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Numerous children experience vulnerability due to their families' profound economic and socio-economic hardships. Among this demographic, females face heightened susceptibility, particularly those engaged in child labor. Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, hosts a substantial population of female child laborers, compounding their precarious circumstances. Hence this study utilizes a qualitative phenomenological approach to investigate the vulnerabilities affecting these female child laborers thoroughly. A total of 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with female child laborers in Dhaka city, following a semi-structured format. NVivo 14 software was instrumental in the systematic coding and analysis of the extensive text data, enhancing the reliability and validity of the findings. This study, therefore, explores various vulnerabilities faced by female child laborers in Dhaka city, including risky health behavior, abusive behavior, sexual harassment, school dropout, unhygienic dietary habits, hazardous work conditions, and substandard living environments. Their socio-economic conditions make them susceptible to physical and mental setbacks, exploitation, and loss of dignity. The study emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive support and breaking the cycle through educational, health, and social initiatives. It offers a detailed portrayal of the living conditions of female child laborers in Dhaka city, providing valuable insights and evidence-based policy prescriptions for policymakers and Non-Government Organizations to formulate effective policies and measures to safeguard this vulnerable community.

The provision of a wide range of financing choices enhances farmers' ability to respond to changing circumstances in their agricultural activities and maintain optimal levels of production. However, several household- and farm-level determinants impact the availability of, and demand for, agricultural credit in rural households. Therefore, the current study explores the determinants of demand for, and supply of, agricultural credit. To do so, data at the farm level were gathered using interviews with a randomly selected sample of 360 respondents in the Mymensingh region of Bangladesh. Additionally, 30 years' worth of secondary data were obtained from various sources to investigate the determinants of agricultural credit supply. Data were analyzed using binary logistics and multiple linear regression. Findings reveal that farmers’ demand for agricultural credit is positively influenced by farming experience and farm size. Factors that significanly discourage farmers from taking credit include (a) an increase in income-generating family members, (b) perceived high interest rates of credit, and (c) negative perceptions regarding the application procedure. Factors that increase agricultural credit supply are (a) an increase in credit supply targets and (b) increased severity of natural disasters. In addition, an increase in non-performing loans does not hinder agricultural credit supply as the Bangladeshi government has placed special emphasis on protecting farmers from crop failures and other adverse situations in order to achieve food self-sufficiency in the country.

Dietary diversity (DD) is considered an indicator of micronutrient adequacy for all age groups. An unbalanced diet that contains only one or two nutrient components can be fatal. Given that women make up half of our population and that children are a country's future, it is crucial to maintain the nutritional status of both groups. Thus, the current study was designed to analyze the factors affecting the dietary diversity of both children and women of the residents living in a manufacturing industry-dominated growing peri-urban area of Bangladesh, where an institutional huge vacuum exists, mainly due to administrative transition. We randomly selected 146 mothers who had at least one child between the ages of 6 and 59 months to participate in our data collection. To identify the factors that influence children's and women's dietary diversity, multinomial and binary logistic regression models were used, respectively. Results unearthed that the age of the children, maternal age, and maternal education significantly affect children's dietary diversity, while the mother's education level, as well as their access to and control over resources affect their own dietary diversity. The study concludes that education has multiple effects on women's and children's dietary diversity as it can help mothers to make decisions about how the distribution of time and resources should be prioritized. Again, greater access to and control over resources may enable mothers to take care of any urgent needs for their children. For a sustainable solution, the policy level needs to keep its eyes on the girls' quality education as potential future mothers.

Achieving food security is a global concern that constitutes a major challenge, particularly for the least developed countries, such as Bangladesh. In the context of globalization, the nation continues to have ongoing food insecurity, particularly in rural areas, despite its overall economic growth and development. This has become a constraint in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the established time scale, particularly SDG2 (Zero Hunger). With this consideration in mind, the present study assesses the prevalence of household food in(security) and identifies the factors that influence this among rural farming households in Bangladesh. A sample of 350 farming households was surveyed randomly from the four villages in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) was utilized to explore household food security. The results reveal that only 18% of rural farming households were food secure while the remainder were food insecure to some extent. Using a binomial logit regression model, we found that the household head’s educational level, as well as whether the household has a savings account, owns land, receives financial or other forms of support from household members abroad, has larger farm sizes, and practices homestead gardening significantly reduce household food insecurity, whereas a higher number of members in the household increases it. The findings of this study establish a foundational understanding of food security in rural areas by employing contemporary measurement tools and techniques. This addition to the existing knowledge base will assist in the design and implementation of a comprehensive and multifaceted policy outline not only for the rural areas of Bangladesh but also for sustainable development globally.

The current study seeks to explore the vulnerabilities typically encountered by female migrants in the informal sector in Dhaka city. It used a qualitative research approach, purposively selecting four areas from Dhaka city. Twenty-five semi-structured in-depth interviews during eight months of participant observation were conducted to accomplish the study objective. The authors used the capability approach theory to elucidate the phenomenon of vulnerability experienced by female migrants in the informal sector. The thematic data analyses were performed using the Granheim approach and NVivo 12 software. The findings of this study suggest that migrant women who work on the street face a number of significant challenges. These challenges include sexual assault and harassment, social stigma and cultural barriers, financial obstacles, and extortion and bribery. The authors recommend that governments provide access to state credits, social security, health insurance, and other forms of social protection for informal sector workers. The finding revealed that informal workers are often excluded from these essential benefits, making it difficult for such workers to expand their businesses or have a safety net in case of illness, unemployment, or other shocks.

Background: CTCF encodes 11-zinc finger protein which is implicated in multiple tumors including the carcinoma of the breast. The Present study investigates the association of CTCF mutations and their expression in breast cancer cases. Methods: A total of 155 breast cancer and an equal number of adjacent normal tissue samples from 155 breast cancer patients were examined for CTCF mutation(s) by PCR-SSCP and automated DNA sequencing. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) method was used to analyze CTCF expression. Molecular findings were statistically analyzed with various clinicopathological features to identify associations of clinical relevance. Results: Of the total, 16.1% (25/155) cases exhibited mutation in the CTCF gene. Missense mutations Gln > His (G > T) in exon 1 and silent mutations Ser > Ser (C > T) in exon 4 of CTCF gene were analyzed. A significant association was observed between CTCF mutations and some clinicopathological parameters namely menopausal status (p = 0.02) tumor stage (p = 0.03) nodal status (p = 0.03) and ER expression (p = 0.04). Protein expression analysis showed 42.58% samples having low or no expression (+), 38.0% with moderate (++) expression and 19.35% having high (+++) expression for CTCF. A significant association was found between CTCF protein expression and clinicopathological parameters include histological grade (p = 0.04), tumor stage (p = 0.04), nodal status (p = 0.03) and ER status (p = 0.04). Conclusions: The data suggest that CTCF mutations leading to its inactivation significantly contribute to the progression of breast cancer.

Traditional textile colorations and functionalization consume a lot of energy, take a long time, and use a lot of chemicals; hence, cost-effective and eco-friendly natural dyeing and finishing have become a prime concern. In this study, natural dyes of black rice extract was extracted and used for the coloration and functionalization of wool fabric without using any hazardous dyes. The dyeing conditions were monitored using a one-variable-at-a-time technique, and it was discovered that the optimal dyeing conditions were M: L = 1:100, pH = 3, time = 60 min, and temperature = 90 °C. The dyed wool fabric with Al2(SO4)3 mordant shows higher fastness ratings of 4–5 for wash, 6 for light, 4–5 for dry rubbing & 4 for wet rubbing. SEM photographs confirmed the successful deposition of black rice extract on wool fabrics. In addition, mechanical properties, UV protection, and antimicrobial tests also revealed that the treated wool fabric has excellent UV protection capability and good antimicrobial properties along with adequate strengths. The ultraviolet protection factor was more than 35 in optimized conditions, and the strength increased more than 10% comparing untreated wool fabric. The antibacterial performances shown more than 80% reduction rate after 20 washing cycles. Therefore, the black rice extract are very promising and can be considered as the potential candidate for the sustainable dyeing and functionalization of wool fabric in the textile industry.

This study is an attempt to explore the impacts of floods on the livelihoods of people in Char Village, particularly on the income, occupation, and also explores their coping strategies. Data have been collected from three villages in Fulchari Upazila (sub-district). The study is predominantly qualitative. At the same time, quantitative data have also been used. As a result, a mixed approach has been followed to make this research meaningful, where respectively quantitative and qualitative data have been collected through a household survey, and focus group discussions (FGD), in-depth interviews, and ethnography observation. The results disclosed that floods make individuals more vulnerable, as such char land people face work loss, two-thirds of their earnings is decreased, which bounds their competences of preparedness, response, and recovery to posterior flood. In regard to this people deal with the situation by taking a sizable loans from various Organizations and loss of valuables assets. These outcomes would be of significant importance for the disaster policy-makers and civil society delegates.

Bacteriophages or bacteria infecting viruses are genetically diverse. Due to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, lytic bacteriophages are gaining enormous attention for treating superbug infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the eight most significant nosocomial pathogens and is addressed as a critical priority pathogen by WHO, requiring alternative treatment options. We reported two highly lytic bacteriophages, Klebsiella phage Kpn BM7 and the novel Klebsiella phage Kpn BU9, isolated from hospital wastewater and exhibiting lytic activity against different clinical isolates. Whole-genome analysis revealed that phages BM7 and BU9 belong to class Caudoviricetes. Phage BM7, with a genome length of 170,558 bp, is a member of the genus Marfavirus and the species Marfavirus F48. While phage BU9, with a genome length of 60,450 bp, remains unclassified. Neither phage harbors any lysogenic, toxin, or antimicrobial resistance genes. Both phages can steadily survive up to 40 °C and at pH 5–7. The optimal MOI was 0.1 for BM7 and 1 for BU9, with short latent periods of 10 and 25 min and burst sizes of 85 PFU/cell and 12 PFU/cell, respectively. This is the first carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae targeting lytic phages to be reported from Bangladesh. This study suggests that BM7 and BU9 are potential candidates for targeting carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae.

The lead-free CH3NH3SnI3 perovskite is essential for absorbing light in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In a photovoltaic (PV) device setup of FTO/STO/CH3NH3SnI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au, it demonstrates excellent PV performance. This device includes sulfur-doped tin oxide (STO) for the layer of electron transport (ETL), CH3NH3SnI3 as the absorber, and the hole transport layer (HTL) is Spiro-OMeTAD. The upper and back contacts consist of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and gold (Au), connecting these layers. Several parameters were estimated using the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D) program, including the thickness, acceptor and donor densities, series and shunt resistances, and temperature. The absorber, HTL, ETL, and FTO thicknesses were set at 1000 ​nm, 100 ​nm, 150 ​nm, and 50 ​nm, respectively, to find the perfect configuration. Densities of acceptors and donors were maintained at 1019 ​cm−3, 2.0 ​× ​1019 ​cm−3, 2.0 ​× ​1018 ​cm−3, and 1018 ​cm−3 for the absorber, HTL, ETL, and FTO, respectively, at an operating temperature of 300K. The device configuration exhibited reduced series resistance and increased shunt resistance, optimized with a back contact metal of Au. The idealized model demonstrated significant PV execution characteristics, including 1.117 ​V for open-circuit voltage (VOC), 28.88 ​mA/cm2 for short-circuit current density (JSC), 88.47 ​% for fill factor (FF), and 28.55 ​% for power conversion efficiency (PCE) under the AM1.5G spectrum. Additionally, the device displayed an average quantum efficiency (QE) of approximately 88.30 ​% at visible light wavelengths.

The growing population is driving up the demand for food, but the inadequate efficiency of traditional fertilizers is constraining crop production. Nanotechnology-based fertilizers represent a novel strategy for boosting agricultural output and show great potential as viable options in the fertilizer industry, as they can significantly enhance nutrient retention and promote optimal growth. Very recently, slow and controlled release nanofertilizers have evolved through the development of nanocomposites or coating techniques with the aid of various chemical entities. These types of slow release nanofertilizers are more effective than normal nanofertilizers as these fertilizers deliver nutrients in a controlled manner and can be regulated by various environmental and physical stimuli (pH, temperature, humidity, etc.). Their nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is also far better than the normal nanoparticles (individual nanoparticles like iron, zinc, copper nanoparticles etc.), as these nanocomposites demonstrate zero or very little nutrient leaching. Utilizing controlled release fertilizers mitigates nutrient loss from volatilization and leaching and offers a meticulously tailored nutrient release system harmonizing with the objective of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this review article provides insights into slow and controlled release nanofertilizers, including preparation approaches, nutrient-release techniques, analytical detection methods, current status, role in crop improvement, commercial viability, and future perspectives.

Mothers in developing countries are nutritionally vulnerable due to an undiversified diet. Dietary diversity and healthy dietary patterns of mothers are necessary for the health and nutrition of both the mother and the child. Keeping these in mind, the study was designed to investigate the determinants of mothers' dietary diversity in the capital city (Dhaka) of Bangladesh. A total 613 mothers who had at least one child aged 6–59 months were surveyed in 2020. Dietary diversity (DD) was measured by 24 h recall period following the established guidelines. To explore the determinants of dietary diversity, a log linear regression model was employed. The findings revealed that the overall DD of mothers was low, with less than 15% of respondents consuming more than 5 of the 9 food groups. The study found that if a mother receives one more year of formal education, her DD, on average, would increase by 0.70%. Receiving antenatal care (ANC) for four or more times during pregnancy increases DD by 5.13% compared to mothers who receive ANC less than four times. The findings also showed that mothers with access to assets have 10.18% higher DD than mothers without access to assets. On the other hand, mothers' employment status was negatively associated with DD. Redistributing the household workload between mother and other household members can play a critical role in increasing mothers’ DD. Providing care facilities and counseling to mothers about the nutritional value of consuming different food groups can substantially improve the situation.

Myocardial Infarction, commonly known as heart attack, is an extremely dangerous condition caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart. It is a major cause of death worldwide and swift appropriate actions need to be taken after hospitalization to save a patient's life. Clinicians need to be extremely cautious in handling such situations. A decision-support system predicting the risk in MI patients can be quite beneficial to clinicians. In this study, we develop such a system to predict the complications in MI patients immediately after hospitalization. In that regard, we utilized a dataset containing the records of 1700 MI patients. Class imbalance is a major concern in most medical datasets as it biases the predictions of the ML algorithms towards the majority (negative) class. Appropriate measures need to be taken to address the imbalance scenario and develop a reliable prediction system. In that regard, we propose a new approach that combines sampling techniques with cost-sensitive learning. The advantage of this hybrid approach is that it reduces the number of minority class samples required to be generated or the number of majority class samples needed to be eliminated to obtain balance. Additionally, it reduces the weight to be assigned as the penalty for the cost-sensitive classifier. The complications associated with using sampling or cost-sensitive learning separately are reduced by using this kind of hybridization. We hypothesize that a suitable balance between the two approaches can optimize the prediction performance. The proposed approach performed significantly better than both traditional sampling techniques and cost-sensitive learning. The highest ROC-AUC score of 80.88% and MCC score of 66.53% were achieved using this approach. External validation was also performed on 36 imbalanced datasets and the proposed methodology outperformed other popular techniques used in imbalanced learning. Thus, the prediction framework presented in this study can ensure reliable risk prediction of MI patients at an early stage of hospitalization which can be quite beneficial to clinicians in the decision-making process.

For producing a woven fabric, sizing is one of the important steps to increase the efficiency of weaving productions. Various sizing agents such as starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), wax, emulsifier, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) are frequently used in the textile industry. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sizing parameters of cotton using the modified sizing agent and the frequently used sizing agent in the industry. For modification of sizing agent, various sizing chemicals are mixed together by our own recipes. Then modified sizing agents are applied to the cotton fabric along with frequently used sizing recipes. After sizing, all treated yarn and fabrics are subjected to evaluate the performance of sizing parameters and the modified sizing agent shows tenacity (20.35–21.58 cN/Tex), elongation (18.50–10.78%), initial modulus (475–486 cN/Tex), yarn hairiness reduction (95.55–95.91%), yarn unevenness (0.10–0.35 CV%), abrasion resistance (13,990 times), weight loss during abrasion (0.05–0.07%), breaking force (900–1000 F/cN), extension during maximum load (3.4–4.15 mm), and thread breakage during weaving (2.7–3.1 CMPX). The result indicated that the modified sizing agent has an acceptable range of sizing parameters and even in some cases the performances are higher than the frequently used sizing agent. The recipe of modified sizing agent contains EKACELL DT-250, EKAVIOL BEZ and EKAWAX chemicals. The most important thing that the modified sizing agent reduces the chemical consumption as well as makes cost-effectiveness of weaving production. Which is definitely be economically sustainable development in the textile industry.

Microplastic (MP) pollution waste is a global macro problem, and research on MP contamination has been done in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Preventing MP pollution from hurting them is essential to maintaining coral reefs' ecological and economic benefits. However, the public and scientific communities must pay more attention to MP research on the coral reef regions' distribution, effects, mechanisms, and policy evaluations. Therefore, this review summarizes the global MP distribution and source within the coral reefs. Current knowledge extends the impacts of MP on coral reefs, existing policy, and further recommendations to mitigate MPs contamination on corals are critically analyzed. Furthermore, mechanisms of MP on coral and human health are also highlighted to pinpoint research gaps and potential future studies. Given the escalating plastic usage and the prevalence of coral bleaching globally, there is a pressing need to prioritize research efforts on marine MPs that concentrate on critical coral reef areas. Such investigations should encompass an extensive and crucial understanding of the distribution, destiny, and effects of the MPs on human and coral health and the potential hazards of those MPs from an ecological viewpoint., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The clinical relationship between equine limb lameness and secondary back dysfunction is largely unknown. Proper function of the spine is critical to maintain the integrity of the kinetic chain and attenuate forces from the appendicular skeleton. The musculus multifidus (m. multifidus) is the primary muscle providing spinal intersegmental stabilization and a functional relationship between m. multifidus hypertrophy and equine postural stability has been established. The relationship between equine thoracolumbar m. multifidus cross-sectional area (CSA) and limb lameness is unknown. The objective was to evaluate ultrasonographic changes in thoracolumbar m. multifidus CSA in horses with chronic single limb lameness, compared with sound horses. We hypothesized that the CSA of m. multifidus, ipsilateral to the lame limb would be smaller than the contralateral side, and within the sound group there would be no difference between sides. Thirty-six horses were enrolled, with twelve horses per group: sound, forelimb lame, and hindlimb lame. M. multifidus CSA was measured ultrasonographically at multiple spinal levels and compared between groups, spinal levels, and sides. M. multifidus CSA at the spinal level T18 was significantly larger than at all other measured levels, regardless of group (P ≤ .05). CSA at all levels was significantly larger in sound horses than the forelimb lame group, regardless of side (P = .002). This is the first study to evaluate the impact of chronic lameness on the axial skeleton and showed a decrease in m. multifidus CSA with forelimb lameness. These results support that axial skeletal adaptation occurs in response to naturally occurring chronic lameness., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death throughout the world. Because the prompt diagnosis of tumors allows oncologists to discern their nature, type, and mode of treatment, tumor detection and segmentation from CT scan images is a crucial field of study. This paper investigates lung tumor segmentation via a two-dimensional Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) on the LOTUS dataset (31,247 training, and 4458 testing samples) and a Deeply Supervised MultiResUNet model. Coupling the DWT, which is used to achieve a more meticulous textural analysis while integrating information from neighboring CT slices, with the deep supervision of the model architecture results in an improved dice coefficient of 0.8472. A key characteristic of our approach is its avoidance of 3D kernels (despite being used for a 3D segmentation task), thereby making it quite lightweight., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

COVID-19 pandemic-borne wastes imposed a severe threat to human lives as well as the total environment. Improper handling of these wastes increases the possibility of future transmission. Therefore, immediate actions are required from both local and international authorities to mitigate the amount of waste generation and ensure proper disposal of these wastes, especially for low-income and developing countries where solid waste management is challenging. In this study, an attempt is made to estimate healthcare waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. This study includes infected, ICU, deceased, isolated and quarantined patients as the primary sources of medical waste. Results showed that COVID-19 medical waste from these patients was 658.08 tons in March 2020 and increased to 16,164.74 tons in April 2021. A top portion of these wastes was generated from infected and quarantined patients. Based on survey data, approximate daily usage of face masks and hand gloves is also determined. Probable waste generation from COVID-19 confirmatory tests and vaccination has been simulated. Finally, several guidelines are provided to ensure the country's proper disposal and management of COVID-related wastes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Here we review evidence for influenza A viruses (IAVs) moving from swine, avian, feline, equine, and canine species to infect humans. We review case reports, sero-epidemiological, archeo-epidemiological, environmental, and historical studies and consider trends in livestock farming. Although this focused review is not systematic, the aggregated data point to industrialized swine farming as the most likely source of future pandemic viruses, yet IAV surveillance on such farms is remarkably sparse. We recommend increased biosafety and biosecurity training for farm administrators and swine workers with One Health-oriented virus surveillance throughout industrialized farming and meat production lines. Collaborative partnerships with human medical researchers could aid in efforts to mitigate emerging virus threats by offering new surveillance and diagnostic technologies to livestock farming industries., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Acanthocephalans, cestodes, and some species of nematodes acquire nutrients from the lumen contents in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of their definitive host. These parasites are exposed to toxicants, such as mercury (Hg), through passive or active feeding mechanisms; therefore, the focus of this study was to determine if there is an effect of parasites on the dietary availability of total mercury (THg) within piscivorous pinniped hosts. THg concentrations ([THg]) in selected host tissues, parasites, and GI lumen contents from 22 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), 15 ringed seals (Phoca hispida), and 4 spotted seals (Phoca largha) were determined. Among all pinnipeds, [THg] in acanthocephalans of the large intestine were significantly higher than concentrations in other samples (host lumen contents, other parasites and host intestinal wall), irrespective of location within the host GI tract. δ 15 N values of parasites depended both on parasite group and location within the GI tract. δ 15 N values were consistently higher in parasites inhabiting the large intestine, compared to elsewhere in the GI tract, for both sea lions and seals. δ 13 C values in parasites did not differ significantly from host GI tissues. Based on both [THg] and stable isotope values, parasites are likely affecting the Hg bioavailability within the GI lumen contents and host tissues, and toxicant-parasite interactions appear to depend on both parasitic taxon as well as their location within the host intestine., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Some gastrointestinal helminths acquire nutrients from the lumen contents in which they live; thus, they may be exposed to non-essential elements, such as mercury (Hg), during feeding. The objectives of this study were: 1) determine the total mercury concentrations ([THg]) in Gray wolves (Canis lupus) and their parasites, and 2) use stable isotopes to evaluate the trophic relationships within the host. [THg] and stable isotopes (C and N) were determined for helminths, host tissues, and lumen contents from 88 wolves. Sixty-three wolves contained grossly visible helminths (71.5%). The prevalence of taeniids and ascarids was 63.6% (56/88) and 20.5% (18/88), respectively. Nine of these 63 wolves contained both taeniids and ascarids (14.3%). All ascarids were determined to be Toxascaris leonina. Taenia species present included T. krabbei and T. hydatigena. Within the GI tract, [THg] in the lumen contents of the proximal small intestine were significantly lower than in the distal small intestine. There was a significant positive association between hepatic and taeniid [THg]. Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) ranged from <1 to 22.9 in taeniids, and 1.1 to 12.3 in T. leonina. Taeniid and ascarid BAF were significantly higher than 1, suggesting that both groups are capable of THg accumulation in their wolf host. δ13C in taeniids was significantly lower than in host liver and skeletal muscle. [THg] in helminths and host tissues, in conjunction with stable isotope (C and N) values, provides insight into food-web dynamics of the host GI tract, and aids in elucidating ecotoxicoparasitologic relationships. Variation of [THg] throughout the GI tract, and between parasitic groups, underscores the need to further evaluate the effect(s) of feeding niche, and the nutritional needs of parasites, as they relate to toxicant exposure and distribution within the host., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mercury (Hg) bioaccumulates in the tissues of organisms and biomagnifies within food-webs. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Alaska primarily acquire Hg through diet; therefore, comparing the extent of Hg exposure in wolves, in conjunction with stable isotopes, from interior and coastal regions of Alaska offers important insight into their feeding ecology. Liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle samples from 162 gray wolves were analyzed for total mercury (THg) concentrations and stable isotopic signatures (δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S). Median hepatic THg concentrations were significantly higher in wolves with coastal access compared to wolves from interior Alaska. Stable isotope ratios, in conjunction with THg concentrations, provide strong evidence that coastal wolves are utilizing marine prey representing several trophic levels. The utilization of cross-ecosystem food resources by coastal wolves is clearly contributing to increased THg exposure, and may ultimately have negative health implications for these animals., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Transportation of cattle to the slaughter plant could influence hide contamination with Salmonella enterica. Fecal and hide samples were obtained from 40 lots of cattle at the feedlot and again at the slaughter plant. Potential risk factors for hide contamination were evaluated. A multilevel Poisson regression model was used to determine whether transportation and lairage were associated with hide contamination by Salmonella. Cattle with hide samples positive for Salmonella at the feedlot had twice the risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle without positive feedlot hide samples (relative risk [RR], 1.9). Cattle transported in trailers from which samples positive for Salmonella were collected had twice the risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle transported in culture-negative trailers (RR, 2.3). Cattle transported for long distances had twice the risk of having positive hide samples at slaughter compared with cattle transported shorter distances (RR, 2.3). Cattle held in lairage pens contaminated with feces had twice the risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle held in clean pens (RR, 1.8). Cattle held off feed longer than 18 h before loading had twice the risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle held off feed for shorter times (RR, 1.7). Cattle that were agitated during loading had twice the risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle that were calm (RR, 2.2). These findings suggest that variables associated with transportation and lairage can impact the presence of Salmonella on the hides of cattle at slaughter.

Transportation of cattle from the feedlot to the slaughter plant could influence hide contamination of Escherichia coli O157. A study was initiated to investigate the influence of transportation and lairage on shedding and hide contamination of E. coli O157. Fecal and hide samples were obtained from 40 pens of harvest-ready beef cattle at the feedlot prior to transport and again at the slaughter plant immediately after slaughter. Potential risk factors for hide contamination at the feedlot, during transport, and at slaughter were evaluated. A multilevel Poisson regression model was used to evaluate if transportation and lairage were associated with hide contamination by E. coli O157 in finished beef cattle. Lots of cattle held in E. coli O157-positive lairage pens had eight times greater risk of having positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle held in culture-negative pens (relative risk, 8.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 38.8). Lots of cattle that were held in lairage pens contaminated with feces had three times greater risk for positive slaughter hide samples compared with cattle held in clean pens (relative risk, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 7.9). Lots of cattle that were transported for long distances (> 160.9 km) had twice the risk of having positive hide samples at slaughter compared with cattle transported a shorter distance (relative risk, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 5.1). These findings suggest that transportation and lairage should be considered in E. coli O157 control strategies.

The removal of 18,345 specified risk materials was observed during audits of 18 U.S. beef processing facilities that, in total, account for over 90% of total U.S. beef slaughtered. Audited plants varied in capacity (280 to 6,000 head per day) and processed both "fed (young cattle)" and "nonfed (mature cows/bulls)" cattle. When all observations for removal of specified risk materials were combined from plants and adjusted for type of cattle processed, overall compliance with specified risk material removal regulations was 98.08%. A 100% compliance rate for removal of brains and distal ileums was recorded based on a total of 600 observations for removal of brains and a total of 2,400 observations for removal of distal ileums. Observations for removal of dorsal root ganglia were collected from 16 of the 18 plants, and overall compliance for dorsal root ganglia removal was 99.6% (4,783 of 4,800). Fifteen of the 16 plants were 100% compliant. For tonsils, data from 18 plants were collected, and tonsils were correctly removed from 92.8% (4,777 of 5,145) of tongues and heads. Data for spinal cord removal were collected from 18 plants, and the spinal cord was removed completely in line with U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service regulations for 99.43% of the observations. Based on the results of this study, packing plants have demonstrated that they are complying with regulations for removal of specified risk materials from beef meat products intended for human consumption greater than 98% of the time. To continue to assure food safety and consumer confidence, continued vigilance and provision of training programs for plant workers are essential.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 on cattle entering the slaughter floor may range from 10 to > 70%. This study was conducted to determine the effect of E. coli O157 prevalence in fecal pats collected from feedlot pen floors on subsequent E. coli O157 prevalence on carcasses at various points in the slaughter process. Fecal pats from the feedlot pen floor were collected within 3 days before slaughter. During cattle processing at the slaughter facility, additional samples were collected from the hide, from the colon, and from the carcasses before and after evisceration and after final decontamination. Of 15 lots (a group of cattle from the same pen from a feedlot) sampled, 87% had at least one positive fecal pat from the feedlot floor, 47% had a positive hide sample, 73% had a positive colon/fecal sample, and 47% had a positive carcass sample preevisceration; however, only 8% of lots had a positive carcass sample postevisceration or after final intervention. Of the total samples tested (n = 1,328), 24.7, 14.7, 27.6, 10.1, 1.4, and 0.3% of fecal pats from the feedlot floor, hide, colon, preevisceration, postevisceration, and final intervention samples, respectively, were positive for E. coli O157. Pens with greater than 20% positive fecal pats from the feedlot floor had 25.5% hide, 51.4% colon, and 14.3, 2.9, and 0.7% carcass samples positive at preevisceration, at postevisceration, and after final intervention, respectively. However, fecal pats from feedlot floor samples that contained less than 20% positive fecal samples showed lower pathogen prevalence, with 5.0% hide, 7.5% colon, and 6.3, 0, and 0% carcass positive samples at preevisceration, postevisceration, and post-final intervention, respectively. Data from this study can be used as part of risk assessment processes in order to identify mitigation strategies to minimize prevalence of E. coli O157 on fresh beef carcasses.

Health hazards associated with meat contaminated by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent have led to the development of tests for the presence of this agent. The objective of this study was to optimize a neuron-specific enolase Western blot assay for use in the United States. We compared the original test with a modified protocol to evaluate the detection limit for the presence of central nervous system (CNS) tissue in experimentally inoculated samples and compared and evaluated the utility of these tests for detecting CNS tissue in retail sausages. Sensitivity and specificity of the original and modified protocols were evaluated using the kappa statistic to assess agreement between the results of the two protocols. The original protocol resulted in 100% specificity and 92% sensitivity for raw samples and 92% specificity and 72% sensitivity for cooked samples. The modified protocol resulted in 92% specificity and 89% sensitivity for raw samples and 83% specificity and 75% sensitivity for cooked samples. The kappa statistic for protocol comparison was 0.94 for raw samples and 0.74 for cooked samples. Both protocols correctly identified CNS tissue in positive controls for each replicate. Although the Western blot technique should be considered for screening for the presence of bovine CNS tissue in meat samples, the techniques should be further optimized to address problems of low sensitivity. A test with higher sensitivity is needed to protect consumers from food safety threats associated with bovine CNS tissue.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of an open-chest condition on oxygen delivery in anesthetized dogs., Study Design: Prospective, controlled experimental study., Animals: Eight clinically normal adult Walker Hound dogs weighing 25.6-29.2 kg., Methods: Eight anesthetized dogs underwent an open-chest operation after the insertion of thoracoscopy cannulae in the lateral chest walls. A Swan Ganz catheter was used to both measure hemodynamic parameters and obtain mixed venous blood samples for blood gas analysis. A dorsal pedal catheter was placed to both measure arterial blood pressure and obtain blood samples for blood gas analysis. Oxygen delivery index and oxygen extraction ratio were calculated. A randomized block anova for repeated measures was used to evaluate the effect of the treatment on hemodynamic and pulmonary parameters., Results: Creation of an open chest did not significantly affect oxygen delivery index (DO(2)I; p = 0.545). It induced a significant decrease in arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO(2); p = 0.018) and arterial oxygen content (CaO(2); p = 0.025). It induced a significant increase in shunt fraction (p = 0.023), physiologic dead space (p = 0.015), and alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (p = 0.019). Arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2); p = 0.766) and arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO(2); p = 0.178) were not significantly affected. Diastolic (DPAP; p = 0.050) and mean (MPAP; p = 0.033) pulmonary arterial pressures were significantly increased by opening the chest. Other hemodynamic parameters were not significantly affected., Conclusions: Opening the thoracic cavity is not detrimental to hemodynamic function and oxygen delivery in normal dogs, although impaired gas exchange does occur., Clinical Relevance: Close monitoring of patients is recommended during open-chest thoracoscopy as adverse effects on gas exchange can contribute to hypoxemia.