Couple's concordance and discordance in household decision-making and married women's use of modern contraceptives in Bangladesh

© 2017 The Author(s). Background: Although a large body of studies documents that women's autonomy in the household is associated with better reproductive health outcomes, these studies typically examined autonomy only from women's point of view. The current study employs husband's and wife's perspectives together to examine the relationship between the decision-making arrangements in the household and the women's use of modern contraceptives in Bangladesh. Methods: The study used the couple dataset of 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The sample was comprised of 3336 married couples. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between the selected items on household decision-making and the use of modern contraceptives. Results: Our results indicate that the couples disagree considerably as to who in the household exercises the decision-making power. The pattern of decision-making regarding visiting family and relatives emerged as an important predictor of use of modern contraceptives in the multivariate regression analysis. The results suggest that compared to the couple's concordant joint decision-making, the husband-only decision-making is associated with lower odds of contraceptives use (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.28-0.85). Only a small part of this association is explained by spousal communication about family planning issues while the socio-demographic correlates hardly affected the association. On the contrary, the wife-only decision-making did not result in increased contraceptives use (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.45-1.13). Conclusions: The study findings imply that women's greater autonomy may not necessarily result in improved reproductive health behavior, and therefore, a balance of power in the spousal relationship is warranted

Progranulin directly binds to the CRD2 and CRD3 of TNFR extracellular domains

AbstractWe previously reported that PGRN directly bound to TNF receptors (TNFR) in vitro and in chondrocytes (Tang, et al., Science, 2011). Here we report that PGRN also associated with TNFR in splenocytes, and inhibited the binding of TNFα to immune cells. Proper folding of PGRN is essential for its binding to TNFR, as DTT treatment abolished its binding to TNFR. In contrast, the binding of PGRN to Sortilin was enhanced by DTT. Protein interaction assays with mutants of the TNFR extracellular domain demonstrated that CRD2 and CRD3 of TNFR are important for the interaction with PGRN, similar to the binding to TNFα. Taken together, these findings provide the molecular basis underlying PGRN/TNFR interaction and PGRN-mediated anti-inflammatory activity in various autoimmune diseases and conditions

Biomass fuel use, burning technique and reasons for the denial of improved cooking stoves by Forest User Groups of Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

This is an electronic version of an article published in International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 1745-2627, 18(1) 2011, 88-97. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a933218896~frm=titlelinkUse of biomass fuel in traditional cooking stoves (TCS) is a long-established practice that has incomplete combustion and generates substances with global warming potential (GWP). Improved cooking stoves (ICS) have been developed worldwide as an alternative household fuel burning device, as well as a climate change mitigation. A study was conducted among female Forest User Groups (FUGs) of Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh, to assess the status of ICS disseminated by the Forest Department (FD) under the Nishorgo (2009) Support Project, along with the community's biomass fuel consumption pattern. Wood consumption was highest (345kg month-1 household-1) followed by agricultural residues (60kg month-1 household-1), tree leaves (51kg month-1 household-1) and cow dung (25kg month-1 household-1). Neighbouring forests of the sanctuary was the core source for wood fuel, with little or no reduction in the extraction even after joining the FUG. Twenty-two species, both indigenous and introduced, were preferred as wood fuel. None of the respondents were found willing to use ICS although 43% owned one; either as a status symbol or to meet the conditions of the FD for membership in FUG. Seven negative features of the disseminated ICS were identified by households, which made them unwilling to use them further. Manufacturing faults may be responsible for some ICS demerits, while the FD failed to convince the community of the benefits. A proper examination of the disseminated ICS efficacy is crucial, with active involvement of community members. The Sustainable Energy Triangle Strategy (SETS) could be implemented for this purpose. Findings of the study are of immense importance in designing a strategy for the introduction of ICS into Bangladesh.ArticleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND WORLD ECOLOGY. 18(1):88-97 (2011)journal articl

Healthcare Facilities as Potential Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: An Emerging Concern to Public Health in Bangladesh.

The emergence of virulent extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in hospital-acquired infections has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors associated with ESBL-KP and CRKP in tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh and explored their ability to form biofilm. A total of 67 ESBL-KP were isolated from 285 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from environmental and patient samples from January 2019 to April 2019. For ESBL-KP isolates, molecular typing was carried out using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), antibiotic susceptibility testing, PCR for virulence and drug-resistant genes, and biofilm assays were also performed. All 67 isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to different antibiotics at high levels and 42 isolates were also carbapenem-resistant. The most common β-lactam resistance gene was blaCTX-M-1 (91%), followed by blaTEM (76.1%), blaSHV (68.7%), blaOXA-1 (29.9%), blaGES (14.9%), blaCTX-M-9 (11.9%), and blaCTX-M-2 (4.5%). The carbapenemase genes blaKPC (55.2%), blaIMP (28.4%), blaVIM (14.9%), blaNDM-1 (13.4%), and blaOXA-48 (10.4%) and virulence-associated genes such as fimH (71.6%), ugeF (58.2%), wabG (56.7%), ureA (47.8%) and kfuBC (28.4%) were also detected. About 96.2% of the environmental and 100% of the patient isolates were able to form biofilms. ERIC-PCR-based genotyping and hierarchical clustering of K. pneumoniae isolates revealed an association between environmental and patient samples, indicating clonal association with possible transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our findings can help in improving patient care and infection control, and the development of public health policies related to hospital-acquired infections

The mEPN scheme: an intuitive and flexible graphical system for rendering biological pathways

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is general agreement amongst biologists about the need for good pathway diagrams and a need to formalize the way biological pathways are depicted. However, implementing and agreeing how best to do this is currently the subject of some debate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The modified Edinburgh Pathway Notation (mEPN) scheme is founded on a notation system originally devised a number of years ago and through use has now been refined extensively. This process has been primarily driven by the author's attempts to produce process diagrams for a diverse range of biological pathways, particularly with respect to immune signaling in mammals. Here we provide a specification of the mEPN notation, its symbols, rules for its use and a comparison to the proposed Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) scheme.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We hope this work will contribute to the on-going community effort to develop a standard for depicting pathways and will provide a coherent guide to those planning to construct pathway diagrams of their biological systems of interest.</p

Comparative genomics of two jute species and insight into fibre biogenesis

Jute (Corchorus sp.) is one of the most important sources of natural fibre, covering ∼80% of global bast fibre production1. Only Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis are commercially cultivated, though there are more than 100 Corchorus species2 in the Malvaceae family. Here we describe high-quality draft genomes of these two species and their comparisons at the functional genomics level to support tailor-designed breeding. The assemblies cover 91.6% and 82.2% of the estimated genome sizes for C. olitorius and C. capsularis, respectively. In total, 37,031 C. olitorius and 30,096 C. capsularis genes are identified, and most of the genes are validated by cDNA and RNA-seq data. Analyses of clustered gene families and gene collinearity show that jute underwent shared whole-genome duplication ∼18.66 million years (Myr) ago prior to speciation. RNA expression analysis from isolated fibre cells reveals the key regulatory and structural genes involved in fibre formation. This work expands our understanding of the molecular basis of fibre formation laying the foundation for the genetic improvement of jute. Bast (phloem) fibres are obtained from the stem of the plants such as jute, flax, hemp, ramie and kenaf. The annual global production of jute generates a farm value of ∼US$2.3 billion1. The cultivated species of jute, C. olitorius and C. capsularis, are morphologically and physiologically distinct (Supplementary Fig. 1), and a combination of useful traits from these species into a single genotype is highly desirable3. However, interspecific hybridization is limited because of their cross-incompatibility4,5. To facilitate comparative functional genomics and to understand the molecular basis of bast fibre biogenesis, genomes of two popular jute cultivars C. olitorius var. O-4 and C. capsularis var. CVL-1 are sequenced and analysed

Global, regional, and national mortality among young people aged 10–24 years, 1950–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Summary: Background Documentation of patterns and long-term trends in mortality in young people, which reflect huge changes in demographic and social determinants of adolescent health, enables identification of global investment priorities for this age group. We aimed to analyse data on the number of deaths, years of life lost, and mortality rates by sex and age group in people aged 10–24 years in 204 countries and territories from 1950 to 2019 by use of estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Methods We report trends in estimated total numbers of deaths and mortality rate per 100 000 population in young people aged 10–24 years by age group (10–14 years, 15–19 years, and 20–24 years) and sex in 204 countries and territories between 1950 and 2019 for all causes, and between 1980 and 2019 by cause of death. We analyse variation in outcomes by region, age group, and sex, and compare annual rate of change in mortality in young people aged 10–24 years with that in children aged 0–9 years from 1990 to 2019. We then analyse the association between mortality in people aged 10–24 years and socioeconomic development using the GBD Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite measure based on average national educational attainment in people older than 15 years, total fertility rate in people younger than 25 years, and income per capita. We assess the association between SDI and all-cause mortality in 2019, and analyse the ratio of observed to expected mortality by SDI using the most recent available data release (2017). Findings In 2019 there were 1·49 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 1·39–1·59) worldwide in people aged 10–24 years, of which 61% occurred in males. 32·7% of all adolescent deaths were due to transport injuries, unintentional injuries, or interpersonal violence and conflict; 32·1% were due to communicable, nutritional, or maternal causes; 27·0% were due to non-communicable diseases; and 8·2% were due to self-harm. Since 1950, deaths in this age group decreased by 30·0% in females and 15·3% in males, and sex-based differences in mortality rate have widened in most regions of the world. Geographical variation has also increased, particularly in people aged 10–14 years. Since 1980, communicable and maternal causes of death have decreased sharply as a proportion of total deaths in most GBD super-regions, but remain some of the most common causes in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, where more than half of all adolescent deaths occur. Annual percentage decrease in all-cause mortality rate since 1990 in adolescents aged 15–19 years was 1·3% in males and 1·6% in females, almost half that of males aged 1–4 years (2·4%), and around a third less than in females aged 1–4 years (2·5%). The proportion of global deaths in people aged 0–24 years that occurred in people aged 10–24 years more than doubled between 1950 and 2019, from 9·5% to 21·6%. Interpretation Variation in adolescent mortality between countries and by sex is widening, driven by poor progress in reducing deaths in males and older adolescents. Improving global adolescent mortality will require action to address the specific vulnerabilities of this age group, which are being overlooked. Furthermore, indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to jeopardise efforts to improve health outcomes including mortality in young people aged 10–24 years. There is an urgent need to respond to the changing global burden of adolescent mortality, address inequities where they occur, and improve the availability and quality of primary mortality data in this age group