Rural-urban migration and child survival in urban Bangladesh: are the urban migrants and poor disadvantaged?

This paper analyses the levels and trends of childhood mortality in urban Bangladesh, and examines whether children's survival chances are poorer among the urban migrants and urban poor. It also examines the determinants of child survival in urban Bangladesh. Data come from the 1999-2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The results indicate that, although the indices of infant and child mortality are consistently better in urban areas, the urban-rural differentials in childhood mortality have diminished in recent years. The study identifies two distinct child morality regimes in urban Bangladesh: one for urban natives and one for rural-urban migrants. Under-five mortality is higher among children born to urban migrants compared with children born to life-long urban natives (102 and 62 per 1000 live births, respectively). The migrant-native mortality differentials more-or-less correspond with the differences in socioeconomic status. Like childhood mortality rates, rural-urban migrants seem to be moderately disadvantaged by economic status compared with their urban native counterparts. Within the urban areas, the child survival status is even worse among the migrant poor than among the average urban poor, especially recent migrants. This poor-non-poor differential in childhood mortality is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The study findings indicate that rapid growth of the urban population in recent years due to rural-to-urban migration, coupled with higher risk of mortality among migrant's children, may be considered as one of the major explanations for slower decline in under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh, thus diminishing urban-rural differentials in childhood mortality in Bangladesh. The study demonstrates that housing conditions and access to safe drinking water and hygienic toilet facilities are the most critical determinants of child survival in urban areas, even after controlling for migration status. The findings of the study may have important policy implications for urban planning, highlighting the need to target migrant groups and the urban poor within urban areas in the provision of health care services.     

Development of spermatic granuloma in albino rats following administration of water extract of Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk

A spermatic granuloma is a chronic inflammatory reaction produced in response to extravasated sperm within the intertubular connective tissue. The present study investigates the possible toxic effects of water extract of Heliotropium bacciferum on the reproductive system of male albino rats and the associated potential for the development of spermatic granulomas. H. bacciferum is a herbal plant used in traditional medicine and reported to have cytotoxic effects due to pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Histological examinations revealed no changes in the tissues of the testes, although, some changes were detected in the cauda epididymis, the most important of which was the development of small lesions of spermatic granulomas. Clear gaps were observed between the epithelial linings of the epididymal tubules.     

Aspergillus Ficuum Phytase: Partial Primary Structure,Substrate Selectivity,and Kinetic Characterization

Purified Aspergillus ficuum phytase's partial primary structure and amino acid and sugar composition were elucidated. Determination of kinetic parameters of the enzyme at different pH values and temperatures indicated no significant alteration of the Km for phytate while the K_cmt was affected. The enzyme was able to release more than 512 of the total available P₁ from phytate in a 3.0 hr assay at 58°C, but the K_cmt dropped to 15Z of the initial rate. Substrate selectivity studies revealed phytate to be the preferred substrate. The pH optima of phytase was 5.0, 4.0, and 3.0 for phytate, ATP, and polyphosphate, respectively. The enzyme had varied sensitivity towards cations. While Ca^±± and Fe^±±produced no effect on the catalytic rate of the enzyme, Cu^±, Cu^±±, Zn^±±, and Fe^±±± were found to be inhibitory. Mn^±± was observed to enhance enzyme activity by 33Z at 50 μM. Known inhibitors of acid phosphatases e. g. L (±)-tartrate, phosphomycin, and sodium fluoride had no effect on enzyme activity.     

Wild bacterial probiotics fed to larvae of mass‐reared Queensland fruit fly [Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt)] do not impact long‐term survival,mate selection,or locomotor activity

Queensland fruit fly [Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), Diptera, Tephritidae] is the most devastating insect pest impacting Australian horticulture. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an important component of tephritid pest management programs. However, mass‐rearing and irradiation (to render insects sterile) may reduce the fitness and performance of the insect, including the ability of sterile males to successfully compete for wild females. Manipulation of the gut microbiome, including the supplementation with bacterial probiotics shows promise for enhancing the quality of mass‐reared sterile flies, however there are fewer published studies targeting the larval stage. In this study, we supplemented the larval stage of mass‐reared B. tryoni with bacterial probiotics. We tested several individual bacteria that had been previously isolated and characterized from the gut of wild B. tryoni larvae including Asaia sp., Enterobacter sp., Lactobacillus sp., Leuconostoc sp. We also tested a consortium of all four of these bacterial isolates. The fitness parameters tested included adult survival in field cages, laboratory mate selection of bacteria supplemented males by bacteria nonsupplemented females, and laboratory locomotor activity of adult flies. None of the bacterial probiotic treatments in the current study was significantly different to the control for field survival, mate selection or locomotor activity of adult B. tryoni, which agree with some of the other studies regarding bacterial probiotics fed to the larval stage of tephritids. Future work is needed to determine if feeding the same, and/or other probiotics to adults, as opposed to larvae can positively impact survival, mating performance, mating competitiveness and locomotor activity of B. tryoni. The bacterial group(s) and function of bacterial species that increase fitness and competitiveness is also of interest to tephritid mass‐rearing programs.     

Silicon alleviates arsenic-induced toxicity in wheat through vacuolar sequestration and ROS scavenging

Arsenic (As) is a phytotoxic element causing health hazards. This work investigates whether and how silicon (Si) alleviates As toxicity in wheat. The addition of Si under As-stress significantly improved morphophysiological characteristics, total protein, and membrane stability compared to As-stressed plants, suggesting that Si does have critical roles in As detoxification in wheat. Analysis of arsenate reductase activity and phytosiderophore (PS) release reveals their no involvement in the Si-mediated alleviation of As in wheat. Furthermore, Si supplementation in As-stressed plants showed a significant increase of As in roots but not in shoots compared with the plants grown under As stress. Further, gene expression analysis of two chelating molecules, TaPCS1 (phytochelatin synthase) and TaMT1 (metallothionein synthase) showed significant induction due to Si application under As stress compared with As-stressed plants. It is consistent with the physiological observations and suggests that alleviation of As toxicity in rice might be associated with As sequestration in roots leading to reduced As translocation in shoots. Furthermore, increased catalase, peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities in roots imply the active involvement of reactive oxygen species scavenging for protecting wheat plants from As-induced oxidative injury. The study provides mechanistic evidence on the beneficial effect of Si on As toxicity in wheat plants.     

A Qualitative Stakeholder Analysis of Avian Influenza Policy in Bangladesh

Avian influenza is a major animal and public health concern in Bangladesh. A decade after development and implementation of the first national avian influenza and human pandemic influenza preparedness and response plan in Bangladesh, a two-stage qualitative stakeholder analysis was performed in relation to the policy development process and the actual policy. This study specifically aimed to identify the future policy options to prevent and control avian influenza and other poultry-related zoonotic diseases in Bangladesh. It was recommended that the policy should be based on the One Health concept, be evidence-based, sustainable, reviewed and updated as necessary. The future policy environment that is suitable for developing and implementing these policies should take into account the following points: the need to formally engage multiple sectors, the need for clear and acceptable leadership, roles and responsibilities and the need for a common pool of resources and provision for transferring resources. Most of these recommendations are directed towards the Government of Bangladesh. However, other sectors, including research and poultry production stakeholders, also have a major role to play to inform policy making and actively participate in the multi-sectoral approach.