Impact of a Homestead Food Production Program on Dietary Diversity: Seasonal and Annual Results from the Cluster-Randomized FAARM Trial in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Rice-predominant diets are common in Bangladesh, leading to widespread nutritional deficiencies. The Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Sylhet, Bangladesh evaluated a homestead food production intervention implemented 2015-2018 through Helen Keller International, aiming to improve child growth. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the intervention's impact on women's and children's dietary diversity, a secondary trial objective. METHODS: We collected dietary diversity throughout the trial (March 2015 to June 2020) at multiple times each year using standard, United Nations-endorsed, self-reported measures for women (10-food group scale) and children (7-food group scale). We included 28,282 observations of 2701 women (out of 2705 enrolled) and 17,445 observations of their 3257 children (aged 6-37 mo) in 96 settlements, 48 of which received the intervention. We estimated the intervention's impact on dietary diversity by year of intervention, overall periods following the start of the intervention, and seasonally, using multilevel regression with the control group as the counterfactual, controlling for seasonality, baseline dietary diversity, and clustering by settlement and repeated measures. RESULTS: At baseline, approximately one-third of women and children consumed a minimally diverse diet. Over the entire intervention and postintervention period, women's and children's odds of consuming a minimally diverse diet nearly doubled (odds ratio [OR] 1.8, P < 0.001, for both). This benefit was barely present in the first year, increased in the second, and peaked in the last intervention year (OR 2.4 for women, OR 2.5 for children, both P < 0.001) before settling at around double the odds in postintervention years (P < 0.001). Dietary improvement was observed throughout the year for both women and children with incremental increases in nearly all food groups. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition-sensitive agriculture intervention successfully increased dietary diversity in women and children, and these impacts persisted after the project closed, including during the early COVID 19 lockdown period. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02505711.

The role of self-efficacy in women's autonomy for health and nutrition decision-making in rural Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Agency - including the sub-domains of intrinsic agency, instrumental agency, and collective agency - is a critical component of the women's empowerment process. Self-efficacy (a component of intrinsic agency) may operate as a motivational influence for women to make choices according to their own preferences or goals, such that higher self-efficacy would be associated with more autonomous decision-making (a key component of instrumental agency). METHODS: We examine these relationships using mixed methods. We developed a series of decision-making autonomy indices, which captured alignment between the woman's reported and preferred roles in health and nutrition decisions. Using ordinal logistic regression, we assessed the relationship between generalized self-efficacy and decision-making autonomy. RESULTS: There was a consistently positive association across all categories of decision-making, controlling for a number of individual and household-level covariates. In a sub-sample of joint decision-makers (i.e., women who reported making decisions with at least one other household member), we compared the association between generalized self-efficacy (i.e., one's overall belief in their ability to succeed) and decision-making autonomy to that of domain-specific self-efficacy (i.e., one's belief in their ability to achieve a specific goal) and decision-making autonomy. Across all decision-making categories, domain-specific self-efficacy was more strongly associated with decision-making autonomy than generalized self-efficacy. In-depth interviews provided additional context for interpretation of the regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the importance of the role of self-efficacy in the women's empowerment process, even in the traditionally female-controlled areas of health and nutrition decision-making. The development of the decision-making autonomy index is an important contribution to the literature in that it directly recognizes and captures the role of women's preferences regarding participation in decision-making.

ISSR markers endorsed genetically stable plants regeneration of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) through indirect organogenesis using different explants.

BACKGROUND: Various parts of neem (Azadirachta indica) have high demand in several industries. However, the inadequate supply of sources hampers the commercialization of different neem products. In this scenario, the current research was undertaken to produce genetically stable plants through indirect organogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Several explants like shoot tips, internodal segments, and leaves, were cultivated on MS media with different growth regulators. Maximum callus formation was achieved using 1.5 mg/L NAA, 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.2 mg/L both for Kn and BAP in combination with shoot tip (93.67%). These calli showed an organogenic potentiality on MS medium having coconut water (15%) without growth regulators. This medium along with 0.5 mg/L Kn and 0.1 mg/L both for BAP and NAA yielded the maximum adventitious shoot production with shoot tip-derived callus (95.24%). These calli further produced the most buds per shoot (6.38) and highest average shoot length (5.46 cm) with 0.5 mg/L both for BAP and Kn and 0.1 mg/L NAA in combination after the fifth subculture. The 1/3 strength of MS media was found to be best along with 0.5 mg/L IBA and 0.1 mg/L Kn in combination to generate maximum root response (92.86%), roots per shoot (5.86) and longest average root length (3.84 cm). The mean plant survival after initial hardening was 83.33% which increased to 89.47% after secondary hardening. The lack of variation in ISSR markers among the regenerated trees is evidence of clonal fidelity between hardened plants. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol will accelerate the propagation of neem for utilization of its sources.

Seasonal variation in the association between household food insecurity and child undernutrition in Bangladesh: Mediating role of child dietary diversity.

Household food insecurity (HFI) and child dietary diversity (CDD) are variable across seasons. We examined seasonal variation in HFI and child undernutrition association and tested how CDD mediates this association. We analyzed data for 26,353 children aged 6-59 months drawn from nationally representative cross-sectional Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance Project data collected during 2012-2014 in Bangladesh across three seasons annually: Post-Aman harvest (January-April); Monsoon (May-August); and Post-Aus harvest (September-December). Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for individual, maternal, household and geographical characteristics reveals that children of food-insecure households were more likely than food-secure households to be stunted (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.12; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.02-1.23; p < 0.05), wasted (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.05-1.39; p < 0.01) and underweight (AOR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04-1.3; p < 0.01). CDD mediated 6.1% of the total effect of HFI on underweight. These findings varied across seasons. HFI was associated with greater odds of underweight during Monsoon (AOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.08-1.62; p < 0.01) and Post-Aus (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.06-1.37; p < 0.01) while wasting during Post-Aus (AOR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.35-2.01; p < 0.001). CDD largely mediated the total effect of HFI on underweight during the Post-Aman in 2012-2014 (23.2%). CDD largely mediated the total effect of HFI on wasting (39.7%) during Post-Aman season in 2014 and on underweight (13.7%) during the same season in 2012. These findings demonstrate that HFI is seasonally associated with child undernutrition and mediated by CDD as well in Bangladesh and seasonality and diversity should be considered while designing appropriate population-level food-based interventions to resolve child undernutrition.

Impact of a Homestead Food Production program on poultry rearing and egg consumption: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh.

Women and children in Bangladesh face high levels of micronutrient deficiencies from inadequate diets. We evaluated the impact of a Homestead Food Production (HFP) intervention on poultry production, as a pathway outcome, and women's and children's egg consumption, as secondary outcomes, as part of the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition cluster-randomized trial in Sylhet division, Bangladesh. The 3-year intervention (2015-2018) promoted home gardening, poultry rearing, and nutrition counseling. We randomly allocated 96 clusters to intervention (48 clusters; 1337 women) or control (48 clusters; 1368 women). Children < 3 years old born to participants were enrolled during the trial. We analyzed poultry production indicators, measured annually, and any egg consumption (24-h recall), measured every 2-6 months for women and their children. We conducted intention-to-treat analyses using mixed-effects logistic regression models with repeat measures, with minimal adjustment to increase precision. Poultry ownership increased by 16% points (pp) and egg production by 13 pp in the final intervention year. The intervention doubled women's odds of egg consumption in the final year (Odds Ratio [OR]: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.68-3.18), with positive effects sustained 1-year post-intervention (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.16-2.15). Children's odds of egg consumption were increased in the final year (OR: 3.04, 95% CI: 1.87-4.95). Poultry ownership was associated with women's egg consumption, accounting for 12% of the total intervention effect, but not with children's egg consumption. Our findings demonstrate that an HFP program can have longer-term positive effects on poultry production and women's and children's diets.

Impact of a homestead food production program on women's empowerment: Pro-WEAI results from the FAARM trial in Bangladesh.

Nutrition-sensitive agricultural programs have the potential to improve women's and children's nutrition, along with women's empowerment. The project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI) aims to standardize the measurement of women's agency and enable the assessment of impact over typical project timelines. Within the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Habiganj, Sylhet, Bangladesh, we examined quantitative pro-WEAI data collected from a subsample of trial participants and their husbands (n = 885) approximately four months after the end of the intervention. We evaluated the impact of a three-year homestead food production program on men's and women's agency separately by pro-WEAI domain and indicator, using multilevel logistic and linear regression. We show that women in the FAARM intervention group had levels of agency similar to men and much higher than women in the control group (Odds Ratio [OR] 7.7, p < 0.001), corresponding to better gender equity in intervention areas (OR 3.5, p < 0.001). The higher levels of agency among intervention women were driven by greater intrinsic and collective agency but not by instrumental agency. Compared to controls, more women in the intervention group found intimate partner violence unacceptable (OR 3.5, p < 0.001), had greater ownership of assets (OR 2.6, p = 0.001), better control of income (OR 1.8, p = 0.042), higher levels of group membership (OR 14.0, p < 0.001), and membership in groups they considered influential (OR 166.8, p < 0.001). Self-efficacy was greater in intervention areas for both women (OR 3.2, p < 0.001) and men (OR 2.3, p = 0.002). Our results contribute to the development of benchmarks for interpreting pro-WEAI scores across programs. Our assessment of the impact of a homestead food production program on women's agency provides additional rationale for women-led agricultural projects. We plan to build on these findings by examining the role of improved women's agency on the pathway from the intervention to nutritional impacts.

Maternal Secretor Status Affects Oral Rotavirus Vaccine Response in Breastfed Infants in Bangladesh.

Secretor status controls mucosal histo-blood group antigen expression and is associated with susceptibility to rotavirus (RV) diarrhea, with nonsecretors less susceptible to symptomatic infection. The role of breast milk secretor status on oral live-attenuated RV vaccine response in breastfed infants has not been explored. In a monovalent G1P[8] RV vaccine (Rotarix) trial in Bangladesh, RV-specific plasma immunoglobulin A antibody seroconversion rates were higher among infants of maternal nonsecretors (39%) than infants of maternal secretors (23%; P = .001). Maternal status remained a significant predictor when correcting for infant status (P = .002). Maternal secretor status should be considered when interpreting oral RV vaccine responses in low- and middle-income settings. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01375647.

Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Justicia gendarussa Leaf Extract in Carbofuran-Induced Hepatic Damage in Rats.

In folk medicines, Justicia gendarussa (J. gendarussa) is used as a depurative herb for treating fever, pain, and cancer and as laxative for constipation. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of the leaf methanol extract of J. gendarussa leaf (J gMe) against carbofuran (CF)-intoxicated liver injuries in Sprague-Dawley rats, along with the antioxidant activity of this extract. For this purpose, levels of serum diagnostic markers, hepatic antioxidant enzymes, and liver histo-architecture were employed to justify the protective efficacy of J gMe. In addition, the phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extract were quantified, and antioxidant activity was investigated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl free radical scavenging assays. Results revealed that the leaf extract caused a significant (<0.05, <0.01) decrease of the level of hepatic enzymes, triglycerides, and bilirubin and an increase of the total protein. J gMe has also significantly (<0.05, <0.01) lowered the level of malonylaldehyde. Carbofuran markedly suppressed hepatic antioxidant enzymes, however, the leaf extract significantly augmented these enzymes. The hepatoprotective effect was demonstrated by the improvement in the histo-architectural features of liver sections of CF-intoxicated rats treated with J gMe at 500 mg/kg dose. In addition, J gMe showed moderate total phenolic and total flavonoid content, whereas the IC50 values of DPPH, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl free radical scavenging assays were 71.31 ± 0.42, 134.82 ± 0.14, 47.69 ± 0.38, and 118.44 ± 0.30 µg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, the present study suggests the protective role of J gMe against hepatic injury induced by CF, which may be attributed to its higher antioxidant properties and thereby scientifically justifies its traditional use.

Gelatin controversies in food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products: Authentication methods, current status, and future challenges.

Gelatin is a highly purified animal protein of pig, cow, and fish origins and is extensively used in food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. However, the acceptability of gelatin products greatly depends on the animal sources of the gelatin. Porcine and bovine gelatins have attractive features but limited acceptance because of religious prohibitions and potential zoonotic threats, whereas fish gelatin is welcomed in all religions and cultures. Thus, source authentication is a must for gelatin products but it is greatly challenging due to the breakdown of both protein and DNA biomarkers in processed gelatins. Therefore, several methods have been proposed for gelatin identification, but a comprehensive and systematic document that includes all of the techniques does not exist. This up-to-date review addresses this research gap and presents, in an accessible format, the major gelatin source authentication techniques, which are primarily nucleic acid and protein based. Instead of presenting these methods in paragraph form which needs much attention in reading, the major methods are schematically depicted, and their comparative features are tabulated. Future technologies are forecasted, and challenges are outlined. Overall, this review paper has the merit to serve as a reference guide for the production and application of gelatin in academia and industry and will act as a platform for the development of improved methods for gelatin authentication.

Strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions for enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in Cunninghamella bainieri 2A1.

Strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions (Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(3+), Cu(2+), Ca(2+), Co(2+), and Zn(2+)) for enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in C. bainieri 2A1 was established. When cultivated in nitrogen-limited medium, the fungus produced up to 30% lipid (g/g biomass) with 12.9% (g/g lipid) GLA. However, the accumulation of lipid stopped at 48 hours of cultivation although glucose was abundant. This event occurred in parallel to the diminishing activity of malic enzyme (ME), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and ATP citrate lyase (ACL) as well as the depletion of metal ions in the medium. Reinstatement of the enzymes activities was achieved by feeding of ammonium tartrate, but no increment in the lipid content was observed. However, increment in lipid content from 32% to 50% (g/g biomass) with 13.2% GLA was achieved when simultaneous feeding of ammonium, glucose, and metal ions was carried out. This showed that the cessation of lipid accumulation was caused by diminishing activities of the enzymes as well as depletion of the metal ions in the medium. Therefore, strategic feeding of ammonium and metal ions successfully reinstated enzymes activities and enhanced GLA-rich lipid accumulation in C. bainieri 2A1.

Enhancement of antibacterial and UV protection properties of blended wool/acrylic and silk fabrics by dyeing with the extract of Mimusops elengi leaves and metal salts.

In response to the heightened awareness of infectious diseases and the growing emphasis on personal protection in daily life, the utilization of natural bioresources for textile fabric dyeing has garnered substantial research attention. This is particularly due to their ability to confer antibacterial and UV protection properties to fabrics. In this study, the dyeing properties of Mimusops elengi Linn extract, alone and mordanted, were evaluated on blended wool/acrylic and silk fabrics, along with an assessment of their antibacterial and UV protection characteristics. The dyed fabrics exhibited good color strength and color fastness. Quantitative assessment of antibacterial activity was conducted using the reduction percentage test, while UV protection properties were determined through the measurement of Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). Aqueous extract alone, when applied to blended wool/acrylic fabric, demonstrated an impressive 99.88 % reduction against Staphylococcus aureus, and 48.33 % for silk fabric, albeit less effective against Escherichia coli. Notably, when fabrics were dyed with a combination of leaves extract and various metal salt mordants, a substantial improvement in antibacterial properties was observed. Zinc and copper salts, in particular, exhibited the ability to enhance antibacterial properties to almost 100 % against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in both blended wool/acrylic and silk fabrics. Concurrently, this combination contributed to an increase in the UV protection property of both fabrics. The findings underscore the potential of plant-based natural dye for blended wool/acrylic and silk fabrics, imparting antimicrobial and UV protection properties. This has significant implications in preventing the spread of infections and skin diseases, emphasizing the vital role of such textiles in promoting health and well-being.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli P and Type 1 fimbriae act in synergy in a living host to facilitate renal colonization leading to nephron obstruction.

The progression of a natural bacterial infection is a dynamic process influenced by the physiological characteristics of the target organ. Recent developments in live animal imaging allow for the study of the dynamic microbe-host interplay in real-time as the infection progresses within an organ of a live host. Here we used multiphoton microscopy-based live animal imaging, combined with advanced surgical procedures, to investigate the role of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) attachment organelles P and Type 1 fimbriae in renal bacterial infection. A GFP+ expressing variant of UPEC strain CFT073 and genetically well-defined isogenic mutants were microinfused into rat glomerulus or proximal tubules. Within 2 h bacteria colonized along the flat squamous epithelium of the Bowman's capsule despite being exposed to the primary filtrate. When facing the challenge of the filtrate flow in the proximal tubule, the P and Type 1 fimbriae appeared to act in synergy to promote colonization. P fimbriae enhanced early colonization of the tubular epithelium, while Type 1 fimbriae mediated colonization of the center of the tubule via a mechanism believed to involve inter-bacterial binding and biofilm formation. The heterogeneous bacterial community within the tubule subsequently affected renal filtration leading to total obstruction of the nephron within 8 h. Our results reveal the importance of physiological factors such as filtration in determining bacterial colonization patterns, and demonstrate that the spatial resolution of an infectious niche can be as small as the center, or periphery, of a tubule lumen. Furthermore, our data show how secondary physiological injuries such as obstruction contribute to the full pathophysiology of pyelonephritis.

A standardized protocol for genetically stable artificial seed production of Ficus religiosa L. using ISSR fingerprinting.

Ficus religiosa LQuery. has several ornamental, medicinal, and economical applications. The in vivo propagation of this species has shown various limitations. Due to this reason, the present study efforts on genetically uniform artificial seed production from in vitro developed shoot tips of this species. The in vivo shoot tips were cultivated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing different growth regulators. The maximum shoot response (93.67%) and the longest shoot length (3.85 cm) were exhibited with 0.5 mg L-1 6-furfuryl-amino purine (Kn), 0.2 mg L-1 benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg L-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in combination. A treatment of 3% sodium alginate and 75 mM calcium chloride having a polymerization time of 15 min was exhibited to be superior for artificial seed production of these in vitro grown shoot tips. Artificial seed-derived micro shoots yielded the highest root response (94.44%) and roots per shoot (4.61) with 0.5 mg L-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 0.1 mg L-1 BA in combination on ½-strength MS media. In comparison to 4 °C-kept artificial seeds, 24 °C-stored artificial seeds had superior germination potential across all storage times. The soil:organic manure (1:1) generated 90% of plantlet survival after 28 days of primary hardening than other mixtures tested. The secondary hardening displayed 92% of plant survival after 60 days. The banding patterns of ISSR analysis between the mother plant and hardened plants were discovered to be monomorphic. This methodology provides a promising and affordable approach to the large-scale plant production of this significant species.

Flame-Retardance Functionalization of Jute and Jute-Cotton Fabrics.

Jute is a ligno-cellulosic natural fiber that ranks second in terms of the volume of cellulosic fibers and is extensively utilized for technical textile applications. The goal of this study is to determine the flame-retardance (FR) properties of pure Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics treated with Pyrovatex CP New at concentrations of 90% (owf), M:L: 1:7. Both fabrics exhibited a substantial improvement in flame-retardancy. After the ignition period, the recorded flame spread time in both FR treated fabrics was zero seconds; whereas for untreated Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics, the flame spread time was measured 21 s and 28 s, respectively, to burn their entire length (15 cm). Within these flame-spread times, the length of the char was 2.1 cm and 2.57 cm in the Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics, respectively. After FR finishing, on both fabrics in the warp and weft directions, the physico-mechanical properties significantly decreased. The deposition of flame-retardant finishes on the fabric surface was determined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. According to Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, the flame-retardant chemical had no effect on the inherent properties of the fibers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis revealed that FR treated fabrics had early degradation, resulting in the formation of more char than in the untreated samples. After FR treatment, both fabrics showed a significant improvement in residual mass (more than 50%). Although the formaldehyde content observed in the FR treated samples was significantly greater, it was still within the permitted limit formaldehyde content in textiles intended for outerwear and not worn next to the skin. The results of this investigation demonstrate the potential use of Pyrovatex CP New in jute-based materials.

Thalassemia and hemoglobinopathy prevalence in a community-based sample in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Inherited blood disorders affect 7% of the population worldwide, with higher prevalences in countries in the "thalassemia belt," which includes Bangladesh. Clinical management options for severely affected individuals are expensive; thus, targeted government policies are needed to support prevention and treatment programs. In Bangladesh, there is a lack of data, in particular community-based estimates, to determine population prevalence. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of a wide range of hemoglobinopathies and their associations with anemia in a community-based sample of women and young children in rural Sylhet, Bangladesh. METHODS: Capillary blood samples from 900 reproductive-aged women and 395 children (aged 6-37 months) participating in the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) trial in two sub-districts of Habiganj, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh were analyzed for alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia, and other hemoglobinopathies. We examined the association of each inherited blood disorder with hemoglobin concentration and anemia using linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified at least one inherited blood disorder in 11% of women and 10% of children. Alpha thalassemia was most prevalent, identified in 7% of women and 5% of children, followed by beta thalassemia and hemoglobin E in 2-3%. We also identified cases of hemoglobin S and hemoglobin D in this population. Having any of the identified inherited blood disorders was associated with lower hemoglobin values among non-pregnant women, largely driven by alpha and beta thalassemia. Pregnant women with beta thalassemia were also more likely to have lower hemoglobin concentrations. Among children, we found weak evidence for a relationship between hemoglobinopathy and lower hemoglobin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of alpha thalassemia among both women and children in rural Sylhet, Bangladesh-higher than all other identified hemoglobinopathies combined. Community-based estimates of alpha thalassemia prevalence in Bangladesh are scarce, yet our findings suggest that alpha thalassemia may comprise the majority of inherited blood disorders in some regions of the country. We recommend that future research on inherited blood disorders in Bangladesh include estimates of alpha thalassemia in their reporting for public health awareness and to facilitate couples  counseling.

Association of access to water, sanitation and handwashing facilities with undernutrition of children below 5 years of age in Bangladesh: evidence from two population-based, nationally representative surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between household access to water, sanitation and handwashing (WaSH) facilities and child undernutrition in Bangladesh. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of children less than 5 years using data collected from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and the 2017-2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). OUTCOME MEASURES: Stunting, wasting and underweight, defined as a Z-score <-2 SD for height-for-age, weight-for-height and weight-for-age, respectively. We applied hierarchical multiple binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 30 514 children 0-59 months, there was a high prevalence of child undernutrition (MICS: 28.0% stunted, 9.8% wasted, 22.6% underweight; BDHS: 30.8% stunted, 8.4% wasted, 21.7% underweight). Most children came from households lacking basic sanitation (MICS: 39.1%, BDHS: 55.3%) or handwashing facilities (MICS: 43.8%, BDHS: 62.6%). Children from households without access to WaSH facilities experienced the highest rates of undernutrition. Exposure-specific adjusted logistic regression models showed that a lack of access to improved water sources was associated with greater odds of wasting (MICS: adjusted OR (AOR) 1.36, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.85, p<0.05); basic sanitation facility with higher rates of stunting (MICS: 1.13, 1.04 to 1.23, p<0.01) and underweight (BDHS: 1.18, 1.02 to 1.37, p<0.05); and a lack of handwashing facilities with stunting (BDHS: 1.27, 1.10 to 1.48, p<0.01) and underweight (MICS: 1.10, 1.01 to 1.19, p<0.05). In fully adjusted models, no basic sanitation facility was associated with higher odds of stunting (MICS: AOR 1.12, 1.03 to 1.22, p<0.01) and a lack of handwashing facilities with higher odds of underweight (BDHS: AOR 1.30, 1.10 to 1.54, p<0.01;MICS: AOR 1.09, 1.01 to 1.19, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate a significant association between poor household WaSH facilities and high prevalence of child undernutrition. Improving WaSH may help reduce child undernutrition in Bangladesh.

Effect of a Homestead Food Production Program on the Prevalence of Diarrhea and Acute Respiratory Infection in Children in Sylhet, Bangladesh: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Diarrhea and respiratory illness are leading causes of mortality and morbidity among young children. We assessed the impact of a homestead food production intervention on diarrhea and acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children in Bangladesh, secondary outcomes of the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) cluster-randomized trial. The trial enrolled 2,705 married women and their children 3 years or younger in 96 rural settlements (geographic clusters) in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. The intervention promoted home gardening and poultry rearing alongside child nutrition and health counseling over 3 years (2015-2018). An 8-month food hygiene behavior change component using emotional drivers was delivered beginning in mid-2017. Caregiver-reported diarrhea and symptoms of ARI in the week preceding the survey were recorded every 2 months. We analyzed 32,460 observations of 3,276 children over 4 years and found that 3.9% of children had diarrhea and 3.4% had an ARI in the prior 7 days. There was no overall effect of the intervention on 7-day diarrhea period prevalence (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.71-1.19), diarrhea point prevalence (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.78-1.36), or 7-day ARI period prevalence (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.88-1.60). There was no impact on diarrhea severity or differences in health-seeking behaviors. Our findings suggest that this homestead food production program was insufficient to reduce morbidity symptoms among children in a rural setting. More comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene measures, and behavioral recommendations may be needed to achieve impacts on child health.

Sex-related Differences of Excoecaria agallocha L. with a View to Defence and Growth.

Excoecaria agallocha is a dioecious mangrove species, reported to have various medicinal properties. This study compares the gender-related biological activities between the sexes of E. agallocha in accordance with morpho-biochemical parameters which indicate their fitness over various environmental stresses as well as some information about the investment of their resources over defence and growth. For this investigation, mature sun leaves of E. agallocha were collected from each sex from three different ecological regions like Bokkhali, Jharkhali, and Kolkata, West Bengal. The comparative study found that leaf of female plants yielded more compounds than males and also resulted in higher anti-bacterial, reducing power, total antioxidant, and lipid peroxidation activities. Female leaves also showed higher concentrations of biochemical constituents like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids, total phenolic compounds and total protein content than male leaves. However, leaf area of all-male leaves in all sites was found to be greater than female leaves. The differences in growth rate and secondary metabolite content-based defences between sexes suggest that females invest resources in defences or resistance (Relative electrolytic leakages and TBARS content), whereas male invests their resources in growth (Leaf area) or tolerance. The present study strongly suggests that the female plant's yields are more beneficial in terms of medicinal properties as compared to the male plant.

Clonal fidelity investigation of micropropagated hardened plants of jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) with RAPD markers.

BACKGROUND: Artocarpus heterophyllus is an important tropical agroforestry species that bears multiple applications. However, the population of this species is reduced due to various anthropogenic activities. For this reason, in vitro approach is needed to propagate or conserve this species as in vivo propagation methods face various obstacles. In this respect, the present investigation was undertaken to produce genetically stable jackfruit trees through in vitro technology. In vivo grew shoot tips were harvested on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing several plant growth regulators to achieve this. RESULTS: The 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at the concentration of 1.5 mg L-1, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at 0.5 mg L-1, and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 0.1 mg L-1 in combination on MS media yielded superior shoot response (94.44%), longest shoot length (4.02 cm), and the maximum number of shoots per explant (4.78). They were further multiplied by repeated subculturing on the same media composition and the third subculture resulted in a maximum number of shoots (5.92) with the largest shoot length (5.85 cm). Among the different media screened for rooting, the » MS media yielded 94.44% rooting response, the longest root length (3.78 cm), and the maximum number of roots per shoot (8.44) with 0.1 mg L-1 NAA, 0.5 mg L-1 IBA and 0.1 mg L-1 BAP in combination. Primary hardening showed 88.89% of plant survival under greenhouse conditions after 4 weeks of incubation having a sterilized mixture of garden soil and vermiculite mixture (1:1, w/w). It increased to 90.60% after the secondary hardening process in a vermiculite-soil mixture (2:1; w/w). No polymorphism was detected on random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling between the mother plant and hardened plants, indicating high genetic stability among the clones. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the genetic fidelity study of in vitro grown regenerants of A. heterophyllus. This study established a micropropagation protocol for genetically uniform in vitro regeneration of this species to supply plant resources to various industries or conservation of elite germplasm.

Data describing the eco-physiological responses of Elaeagnus angustifolia grown under contrasting regime of water and fertilizer in coal-mined spoils.

To improve our understanding of how coal mining areas can be re-vegetated and ecosystem function restored, we examined the potential effects of five water (W) regimes (40, 50, 60, 70 and 80% of field capacity), five nitrogen (N) (0, 24, 60, 96 and 120 mg kg‒1 soil) and five phosphorus (P) fertilizer doses (0, 36, 90, 144 and 180 mg kg‒1 soil), which control the growth and development of Elaeagnus angustifolia under adverse environmental conditions. To optimize the W-N-P application rate, three factors and five levels of central composite design along with an optimization technique named response surface methodology were utilized. Here we provide data on root-shoot biomass ratio, leaf dry matter content, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, membrane stability index and soluble protein content of E. angustifolia. The data described in this article are available in Mendeley Data, DOI: 10.17632/2vfbrdxyf2.2[1]. These data could be used to evaluate the improvement in growth performance of E. angustifolia subjected to various regimes of W, N and P. This dataset showed that E. angustifolia grew optimally in coal-mine spoils when irrigated at 66% of field capacity and supplemented with 74.0 mg N and 36.0 mg P kg‒1 soil. This could considerably help the success of revegetation in coal-mined degraded arid areas where W is scarce. This article contains data complementary to the main research entitled "Fine-tuning of soil water and nutrient fertilizer levels for the ecological restoration of coal-mined spoils using Elaeagnus angustifolia" in the Journal of Environmental Management (Roy et al., 2020).