of this probe to vascular calcification in rat aorta and to areas of microcalcification, in human vascular tissue, beyond the resolution of computed tomography in human atherosclerotic plaques. Fluorescein-BP is therefore a highly sensitive and specific imaging probe for the detection of vascular calcification, with the potential to improve not only ex vivo assessments of HAP deposition but also the detection of vascular microcalcification in humans

Mutation analysis of 18 nephronophthisis associated ciliopathy disease genes using a DNA pooling and next generation sequencing strategy

Background Nephronophthisis associated ciliopathies (NPHP-AC) comprise a group of autosomal recessive cystic kidney diseases that includes nephronophthisis (NPHP), Senior-Loken syndrome (SLS), Joubert syndrome (JBTS), and Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS). To date, causative mutations in NPHP-AC have been described for 18 different genes, rendering mutation analysis tedious and expensive. To overcome the broad genetic locus heterogeneity, a strategy of DNA pooling with consecutive massively parallel resequencing (MPR) was devised.Methods In 120 patients with severe NPHP-AC phenotypes, five pools of genomic DNA with 24 patients each were prepared which were used as templates in order to PCR amplify all 376 exons of 18 NPHP-AC genes (NPHP1, INVS, NPHP3, NPHP4, IQCB1, CEP290, GLIS2, RPGRIP1L, NEK8, TMEM67, INPP5E, TMEM216, AHI1, ARL13B, CC2D2A, TTC21B, MKS1, and XPNPEP3). PCR products were then subjected to MPR on an Illumina Genome-Analyser and mutations were subsequently assigned to their respective mutation carrier via CEL I endonuclease based heteroduplex screening and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Results For proof of principle, DNA from patients with known mutations was used and detection of 22 out of 24 different alleles (92% sensitivity) was demonstrated. MPR led to the molecular diagnosis in 30/120 patients (25%) and 54 pathogenic mutations (27 novel) were identified in seven different NPHP-AC genes. Additionally, in 24 patients only single heterozygous variants of unknown significance were found.Conclusions The combined approach of DNA pooling followed by MPR strongly facilitates mutation analysis in broadly heterogeneous single gene disorders. The lack of mutations in 75% of patients in this cohort indicates further extensive heterogeneity in NPHP-AC