Involvement of Mycoplasma synoviae in Respiratory Distress Cases of Broilers

Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is an important pathogen of poultry worldwide, causing respiratory tract infection and infectious synovitis in chickens and turkeys. The study was designed to detect M. synoviae through serology, culture isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to document the involvement of MS infection in respiratory distress cases of broiler birds. The validated PCR assay amplifying the conserved gene region of 16SrRNA gene was applied for the detection of M. synoviae from culture as well as in clinical samples. The results indicated that 04 out of total 17 commercial broiler flocks showing respiratory distress signs were found positive with M. synoviae infection indicating 76.57% sero-positivity as, determined with rapid serum agglutination (RSA) test. Out of 85 clinical specimens (collected from sero-positive birds); M. synoviae culture isolation was successfully attained in 36 (42.35%) samples. Whereas, PCR test has detected 84 (98.82%) positive cases. The prevalence of MS in broiler birds was observed maximum as measured through PCR. It is suggested that the true prevalence of MS may best be reflected by combining RSA and PCR test findings

Disparities in risks of malaria associated with climatic variability among women, children and elderly in the Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh

Malaria occurrence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh varies by season and year, but this pattern is not well characterized. The role of environmental conditions on the occurrence of this vector-borne parasitic disease in the region is not fully understood. We extracted information on malaria patients recorded in the Upazila (sub-district) Health Complex patient registers of Rajasthali in Rangamati district of Bangladesh from February 2000 to November 2009. Weather data for the study area and period were obtained from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Non-linear and delayed effects of meteorological drivers, including temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall on the incidence of malaria, were investigated. We observed significant positive association between temperature and rainfall and malaria occurrence, revealing two peaks at 19 °C (logarithms of relative risks (logRR) = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.1–7.5) and 24.5 °C (logRR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.8–7.6) for temperature and at 86 mm (logRR = 19.5, 95% CI: 11.7–27.3) and 284 mm (logRR = 17.6, 95% CI: 9.9–25.2) for rainfall. In sub-group analysis, women were at a much higher risk of developing malaria at increased temperatures. People over 50 years and children under 15 years were more susceptible to malaria at increased rainfall. The observed associations have policy implications. Further research is needed to expand these findings and direct resources to the vulnerable populations for malaria prevention and control in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the region with similar setting

Characterization of the multidrug efflux transporter styMdtMfrom Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

Salmonellae are foodborne pathogens and the major cause of gastroenteritis in humans. Salmonellae express multidrug efflux transporters that play a key role in their drug resistance, which is becoming an increasing problem for therapeutic intervention. Despite their biomedical importance, the mechanisms underlying substrate transport by multidrug efflux transporters remain poorly understood. Here, we describe the first characterization of a multidrug transporter belonging to the major facilitator superfamily from the genus Salmonella. We show that several clinical Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) isolates constitutively express the styMdtM (STY4874) gene, which encodes a known multidrug-resistance (MDR) transporter. Guided by the structure of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) homolog, we studied two residues critical for substrate transport, Asp25 and Arg111. Mutation of Asp25 to glutamate did not affect the transport function of styMdtM, whereas mutation to alanine reduced its transport activity, suggesting that a negative charge at this position is critical for substrate translocation across the membrane. Substrate-affinity measurements by intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the Asp25Ala mutant retained its capacity to bind substrate, albeit at a lower level. Mutation of Arg111 to alanine resulted in a decrease in secondary structure content of the transporter, and mutation to lysine completely destabilized the structure of the transporter. A homology model of styMdtM suggests that Arg111 is important for stabilizing the transmembrane domain by mediating necessary interactions between neighboring helices. Together, our studies provide new structural and mechanistic insights into the Salmonella MDR transporter styMdtM

Low-Cost Aquifer Storage and Recovery: Implications for Improving Drinking Water Access for Rural Communities in Coastal Bangladesh

Fresh water resources are scarce in rural communities in the southern deltaic plains of Bangladesh where both shallow and deep groundwater is frequently brackish, and fresh water ponds have been increasingly salinized by inundation during storm surges and brackish-water aquaculture. Low-cost aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) schemes were constructed at 13 villages in three coastal districts by developing storage in shallow confined fine to medium sand aquifers overlain by variable thicknesses of silt and clay. A typical ASR scheme consisted of a double-chambered graded sand filtration tank with a volume of 19.5  m3 that feeds filtered pond water to four to six large diameter (d=30.5 or 56 cm) infiltration wells through PVC pipes fitted with stop valves and flow meters. The infiltration wells were completed at 18–31 m below ground and filled with well-sorted gravel capped with a thin layer of fine sand that acts as a second stage filter. Infiltration rates at 13 sites averaged 3  m3/day (range: 3–6  m3/day) over one year of operation. At 11 sites where water was abstracted, the recovery rate ranged from 5 to 40%. The source pond source water frequently had turbidity values of ≥100  NTU. After sand filtration, the turbidity is typically 5 NTU. Despite this, clogging management involving frequent (monthly to weekly) manual washing to remove fine materials deposited in the sand filtration tank and the infiltration wells is found to be necessary and effective, with post-manual-washing operational infiltration rates restored to annual average values. E. coli counts in recovered water are greatly reduced compared to raw pond water, although E. coli is still detected in about half of the samples. Arsenic in recovered water was detected to be at level of > 100  μg/L repeatedly at three sites, suggesting that As risks must be carefully managed and require further investigation

Morphometric and meristic characteristics of Spotted snakehead Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793) in a wetland ecosystem (NW Bangladesh) using multi-linear dimensions

1442-1446This research work affirms the morphometric characters and meristic counts of Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793) in a wetland ecosystem (Gajner Beel) from the northwestern Bangladesh. A sum of 307 specimens of C. punctata were sampled intermittently from the Gajner Beel during July 2017 to December 2018, using different established fishing gears (cast net, gill net and square lift net with mesh size ranges: 1.50-2.50 cm, 1.50-2.00 cm, & ~2.00 cm, respectively). Fin rays were counted by a magnifying glass. Seven diverse morphometric lengths were assessed and BW (body weight) was weighted for each specimen. The fin formula was: dorsal, D. 30-32; pectoral, P1. 15-17; pelvic, P2.5; anal, A. 19-21; and caudal, C. (ii -iv/12-14). Minimum and maximum sizes were 5.80 and 23.00 cm in total length (TL), whereas BWs were1.96 and 126.90 g, respectively. All length-weight relationships (LWRs) were greatly significant (p < 0.001) with r2 ≥ 0.986. Based on r2 value, BW = 0.0112*(TL)2.98 was the most appropriate model among seven equations. Besides, based on r2 values, length-length relationships (LLRs) by TL vs. SL was the finest model among six equations. These findings will help for species identification and further stock/ biomass estimation of C. punctata in the Gajner Beel or connected ecosystems

Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of Bixa orellana Linn

Bixa orellana Linn., commonly known as "lipstick plant", is used in folk medicines to treat infections of microbial origin as well as coloring agents in food stuffs in the LDCs like Bangladesh. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the warm water extract of leaves of B. orellana were evaluated against 25 multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical isolates and 6 food-borne pathogens using the micro-dilution broth method modified to comply with the NCCLS standards. The total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of warm water, ethanol, and methanol extracts of the seeds and leaves of B. orellana were also evaluated. The brine shrimp lethality assay was conducted to assess the toxicity of the extracts. Except Pseudomonas spp., all the MDR isolates and food-borne pathogens tested were susceptible to the warm water extract of the leaves. The MIC and MBC ranged between 8-256 μg/mL and 16 - 256 μg/mL, respectively. Among the test organisms, Streptococcus spp. and Shigella dysenteriae-1 MJ-84 showed highest susceptibility while Escherichia coli exhibited moderate susceptibility to warm water extract of the leaves. The highest total phenolic content (99.99 mg of GAE/g of extractives) and antioxidant capacity (IC50 value 13 μg/mL) were observed in ethanolic extract of seeds of B. orellana, whereas the IC50 of the reference standard BHT (tert-butyl-1-hydroxytoluene) was 59.2 μg/mL. On the other hand, in the brine shrimp lethality bioassay the methanolic extract of the seeds of B. orellana demonstrated strong cytotoxic activity with IC50 value of 19.3 μg/mL. These results suggest that the extracts of B. orellana possess bioactive compoundsColegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Supervised Treatment in Outpatients for Schizophrenia Plus (STOPS+): Protocol for a cluster randomised trial of a community-based intervention to improve treatment adherence and reduce the treatment gap for schizophrenia in Pakistan

Introduction: There is a significant treatment gap, with only a few community-based services for people with schizophrenia in Low- and Middle-Income countries. Poor treatment adherence in schizophrenia is associated with poorer health outcomes, suicide attempts and death. We previously reported the effectiveness of STOPS (Supervised Treatment in Outpatients for Schizophrenia) for improving treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia. However, STOPS was evaluated in a tertiary care setting with no primary care involvement, limiting its generalisability to the wider at-risk population. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of STOPS+ in scaling up the primary care treatment of schizophrenia to a real-world setting. Methods and analysis: The effectiveness of the STOPS+ intervention in improving the level of functioning and medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial design. We aim to recruit 526 participants from 24 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) randomly allocated in 1:1 ratio to STOPS+ intervention and Enhanced Treatment as Usual (ETAU) arms. Participants will be followed-up for 12 months post recruitment. The sample size is estimated for two outcomes (i) The primary clinical outcome is level of functioning, measured using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, and (ii) the primary process outcome is adherence to treatment regimen measured using a validated measure. An intention-to-treat approach will be used for the primary analysis. Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained from Keele University Ethical Review Panel (ref: MH-190017) and Khyber Medical University Ethical Review Board (ref: DIR-KMU-EB/ST/000648). The results of the STOPS+ trial will be reported in peer reviewed journals and academic conferences and disseminated to local stakeholders and policy makers

Budidaya Tanaman Hortikultura Menggunakan Metode Vertikultur dan Vertical Garden Sebagai Alternatif Usaha Pemanfaatan Lahan Masyarakat Kelurahan Sekarteja

Rumah Pangan Lestari (RPL) adalah upaya pemenuhan kebutuhan pangan dan gizi dapat ditingkatkan diantaranya melalui pemanfaatan lahan pekarangan rumah tangga yang berkualitas dan beragam. Pelaksanaan program kegiatan Tim Pengabdian program RPL ini menggunakan teknik Vertical garden dan vertikultur. Tujuan dari kegiatan ini adalah untuk meningkatkan kesadaran keluarga dan masyarakat dalam pemanfaatan lahan pekarangan untuk budidaya tanaman pangan seperti sayuran, tanaman obat, serta pemanfaatan limbah plastik rumah tangga. Metode yang digunakan dalam pelaksanaan kawasan rumah pangan lestari (RPL) ini meliputi sosialisasi kegiatan dan perencanaan diskusi ataupun ceramah dan dengan melakukan demonstrasi kegiatan secara langsung kepada masyarakat. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah observasi dan wawancara. Hasil yang diperoleh dari kegiatan Rumah Pangan Lestari ini berupa kangkung, sawi pakcoy, sawi pagoda, selada merah dan selada hijau, cabai, bayam, tomat, timun, singkong, daun mint, dan terong