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OBJECTIVES: Though Bangladesh is passing through demographic, epidemiologic and nutritional transitions, national estimates on nutrition and health status of the elderly population are largely unknown. We aimed to determine the status of selected health and nutrition indicators among the elderly population in Bangladesh. METHODS: For the first time in Bangladesh, we included elderly population (≥60 years old females and males) as a separate population group in the national food security and nutrition surveillance round 2018–2019. We collected data on dietary diversity, nutritional status, behavioral risk factors of non-communicable diseases, blood pressure, and self-reported chronic diseases from 4,818 elderly people (48% female) living in 82 clusters (57 rural, 15 non-slums urban, and 10 slums) randomly selected from eight administrative division of Bangladesh. RESULTS: Majority (59% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 69% in slums) of elderly people were consuming an inadequately diverse (4 or less food groups out of 10) diet. Overall, 89% of elderly people were malnourished (20%) or at risk of malnutrition (69%). The highest prevalence of malnutrition was in Mymensingh division (37%) followed by Sylhet division (27%). The prevalence of obesity was 5%, 16%, and 11%, in rural, non-slum urban, and slums, respectively. The national prevalence of smoking, smokeless tobacco consumption, physical inactivity was 18%, 52%, and 38%, respectively. There was a high burden of hypertension (49% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 39% in slums). Overall, 16% of elderly people had heart diseases, 14% had chronic respiratory diseases, 3% had kidney diseases, 9% had diabetes, 8% had stroke, 0.5% had cancer and 1.4% had mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: The government of Bangladesh should design and implement health and nutrition programs among the elderly population. The regional differences in the prevalence of health and nutrition indicators should be considered while designing such programs. FUNDING SOURCES: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh

Step changes to seawater temperature (SWT) in the East Asian marginal seas (EAMS) are associated with three recent climate regime shifts (CRS) occurring in the mid-1970s, late 1980s, and late 1990s, but the responses of the ocean conditions and marine ecosystems had regional differences. A step change in SWT in the East China Sea (ECS) was detected after the CRS of the 1970s as were step changes in the North Pacific Index (NPI), Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI), and East Asian Winter Monsoon Index (EAWMI). SWT in the ECS decreased with decreasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS and a strong monsoon, but step changes in SWT in other regions were not detected as clearly. After the CRS of the 1980s, SWT in all EAMS increased rapidly with step changes detected in all five climate indices examined. These changes were associated with a weak winter monsoon, increasing surface air temperature (SAT), and increasing warm water volume transport into the EAMS. However, after the CRS of the 1990s, a decrease in SWT around the EAMS was detected in the northern part of East China Sea (NECS), and the ECS with step changes also in the EAWMI and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI). In contrast, SWT in the East Sea/Sea of Japan (EJS) and the Yellow Sea (YS) continuously increased during this time. Long-term changes in zooplankton biomass were affected by regional differences in the responses of atmospheric and oceanic variability to CRSs. Specifically, long-term changes in the timing of peaks in zooplankton abundances exhibited differences. During warm periods (e.g. after the 1980s CRS) in the EJS, the amount of zooplankton biomass in October increased, while in February it decreased. On the contrary, in the YS and the NECS, the peaks of October and June in zooplankton biomass occurred during cold periods (after the 1970s and 1990s CRS). Major fisheries resources also responded to the three CRSs, although warm and cold water species responded differently to changes in oceanographic conditions in regional spawning grounds.

OBJECTIVES: Bangladesh is experiencing triple burden of malnutrition among adolescents, which may be associated with inadequate dietary diversity (IDD). In the recently completed round of the national nutrition surveillance (NNS 2018–2019), we explored the prevalence of IDD and its determinants among adolescent girls and boys. METHODS: A total of 4808 adolescent girls and 4761 adolescent boys were interviewed. We used minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) questionnaire to collect dietary data. IDD was defined as consumption of

OBJECTIVES: Double burden of malnutrition (DBM), referred as the coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition, is an evolving public health concern. There is a paucity of data about DBM among elderly people in Bangladesh. In the recently completed round of the national nutrition surveillance (NNS 2018–2019), we assessed the prevalence and determinants of DBM among elderly people. METHODS: In the NNS, we collected data from 30,005 persons in 6 population groups from 82 clusters (57 rural, 15 non-slum urban, and 10 slums) selected using multistage cluster sampling. We collected socio-demographic, life-style and anthropometric data from 4817 respondents aged >60 years. Underweight was defined as body mass index (BMI)

OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization (WHO) set a target of 15% relative reduction of the prevalence of insufficient physical activity (IPA) by 2025 among adolescents and adults globally. In Bangladesh, there is no national estimates of the prevalence of IPA among adolescents. In the recently completed round of the national nutrition surveillance (NNS 2018–2019), we aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with IPA among adolescent girls and boys. METHODS: NNS was conducted in 57 rural, 15 urban and 10 slum clusters selected using multistage cluster sampling. In these clusters, we collected data from 4732 adolescent girls and 4761 adolescent boys. We used Global Physical Activity Questionnaire to collect physical activity (PA) data. The WHO recommended cut off points for IPA (5–17 years: 6 hours of sitting per day were associated with IPA. Place of residence, consumption of fruits and vegetables, education and paternal occupation were associated with IPA only among the boys. On the other hand, maternal and paternal education and overweight/obesity were associated with IPA only among the girls. CONCLUSIONS: One in every two adolescent girls and one in every three adolescent boys do not meet the WHO recommended level of PA in Bangladesh. This study identified several modifiable factors associated with IPA among adolescent boys and girls and these factors should be addressed through comprehensive public health interventions in order to improve adolescent health in Bangladesh. FUNDING SOURCES: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh.

Inhibitory activity of organobismuth compounds, triarylbismuthanes 1 and their dihalides 2 and 3, was examined against jack bean urease. Besides triarylbismuth dichlorides 2, triarylbismuth difluorides 3 and bismuthanes 1 exhibited the activity. Of all these compounds, triphenylbismuth difluoride 3a and tris(4-fluorophenyl)bismuth dichloride 2b showed the highest activity. These results indicate that generation of the inhibitory effect is not always governed by the Lewis acidity at the bismuth center. Such a tendency of inhibition by the organobismuth compounds is in good accord with that observed in the antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori, suggesting that H. pylori-produced urease may be a therapeutic target by bismuth-based drugs.

Competitive oxidative chlorination of p -substituted triarylstibines 3 [( p -XC 6 H 4 ) 3 Sb; a : X = OMe, c : Cl, d : CO 2 Et, e : CF 3 , f : CN, g : NO 2 ] by sulfuryl chloride was carried out against 3b (X = H) and the electronic effect of these substituents on the chlorination of 3 was compared with that of homologous triarylbismuthanes 1 . The relative ratios 4 / 4b (Ar 3 SbCl 2 /Ph 3 SbCl 2 ) decreased with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of the substituents ( a : 53/47, c : 49/51, d : 46/54, e : 44/56, f : 40/60, g : 37/63), but the tendency was not so pronounced as observed in the chlorination of 1 . A Hammett plot of the 4 / 4b ratios against the σ p constants exhibited a good linear relationship with a negative slope, the value of which was almost half of that deduced from the 2 / 2b (Ar 3 BiCl 2 /Ph 3 BiCl 2 ) ratios. The difference in the reactivity between 1 and 3 may be explained by the effect of the electron-withdrawing substituents in the aromatic rings, which affects the p-character of the lone pair on the pnictogen atoms by increasing the positive metal charge and appears more remarkably in 1 than in 3 . The 13 C NMR study of 3 revealed that the chemical shifts of the ipso carbons (C1) attached to the antimony show a linear relationship against the σ p constants with a positive slope (14.5). The value was smaller than that deduced from 1 (17.0), suggesting that the antimony center of 3 is less sensitive to the substituent effect. This is in accord with the tendency of the chlorination.

Competitive chlorination of p -substituted triarylbismuthanes 1 [( p -XC 6 H 4 ) 3 Bi; a : X = OMe, c : Cl, d : CO 2 Et, e : CF 3 , f : CN, g : NO 2 ] and trimesitylbismuthane (2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 ) 3 Bi 1h by sulfuryl chloride was carried out against 1b (X = H) and the effect of these substituents on the formation of triarylbismuth dichlorides 2 was studied. The relative ratios 2 / 2b decreased with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of the substituents ( 2a / 2b = 53/47, 2c / 2b = 33/67, 2d / 2b = 35/65, 2e / 2b = 29/71, 2f / 2b = 16/84, 2g / 2b = 0/100, 2h / 2b = 46/54), indicating a lowering of reactivity of the lone pair on the bismuth atom. Pd-Catalyzed degradation of 2a – g and their difluorides 3 giving biaryls 4 was promoted by the electron-withdrawing p -substituents in the equatorial aryl groups but suppressed by the more electronegative fluorine atoms in the apical positions. This is in fairly good accord with the stability of the trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The 13 C NMR study of 1 – 3 showed that the signals due to the ipso carbons (C1) attached to the bismuth atom shift downfield with increasing electron-withdrawing nature of the p -substituents. No such tendency was observed in other aromatic ring carbons. The electronic effect on the C1 atoms, similar to that on the chlorination of 1 and degradation of 2 and 3 , indicates the significant participation of the C1 atoms in these reactions through the Bi–C1 bonds.

Antifungal activity of organobismuth(III) and (V) compounds 1-9 was examined against the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A clear structure-activity relationship was observed in these compounds. Thus, triarylbismuth dichlorides 2 [(4-YC6H4)3BiCl2: Y=MeO, F, Cl, CF3, CN, NO2] and halobismuthanes 6 [2-(t)BuSO2C6H4(4-YC6H4)BiX: Y=MeO, Me, H, Cl; X=Cl, Br, I], 7 [Bi(X)(C6H4-2-SO2C6H4-1'-): X=Cl, Br, I], 8 [2-Me2NCH2C6H4(Ph)BiX: X=Cl, Br] and 9 [4-MeC6H4(8-Me2NC10H6-1-)BiCl] showed the growth inhibition effect, while triarylbismuth difluorides 3 [(4-YC6H4)3BiF2] and triarylbismuthanes 1 [(4-YC6H4)3Bi], 4 [2-(t)BuSO2C6H4(4-YC6H4)2Bi] and 5 [4-YC6H4Bi(C6H4-2-SO2C6H4-1'-)] were not active at all irrespective of the nature of the substituents. Generation of the inhibition effect is governed by the facility of nucleophilic reaction at the bismuth center and the Lewis acidic bismuth center is an active site. Of all the bismuth compounds attempted, halobismuthanes 7 derived from diphenyl sulfone exhibited the highest activities. An X-ray crystallographic study of 7a [Bi(Cl)(C6H4-2-SO2C6H4-1'-)] revealed that the bismuth center adopts a seven-coordinated geometry, which is unusual in organobismuth(III) compounds, through the intramolecular and intermolecular coordination between the bismuth and oxygen atoms. The marked inhibition effect of 7 may be attributed to such a highly coordinated geometry, which allows the bismuth center to bind tightly with some biomolecules playing important roles in the growth of S. cerevisiae.