Balancing economic and ecological functions in smallholder and industrial oil palm plantations.

The expansion of the oil palm industry in Indonesia has improved livelihoods in rural communities, but comes at the cost of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Here, we investigated ways to balance ecological and economic outcomes of oil palm cultivation. We compared a wide range of production systems, including smallholder plantations, industrialized company estates, estates with improved agronomic management, and estates with native tree enrichment. Across all management types, we assessed multiple indicators of biodiversity, ecosystem functions, management, and landscape structure to identify factors that facilitate economic-ecological win-wins, using palm yields as measure of economic performance. Although, we found that yields in industrialized estates were, on average, twice as high as those in smallholder plantations, ecological indicators displayed substantial variability across systems, regardless of yield variations, highlighting potential for economic-ecological win-wins. Reducing management intensity (e.g., mechanical weeding instead of herbicide application) did not lower yields but improved ecological outcomes at moderate costs, making it a potential measure for balancing economic and ecological demands. Additionally, maintaining forest cover in the landscape generally enhanced local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning within plantations. Enriching plantations with native trees is also a promising strategy to increase ecological value without reducing productivity. Overall, we recommend closing yield gaps in smallholder cultivation through careful intensification, whereas conventional plantations could reduce management intensity without sacrificing yield. Our study highlights various pathways to reconcile the economics and ecology of palm oil production and identifies management practices for a more sustainable future of oil palm cultivation.

Results of a nationally representative seroprevalence survey of chikungunya virus in Bangladesh.

There is an increasing global burden from chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Bangladesh reported a major epidemic in 2017, however, it was unclear if there had been prior widespread transmission. We conducted a nationally representative seroprevalence survey in 70 randomly selected communities immediately prior to the epidemic. We found 69/2,938 (2.4%) of sampled individuals were seropositive to CHIKV. Being seropositive to dengue virus (aOR 3.13 [95% CIs: 1.86-5.27]), male sex (aOR 0.59 [95% CIs: 0.36-0.99]), and community presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (aOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.05-3.07) were significantly associated with CHIKV seropositivity. Using a spatial prediction model, we estimated that across the country, 4.99 (95% CI: 4.89 - 5.08) million people had been previously infected. These findings highlight high population susceptibility prior to the major outbreak and that previous outbreaks must have been spatially isolated.

(R)-(-)-Xanthorrhizol Inhibits the Migration and Invasion of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Suppressing Matrix Metalloproteinases via the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

(R)-(-)-xanthorrhizol is a bioactive sesquiterpenoid and major chemical constituent of Curcuma zanthorrhiza rhizomes. It was reported to have many pharmacological activities including nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, antiplatelet, estrogenic, and antiestrogenic properties. (R)-(-)-xanthorrhizol was also investigated for antiproliferative activity against many cancer cells including breast, lung, liver, ovarian, and colon cancer. It was also revealed to have a potential effect on TNBC cells MDA-MB-231. Considering the previous studies, this study has aimed to investigate the antimigratory and anti-invasive properties, as well as the possible molecular mechanisms, behind these properties. The findings of (R)-(-)-xanthorrhizol on MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasion demonstrated significant inhibition at three different concentrations in a concentration-dependent manner, which was observed in the scratch, transwell migration, and invasion assays. Further investigation of the molecular mechanism using gelatin zymography revealed that (R)-(-)-xanthorrhizol prevented cell migration and invasion of breast cancer cells through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression. Western blot analysis indicated that the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases is possibly the result of the inhibition of phosphorylation in the NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings corroborate (R)-(-)-xanthorrhizol to proceed for the further studies as a possible future drug candidate for cancer patients.

Retention of survival swimming skills among SwimSafe graduates in rural communities of Bangladesh: Results from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is the leading cause of death among children in rural Bangladesh. While survival swimming for children ages 6 years and above is recommended in low-income and middle-income countries, research into the long-term retention of survival swimming skills is absent. METHODS: The retention of four survival swimming skills, including swimming for 25 m, floating/treading for 30 s, reach rescue skills and throw rescue skills, was observed among those trained under the SwimSafe programme more than 10 years ago. Information about the practice of survival swimming skills among SwimSafe graduates and whether they recommended such lessons for others was also collected through surveys. A multistage sampling strategy was used. Descriptive statistics on the retention of survival swimming skills and other variables and ORs from logistic regression analysis were reported. RESULTS: A total of 3603 SwimSafe graduates were observed. The retention of swimming and floating/treading skills was 88.4% and 89.7%, respectively, and that of swimming and floating/treading skills combined was 84.2%. While 87.7% of the graduates retained reach rescue skills, the retention of throw rescue skills was lower (71.9%). Approximately 60.6% of the graduates retained all four survival swimming skills. The majority of the graduates (70.3%) rarely practised swimming following graduation. Overall, 61.7% of the graduates recommended other children to learn survival swimming skills. CONCLUSION: The majority of the SwimSafe graduates retained swimming and floating/treading skills for over 10 years despite minimal practice. Retention of throw rescue skills was lower. Therefore, refresher training and awareness campaigns focused on survival swimming skills are recommended.

Monitoring drug-target interactions through target engagement-mediated amplification on arrays and in situ.

Drugs are designed to bind their target proteins in physiologically relevant tissues and organs to modulate biological functions and elicit desirable clinical outcomes. Information about target engagement at cellular and subcellular resolution is therefore critical for guiding compound optimization in drug discovery, and for probing resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies in clinical samples. We describe a target engagement-mediated amplification (TEMA) technology, where oligonucleotide-conjugated drugs are used to visualize and measure target engagement in situ, amplified via rolling-circle replication of circularized oligonucleotide probes. We illustrate the TEMA technique using dasatinib and gefitinib, two kinase inhibitors with distinct selectivity profiles. In vitro binding by the dasatinib probe to arrays of displayed proteins accurately reproduced known selectivity profiles, while their differential binding to fixed adherent cells agreed with expectations from expression profiles of the cells. We also introduce a proximity ligation variant of TEMA to selectively investigate binding to specific target proteins of interest. This form of the assay serves to improve resolution of binding to on- and off-target proteins. In conclusion, TEMA has the potential to aid in drug development and clinical routine by conferring valuable insights in drug-target interactions at spatial resolution in protein arrays, cells and in tissues.

Widely Varying Kondo and Magnetic Interactions in Molecule Gold Nanostructured Materials by Changing the Gold Nanoarchitecture.

Delocalized-localized electron interactions are central to strongly correlated electron phenomena. Here, we study the Kondo effect, a prototypical strongly correlated phenomena, in a tunable fashion using gold nanostructures (nanoparticle, NP, and nanoshell, NS) + molecule cross-linkers (butanedithiol, BDT). NP films exhibit hallmark signatures of the Kondo effect, including (1) a log temperature resistance upturn as temperature decreases in a metallic regime, and (2) zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBCPs) that are well fit by a Frota function near a percolation insulator transition, previously used to model Kondo peaks observed using tunnel junctions. Remarkably, NP + NS films exhibit ZBCPs that persist to >220 K, i.e., >10-fold higher than that in NP films. Magnetic measurements reveal that moments in NP powders align, and in NS powders, they antialign at low temperatures. Based on these observations, we propose a mechanism in which varying such material nanobuilding blocks can modify electron-electron interactions to such a large degree.

CytoDirect: A Nucleic Acid Nanodevice for Specific and Efficient Delivery of Functional Payloads to the Cytoplasm.

Direct and efficient delivery of functional payloads such as chemotherapy drugs, siRNA, or small-molecule inhibitors into the cytoplasm, bypassing the endo/lysosomal trapping, is a challenging task for intracellular medicine. Here, we take advantage of the programmability of DNA nanotechnology to develop a DNA nanodevice called CytoDirect, which incorporates disulfide units and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) affibodies into a DNA origami nanostructure, enabling rapid cytosolic uptake into targeted cancer cells and deep tissue penetration. We further demonstrated that therapeutic oligonucleotides and small-molecule chemotherapy drugs can be easily delivered by CytoDirect and showed notable effects on gene knockdown and cell apoptosis, respectively. This study demonstrates the synergistic effect of disulfide and HER2 affibody modifications on the rapid cytosolic delivery of DNA origami and its payloads to targeted cells and deep tissues, thereby expanding the delivery capabilities of DNA nanostructures in a new direction for disease treatment.

Self-Assembly of Hybrid Peptide-DNA Nanostructures using Homotrimeric Coiled-Coil/Nucleic Acid Building Blocks.

Peptides and DNA are two of the most commonly used self-assembling biological molecules for the construction of nanomaterials. However, there are only a few examples that combine these two self-assembly motifs as key structural elements in a nanostructure. We report on the synthesis of a peptide-DNA conjugate that self-assembles into a stable homotrimer based on the coiled-coil motif. The hybrid peptide-DNA trimer was then used as a novel three-way junction to link together either small DNA tile nanostructures, or to close up a triangular wireframe DNA structure. The resulting nanostructures were characterized by atomic force microscopy, and compared with a scrambled, non-assembling peptide as a control. These hybrid nanostructures enable the integration of peptide motifs and potentially bio-functionality with DNA nanostructures, and open the door to novel nano-materials that have the advantages of both molecules.

Modulation of GABA by sodium butyrate ameliorates hypothalamic inflammation in experimental model of PCOS.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a known endocrine disorder that has affected many women of childbearing age, and is accompanied by various neurodegenerative conditions. Hence, this study investigates the impact of butyrate in reversing hypothalamic-related disorder, possibly through γ aminobutyric acid (GABA) in a rat model of PCOS. Eight-week-old female Wistar rats were allotted into four groups (n = 5), which include control, butyrate, letrozole, and letrozole + butyrate groups. PCOS was induced by administering 1 mg/kg of letrozole (oral gavage) for 21 days. After confirmation of PCOS, 200 mg/kg of butyrate (oral gavage) was administered for 6 weeks. Rats with PCOS were characterized by elevated levels of plasma insulin and testosterone. Increases in plasma and hypothalamic triglyceride levels, inflammatory biomarker (SDF-1), apoptotic marker (caspase-6), and decreased plasma GnRH were observed. Additionally, a decrease in hypothalamic GABA was revealed. Nevertheless, the administration of butyrate attenuated these alterations. The present study suggests that butyrate ameliorates hypothalamic inflammation in an experimental model of PCOS, a beneficial effect that is accompanied by enhanced GABA production.

Composition of Anopheles species and bionomic characteristics over the peak malaria transmission season in Bandarban, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Joint efforts by government and non-government organizations have helped to reduce malaria in Bangladesh and set the country on a clear path to eventual malaria elimination. However, achieving that goal would be challenging without a comprehensive understanding of vector bionomics. METHODS: Targeted capturing of Anopheles mosquitoes over a rainy season, utilizing specific sampling methods, including human landing catches (HLCs), CDC-light traps (CDC-LTs), and pyrethrum spray catches (PSCs) were aimed to characterize entomological drivers of transmission in four sites of Bandarban, Bangladesh. RESULTS: Molecular characterization of a subset of 4637 mosquitoes has demonstrated the presence of at least 17 species whose capture rates were representative of the rainy season. Species compositions and bionomic traits did not vary between sites with Anopheles maculatus having the highest landing rate by HLCs and Anopheles vagus having the highest capture rate with CDC-LTs. Interestingly, Anopheles species compositions and capture rates varied significantly (p < 0.05) for An. vagus, between HLCs and its often-used proxy-CDC-LTs- suggesting impacts on downstream analysis. CDC-LTs capture rates demonstrated differing compositions with indoor and outdoor biting rates. For example, Anopheles nigerrimus and Anopheles nivipes were more endophagic by HLCs and more exophagic by CDC-LTs. The use of a cow-baited CDC-LT also demonstrated significantly different results when compared to a human-baited CDC-LT considering the high degree of anthropophily in these species. The exception to both zoophily and indoor resting was An. vagus, which demonstrated both anthropophily and high resting rates indoors-pointing to this species being a possible primary vector at this site. CONCLUSION: A diverse Anopheles fauna in Bandarban has been confirmed through molecular methods, highlighting the potential impact of sampling techniques. Given the complexity of the local ecosystem, a better understanding of mosquito behaviour and ecology is required to achieve the goal of malaria elimination in Bangladesh.

Women's autonomy in healthcare decision making: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Although there are calls for women's empowerment and gender equity globally, there are still large disparities regarding women's autonomy in healthcare decision making. The autonomy of women is believed to be crucial in improving their health-related outcomes. This review discusses factors that influence autonomy among women in healthcare decision making. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from 2017-2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The inclusion criteria include original articles, case studies and reports that has been written in the English Language, while manuscripts with no full article, reviews, newspaper reports, grey literatures, and articles that did not answer the review objectives were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We carried out data extraction using a standardized data extraction form, that has been organized using Microsoft Excel. A narrative synthesis was carried out to combine the findings of all included articles. RESULTS: A total of 70 records were identified and 18 were reviewed, yielding eight articles to be included in the accepted list of studies. All studies were conducted in developing countries and most of the studies were cross sectional. Factors that were associated with women's autonomy in healthcare decision making were age, women's education and occupation, husbands'/partners' education and occupation, residential location or region of residence, household wealth index as well as culture and religion. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of these factors may help stakeholders in improving women's autonomy in healthcare decision making. Policymakers play a crucial role in healthcare decision making by enacting laws and policies that protect women's rights, promoting gender-sensitive healthcare services, ensuring access to comprehensive information, promoting health education, and supporting vulnerable populations. These efforts ensure women's autonomy including able to access to unbiased and effective healthcare services.

Early Financial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Hospitals.

GOAL: The COVID-19 pandemic has left a significant impact on hospitals' operations, expenses, and revenues. However, little is known about the pandemic's financial impact on rural and urban hospitals. Our main objective was to analyze how hospital profitability changed during the first year of the pandemic. We specifically studied the association between COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations and county-level variables with operating margins (OMs) and total margins (TMs). METHODS: We obtained data from Medicare Cost Reports, the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) for 2012-2020. Our final dataset consisted of an unbalanced panel with 17,510 observations for urban hospitals and 17,876 observations for rural hospitals. We estimated separate hospital fixed-effects models for urban and rural hospitals' OMs and TMs. The fixed-effects models controlled for time-invariant differences across hospitals. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In our review of the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural and urban hospitals' profits as well as trends in OMs and TMs from 2012 to 2020, we found that OMs were inversely related to the duration of hospitals' exposure to infections in urban and rural locations. In contrast, TMs and hospitals' exposures had a positive relationship. Government relief funds, a source of nonoperating revenue, apparently allowed most hospitals to avoid financial distress from the pandemic. We also found a positive relationship between the magnitude of weekly adult hospitalizations and OMs in urban and rural hospitals. Size, participation in group purchasing organizations (GPOs), and occupancy rates were positively related to OMs, with size and participation in GPOs relating to scale economies and occupancy rates reflecting capital efficiencies. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Hospitals' OMs have been declining since 2014. The pandemic made this decline worse, especially for rural hospitals. Federal relief funds, along with investment income, helped hospitals remain financially solvent during the pandemic. However, investment income and temporary federal aid are insufficient to sustain financial well-being. Executives need to explore cost-saving opportunities such as joining a GPO. Small rural hospitals with low occupancy and low community COVID-19 hospitalization rates have been particularly vulnerable to the financial impact of the pandemic. Although federal relief funds have limited hospital financial distress induced by the pandemic, we maintain that the funds should have been more effectively targeted, as the mean TM increased to its highest level in a decade. The disparate results of our analysis of OMs and TMs illustrate the utility of using multiple measures of profitability.

Compounds from the Petroleum Ether Extract of Wedelia chinensis with Cytotoxic, Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities.

Wedelia chinensis is a folk medicine used in many Asian countries to treat various ailments. Earlier investigations reported that the petroleum ether extract of the plant has potential biological activity, but the compounds responsible for activity are not yet completely known. Therefore, the current work was designed to isolate and characterize the compounds from the petroleum ether extract and to study their bioactivities. Four compounds including two diterepenes (-) kaur-16α-hydroxy-19-oic acid (1) and (-) kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (2), and two steroids ß-sitosterol (3), and cholesta-5,23-dien-3-ol (4) were isolated and characterized. Among the compounds, the diterpenes were found to have more biological activities than the steroidal compounds. Compound 1 showed the highest cytotoxicity with LC50 of 12.42 ± 0.87 µg/mL. Likewise, it possesses good antioxidant activity in terms of reducing power. On the contrary, compound 2 exerted the highest antiacetylcholinesterase and antibutyrylcholinesterase activity. Both the diterpenes showed almost similar antibacterial and antifungal activity. The identification of diterpenoid and steroid compounds with multifunctional activities suggests that W. chinensis may serve as an important source of bioactive compounds which should be further investigated in animal model for therapeutic potential in the treatment of different chronic diseases.

Were hospitals with sustained high performance more successful at reducing mortality during the pandemic's second wave?

BACKGROUND: In 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Variation in COVID-19 patient outcomes between hospitals was later reported. PURPOSE: This study aims to determine whether sustainers-hospitals with sustained high performance on Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Total Performance Score (HVBP-TPS)-more effectively responded to the pandemic and therefore had better patient outcomes. METHODOLOGY: We calculated hospital-specific risk-standardized event rates using deidentified patient-level data from the UnitedHealth Group Clinical Discovery Database. HVBP-TPS from 2016 to 2019 were obtained from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Hospital characteristics were obtained from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database (2019), and county-level predictors were obtained from the Area Health Resource File. We use a repeated-measures regression model assuming an AR(1) type correlation structure to test whether sustainers had lower mortality rates than nonsustainers during the first wave (spring 2020) and the second wave (October to December 2020) of the pandemic. RESULTS: Sustainers did not have significantly lower COVID-19 mortality rates during the first wave of the pandemic, but they had lower COVID-19 mortality rates during the second wave compared to nonsustainers. Larger hospitals, teaching hospitals, and hospitals with higher occupancy rates had higher mortality rates. CONCLUSION: During the first wave of the pandemic, mortality rates did not differ between sustainers and nonsustainers. However, sustainers had lower mortality rates than nonsustainers in the second wave, most likely because of their knowledge management capabilities and existing structures and resources that enable them to develop new processes and routines to care for patients in times of crisis. Therefore, a consistently high level of performance over the years on HVBP-TPS is associated with high levels of performance on COVID-19 patient outcomes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Investing in identifying the knowledge, processes, and resources that foster the dynamic capabilities needed to achieve superior performance in HVBP might enable hospitals to utilize these capabilities to adapt more effectively to future changes and uncertainty.

Economics of field size and shape for autonomous crop machines.

Field size and shape constrain spatial and temporal management of agriculture with implications for farm profitability, field biodiversity and environmental performance. Large, conventional equipment struggles to farm small, irregularly shaped fields efficiently. The study hypothesized that autonomous crop machines would make it possible to farm small, non-rectangular fields profitably, thereby preserving field biodiversity and other environmental benefits. Using the experience of the Hands Free Hectare (HFH) demonstration project, this study developed algorithms to estimate field times (h/ha) and field efficiency (%) subject to field size and shape in grain-oil-seed farms of the United Kingdom using four different equipment sets. Results show that field size and shape had a substantial impact on technical and economic performance of all equipment sets, but autonomous machines were able to farm small 1 ha rectangular and non-rectangular fields profitably. Small fields with equipment of all sizes and types required more time, but for HFH equipment sets field size and shape had least impact. Solutions of HFH linear programming model show that autonomous machines decreased wheat production cost by €15/ton to €29/ton and €24/ton to €46/ton for small rectangular and non-rectangular fields respectively, but larger 112 kW and 221 kW equipment with human operators was not profitable for small fields. Sensitivity testing shows that the farms using autonomous machines adapted easily and profitably to scenarios with increasing wage rates and reduced labour availability, whilst farms with conventional equipment struggled. Technical and economic feasibility in small fields imply that autonomous machines could facilitate biodiversity and improve environmental performance. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11119-023-10016-w.

Sensitive Protein Detection Using Site-Specifically Oligonucleotide-Conjugated Nanobodies.

High-quality affinity probes are critical for sensitive and specific protein detection, in particular for detection of protein biomarkers in the early phases of disease development. Proximity extension assays (PEAs) have been used for high-throughput multiplexed protein detection of up to a few thousand different proteins in one or a few microliters of plasma. Clonal affinity reagents can offer advantages over the commonly used polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) in terms of reproducibility and standardization of such assays. Here, we explore nanobodies (Nbs) as an alternative to pAbs as affinity reagents for PEA. We describe an efficient site-specific approach for preparing high-quality oligo-conjugated Nb probes via enzyme coupling using Sortase A (SrtA). The procedure allows convenient removal of unconjugated affinity reagents after conjugation. The purified high-grade Nb probes were used in PEA, and the reactions provided an efficient means to select optimal pairs of binding reagents from a group of affinity reagents. We demonstrate that Nb-based PEA (nano-PEA) for interleukin-6 (IL6) detection can augment assay performance, compared to the use of pAb probes. We identify and validate Nb combinations capable of binding in pairs without competition for IL6 antigen detection by PEA.

Ultra-compact hybrid silicon:chalcogenide waveguide temperature sensor.

We demonstrate a real-time, reusable, and reversible integrated optical sensor for temperature monitoring within harsh environments. The sensor architecture combines the phase change property of chalcogenide glasses (ChG) with the high-density integration advantages of high index silicon waveguides. To demonstrate sensor feasibility, ChG composition Ge40S60, which is characterized by a sharp phase transition from amorphous to crystalline phase around 415 °C, is deposited over a 50 µm section of a single mode optical waveguide. The phase transition changes the behavior of Ge40S60 from a low loss to high loss material, thus significantly affecting the hybrid waveguide loss around the phase transition temperature. A transmission power drop of over 40dB in the crystalline phase compared to the amorphous phase is experimentally measured. Moreover, we recover the amorphous phase through the application of an electrical pulse, thus showing the reversible nature of our compact temperature sensor. Through integrating multiple compositions of ChG with well-defined phases transition temperatures over a silicon waveguide array, it is possible to determine, in real-time, the temperature evolution within a harsh environment, such as within a nuclear reactor cladding.

Organophosphorus insecticides mineralizing endophytic and rhizospheric soil bacterial consortium influence eggplant growth-promotion.

This study was aimed to evaluate eggplant's growth-enhancing activity of chlorpyrifos and diazinon-degrading endophytic and rhizospheric soil bacteria isolated from cauliflower and tomato roots and the rhizospheric soil of rice roots, respectively. The identified endophytes belong to the Acinetobacter, Enterobacter and Klebsiella genera, while rhizospheric soil isolates belong to Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Kosakonia, Morganella, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella genera with species variation and genetic distances. All the strain's consumed 100% (50 mg/5 mL) chlorpyrifos and diazinon after 14 days of exposure, except for Pantoea sp. HSTU-Sny4 (84%) and Kosakonia sp. HSTU-ASn39 (42%). The strain's exhibited N-fixation, P-solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and ACC-deaminase production capabilities. The individual strain's and consortium treatment enhanced eggplant growth at germination, seedling, vegetative and reproductive stages. Plant growth-promoting genes, e.g., nif-cluster, chemotaxis, phosphates, sulfur, abiotic stress, chemotaxis, biofilm formation and organophosphorus insecticide-degrading genes were annotated in Klebsiella sp. HSTU-Sny5 and Morganella sp. HSTU-ASny43 genomes. Importantly, the mixed consortium supplemented with 40% urea-treated eggplants demonstrated similar growth parameters compared to the 100% urea eggplants. Plenty of insecticide-degrading proteins belonged to HSTU-Sny5 and HSTU-ASny43 strain's and had interacted with 100 different insecticides as confirmed in virtual screening. This research has a significant role in reducing the application of chemical fertilizer and bioremediation of pesticides in agriculture.

Human behaviour directs household-level exposure to malaria vectors in Bandarban, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh has reduced malaria incidence and mortality by over 75% between 2010 and 2020. Widespread long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) distribution and use is one of the measures responsible for this success. Recalcitrant malaria hotspots within the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts suggest important drivers of malaria risk may remain uncharacterized. METHODS: Towards understanding how household-level human behaviour impacts exposure to mosquitoes, parallel human landing catches and human behavioural observations were conducted in four households for 6 months (May-October) over the rainy season in the Bandarban District. Analysis quantifies spatiotemporal human behaviour-adjusted exposure to Anopheles with and without LLINs. RESULTS: This small-scale operational study demonstrates that human spatial and temporal presence along with LLIN use drives exposure to Anopheles. Though the four households had both outdoor and indoor exposure, especially in the evening (1800-2000 h) and early morning (0400-0500 h), data points to household-based heterogeneity in malaria exposure even with similar LLIN access. CONCLUSION: Incorporating human behaviour into exposure estimates can be used to understand the efficacy and limitations of local vector control strategies and identify gaps in protection, as well as where present intervention strategies may be optimized.

Outcomes of kidney donors with sickle cell trait: A preliminary analysis.

Most transplant centers do not screen kidney donor candidates for sickle cell trait (SCT) and many decline candidates with SCT since it may associate with kidney disease. We compared 17 kidney donors with SCT to propensity score matched donor controls on mortality, reduced eGFR, proteinuria and kidney failure. The prevalence of SCT in African American (AA) donors was 11 per 1000 compared to 73 per 1000 in non-donor AA. Donors with SCT were younger; 33 versus 35 years in controls, nine were AA, six were White, and two were listed as other or unknown ethnicities. After a follow-up period of 18.2 ± 10.5 years, the proportions of donors with SCT and controls who were alive, developed hypertension or cardiovascular disease were similar. No donor with SCT developed an eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2 or kidney failure. SCT was, however, associated with increased risk of proteinuria; RR 5.71 (95% CI 5.7 - 22.7), P = .01. This small and preliminary case series suggest that donors with SCT should perhaps be considered more often provided they were aware of the lack of evidence to support liberal acceptance and that these outcomes reported here likely represent a healthy cohort of donors with SCT.