Little is known about bacterial communities that colonize mucosal surfaces in the human gastrointestinal tract, but they are believed to play an important role in host physiology. The objectives of this study were to investigate the compositions of these populations in the distal small bowel and colon. Healthy mucosal tissue from either the terminal ileum (n ‫؍‬ 6) or ascending (n ‫؍‬ 8), transverse (n ‫؍‬ 8), or descending colon (n ‫؍‬ 4) of 26 patients (age, 68.5 ؎ 1.2 years [mean ؎ standard deviation]) undergoing emergency resection of the large bowel was used to study these communities. Mucosa-associated eubacteria were characterized by using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), while real-time PCR was employed for quantitative analysis. Mucosal communities were also visualized in situ using confocal laser scanning microscopy. DGGE banding profiles from all the gut regions exhibited at least 45% homology, with five descending colon profiles clustering at ca. 75% concordance. Real-time PCR showed that mucosal bacterial population densities were highest in the terminal ileum and that there were no significant differences in overall bacterial numbers in different parts of the colon. Bifidobacterial numbers were significantly higher in the large bowel than in the terminal ileum (P ‫؍‬ 0.006), whereas lactobacilli were more prominent in the distal large intestine (P ‫؍‬ 0.019). Eubacterium rectale (P ‫؍‬ 0.0004) and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (P ‫؍‬ 0.001) were dominant in the ascending and descending colon. Site-specific colonization in the gastrointestinal tract may be contributory in the etiology of some diseases of the large intestine.

Both LVMR and RVMR are similar in terms of safety and efficacy. Although not randomized, this data may suggest a better functional outcome and quality of life in patients having RVMR for ERP.

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has been a global concern since early 2020, where the number of COVID-19 cases is also on a rapid surge in Bangladesh with the report of a total of 276,549 cases after the detection of the first three cases in this country on 8 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has made a seismic shift in the healthcare delivery system, where physician offices have accelerated digital health solutions at record speed, putting telemedicine (i.e., telehealth) at centre stage. Amid the severely contagious COVID-19, telemedicine has moved from being an optional service to an essential one. As the developing country, there are some barriers to get evenly distributed advantages of this approach due to the digital divides and disparities. In this commentary, we have described the importance of telemedicine service amid the outbreak of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, the barriers and challenges that the country is facing to implement this approach and the strategies to overcome these barriers in this developing country.

In a FOB test-positive screened population, lower gastrointestinal symptoms are common, but are not predictive of colorectal neoplasia.

A total of two new (1, 2) and four known (3-6) withanolides were isolated from the whole plant of Withania somnifera. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic techniques and were characterized as 6a a,7a a-epoxy-3b b,5a a,20b b-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-24-enolide (1), 5b b,6b b-epoxy-4b b,17a a,27-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2, 24-dienolide (2), withaferin-A (3), 2,3-dihydrowithaferin-A (4), 6a a,7a a-epoxy-5a a,20b b-dihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide (5), and 5b b,6b b-epoxy-4b b-hydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,14,24-trienolide (6), respectively. Compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 displayed inhibitory potential against butyrylcholinesterase, but only compounds 3, 4, and 6 were found to be active against acetylcholinesterase.

Serum and CSF-Zn simultaneously decreased in FS children in comparison to their matched NSF peers. Further prospectively designed multicentral studies are recommended to conduct in geographically diverse regions involving larger sample to confirm or refute our findings. It remains crucial in standardizing/strengthening national seizure prevention protocol with adequate Zn supplementation.

BackgroundAvailability of Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) is crucial to avert maternal death due to life-threatening complications potentially arising during delivery. Research on the determinants of utilization of EmOC has neglected urban settings, where traffic congestion can pose a significant barrier to the access of EmOC facilities, particularly for the urban poor due to costly and limited transportation options. This study investigates the impact of travel time to EmOC facilities on the utilization of facility-based delivery services among mothers living in urban poor settlements in Sylhet, Bangladesh.MethodsA cross-sectional EmOC health-seeking behavior survey from 39 poor urban clusters was geo-spatially linked to a comprehensive geo-referenced dataset of EmOC facility locations. Geo-spatial techniques and logistic regression were then applied to quantify the impact of travel time on place of delivery (EmOC facility or home), while controlling for confounding socio-cultural and economic factors.ResultsIncreasing travel time to the nearest EmOC facility is found to act as a strong deterrent to seeking care for the urban poor in Sylhet. Logistic regression results indicate that a 5-min increase in travel time to the nearest EmOC facility is associated with a 30 % decrease (0.655 odds ratio, 95 % CI: 0.529–0.811) in the likelihood of delivery at an EmOC facility rather than at home. Moreover, the impact of travel time varies substantially between public, NGO and private facilities. A 5-min increase in travel time from a private EmOC facility is associated with a 32.9 % decrease in the likelihood of delivering at a private facility, while for public and Non-Government Organizations (NGO) EmOC facilities, the impact is lower (28.2 and 28.6 % decrease respectively). Other strong determinants of delivery at an EmOC facility are the use of antenatal care and mother’s formal education, while Muslim mothers are found to be more likely to deliver at home.ConclusionsGeospatial evidence points to the need to strengthen referral and emergency transport systems in order to reduce urban travel time, and establish or relocate EmOC facilities closer to where the poor reside. However, female education and antenatal care coverage remain the most important determinants of facility delivery.

Background The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on healthcare staff and caused serious psychological distress. We aimed to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Bangladeshi nurses, as well as the relationship between occupational factors and mental health symptoms. We conducted a cross-sectional study among registered nurses in Bangladesh. We used the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to assess mental health symptoms. Results Among the 547 nurses included in the study, the prevalence of mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress was 50.5%, 51.8%, and 41.7% respectively, and 61.9% of the respondents reported mild to severe psychological impact for COVID-19. Psychological symptoms were more prevalent among female nurses than male nurses (p <0.05). Linear regression revealed that having complete personal protective equipment (PPE) during working was significantly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress (p <0.05). Facing any emotional abuse working in the COVID-19 pandemic situation was significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and greater psychological impact of the outbreak (p <0.05). Conclusions A high prevalence of mental health symptoms was observed in nurses. We recommend the implementation of mental well-being interventions and ensuring a proper work environment for nurses during the pandemic.