Coastal resources management, policy and planning in Bangladesh

This paper reviews the coastal fishery resources of Bangladesh emphasizing the coastal environment, capture fisheries and management issues relative to the sector. BangladeshÆs Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers an area of about 166 000 km2. This area has abundant natural resources such as fish, shrimps, crabs and other marine products. Shrimp and fish trawling is the most important economic activity in this area. The fishery sector makes a significant contribution to the national economy in terms of foreign exchange, income generation and employment. It is very important in nutrition, especially in providing animal protein. In 1997 - 99, the marine fisheries sector contributed 22% of the total fishery production of 1 373 000 t. However, the resources are being destroyed in many ways. The fisheries resources have declined and fishers are getting poorer. The decline is partly due to estuarine set bag net, push net, and beach seine fishing, which result in recruitment over-fishing. A multiplicity of factors adversely affect the coastal fishery resources of Bangladesh. Various laws, ordinances and acts have been formulated to manage the fisheries resources and to protect the coastal zone environment. Most of the laws have been amended to meet current needs. However, marine fisheries are not being well-managed because the laws are not properly implemented, due to a shortage of man power, lack of infrastructure and funds. Moreover, there are legislative and communication gaps between the law-enforcing agencies. In addition to sectoral issues, a number of cross-sectoral issues such as pollution and habitat destruction impact the coastal zone and the long-term sustainability of coastal fishery resources. The main objectives of coastal fisheries management in Bangladesh should include the following: (1) rational utilization of resources; (2) protection/conservation of the environment or habitat; (3) maximization of the benefits from utilization of the resources within sustainable limits; (4) minimization of conflicts among users; (5) promotion of equity in sharing benefits from utilization of the resources; (6) reduction of poverty among small scale fishers; and (7) promotion of alternative livelihood opportunities for fishers.Fishery resources, Catch/effort, Population characteristics, Coastal fisheries, Marine fisheries, Ecosystems, Economic benefits, Fishery industry, Capture fishery economics, Fish consumption, Fishery policy, Legislation, Fishery management, Flood plains, Demersal fisheries, Pelagic fisheries, Socioeconomic aspects, Surveys, Marketing, Fish storage, ISW, Bangladesh,

The Importance of On-Going Maintenance in Preserving the Heritage Listed Buildings

Maintenance is not only important in ensuring the condition and physical of the old building to operate safely and effectively, but it also for an activity that is important in determining the life long of the building, so that it can be preserve and be inherit by the next generation. The need of maintenance is not only on repairing but more towards prevention method. According to the previous study, maintenance is done reactively; this further will cost serious problems in future. Therefore maintenance need good planning from the early stage and is followed with on-going implementation from time to time by all those who are responsible in it. In conjunction with this, this paper is to discuss about the importance of on-going maintenance in order to manage the old building after it has been gazette as heritage listed. At the end of the discussion, several strategies have been put forward in order to stimulate the practice of on-going maintenance as an initiative to encourage the culture of maintenance and also help to increase the quality process in a more effective maintenance management

Evaluation on knowledge extraction and machine learning in resolving Malay word ambiguity

The involvement of linguistic professionals in resolving the ambiguity of a word within a particular context will produce a concise meaning of the words that are found in the lexical knowledge based collection. Motivated from that issue, we employed lexical knowledge and machine learning approach which includes the integration of data or/and information from the lexical knowledge based, that is Malay collections which linked to the ambiguous words. We used the most open class word and removed the stop words from the targeted sentences. Experiments have been conducted with and without lexical knowledge on 50 ambiguous words. The Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) method is determined by machine learning, corpus based approaches namely Malay-Malay corpus and English-Malay corpus. The results show that the proposed method has improved the precision in resolving ambiguity.Keywords: ambiguity; lexical knowledge; machine learning; Malay wor

Learning Struktur Bayesian Networks menggunakan Novel Modified Binary Differential Evolution

Bayesian Networks merupakan salah satu metode pemodelan probabilitas pada Probabilistic Graphical Models. Bayesian Networks terdiri dari nodes yang merepresentasikan variabel pada masalah yang dikaji dan edges yang merepresentasikan relasi dependensi antar node. Pada masalah yang sederhana, struktur Bayesian Networks biasanya ditentukan oleh ahli di bidang masalah tersebut atau berasal dari intuisi alami manusia. Perancangan struktur Bayesian Networks secara manual ini akan sulit dilakukan apabila kasus yang dikaji merupakan kasus yang kompleks yang memiliki sangat banyak node dan sangat banyak kemungkinan edges yang menghubungkannya. Pada penilitian ini, dilakukan pengujian dan analisa terhadap proses pencarian struktur Bayesian Networks menggunakan algoritma Novel Modified Binary Differential Evolution. Novel Modified Binary Differential Evolution merupakan algoritma optimasi permasalahan diskrit dengan representasi solusi berbentuk biner yang merupakan pengembangan dari algoritma Differential Evolution. Hasil pengujian terhadap data Alarm, Asia, Carpo, Insurance, dan Water masing-masing diperoleh skor BDeu sebesar -1973.77, -243.68, -2450.54, -2024.17, dan -1621.90

Effect of cement additive and curing period on some engineering properties of treated peat soil

Peat soil is characterized by its high content of decomposed organic matter. Majority of areas occupied by peatland have been developed for agriculture sectors such as pineapple cultivation and oil palm. Due to its geotechnical drawback characteristics such as highly compressibility and low shear strength, peat soil is classified as problematic soils and unstable for engineering structures. Lack of suitable and expensive price of lands, peatland will be an alternative option for future development. Prior to construction works, stabilization of peat soil should be performed to enhance its engineering characteristics. This paper presents the effect of cement and curing period on engineering properties of the cement-treated peat soil. Some engineering variables were examined including the compaction behaviour, permeability and unconfined compressive strength (UCS). The Atterberg limit test was also carried out to examine the influence of cement addition on peat soil. The cement-treated peat soils were prepared by adding varying amount of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) ranging between 0% and 40% of dry weight of peat soil. In order to examine the effect of curing, the treated samples were dried at room temperature for three and seven days while for UCS tests samples were extended to 28 days prior to testings. The results showed that the liquid limit of treated soil decreased with the increase of cement content. Maximum dry density (MDD) increased while optimum moisture content (OMC) dropped with the increase in cement content. Permeability of treated soil decreased from 6.2×10-4 to 2.4×10-4 ms-1 as cement content increase from 0% to 40%. In contrast, the UCS tests indicated an increase in uncompressive strength with the increase in cement contents and curing period. The liquid limit and permeability were also altered as curing periods were extended from three to seven days. This study concluded that geotechnical properties of peat soil can be stabilized using ordinary cement and by modification of the curing periods

Influence of soda lime glass addition on the dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics

The dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics with soda-lime glass addition was investigated. The addition of soda lime glass was varied from 0 - 0.05 wt.% by solid-state reaction. Both XRD patterns of CCTO and CCTO-glass sintered samples showed the formation of CCTO phase with minor peaks of CuO phase, respectively. The phase area analysis of CCTO and CCTOglass proved that the CCTO phase was found to be decreased while the grain boundaries area of CuO + glass was then increased after the addition of soda-lime glass. The dielectric properties of corresponding samples indicated that both εr and tan δ were reduced with glass addition. Thus, it shows that the soda lime glass addition has a significant effect on dielectric properties of CCTO ceramics

Evaluating the relationship between ciprofloxacin prescription and non-susceptibility in Salmonella Typhi in Blantyre, Malawi: an observational study

Background: Ciprofloxacin is the first-line drug for treating typhoid fever in many countries in Africa with a high disease burden, but the emergence of non-susceptibility poses a challenge to public health programmes. Through enhanced surveillance as part of vaccine evaluation, we investigated the occurrence and potential determinants of ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility in Blantyre, Malawi. Methods: We conducted systematic surveillance of typhoid fever cases and antibiotic prescription in two health centres in Blantyre, Malawi, between Oct 1, 2016, and Oct 31, 2019, as part of the STRATAA and TyVAC studies. In addition, blood cultures were taken from eligible patients presenting at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, as part of routine diagnosis. Inclusion criteria were measured or reported fever, or clinical suspicion of sepsis. Microbiologically, we identified Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S Typhi) isolates with a ciprofloxacin non-susceptible phenotype from blood cultures, and used whole-genome sequencing to identify drug-resistance mutations and phylogenetic relationships. We constructed generalised linear regression models to investigate associations between the number of ciprofloxacin prescriptions given per month to study participants and the proportion of S Typhi isolates with quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) mutations in the following month. Findings: From 46 989 blood cultures from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, 502 S Typhi isolates were obtained, 30 (6%) of which had either decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility, or ciprofloxacin resistance. From 11 295 blood cultures from STRATAA and TyVAC studies, 241 microbiologically confirmed cases of typhoid fever were identified, and 198 isolates from 195 participants sequenced (mean age 12·8 years [SD 10·2], 53% female, 47% male). Between Oct 1, 2016, and Aug 31, 2019, of 177 typhoid fever cases confirmed by whole-genome sequencing, four (2%) were caused by S Typhi with QRDR mutations, compared with six (33%) of 18 cases between Sept 1 and Oct 31, 2019. This increase was associated with a preceding spike in ciprofloxacin prescriptions. Every additional prescription of ciprofloxacin given to study participants in the preceding month was associated with a 4·2% increase (95% CI 1·8–7·0) in the relative risk of isolating S Typhi with a QRDR mutation (p=0·0008). Phylogenetic analysis showed that S Typhi isolates with QRDR mutations from September and October, 2019, belonged to two distinct subclades encoding two different QRDR mutations, and were closely related (4–10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms) to susceptible S Typhi endemic to Blantyre. Interpretation: We postulate a causal relationship between increased ciprofloxacin prescriptions and an increase in fluoroquinolone non-susceptibility in S Typhi. Decreasing ciprofloxacin use by improving typhoid diagnostics, and reducing typhoid fever cases through the use of an efficacious vaccine, could help to limit the emergence of resistance. Funding: Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Institute for Health and Care Research (UK)

Infectious aetiologies of neonatal illness in south Asia classified using WHO definitions: a primary analysis of the ANISA study

Background: Globally, neonatal mortality accounts for almost half of all deaths in children younger than 5 years. Aetiological agents of neonatal infection are difficult to identify because the clinical signs are non-specific. Using data from the Aetiology of Neonatal Infections in south Asia (ANISA) cohort, we aimed to describe the spectrum of infectious aetiologies of acute neonatal illness categorised post-hoc using the 2015 WHO case definitions of critical illness, clinical severe infection, and fast breathing only. Methods: Eligible infants were aged 0–59 days with possible serious bacterial infection and healthy infants enrolled in the ANISA study in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. We applied a partial latent class Bayesian model to estimate the prevalence of 27 pathogens detectable on PCR, pathogens detected by blood culture only, and illness not attributed to any infectious aetiology. Infants with at least one clinical specimen available were included in the analysis. We assessed the prevalence of these aetiologies according to WHO's case definitions of critically ill, clinical severe infection, and infants with late onset, isolated fast breathing. For the clinical severe definition, we compared the prevalence of signs by bacterial versus viral aetiology. Findings: There were 934 infants (992 episodes) in the critically ill category, 3769 (4000 episodes) in the clinical severe infection category, and 738 (771 episodes) in the late-onset isolated fast breathing category. We estimated the proportion of illness attributable to bacterial infection was 32·7% in infants in the critically ill group, 15·6% in the clinical severe infection group, and 8·8% among infants with late-onset isolated fast breathing group. An infectious aetiology was not identified in 58–82% of infants in these categories. Among 4000 episodes of clinical severe infection, those with bacterial versus viral attribution had higher proportions of hypothermia, movement only when stimulated, convulsions, and poor feeding. Interpretation: Our modelled results generally support the revised WHO case definitions, although a revision of the most severe case definition could be considered. Clinical criteria do not clearly differentiate between young infants with and without infectious aetiologies. Our results highlight the need for improved point-of-care diagnostics, and further study into neonatal deaths and episodes with no identified aetiology, to ensure antibiotic stewardship and targeted interventions. Funding: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Pathogen diversity and antimicrobial resistance transmission of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Malawi: a genomic epidemiological study

Background Enteric fever is a serious public health concern. The causative agents, Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A, frequently have antimicrobial resistance (AMR), leading to limited treatment options and poorer clinical outcomes. We investigated the genomic epidemiology, resistance mechanisms, and transmission dynamics of these pathogens at three urban sites in Africa and Asia. Methods S Typhi and S Paratyphi A bacteria isolated from blood cultures of febrile children and adults at study sites in Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal), and Blantyre (Malawi) during STRATAA surveillance were sequenced. Isolates were charactered in terms of their serotypes, genotypes (according to GenoTyphi and Paratype), molecular determinants of AMR, and population structure. We used phylogenomic analyses incorporating globally representative genomic data from previously published surveillance studies and ancestral state reconstruction to differentiate locally circulating from imported pathogen AMR variants. Clusters of sequences without any single-nucleotide variants in their core genome were identified and used to explore spatiotemporal patterns and transmission dynamics. Findings We sequenced 731 genomes from isolates obtained during surveillance across the three sites between Oct 1, 2016, and Aug 31, 2019 (24 months in Dhaka and Kathmandu and 34 months in Blantyre). S Paratyphi A was present in Dhaka and Kathmandu but not Blantyre. S Typhi genotype 4.3.1 (H58) was common in all sites, but with different dominant variants (4.3.1.1.EA1 in Blantyre, 4.3.1.1 in Dhaka, and 4.3.1.2 in Kathmandu). Multidrug resistance (ie, resistance to chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole, and ampicillin) was common in Blantyre (138 [98%] of 141 cases) and Dhaka (143 [32%] of 452), but absent from Kathmandu. Quinolone-resistance mutations were common in Dhaka (451 [>99%] of 452) and Kathmandu (123 [89%] of 138), but not in Blantyre (three [2%] of 141). Azithromycin-resistance mutations in acrB were rare, appearing only in Dhaka (five [1%] of 452). Phylogenetic analyses showed that most cases derived from pre-existing, locally established pathogen variants; 702 (98%) of 713 drug-resistant infections resulted from local circulation of AMR variants, not imported variants or recent de novo emergence; and pathogen variants circulated across age groups. 479 (66%) of 731 cases clustered with others that were indistinguishable by point mutations; individual clusters included multiple age groups and persisted for up to 2·3 years, and AMR determinants were invariant within clusters. Interpretation Enteric fever was associated with locally established pathogen variants that circulate across age groups. AMR infections resulted from local transmission of resistant strains. These results form a baseline against which to monitor the impacts of control measures. Funding Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EU Horizon 2020, and UK National Institute for Health and Care Research

Mapping subnational HIV mortality in six Latin American countries with incomplete vital registration systems

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a public health priority in Latin America. While the burden of HIV is historically concentrated in urban areas and high-risk groups, subnational estimates that cover multiple countries and years are missing. This paucity is partially due to incomplete vital registration (VR) systems and statistical challenges related to estimating mortality rates in areas with low numbers of HIV deaths. In this analysis, we address this gap and provide novel estimates of the HIV mortality rate and the number of HIV deaths by age group, sex, and municipality in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico.MethodsWe performed an ecological study using VR data ranging from 2000 to 2017, dependent on individual country data availability. We modeled HIV mortality using a Bayesian spatially explicit mixed-effects regression model that incorporates prior information on VR completeness. We calibrated our results to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.ResultsAll countries displayed over a 40-fold difference in HIV mortality between municipalities with the highest and lowest age-standardized HIV mortality rate in the last year of study for men, and over a 20-fold difference for women. Despite decreases in national HIV mortality in all countries-apart from Ecuador-across the period of study, we found broad variation in relative changes in HIV mortality at the municipality level and increasing relative inequality over time in all countries. In all six countries included in this analysis, 50% or more HIV deaths were concentrated in fewer than 10% of municipalities in the latest year of study. In addition, national age patterns reflected shifts in mortality to older age groups-the median age group among decedents ranged from 30 to 45years of age at the municipality level in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico in 2017.ConclusionsOur subnational estimates of HIV mortality revealed significant spatial variation and diverging local trends in HIV mortality over time and by age. This analysis provides a framework for incorporating data and uncertainty from incomplete VR systems and can help guide more geographically precise public health intervention to support HIV-related care and reduce HIV-related deaths.Peer reviewe