BLOODSTREAM INFECTION WITH OLIGELLA UREOLYTICA IN INFANT: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Oligella ureolytica is rarely involved as human pathogen but it is emerging as pathogenic bacteria. It is not commonly recovered from clinical specimens but when recovered, it is mostly from urinary and respiratory tract specimens as commensal organisms, but hardly from blood samples. We present here a case of O. ureolytica related bacteremia in a 1-month-old infant as a pure culture and we review the literature of previously reported cases of Oligella infections

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Antimicrobial Resistance in Citrobacter freundii Isolated from Domestic Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Citrobacter freundii poses a serious challenge as this species is one of the sources of nosocomial infection and causes diarrheal infections in humans. Ducks could be the potential source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii; however, AMR profiles in C. freundii from non-human sources in Bangladesh have remained elusive. This study aimed to detect C. freundii in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh and to determine their phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns. A total of 150 cloacal swabs of diseased domestic ducks were screened using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to detect C. freundii. Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns were done by the disk diffusion method and PCR, respectively. In total, 16.67% (25/150) of the samples were positive for C. freundii. C. freundii isolates showed a range of 20% to 96% resistance to cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and cephalexin. More than 60% of the isolates were phenotypically MDR, and the index of multiple antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.07 to 0.79. Genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams [blaTEM-1-88% (22/25), blaCMY-2-56% (14/25), blaCMY-9-8% (2/25), and blaCTX-M-14-20% (5/25)], sulfonamides [sul1-52% (13/25), sul2-24% (6/25)], tetracyclines [tetA-32% (8/25) and tetB-4% (1/25)], aminoglycosides [aacC4-16% (4/25)], and fluoroquinolones [qnrA-4% (1/25), qnrB-12% (3/25), and qnrS-4% (1/25)] were detected in the isolated C. freundii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh to detect MDR C. freundii with their associated resistance genes from duck samples. We suggest addressing the burden of diseases in ducks and humans and associated AMR issues using the One Health approach

Development and testing the validity and reliability of items and scales to assess physical activity behavior of adults in the expanded food and nutrition education program

Given the rising prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases in the United States, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) includes physical activity as a core educational component along with diet quality, food safety, food resource management and food security. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, research supports that participation in regular physical activity helps people maintain a healthy weight and prevent excess weight gain. When combined with reduced calorie intake, physical activity may aid weight loss and the maintenance of weight loss. Two evaluation instruments are used in EFNEP nationwide. Nutritional intake is measured by a 24-hour diet recall at baseline and following completion of the intervention. A ten-item survey, referred to as the EFNEP Behavior Checklist, measures behaviors in the constructs of food safety, food resource management, food security, and nutrition practices. The EFNEP Behavior Checklist currently does not include questions related to physical activity behavior. Therefore, it is important to develop and add valid and reliable items to the EFNEP behavior checklist to document participant change in physical activity behaviors. The community nutrition logic model, the constructs of Theory of Reasoned Action, and the theory of Planned Behavior provided the guiding framework of the development of items/scales. The target population was EFNEP eligible limited-income mothers who had at least one child under the age of 19 living in the household. To accomplish the goals and objectives of this study, a step-by-step procedure was used which included the following phases: a) curriculum review and identification of contents/concepts, b) conceptual frame work & item generation, c) expert review & content validity, d) revision of items & scales, e) cognitive testing, f) psychometric testing & analysis which included construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and predictive validity. Seventeen items/scales were developed on psychosocial mediating variables based on the constructs of TRA & TPB, which were attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavior control and intention. A total of 12 items/scales were developed in four dimensions of physical activity such as home, yard, walk and work. Content validity was assessed through the expert review (n=8) and cognitive testing (n=14). Data from 302 mothers was collected for factor analysis and internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was also assessed (n=50). Predictive validity of the physical activity items/scales was assessed using a self-report of physical activity and accelerometer data. Content analysis, expert review and cognitive testing were used to develop the items/scales and to establish the content validity. Factor analysis was used to determine the number of underlying factors in the items/scales and as a strategy of item reduction. Internal consistency for most of the final psychosocial items/scales was acceptable with Cronbach\u27s alpha greater than .70. Spearman correlation statistics for test-retest reliability ranged between modest to stronger (rs value between .59-.70 and P value The results of this study indicate the need for further investigation in using the items/scales to evaluate the impact of EFNEP on physical activity behavior of adults. This study provided an important first step in developing and testing items/scales with conceptual foundation and acknowledged essential elements to measure physical activity behavior of low-income population

Bridging Mindset Theory and Attribution Theory: A Longitudinal Exploration of Students’ Belief Patterns in Their Early Years of College

I explored the interrelation of students’ general intelligence mindsets, context-specific mindsets, and attributions in the early years of college. Dweck and her colleagues have proposed that a set of beliefs, called mindsets, regarding the malleability of one’s intelligence and other characteristics, play a key role in how we respond to academic difficulties and failures. Mindsets have typically been understood as two separate worldviews—you can either have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. However, there is a lesser explored possibility that students may endorse a mixture of both mindsets. Although Dweck has suggested that it is indeed possible for individuals to adjust their mindsets, mindsets have typically been thought of as stable traits, but there is little empirical support for whether this is true. Furthermore, little is known about how general mindsets compare to domain or context-specific mindsets. Past research has shown that specific attributions moderate the relationship between general mindsets and many achievement-related outcomes, but it is unclear how context-specific mindsets are related to context-specific attributions. Most studies have taken variable centered approaches to understanding how single attributions and one type of mindset impact achievement and motivation, but this is a limited story. In the first study of this dissertation, I explored the stability and development of mindset beliefs over an academic quarter in two different academic contexts (hardest and easiest course). I also created homogenous subgroups of individuals who hold similar general and course-specific growth mindset and fixed mindset patterns and looked at how these patterns develop over time. In the second study, I utilized examined how context-specific growth and fixed mindsets were related to students’ effort and ability attributions, respectively, in a challenging course context. In the third study, I used cluster analysis to find homogenous groups of students with similar mindsets and attribution patterns, exploring how these patterns were associated with academic performance indicators and students’ motivation-related beliefs. The results of these studies have implications for understanding how college students’ mindsets and attributions develop and change in differing academic contexts during the early years of college

Bridging Mindset Theory and Attribution Theory: A Longitudinal Exploration of Students’ Belief Patterns in Their Early Years of College

I explored the interrelation of students’ general intelligence mindsets, context-specific mindsets, and attributions in the early years of college. Dweck and her colleagues have proposed that a set of beliefs, called mindsets, regarding the malleability of one’s intelligence and other characteristics, play a key role in how we respond to academic difficulties and failures. Mindsets have typically been understood as two separate worldviews—you can either have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. However, there is a lesser explored possibility that students may endorse a mixture of both mindsets. Although Dweck has suggested that it is indeed possible for individuals to adjust their mindsets, mindsets have typically been thought of as stable traits, but there is little empirical support for whether this is true. Furthermore, little is known about how general mindsets compare to domain or context-specific mindsets. Past research has shown that specific attributions moderate the relationship between general mindsets and many achievement-related outcomes, but it is unclear how context-specific mindsets are related to context-specific attributions. Most studies have taken variable centered approaches to understanding how single attributions and one type of mindset impact achievement and motivation, but this is a limited story. In the first study of this dissertation, I explored the stability and development of mindset beliefs over an academic quarter in two different academic contexts (hardest and easiest course). I also created homogenous subgroups of individuals who hold similar general and course-specific growth mindset and fixed mindset patterns and looked at how these patterns develop over time. In the second study, I utilized examined how context-specific growth and fixed mindsets were related to students’ effort and ability attributions, respectively, in a challenging course context. In the third study, I used cluster analysis to find homogenous groups of students with similar mindsets and attribution patterns, exploring how these patterns were associated with academic performance indicators and students’ motivation-related beliefs. The results of these studies have implications for understanding how college students’ mindsets and attributions develop and change in differing academic contexts during the early years of college

Alleviating Food Insecurities Using Nutrition Education Programs

Alleviating food insecurity through Nutrition Education Progams such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a vital aspect in helping the community. These initiatives teach individuals and communities about balanced diets, meal planning, and budget-friendly grocery shopping. By providing essential nutritional knowledge these programs empower people to make healthier food choices, stretch their resources, and reduce reliance on emergency food assistance. This approach not only addresses hunger, but also foster long-term food security and over all well-being, ultimately contributing to healthier and more resilient communities

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Antimicrobial Resistance in <i>Citrobacter freundii</i> Isolated from Domestic Ducks (<i>Anas platyrhynchos domesticus</i>) in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Citrobacter freundii poses a serious challenge as this species is one of the sources of nosocomial infection and causes diarrheal infections in humans. Ducks could be the potential source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii; however, AMR profiles in C. freundii from non-human sources in Bangladesh have remained elusive. This study aimed to detect C. freundii in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh and to determine their phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns. A total of 150 cloacal swabs of diseased domestic ducks were screened using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to detect C. freundii. Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns were done by the disk diffusion method and PCR, respectively. In total, 16.67% (25/150) of the samples were positive for C. freundii. C. freundii isolates showed a range of 20% to 96% resistance to cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and cephalexin. More than 60% of the isolates were phenotypically MDR, and the index of multiple antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.07 to 0.79. Genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams [blaTEM-1-88% (22/25), blaCMY-2-56% (14/25), blaCMY-9-8% (2/25), and blaCTX-M-14-20% (5/25)], sulfonamides [sul1-52% (13/25), sul2-24% (6/25)], tetracyclines [tetA-32% (8/25) and tetB-4% (1/25)], aminoglycosides [aacC4-16% (4/25)], and fluoroquinolones [qnrA-4% (1/25), qnrB-12% (3/25), and qnrS-4% (1/25)] were detected in the isolated C. freundii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh to detect MDR C. freundii with their associated resistance genes from duck samples. We suggest addressing the burden of diseases in ducks and humans and associated AMR issues using the One Health approach

Dietary vitamin A intake and its major food sources among rural pregnant women of South-West Bangladesh

The study aimed to estimate the dietary intake of vitamin A and its major food sources among rural pregnant women from the southwest region of Bangladesh. A multi-stage random cluster sampling method was used to select the respondents (N = 1012). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data, and statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS 20.0. The mean age of the respondents was 23.27 ± 5.23 years, and the majority were in their second (48%) and third trimester (49%). The mean dietary intake of vitamin A was 392 ± 566 μg Retinol Activity Equivalent (RAE)/day (51% of Recommended Dietary Allowance). The contribution of β-carotene (plant source) and retinol (animal source) in vitamin A intake was about 60% and 40%, respectively. The major β-carotene contributing food groups were vegetables (dark and light) and tubers, and food items were colocasia, potato, beans, brinjal, and ripe tomatoes. On the other hand, the major retinol-contributing food groups were fish, eggs, and milk, and food items were small fish, Rui (carp) fish, and cow’s milk. It was also observed that the consumption of food items from β-carotene and retinol-contributing food groups did not differ significantly among the three groups of respondents, but the variations in the amount of the different food items consumed were significant. Dietary vitamin A intake is low among pregnant women in the South-West region of Bangladesh. Hence, they are at a greater risk of adverse materno-fetal health outcomes associated with vitamin A deficiency