Effect of Milk Intake and Calcium-Vitamin D Supplementation on Serum Vitamin D Status.

Vitamin D is important for health and disease. Milk is a good natural source of it, and calcium-vitamin D supplements are widely available over-the-counter and prescribed in clinical practice. But the effect of milk intake and calcium-vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D status is not known. This cross-sectional study was done to see the relationship between vitamin D status and milk intake or oral calcium-vitamin D supplementation using a structured questionnaire and carried out in a private consultation centre of Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh from July 2017 to March 2018. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level was measured by radioimmunoassay. Out of 259 patients, 64.1% had vitamin D deficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D level <20ng/mL. Sixty one percent of those who had serum 25(OH)D level <20ng/mL did not take milk or milk products, while 53.0% of those having 25(OH)D level ≥20ng/mL did not take milk. Approximately 89.0% of those who had serum 25(OH)D level <20ng/mL did not take oral calcium-vitamin D, whereas 72.0% of those having 25(OH)D level ≥20ng/mL did not take oral calcium-vitamin D (p=0.001). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, there were significantly increased odds of vitamin D deficiency for females as compared to males [odds ratio (OR) 2.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-4.56] and not taking oral vitamin D as compared to taking oral vitamin D (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.74-7.28). Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent. Lack of milk intake and calcium-vitamin D supplementation are more commonly associated with serum vitamin D deficiency, and calcium-vitamin D supplementation is specially important in females.

Evaluation of Serum Iron Profile in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Approximately 10.0% of tuberculosis (TB) Infected individuals develop clinical disease in the absence of immune suppression suggests that individual factors may play a role in the response to infection. Body's immune function is boosted by micronutrient and also plays a major role in response to tubercular infection. Someone, may argue that cell mediated immunity is compromised in iron deficiency before anemia becomes apparent. This descriptive observational study intended to assess serum iron profile in patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. This study included 56 newly diagnosed sputum smear positive and negative pulmonary tuberculosis patients as per inclusion and exclusion criteria and was conducted at the department of the Internal Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh with the collaboration of the Biochemistry department, BSMMU, Bangladesh from February 2017 to January 2018. Collected data were recorded in a structured questionnaire and compiled and appropriate analyses were done by using computer-based software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Out of 56 patients, majority was young and at reproductive age, male was predominant (78.6%) with a male to female ratio of 3.7:1. More than three fourth 43(81.0%) patients were found to have low serum iron concentration. Majority 45(80.4%) patients had normal serum TIBC, 6(10.7%) had low serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and 5(8.9%) had high serum TIBC. Almost two third 36(64.3%) patients had low serum transferrin saturation and 20(35.7%) had normal serum transferrin saturation. Majority 31(55.4%) patients had normal serum ferritin, 2(3.6%) had low serum ferritin and 23(41.1%) had high serum ferritin. Serum iron concentration and serum ferritin were significantly associated with chest x-ray abnormalities (p<0.01). Half of the patients were smear positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) (50.0%). No significant association was found between sputum positive for AFB with iron profile status. In smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients, more than three fourth (78.6%) patients had low serum iron concentration at baseline and majority 20(80.0%) patients had normal serum iron concentration after 2(two) months. Mean serum iron concentration was 41.8±17.6mcg/l in baseline and 70.4±29.7mcg/l in at 2(two) month. More than sixty percent (60.7%) patients had low serum transferrin saturation at baseline and 20(80.0%) patients had normal serum transferrin saturation after 2(two) months. Mean serum transferrin saturation was 18.1±7.6% at baseline and 31.2±19.4% in at 2(two) months. After 2(two) months follow up serum iron concentration and serum transferrin saturation had significant improvement (p<0.05). Significant iron deficiency status occurred in pulpmonary tuberculosis and which improved after anti-tubercular treatment without iron supplementation.

Role of Rehabilitation Exercise on Myofascial Pain Syndrome Causing Upper Back Pain.

Upper back pain is as painful or troublesome as the pain in the lower back or the neck. Myofascial pain syndrome which is most common cause of upper back pain is characterized by localized musculoskeletal pain and tenderness in association with trigger points. The aim of the study was to correlate the improvement of myofascial pain syndrome patients with proper and timely physical therapy. This quasi experimental study was conducted in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh, from 1st January 2008 to 31st August 2008 to see the role of rehabilitation exercise on myofascial pain syndrome causing upper back pain. Sixty (60) patients of myofascial pain syndrome causing upper back pain were randomly assigned for treatment; out of which 23(38.33%) were male and 37(61.66%) were female. The male and female ratio was 1:1.6. The patients selected for the trial were divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. In group A (n=28) the patients were treated with thermotherapy- Microwave diathermy, non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs and activities of daily living instructions and in Group B (n=32) with same interventions in addition to rehabilitation exercises. Treatment duration was 6 weeks. The difference of treatment improvement was statistically significant (p<0.05) from 1st week up to 6th week. After complete course of treatment 67.86% patients in Group A and 78.13% patients in group B reported improvement. So rehabilitation exercises can be a valuable adjunct to other modalities of treatment of myofascial pain syndrome causing upper back pain.

Response of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) supplementation on nutritional, endo-parasitic, and endocrine status in lambs.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of plantain herb (Plantago lanceolata L.) supplementation on growth, plasma metabolites, liver enzymatic activity, hormonal status, gastrointestinal parasites, and carcass characteristics of lambs. A total of 24 lambs, aged 6 months weighing 8.0 ± 0.5 kg were randomly allocated to one of two dietary treatments: (1) CL diet-roadside grass and concentrate mixture; (2) PL diet-CL diet + 5% fresh plantain supplementation on a DM basis. The PL diet group exhibited 23% higher (P = 0.01) average daily gain and 15% improved (P = 0.03) feed conversion efficiency. Circulating cholesterol concentrations were suppressed by 9% (P = 0.03), and liver enzyme activity was improved by 5-25% (P < 0.05) in the lamb fed PL diet, compared with CL diet only. The inclusion of plantain in the diet was highly effective at suppressing the parasites, Paramphistomum spp. (P = 0.003) and coccidial parasites (P = 0.04), but not stomach worms. Moreover, plantain supplementation increased growth hormone and insulin concentrations in plasma level, whereas decreased carcass fat by 32.7%. Therefore, supplementation of the lambs' diet with plantain showed some beneficial effects on productivity and parasitic infection, while it led to a leaner carcass.

Stimulating antioxidant defenses, antioxidant gene expression, and salt tolerance in Pisum sativum seedling by pretreatment using licorice root extract (LRE) as an organic biostimulant.

Plant extracts have recently been used as exogenous adjuvants to strengthen the endogenous plant defense systems when they grow under different environmental stresses, including salinity. The study aimed at determining the effects of seed soaking using licorice root extract (LRE) on photosynthesis and antioxidant defense systems, including transcript levels of enzyme-encoding genes in pea seedling grown under 150 mM NaCl-salinity. Salt stress reduced seedling growth, photosynthesis attributes, and K+ content, and increased oxidative stress (O2•‒ and H2O2, and MDA), Na+, and Cl-, along with an increase in antioxidative defense activities compared to control. However, LRE pretreatment enhanced seedling growth, photosynthetic attributes (chlorophylls, carotenoids, Fv/Fm, Pn, Tr, and gs), ascorbate and glutathione and their redox states, proline, soluble sugars, α-TOC, and enzyme activities compared to stressed control. LRE pretreatment also upregulated transcript levels of CAT-, SOD-, APX-, GR-, DHAR-, and PrxQ-encoding genes in salt-stressed seedlings, decreasing oxidative stress and Na+ and Cl- contents and increasing K+ content and K+/Na+ ratio.

Estimation of Vitamin D levels among Physicians Working in a Tertiary Level Hospital of Bangladesh.

Vitamin D is essential for the body to regulate calcium and phosphate levels and mineralization of bone. It is synthesized in the skin after ultraviolet radiation exposure or obtained in the diet to a less extent. Vitamin D deficiency is attracting attention due to higher prevalence in different populations. Physicians of Bangladesh are supposed to be vulnerable to low Vitamin D levels owing to long indoor work hours in both government and private settings. The study was conducted to evaluate Vitamin D status among physicians working in a tertiary level public hospital of Bangladesh. The cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital during the period of January 2018 to June 2018. Data were collected from purposively selected 102 doctors of different levels using a case record form. Interview, measurements and laboratory investigations were done accordingly. Vitamin D levels were categorized as deficient (<20.00ng/L), Insufficient (20.00-29.00ng/L), Sufficient (30.00-100.00ng/L) and Potential Toxicity (>100.00ng/L). Among 102 doctors 79(77.5%) were male and 23(22.5%) were female. Maximum (60.8%) were in the age group of 31 years to 50 years. Mean±SD age of the subjects was 49.9±3.61years. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 19(18.6%) subjects and insufficiency was in 49(48.0%) of the subjects. On the other hand 34(33.3%) subjects had sufficient Vitamin D levels. Potential Vitamin D toxicity was not found in any of the subjects. Vitamin D deficiency was found more in female (30.4%) than male (15.2%) but insufficiency was found more in male (50.6%) than female (39.1%). The study revealed that 66.6% physicians had either deficiency or insufficiency of Vitamin D. Exposure to sunlight, dietary intake and Vitamin D supplementation should be considered to increase the status of Vitamin D levels in Physicians of Bangladesh.

Dog Sperm Cryopreservation in Glucose-Fructose or Sucrose Supplemented Glycerol-Free Tris: Effect of Post-Thaw Incubation Time on Gene Expression Related to Apoptosis and Motility.

　　OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the effects of glucose-fructose or sucrose supplementation in glycerol-free Tris (GFT) solution on motility, viability, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the level of apoptosis (BAX and BCL2) and motility (SMCP)-related gene expression of dog spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spermatozoa (5×107 sperm/ml) were cryopreserved in GFT containing 86 mM glucose and 86 mM fructose (GF-GFT) or 100 mM sucrose (S-GFT). Progressive motility, viability, ROS (H2O2) level and mRNA gene expression of spermatozoa were evaluated 0 h, 3 h or 6 h post-thaw at 24°C. RESULTS: The motility of spermatozoa cryopreserved in GF-GFT was increased throughout the post-thaw incubation time. The motility of spermatozoa cryopreserved in S-GFT was increased at 3 h of post-thaw incubation. The sperm ROS level in the GF-GFT group was inconsistent during the post-thaw incubation time; however, the ROS level in the S-GFT group was gradually increased with progression of the post-thaw incubation period. The post-thaw incubation had no substantial effect on the mRNA expression of the BAX, BCL2, and SMCP genes of spermatozoa in both the GF-GFT and S-GFT groups. CONCLUSION: The supplementation of glucose and fructose improves progressive sperm motility during 6 h of post-thaw incubation while maintaining similar sperm viability. The addition of GF to GFT for cryopreservation and post-thaw incubation would yield more functional spermatozoa for future assisted reproduction practices.

Does the application of silicon and Moringa seed extract reduce heavy metals toxicity in potato tubers treated with phosphate fertilizers?

Two field trials were carried out in two successive agricultural seasons to study the possibility of using silicon (Si) and Moringa seed extract (MSE) for reducing heavy metal contamination resulting from phosphate fertilizers addition to potato tubers. A randomized complete block design experiment was performed using three replicates. Various sources of phosphate fertilizers as ordinary super phosphate and rock phosphate were added at rate of 100 kg P ha-1 prior sowing. Silicon was added as potassium silicate (20% SiO2) at rate of 6 L ha-1, and MSE was also added at rate of 150 L ha-1 in three equal doses with the 2nd, 4th, and 6th irrigations during the last 10 min of drip irrigation. Results indicated that the addition of phosphate fertilizers increased fresh tuber yield, dry weight yield, NPK uptake, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase of potato either alone or combined with silicon and MSE. The accumulation rate of Cu, Cd, and Ni in potato was higher with the single addition of rock phosphate fertilizer compared with single addition of super phosphate fertilizer. The highest reduction (P < 0.05) in heavy metal accumulation in potato leaves and tubers as well as soil was found with MSE treatment plus super phosphate fertilizer. It is recommended to add MSE at a rate of 150 L ha-1 along with fertilizing the potato crop with ordinary super phosphate fertilizer.

Effects of Intensive versus Non-Intensive Physical Therapy on Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is one of the most common causes of all childhood disorders. There are tone, posture and movements difficulty due to non-progressive damage to the immature brain in CP. The hallmark of CP is a disability in the development of gross motor function (GMF). The influence of gross motor development on fine motor development is more important in early developmental period, specially under three years old and in children with CP. Various therapeutic interventions have been used in the management of GMF development. Among them physical therapy is the most common intervention in CP and is usually a component of mandated programs. Physical therapy means physical stimulations in the form of various therapeutic exercises, touch, massage, limbs and trunk movement, balancing and coordination training, gait and ambulation training, cognitive stimulation as well as speech, language and occupational therapy. Our study focused to see the effect by short term intensive versus non-intensive physical therapy on children GMF development by using gross motor function measure (GMFM) Score sheet, GMFM-88, version 1.0. Study provides the information that physical therapy intervention is effective in GMF development and intensive interventions are more effective in children with spastic CP than non-intensive one. Study also inform that the more early treatment the more effective result.

Outcome of single-stage transanal endorectal pull through for short segment Hirschsprung's disease in neonates and infants.

Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is developmental disorder of the enteric nervous system. Diagnosis can be confirmed by rectal biopsy. The surgical management of HD includes so many procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the out come of single-stage transanal endorectal pull-through operation for short segment HD in neonates and infants. This prospective study was carried out in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from January 2004 to December 2009. The study included neonates & infants (age 1 day to 1 year) of both sex, who were clinically suspected and biopsy proven HD with barium enema suggesting rectosigmoid HD. We excluded patients with short segment HD who had associated anomalies, and with hugely dilated proximal colon, operated cases with less than 6 months' follow up. During study period, single-stage transanal endorectal pull through (TEP) operation done in 68 neonates and infants patients (8 excluded) of short segment HD. The mean operative time, postoperative hospital stay, followed up time were 120 minutes, 7.94 days and 12 months respectively. Transeverse colostomy was needed in 4 patients because of anastomotic leakage and they were complicated with anastomotic stenosis, however managed by progressive dilatation. Overall parents' satisfaction was achieved. Single-stage primary transnanl endorectal pull-through for short segment HD is feasible in neonates and infants. It preserves all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. TEP is a better option in terms of comfort, operative success, postoperative morbidity, cosmetic appearance and parents' satisfaction.

BRAF inhibitors: From the laboratory to clinical trials.

BRAF is one of the most commonly mutated proto-oncogenes and plays a significant role in the development of numerous cancers of high clinical impact. Due to the commonality of BRAF mutations, a number of BRAF inhibitors have been developed as tools in the management of patients with cancers dependent on the action of mutant BRAF to drive cellular proliferation. In this review, we examine the current state of clinical trials and laboratory research concerning BRAF inhibitors in development and available for clinical use. We contrast the effectiveness of type-I and type-II BRAF inhibitors, the former typically showing much more restricted inhibitory selectivity and greater patient response rates.

Rapid detection of microbial contamination in Ghanaian herbal medicines by PCR analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is widespread use of herbal medicines across the world and the need for regulatory measures to ensure their safety, efficacy and quality is therefore imperative. Conventional microbiological methods are used in carrying out quality control analysis of herbal medicines but these are often slow, may be less sensitive or specific and labour-intensive. In this study we investigated the ability to use Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as a fast, accurate and inexpensive novel method to detect the presence of common pathogens in herbal medicines from Ghana. METHODS: We employed different DNA extraction techniques including TE buffer, boiling method for DNA extraction as well as commercially available DNA extraction kits from Qiagen, UK: Gentra Pure-gene Yeast/Bact. Kit and DNeasy™ Tissue Kit which is column based to identify Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella sp. in herbal products from Ghana in local African shops on the UK market. RESULTS: The TE buffer and boiling methods did not yield any bacterial DNA, however both commercial kits yielded significant amounts of DNA. PCR was able to detect pathogens present in the samples directly. Escherichia coli could be detected at 10 cfu/ml whilst Staphylococcus aureus was detectable at a threshold of up to 10(3) cfu/ml when samples were enriched overnight. Salmonella sp. could not be detected in DNA samples extracted from herbal medicines. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PCR and similar new molecular techniques such as Real Time PCR have the potential as rapid microbiological analytical techniques especially in busy clinical settings and for quality control of herbal medicines.

Health education and peer leaders-role in improving low vaccination coverage in Akre district, Kurdistan region, Iraq

The role of religious leaders in improving vaccination coverage has not been well researched. This intervention study investigated the role of a health education campaign and peer spiritual leaders in improving vaccination coverage rates in Akre district in Kurdistan region, Iraq. An information campaign was conducted in 30 villages with low vaccination coverage. The participation of peer spiritual leaders was sought in 15 villages of the Sorchi tribe known to have persistent low coverage rates.The vaccination coverage rates of DPTT, DPT2, DPT3 and measles vaccines during the post-intervention period [January to June 2007] were significantly improved [95.5%, 90.0%, 84.4% and 80.3% respectively] compared with the pre-intervention period [January to June 2006] [55.9%, 42.7%, 21.5% and 27.6% respectively]. The dropout rates of those vaccines were also significantly decreased. Vaccination in villages where spiritual leaders were involved improved significantly more than other villages

Diet and gene expression: delta-5 and delta-6 desaturases in healthy Chinese and European subjects.

AIM: To compare the composition of fatty acids (FAs) in diet, and the expression of delta-6 desaturase (D6D) and delta-5 desaturase (D5D) genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) between Chinese and Europeans. METHODS: Three-day dietary records from 20 subjects from Beijing, China (n = 10) and Kent, UK (n = 10) were analysed. Expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes of the subjects was determined using RT-PCR. RESULTS: The dietary intake of Chinese subjects contained less saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), but more essential fatty acids (EFAs) than that of Europeans. Levels of expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes of Chinese subjects were significantly lower than those of Europeans. A significant positive correlation was found between dietary intake of total SFAs and total MUFAs and expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes, but a significant negative correlation between dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) and the expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes. CONCLUSION: Intake of high SFAs and MUFAs appears to increase expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes, whilst high EFAs intake appears to decrease expression of PBMC D6D and D5D genes. A follow-up study of the expression of D6D and D5D genes in Chinese who live in European countries with high SFA and MUFA diets would be of interest.

Preventive strategy to control iron deficiency anemia in children and adults.

OBJECTIVE: To compare improvement in hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and ferritin levels in children aged 5-10 years and women of reproductive age (15-45) supplemented with daily oral and once weekly with single and double dose of ferrous sulphate. METHOD: Twenty children received 200 mg ferrous sulfate daily and 20 received the same dose once weekly for two months. Ten women received 300 mg ferrous sulfate daily, 10 received the same dose once weekly while 10 received 600 mg of ferrous sulfate once weekly for one month. RESULTS: All parameters improved significantly in children who received 200 mg ferrous sulfate daily and weekly. Similarly, the parameters improved significantly in women who received 300 mg of ferrous sulfate daily and 600 mg of ferrous sulfate weekly. CONCLUSION: Weekly supplementation of iron is far better in controlling iron deficiency anemia due to cost effectiveness and better compliance.

Alkaloids of Zanthoxylum budrunga.

Pseudophrynamine, lunacridine and the new compound 2-(2',4',6'-trimethyl-heptenyl)-4-quinozolone were isolated from the leaves of Zanthoxylum budrunga.

Health risk behaviors and health perceptions in the Peruvian Amazon.

Behavioral health risk factor and health belief data for the indigenous population of the Peruvian Amazon are unavailable. Therefore, we conducted structured interviews of adults living in 5 towns in the remote Amazon region of Peru. Respondents (n = 179) were 67% women with a mean age of 35.4 years. The average household size was 6.7 people. A majority (72%) were unable to see a doctor when needed because of lack of money and distance. Only 6% reported excellent health, and nearly half (49%) reported fair health. Forty-eight percent drank alcohol and 73% smoked. Only 34% thought mosquitoes cause malaria, but 98% were using mosquito nets. In conclusion, our findings indicate the indigenous population of the Peruvian Amazon has limited access to basic health care. Although most of those surveyed use mosquito netting, few know that mosquitoes transmit malaria. Tobacco and alcohol use are major behavioral health risk factors.

Structure of alpha-latrotoxin oligomers reveals that divalent cation-dependent tetramers form membrane pores.

We report here the first three-dimensional structure of alpha-latrotoxin, a black widow spider neurotoxin, which forms membrane pores and stimulates secretion in the presence of divalent cations. We discovered that alpha-latrotoxin exists in two oligomeric forms: it is dimeric in EDTA but forms tetramers in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+. The dimer and tetramer structures were determined independently at 18 A and 14 A resolution, respectively, using cryo-electron microscopy and angular reconstitution. The alpha-latrotoxin monomer consists of three domains. The N- and C-terminal domains have been identified using antibodies and atomic fitting. The C4-symmetric tetramers represent the active form of alpha-latrotoxin; they have an axial channel and can insert into lipid bilayers with their hydrophobic base, providing the first model of alpha-latrotoxin pore formation.

Disulfiram causes sustained behavioral and biochemical effects in rats.

The present experiment examined effects of disulfiram (Antabuse) administration on behavioral measures of nociception (hot plate and tail flick), peripheral muscular performance (grip strength), motivated performance, balance, and coordination (rotorod) in 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats during and 2 wk after an eight-day administration of disulfiram. In addition, peptidylglycine 5(-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) activity in several tissues and levels of alpha-amidated alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary were assayed to evaluate biochemical effects of disulfiram. These particular assays were included because it has been reported that disulfiram affects alpha-amidated peptides via alteration of PHM activity. Decrements in all behavioral measures, except tail flick, occurred after one week of disulfiram administration. Decrements in grip strength continued for the 2 wk after cessation of disulfiram. Dose-related reductions in changes in PHM activity and levels of alpha-MSH were found 2 wk after cessation of disulfiram administration. The time course of the results suggest that changes in PHM activity may underlie decrements in grip strength. The present experiment provides a paradigm for further investigations of effects of alpha-amidated peptides on behavior.