Search

This article provides a comparative analysis of international education strategies employed by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It explores how both superpowers sought to disseminate their ideologies globally, leading to direct competition. The US and Soviet Union utilized international education to cultivate friendly elites and countries aligned with their respective values. Both nations implemented educational exchange programs and aimed to establish or reform educational systems abroad. The paper evaluates the effectiveness of these strategies, shedding light on the contrasting approaches adopted by the US and the Soviet Union in their pursuit of influence through international education during this era.

Abstract This paper describes the design and initial proof-of-concept of a single pre-clinical transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) system capable of performing histotripsy (mechanical ablation), hyperthermia, blood-brain barrier opening (BBBO), sonodynamic therapy, or neuromodulation in a murine brain. We have termed it the All-in-One FUS system for murine brain studies, which is the first FUS system of its kind. The 1.5 MHz ultrasound transducer was fabricated and driven using a custom electronic driver to produce 3-cycle pulses with a focal peak-negative pressure (P-) of up to 87 MPa at a low duty cycle (

Thromboembolism in blood vessels poses a serious risk of stroke, heart attack, and even sudden death if not properly managed. Sonothrombolysis combined with ultrasound contrast agents has emerged as a promising approach for the effective treatment of thromboembolism. Recent reports have highlighted the potential of intravascular sonothrombolysis as a safe and effective treatment modality for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, its efficiency has not been validated through in vivo testing of retracted clots. This study aimed to develop a miniaturized multidirectional transducer featuring two 4-layer lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) stacks with an aperture size of 1.4 mm × 1.4 mm, enabling both forward- and side-looking treatment. Integrated into a custom two-lumen 10-French (Fr) catheter, the capability of this device for intravascular sonothrombolysis was validated both in vitro and in vivo. With low-dose tissue plasminogen activators and nanodroplets, the rotational multidirectional transducer reduced the retracted clot mass (800 mg) by an average of 52% within 30 min during in vitro testing. The lysis rate was significantly higher by 37% than that in a forward-viewing transducer without rotation. This improvement was particularly noteworthy in the treatment of retracted clots. Notably, a long-retracted clot (> 10 cm) was successfully treated within 40 min in vivo by creating a flow channel with a diameter > 4 mm in a porcine DVT model. In conclusion, these findings strongly suggest the potential of this technique for clinical applications in sonothrombolysis, offering a feasible solution for effectively treating thromboembolism, particularly in challenging cases involving retracted clots.

We announce the genome sequence of the Citrobacter portucalensis BAU_133-2 strain isolated from a domestic duck. Our assembled genome contained a length of 4.8 Mb, 110.0× genome coverage, 51.91% of an average GC content, 1 plasmid, 1 CRISPR array, 8 prophages, 27 antibiotic resistance genes, and 75 virulence factor genes.

Tropical cyclones, including surge inundation, are a common event in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. The surge washes out the area within a very short period and remains in flooded condition for several days. Spatial analysis to understand the surge susceptibility level can assist the cyclone management system. Surge susceptibility analysis could be one of the most essential parts of disaster risk reduction through which cyclone vulnerability can be minimized. A Geographic Information Systems-based analytical hierarchy process (AHP) multi-criteria analysis and bivariate frequency ratio (FR) techniques were conducted to understand the surge susceptibility level of a cyclone-prone area on the Bangladesh coast. A total of 10 criteria were considered influential to surge flooding, i.e. Topographic Wetness Index, elevation, wind velocity, slope, distance from sea and rivers, drainage density, Land Use and Land Cover, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, precipitation, and soil types. The final surge susceptibility maps were categorized into five classes, i.e. very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. Conferring to these susceptibility classes, policymakers can make decisions for future land use management and disaster risk reduction activities. According to this research, AHP showed better precision (Receiver Operating Characteristic) than FR for surge susceptibility prediction on the Bangladesh coast.

We sequenced a multidrug-resistant strain of Citrobacter freundii, 132-2, isolated from a cloacal swab sample of a domestic duck. The whole genome of the C. freundii 132-2 strain had a length of 5,097,592 bp, 62 contigs, two plasmids, and an average G+C content of 51.85%, with a 105.0× genome coverage.

Background: In India, current maternal mortality ratio is 97/100,000 livebirths, and still more efforts are needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, target 1 of 70/100,000 livebirths. Women die because of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Skilled care during and immediately after delivery has been identified as one of the key strategies in reducing maternal mortality. Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) has been implemented as a comprehensive strategy to fill this gap. BPCR is one of the key interventions to reduce the maternal mortality. Materials and Methods: This was a community-based before and after interventional study (quasi-experimental study) and was conducted in two randomly selected primary health centers of South West district of Delhi. Results: A total of 152 community health workers (CHWs) took part in the study. About one fourth (22.03%) had knowledge regarding water breakage without labor, which increased to 85.53% after training and was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Mean knowledge score preintervention was 4.35 (1.82), whereas the postintervention mean knowledge score was 8.98 (0.99) and was statistically significant (P < 0.0001) Conclusion: Though awareness of CHWs on some aspects of the BPCR components was good before the training program, marked improvement was seen in most of the domains after the training session.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Citrobacter freundii poses a serious challenge as this species is one of the sources of nosocomial infection and causes diarrheal infections in humans. Ducks could be the potential source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii; however, AMR profiles in C. freundii from non-human sources in Bangladesh have remained elusive. This study aimed to detect C. freundii in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in Bangladesh and to determine their phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns. A total of 150 cloacal swabs of diseased domestic ducks were screened using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to detect C. freundii. Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns were done by the disk diffusion method and PCR, respectively. In total, 16.67% (25/150) of the samples were positive for C. freundii. C. freundii isolates showed a range of 20% to 96% resistance to cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, and cephalexin. More than 60% of the isolates were phenotypically MDR, and the index of multiple antibiotic resistance ranged from 0.07 to 0.79. Genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams [blaTEM-1-88% (22/25), blaCMY-2-56% (14/25), blaCMY-9-8% (2/25), and blaCTX-M-14-20% (5/25)], sulfonamides [sul1-52% (13/25), sul2-24% (6/25)], tetracyclines [tetA-32% (8/25) and tetB-4% (1/25)], aminoglycosides [aacC4-16% (4/25)], and fluoroquinolones [qnrA-4% (1/25), qnrB-12% (3/25), and qnrS-4% (1/25)] were detected in the isolated C. freundii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh to detect MDR C. freundii with their associated resistance genes from duck samples. We suggest addressing the burden of diseases in ducks and humans and associated AMR issues using the One Health approach.

Objectives: Citrobacter freundii is a prevalent source of nosocomial infections and a well-known cause of diarrheal diseases. In recent years, it has also become increasingly resistant to various antimicrobials. In this study, we screened and characterized a multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. freundii isolate obtained from a domesticated diseased duck to better understand the genetic features, molecular epidemiology, and underlying factors linked to the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) of the isolate. Methods: The C. freundii BAU_TM8 strain was isolated using culturing, staining, biochemical, polymerase chain reaction, and Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight methods. The MDR properties of the strain were determined by a disk diffusion test. The genomic sequence of C. freundii BAU_TM8 was performed using the Illumina NextSeq2000 platform. The ARGs, VFGs, and genomic functional characteristics of the C. freundii BAU_TM8 strain were identified using several open-source databases. Results: The sequence type of this strain was ST669, and the pathogenicity index of the strain was 0.919. Moreover, the strain had an estimated genome length of 5,797,806 bp, harboring 62 contigs, a G + C content of 54.32 %, and five contig L50s with an N50 value of 443,947 bp. Using phylogenetic analysis, this strain was closely related to two strains isolated from human and environmental samples in the USA and China despite huge geographical distances. The C. freundii BAU_TM8 strain consisted of 40 AGRs encoding resistance to 19 antimicrobial categories, e.g., fluoroquinolones, macrolides, folate pathway antagonists, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, cephalosporins, and others. According to the phenotypic assay and genome sequence, the sensitivity and specificity of resistance profiles of the strain were 100 % and 20 %, respectively. Moreover, the virulence factor database detected 66 VFGs in this strain. This strain contained 1581 subsystems, having 33 % subsystem coverage and 2275 genes encoding amino acid derivatives, carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, respiration, motility and chemotaxis, stress response, DNA metabolism, nucleosides and nucleotides, and others. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first WGS report of C. freundii from a domesticated duck in Bangladesh. The ubiquitous occurrence of ARGs and VFGs in the C. freundii BAU_TM8 strain detected in this study highlights the growing concern about antimicrobial resistance in humans, animals, and environments.

Background: Infections due to intestinal parasites are a major public health concern in developing countries contributing to morbidity as well as mortality in the population. Aim and Objectives: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was done to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and association with different risk factors. Results: The total prevalence was found to be 15%, with protozoans being more common (63%) than helminths (33%). Cyst of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar was the most common protozoan and Ascaris was the most common helminth isolated. Rural residence, open defecation and barefoot walking were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the prevalence. Conclusion: Along with mass deworming and elimination program being carried out by the government, results of this study would help in planning and implementing specific policies in the area.

Food loss and wastage occur in large quantities globally every year and it occurs in the entire supply chain right from the production to the processing stage. The loss of food is due to various factors like adopting traditional cultivation practices, low investment in the food sector, and more loss from poor pests and disease management of agricultural crops. The most important and major cause is due to microbial spoilage; fungi are most harmful to the consumers and also to the agriculture sector. Synthetic chemical strategies can prevent fungal growth and may reduce wastage but still causes accumulation of chemical substances in the environment and food chain in a long run. For these reasons, the use of bio-control technologies can be a great solution to agriculture and food sector as well. In view of this, the present study has been conducted using an efficient Azotobacter species, which belongs to the PGPR group. In this study, antifungal compounds produced by Azotobacter have been extracted by following solvent extraction protocols and identified using GCMS methods. The antifungal compounds were tested against the major fungal pathogens viz., Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium species. The metabolites produced by Azotobacter species were efficient in controlling the growth of the fungal species. These compounds can be used as a potential bio-preservative in the food sector instead of synthetic chemicals. Thus, these compounds can further be analyzed and tested on the food sample, having a great scope in the future to replace the chemical preservatives.

IntroductionMany people expressed concern over coronavirus vaccinations’ reliability and side effects. This research aimed to assess university students’ perceptions and experiences regarding the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines in Bangladesh.MethodWe conducted an online cross-sectional survey to collect responses from university students vaccinated with any vaccines administered in Bangladesh between November 2021 to April 2022. Bangladeshi university students over the age of 18 and having an internet connection was included in the study. A binary logistic regression analysis along with Pearson’s Chi-square test were used to identify COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects predictors after receiving the first dose.ResultsA total of 1,176 participants responded voluntarily to the online study, and most were vaccinated. More than half of the participants received the Sinopharm vaccine (56.5%), while others received Covishield (8.9%), Moderna (7.3%), and Pfizer (5.8%) vaccine. Around 32% of the participants reported side effects after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, including pain and edema (78.4%), body temperature (20.3%), and headache (14.5%), while a few experienced allergy, anxiety, and uneasy feelings. About 17% of the participants reported experiencing side effects after the second dose of the vaccine, including pain and edema (7.5%), body temperature (8.8%), and headache (7.3%). Most side effects were significantly associated with the Moderna vaccine (p

Autistic children are at increased risk of experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, including anxiety. A number of intervention programmes are now available in high-income countries to support autistic children. However, to date there are no evidence-based interventions to support families of such children in South Asia. Based on consultations with clinicians, researchers and parents in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, we developed a culturally tailored two-session skills-based group programme for parents whose autistic children present with anxiety. This paper describes the process of creating this programme, to be delivered by mental health professionals.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had significant negative impact on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) with devastating impact on pregnant women in resource constrain humanitarian settings. This paper provides detailed account of a community midwife-led intervention in ten humanitarian settings of Afghanistan using world health organization (WHO) emergency disaster risk management (EDRM) framework.Objectives: The project is aimed at increasing access to Integrated Package of Essential SRH Services and Minimal Initial Service Package (MISP) with a specific focus on prevention of Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) and screening and management of preeclampsia and eclampsia.Methods: The project was implemented through 150 Community outreach midwives (COMs). Each midwife served 300 households; mentored by gynaecologists and supervisors. Midwives were trained through a digitally enabled, simulation based training and equipped with a set of off-the shelf devices and kits.Results: During COVID-19 pandemic and in absence of health care services during crisis, this intervention has played as a lifesaving intervention for the community in Afghanistan. Variable digital literacy, sociocultural barriers, reluctance in adapting to digital platforms, security and uncertainties were some of the challenges faced. Adaptation of outreach methods integrated high impactful digital technologies has been the most appropriate strategy "to reach the unreached".Conclusion: Through this model, national and global stakeholders were engaged even during the crisis in Afghanistan. It also provided vital inputs for the donors, governments, civil society organizations and other stakeholders for sustaining and advancing the delivery of quality SRH services in humanitarian settings.