The risk of developing an eating disorder among university students is higher than the general population in Bangladesh. Since psychiatric disorders (such as depression and anxiety) and addictive ...behaviors (e.g., internet addiction) predominantly exist among university students in the country, these may increase their vulnerability to developing an eating disorder. The association of internet addiction, depression, and anxiety with the risk of eating disorders among Bangladeshi university students is relatively unknown; therefore, this study investigates the association. This study was a cross-sectional design. Students (N = 700) from two public universities in Bangladesh completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) tool, and Orman's Internet Addiction Survey (OIAS) to measure exposure variables. Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) assessed the outcome variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that internet addiction adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for moderate addiction = 2.15 and severe addiction = 3.95, depressive (aOR 3.04), and anxiety (aOR 2.06) symptoms were associated with an increased risk of eating disorder among study participants. Future longitudinal studies on university students are recommended to gain a better understanding about the causal factors of eating disorder to support intervention initiatives and strategies by public health practitioners and policy experts.
Poultry meat is considered as a potential source of colistin resistant Escherichia coli (CREC). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of CREC in broiler meat and ascertain ...their possible zoonotic potential(s). Broiler meat (n = 104) comprising 26 of each of the thigh, breast, liver, and proventriculus-gizzard was purchased from the retail outlets, Bangladesh. CREC was isolated from the meat samples on MacConkey agar plates containing colistin sulfate followed by PCR confirmation, mcr subtyping (mcr-1 to mcr-5), phylogenetic grouping and detailed molecular characterization through whole genome sequencing (WGS). Antimicrobial resistance of the CREC isolates were evaluated by disc diffusion method and MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of colistin sulfate was determined by broth microdilution. The investigation revealed 58 (55.77 %) of 104 samples as positive for CREC, and 53 (91.38 %) of CREC isolates carried mcr-1 gene with no other mcr subtypes evident. Most of the CREC belonged to commensal E. coli (66.04 %) with some pathogenic phylotypes (33.96 %) based on dichotomous decision tree. All the mcr-1 CREC isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and had MICs of 4–8 μg/mL colistin sulfate. WGS of a commensal MDR mcr-1 CREC strain 1ChBEc2mcr revealed as a potential human pathogen belonging to ST162 that harbored 60 virulence factors associated genes (VFGs). The mcr-1 gene in 1ChBEc2mcr genome was located on a plasmid (p1ChBEc2mcr) and showed nucleotide similarities (>95 %) to another plasmid reported from human E. coli in Bangladesh. Beyond mcr-1 gene, this plasmid (p1ChBEc2mcr) also harbored genes related to aminoglycoside, beta-lactams, macrolides, and tetracycline resistance. Presence of similar mcr-1 carrying plasmids in broiler and human CREC denotes a threat of possibly human to avian (broiler) or vice-versa transfer of mcr-1 CREC through close contact as prevailing in the retail outlets of Bangladesh.
•First report on mcr-1 colistin resistant E. coli (CREC) in broiler meat in Bangladesh•100 % of the mcr-1 CREC were multidrug resistant (MDR).•Broiler meat carried both pathogenic and commensal phylogroup of mcr-1 CREC.•CREC carried mcr-1 on plasmid genetically allied to human isolate from Bangladesh.
Abstract
Although secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is predominant in Bangladesh, the adverse effect of SHS exposure on health-related behaviors, such as sleep quality, have remained an ...under-investigated area of the country’s public health landscape. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between SHS exposure and poor sleep quality among non-smoking university students in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and September 2022. SHS exposure (main predictor variable) and other covariates (e.g., age, sex, etc.) were measured using a self-reported questionnaire and sleep quality (outcome variable) was measured via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Multiple logistic regression models investigated the association between SHS exposure and poor sleep quality. The study included 390 students (mean age: 22 years, 53.8% male). Approximately 41.8% of the participants reported SHS exposure, and 50.5% had poor sleep quality. Students exposed to SHS were more likely to have poor sleep quality compared to their counterparts (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.01, 2.58). Subgroup analysis revealed poor sleep quality was 2-times higher among male students exposed to SHS than those male students without SHS exposure (AOR = 2.03; 95% CI 1.05, 3.93). No association was found in female students. Findings from this study warrant increased awareness and public health initiatives on the implications of SHS on health behaviors, such as sleep quality, in non-smoking Bangladeshi university students.
Globally, hepatitis B infection (HBI) poses a substantial public health concern and healthcare workers, including nursing students, are at a higher risk of contracting this disease. Thus, the study ...aimed to assess how knowledge, attitudes, and sociodemographic factors are associated with HBI prevention among a sample of Bangladeshi nursing students.
A cross-sectional survey was performed among 737 nursing students from the nursing institutes of Khulna and Barishal divisions in Bangladesh from January to April 2023. The data were collected by providing questionnaires (structured questionnaire) in the classroom, following a stratified random sampling process. A model of multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the factors linked to HBI prevention practices.
The mean (SD) scores were 11.42 (± 2.88) for knowledge, 4.33 (± 1.91) for attitude and 4.27 (± 2.056) for practice respectively. Participants' low knowledge (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.562, 95% CI: 1.29-5.07) and poor attitude (aOR = 5.730, 95% CI: 3.19-10.28) regarding HBI were significantly associated with higher likelihood of poor practice towards HBI prevention. Moreover, being 2nd year of nursing students (aOR = 2.147, 95% CI: 1.19-3.86), being aged 19-20 years (aOR = 3.038, 95% CI: 1.30-7.09), being married (aOR = 0.320, 95%CI: 0.13-0.82) and having a family history of HBI (aOR = 0.134, 95%CI: 0.05-0.36) were significantly associated with poor practices of HBI prevention among study participants.
The knowledge, attitude and practice scores of the nursing students on HBI prevention were suboptimal. We advocate for implementing regular HBI prevention education and policies, free or subsidized services, skill development, proper HBI prevention enforcement and strict professional ethics within nursing colleges. Such efforts should predominantly focus on second-year, aged 19-20 and unmarried nursing students.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of death worldwide, affecting approximately 1.9 million individuals in 2020. Therapeutics of the disease are not yet available and discovering ...a novel anticancer drug candidate against the disease is an urgent need. Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an important enzyme and prime precursor for DNA biosynthesis that catalyzes the methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) that has emerged as a novel drug target against the disease. Elevated expression of TS in proliferating cells promotes oncogenesis as well as CRC. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential natural anticancer agents that can inhibit the activity of the TS protein, subsequently blocking the progression of colorectal cancer. Initially, molecular docking was implied on 63 natural compounds identified from
and
to evaluate their binding affinity to the desired protein. Subsequently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion), toxicity, and quantum chemical-based DFT (density-functional theory) approaches were applied to evaluate the efficacy of the selected compounds. Molecular docking analysis initially identified four compounds (PubChem CID: 5281349, CID: 102004710, CID: 11969465, CID: 198912) that have better binding affinity to the target protein. The ADME and toxicity properties indicated good pharmacokinetics (PK) and toxicity ability of the selected compounds. Additionally, the quantum chemical calculation of the selected molecules found low chemical reactivity indicating the bioactivity of the drug candidate. The global descriptor and HOMO-LUMO energy gap values indicated a satisfactory and remarkable profile of the selected molecules. Furthermore, MD simulations of the compounds identified better binding stability of the compounds to the desired protein. To sum up, the phytoconstituents from two plants showed better anticancer activity against TS protein that can be further developed as an anti-CRC drug.
In context with growing concerns regarding mechanical damage in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and energy devices, this study implemented atomistic molecular dynamics simulation to examine the ...mechanical performance of Ti2C MXene, a high prospectus material in the field of NEMS and energy technologies. Bond-order Tersoff potential was employed to assess the distinction in the mechanical performance of pristine and vacancy-induced Ti2C depending on different physiological conditions, including temperature, loading rate, and chirality. A competitive elastic modulus of 130.72 GPa and 129.12 GPa has been determined along the armchair and zigzag chirality. However, tensile strength along armchair chirality was found to be 30.52 GPa, 21.4% greater than its contrary direction, whereas zigzag chirality withstands 13.55% greater strain at failure than the armchair chirality, measuring 0.273. Superior tensile strength is observed in armchair chirality, whereas zigzag chirality withstands more significant strain at failure. Mechanical attributes show declining trends as the temperature rises; however, the trend is upward while loading happens rapidly. Both carbon and titanium point vacancies degrade mechanical characteristics individually, but the conjugal influence of temperature and point vacancy makes the deterioration more severe. Carbon, the central constituent element, was found to be more significant in the functionality of Ti2C MXene. Therefore, carbon vacancy shows higher formation energy and more significant deterioration in mechanical performance than titanium vacancy. This exhaustive investigation will significantly aid in the safe design of MXene-based nanoelectromechanical devices and catalyze further experimental research on the same layered materials.
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Studies in ecological stoichiometry highlight that grazer dynamics are affected by insufficient food nutrient content (low phosphorus (P)/carbon (C) ratio) as well as excess food nutrient content ...(high P:C). Contaminant stressors affect all levels of the biological hierarchy, from cells to organs to organisms to populations to entire ecosystems. Eco-toxicological modeling under the framework of ecological stoichiometry predicts the risk of bio-accumulation of a toxicant under stoichiometric constraints. In this paper, we developed and analyzed a Lotka-Volterra type predator- prey model which explicitly tracks the environmental toxicant as well as the toxicant in the populations under stoichiometric constraints. Analytic, numerical, slow-fast steady state and bifurcation theory are employed to predict the risk of toxicant bio-accumulation under varying food conditions. In some cases, our model predicts different population dynamics, including wide amplitude limit cycles where producer densities exhibit very low values and may be in danger of stochastic extinction.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic hormonal and metabolic disorder in which our body cannot generate necessary insulin or does not act in response to it, accordingly, ensuing in discordantly high blood ...sugar (glucose) levels. Diabetes mellitus can lead to systemic dysfunction in the multiorgan system, including cardiac dysfunction, severe kidney disease, lowered quality of life, and increased mortality risk from diabetic complications. To uncover possible therapeutic targets to treat diabetes mellitus, the in silico drug design technique is widely used, which connects the ligand molecules with target proteins to construct a protein-ligand network. To identify new therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes mellitus, Azadirachta indica is subjected to phytochemical screening using in silico molecular docking, pharmacokinetic behavior analysis, and simulation-based molecular dynamic analysis. This study has analyzed around 63 phytochemical compounds, and the initial selection of the compounds was made by analyzing their pharmacokinetic properties by comparing them with Lipinski’s rule of 5. The selected compounds were subjected to molecular docking. The top four ligand compounds were reported along with the control drug nateglinide based on their highest negative molecular binding affinity. The protein-ligand interaction of selected compounds has been analyzed to understand better how compounds interact with the targeted protein structure. The results of the in silico analysis revealed that 7-Deacetyl-7-oxogedunin had the highest negative docking score of −8.9 Kcal/mol and also demonstrated standard stability in a 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation performed with insulin receptor ectodomain. It has been found that these substances may rank among the essential supplementary antidiabetic drugs for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is suggested that more in vivo and in vitro research studies be carried out to support the conclusions drawn from this in silico research strategy.
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