Rice is the most important and crucial to ensuring food and dietary energy security in most developing countries and is the staple food of more than half of the world's population. This study was conducted to identify the seed rate of hybrid rice varieties for mechanical transplanting during Boro (irrigated dry season), 2021-22 season at BRRI research field, Gazipur. Slender grain type BRRI hybrid dhan3, BRRI hybrid dhan5, Ishpahani hybrid dhan6, and BRRI dhan89 were used in the study. The same growth medium was used to establish mat-type seedlings on plastic trays (280 × 80 × 25 mm) at seed rates of 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 g∙tray−1. Walk-behind type 04 rows rice transplanter (Daedong, model-DP 488) was used during transplanting in the field at the set of the plant to plant spacing of 140 mm while line-to-line spacing was fixed to 300 mm. The result depicted that regardless of the variety, seedling density increased linearly as seed rate increased, except for the 21 days following sowing. However, the seedling density of BRRI dhan89 decreased after the seed rate of 100 g∙tray−1 due to mortality. The seedling height of the BRRI hybrids dhan5 and Ishpahani hybrid dhan6 was significantly higher than that of the BRRI hybrid dhan3 and BRRI dhan89. After 21 days, the seedling height decreased significantly with the increase in seed rate. For the seed rates of 100, 110, and 120 g∙tray−1, identical numbers of hills per unit area and plants per hill were observed. On the other hand, regardless of the variety, the percentage of missing hills considerably decreased with the increased seed rate. The yield of the BRRI hybrid dhan5 variety was significantly higher at the seed rates of 100 and 110 g∙tray−1, although the yield of the Ishpahani hybrid dhan6 variety was comparable. In terms of yield among the four varieties, BRRI hybrid dhan5 gave a higher yield followed by Ishpahani hybrid dhan6 while BRRI dhan89 gave a lower yield compared to the hybrid varieties irrespective of the seed rate. However, a seed rate of 110 g∙tray−1 gave a significantly higher yield followed by 120 g∙tray−1 while 80 and 90 g∙tray−1 gave lower grain yield. Generally, mat type seedling of inbred rice varieties is used in Bangladesh. The determination of seed rate of hybrid rice varieties may be increased by the use of rice transplanter in mechanical transplanting of hybrid rice varieties reducing the seed loss and increasing the grain yield.
The ethanol extracts of Piper retrofractum were investigated for antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity. Hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol-induced acute hepatotoxicity was estimated in Sprague-Dawley rat. In DPPH free radical assay the root and stem extracts showed IC50 values at 133 and 91 µg/mL, respectively, while ascorbic acid at 14 µg/mL. Extracts also exhibited hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power. HPLC-DAD analysis indicated the presence of some polyphenolic compounds. Treatment of extracts significantly reduced the elevated serum levels of GPT (P < 0.01), GOT (P < 0.01) and bilirubin (P < 0.001). Both extracts restored the reduced level of total proteins and albumin. A significant increase in HDL-c but decrease in LDL-c level was observed compared to induced control. In histopathological study of liver sections, both extracts showed minimal to mild multifocal and diffuse granular degeneration and mild to moderate lobular disarray compared to control group. Results suggest that both extracts can prevent paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity.
"Rice transplanter" has brought a radical change in the method of rice seedlings transplanting in Bangladesh. The machine is gaining popularity with the increase of labor crisis during the peak period of transplanting, reduction time of in-between crops, rapid urbanization and industrialization, and changing socio-economic status of the farmers. Alternatively, the traditional way of rice transplanting is labor-intensive and involves high drudgery. Mechanical rice transplanter is cost-effective and operation-friendly. It is suitable to plant young seedlings maintaining plant to plant and line to line distance which plays an important role in increasing yield. Moreover, it is easy to take care of the crops planted in rows. It helps in maintaining soil physical properties and is considered to be better from a crop management and productivity point of view. In malignancy of having an edge over the traditional broadcasting, the adoption rate of mechanical transplanters is low due to high primary investment, lack of knowledge in growing mat type nursery, lack of repair and maintenance facility to the end-users, and unavailability of spare parts. Imparting these, available supply, entrepreneurship development, and encouraging custom hire services may be some of the practical results for adding the rice area under mechanical transplanting. This review summarizes the problems and prospects associated with seedling rice transplanting, technological gaps in the adoption of mechanical transplanters in a sustainable manner, and future ways to make transplanters more user-friendly and cost-effective.
Background Although caregiving is considered a normal phenomenon for parents, delivering care to a child with neurodevelopmental disabilities can be taxing and disastrously impact parents' quality of life (QoL). This study explored the relationship between QoL, coping strategies, and psychosocial support status of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Methodology This cross-sectional study included 906 caregivers of children having neurodevelopmental disabilities utilizing the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief and Perceived Stress Scale. A tailored questionnaire gauged coping strategies and psychosocial support. Linear regression was used to identify significant contributors. Results Most caregivers (78.8%) experienced a moderate level of stress, and their QoL scores were 14.4 (SD = 2.5) for physical health, 12.0 (SD = 2.4) for psychological health, 14.6 (SD = 1.9) for social relationships, and 12.1 (SD = 2.1) for the environment. Mothers had the lowest QoL of all caregivers. Negative influences on QoL encompassed caregiver and child age, perceived stress, and lower socioeconomic status. A higher coping score positively predicted a high health-related QoL score. Gender differences were observed in psychosocial support sources. Conclusions The study underscores the need for policymaking considering findings to develop psychosocial intervention programs for enhancing the QoL of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Diarrheal illnesses from enteric pathogens are a leading cause of death in children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Sanitation is one way to reduce the spread of enteric pathogens in the environment; however, few studies have investigated the effectiveness of sanitation in rural LMICs in reducing pathogens in the environment. In this study, we measured the impact of a sanitation intervention (dual-pit latrines, sani-scoops, child potties delivered as part of a randomized control trial, WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladeshi household compounds by assessing prevalence ratios, differences, and changes in the concentration of pathogen genes and host-specific fecal markers. We found no difference in the prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli, norovirus, or Giardia genes in the domestic environment in the sanitation and control arms. The prevalence of the human fecal marker was lower on child hands and the concentration of animal fecal marker was lower on mother hands in the sanitation arm in adjusted models, but these associations were not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. In the subset of households with ≥10 individuals per compound, the prevalence of enterotoxigenic E. coli genes on child hands was lower in the sanitation arm. Incomplete removal of child and animal feces or the compound (versus community-wide) scale of intervention could explain the limited impacts of improved sanitation.
Improved sanitation has been hypothesized to reduce soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections by reducing the prevalence and concentration of STH eggs/larvae in soil. We evaluated the effect of a randomized sanitation program (providing households with an improved dual-pit latrine, tools for child/animal feces management, and behavioral messaging) on reducing the prevalence and concentration of STH eggs in soil from household courtyards. We collected soil samples from 1405 households enrolled in the sanitation intervention (n = 419) and control (n = 914) groups of a cluster-randomized controlled trial (WASH Benefits) in rural Bangladesh approximately 2 years after the initiation of the interventions. We analyzed samples for Ascaris lumbricoides , Trichuris trichiura , and hookworm eggs by microscopy. We estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and egg count ratio (ECR) to compare the prevalence of STH eggs and arithmetic and geometric mean egg counts for STH eggs per gram of soil in the sanitation and control arms. Among intervention households, latrines achieved high and sustained user uptake by adults while child open defecation remained common and most households did not dispose of child feces hygienically. In courtyard soil from control households, the prevalence of any STH eggs was 75.7% and the prevalence of any larvated STH eggs was 67.3%. A . lumbricoides was detected in 63.0% of control samples and T . trichiura in 55.7% of control samples; hookworm was not detected in any sample. In the control arm, the arithmetic mean egg count for any STH was 3.96 eggs/dry gram, while the geometric mean was 1.58 eggs/dry gram. There was no difference between the intervention and control groups in the prevalence of any STH eggs (PR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.05)) or mean egg counts (ECR = 0.08 (95% CI: -0.10, 0.26) for geometric mean and 0.07 (95% CI: -0.22, 0.37) for arithmetic mean). Adjusted models gave similar results. A compound-level sanitation intervention that provided improved latrines and tools for disposal of child and animal feces did not have an impact on STH eggs in soil. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence and concentration of STH eggs in the environment, sustained, widespread use of sanitation strategies to isolate and hygienically dispose of child and animal feces may need to complement traditional strategies for containment of adult human feces. Trial Registration: NCT01590095 .
Hands are a route of transmission for fecal-oral pathogens. This analysis aimed to assess associations between hand E. coli contamination and child age and determine if observed hand cleanliness can serve as a proxy for E. coli contamination on young children's hands.Trained field workers collected hand rinse samples from children aged 1-14 months in 584 households in rural Bangladesh and assessed the visual cleanliness of child hands (fingernails, finger pads and palms). Samples were analyzed using the IDEXX most probable number (MPN) methodto enumerate E. coli. We assessed if child age (immobile children aged 1-4 months vs. mobile children aged 5-14 months) is associated with log10 E. coli counts on hands using generalized estimating equations (GEE). We estimated the log10 difference in hand E. coli counts associated with the cleanliness of different hand parts using a multivariable GEE model.We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for dirty fingernails, fingerpads, palms and overall hands (the three observed parts combined) against binary E. coli presence on hands.E. coli was detected on 43% of child hands. Children in the mobile age range had 0.17 log10 MPN higher E. coli on hands than those in the immobile age range (Δlog10 = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.32, p = 0.03). Children with visible dirt particles on finger pads had 0.46 log10 MPN higher E. coli on hands than those with clean finger pads (Δlog10 = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.87, p = 0.03). Dirty fingernails indicated binary E. coli presence with 81% sensitivity and 26% specificity while dirty fingerpads and palms indicated E. coli presence with 29% sensitivity and 75-77% specificity. The PPV was 45-48% and NPV 59-65% for all three types of observations.Hand contamination with E. coli was prevalent among young children in rural Bangladesh, with higher levels of contamination among mobile children. Studies should assess if strategies to remove animal feces from the courtyard, provide designated hygienic play spaces for children and deliver targeted messaging to mothers to wipe or wash children's hands after contact with animals and animal feces reduce child hand contamination. Visible hand cleanliness was a poor predictor of E. coli presence on young children's hands so other low-cost field measurements are needed to accurately detect fecal contamination on hands.
Fecal-oral pathogens are transmitted through complex, environmentally mediated pathways. Sanitation interventions that isolate human feces from the environment may reduce transmission but have shown limited impact on environmental contamination. We conducted a study in rural Bangladesh to (1) quantify domestic fecal contamination in settings with high on-site sanitation coverage; (2) determine how domestic animals affect fecal contamination; and (3) assess how each environmental pathway affects others. We collected water, hand rinse, food, soil, and fly samples from 608 households. We analyzed samples with IDEXX Quantitray for the most probable number (MPN) of E. coli. We detected E. coli in source water (25%), stored water (77%), child hands (43%), food (58%), flies (50%), ponds (97%), and soil (95%). Soil had >120 000 mean MPN E. coli per gram. In compounds with vs without animals, E. coli was higher by 0.54 log
There is limited research to determine whether vitamin B12 (B12) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation is protective against oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines and whether this effect is transferred to breastfed infants via milk. In addition, associations among maternal plasma/ milk and infant B12 status and immune function markers are poorly characterized.
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