Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus by lifestyle, diet and medicinal plants

Globally, the prevalence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases is increasing at an alarming rate and diabetes is one of them. If diabetes is not controlled then a lot of complication like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy arise in diabetic patients and causes morbidity and/or mortality. Diabetes is increasing at an epidemic form and in near future the largest increases will take place in the regions dominated by developing economies. So, it will be a great social and economical burden to developing countries as well as the developed. But if we be aware about our diet and lifestyle and take proper medication we may prevent and reduce the prevalence of diabetes. Oral medicine plays an important role in management of diabetes. But most of the oral drugs are costly and have a lot of side effects. For this it is also necessary to take medicines with fewer or no side effects. And antidiabetic medicinal plants may play an important role in this case. In this article we have tried to describe how diet and lifestyle with using medicinal plants may help to prevent or maintain diabetes and help to reduce the mortality and morbidity due to diabetes or complication related to it.     

Microbiological quality of drinking water from dispensers in roadside restaurants of Bangladesh

The microbiological status of water from dispensers in different roadside restaurants of Dhaka city and Savar area was analyzed in this study. Seven samples from Dhaka and 8 samples of Savar were checked. The heterotrophic plate count was in a range of 1.0 x 10(3) CFU mL(-1) to 2.0 x 10(4) CFU mL(-1) (from new bottles), 1.0 x 10(3) to 1.5 x 10(4) CFU mL(-1) (after dispensation), and 1.5 x 10(3) CFU mL(-1) to 1.0 x l0(5) CFU mL(-1) (from serving glass). In several of the samples, the heterotrophic plate count was higher than the count in water from new bottle or after dispensation, suggesting added contamination from the serving glass. 80% of the samples were contaminated with total and fecal coliform bacteria, which render these waters unacceptable for human consumption. The samples were found to contain gram negative bacteria like E coli, Shigella sp., Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Salmonella sp., which are potential pathogens and thus pose a serious threat to public health. This study elucidates the importance of monitoring the bottling companies and the restaurants and put them under strict regulations to prevent future outbreak of any water borne diseases caused by consumption of dispensed water.     

Respiratory bacterial flora from healthy as well as respiratory symptoms' subjects

Respiratory system is the primary settlement place of opportunistic organisms and considered as chief carrier of common respiratory pathogens. The aim of the study was to know the opportunistic organisms present in the healthy subjects as well as subjects that were suffering from respiratory symptoms. The organisms were identified as per standard bacteriological protocol and pathogenicity tests of the identified organisms were performed in mouse model. Antibiotic sensitivity of the identified organisms was performed. The bacterial flora present in the throat swab of apparently healthy as well as subjects suffering from respiratory symptoms were: Staphylococcus spp. (39.44%) of which Coagulase positive Staphylococcus (21.13%) and Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (18.31%), Klebsiella spp. (19.72%), Pseudomonas spp. (15.49%), Proteus spp. (4.23%), E. coli (9.86%) and Bacillus spp. (11.27%). Among the isolates Staphylococcus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas were the predominant species. Percentages of identified bacteria were higher in respiratory symptoms exhibiting individuals (53.52%) than apparently healthy individuals (46.48%). All coagulase positive Staphylococcus, Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. isolated from respiratory symptoms' subjects were found to be pathogenic. The isolated bacteria were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin but sensitive to ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Isolated Pseudomonas spp. showed multidrugs resistant properties. The study provided information about the pathogenic organisms' present respiratory systems of apparently healthy as well as subjects suffering from respiratory symptoms. The pathogenic natures of the isolated organisms were determined to make aware of scientists as well as clinicians. Antibiotics sensitivity assays would provide information to the clinicians for the selection of appropriate antibiotics to treat their patients.     

Genetic Variance Estimates in Heterogeneous Potato Populations Propagated from True Potato Seed(TPS)

Twenty nine cross populations developed according to line x tester mating design along with their twelve parents raised from true potato seeds, were used to study variability and correlation for seven characters. The range of variation for all the characters were found to be wide and pronounced which indicated that characters were quantitative in nature and were under polygenic control. For all the characters, greater portion of the total δ^2p was mostly contributed by the δ^2g. Among the seven characters, tuber weight per plant showed the highest δ^2g, PCV, GCV, H2b, GA and expected GA%.On the other hand, dry matter contents (%) showed the lowest H^2b. Phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficients of plant height with no. of tubers per plant and tuber weight per plant; no. of branches per plant with no. of tubers per plant and tuber weight per plant were found to be significant and positive.     

Selection of Suitable Parents in the Development of Potato Hybrids in Bangladesh

Potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L)are the thirdlargest food crop in Bangladesh following rice andwheat and make a major contribution to the total foodsupply of the country.Although in many westerncountries potato is the number one staple food,it is al-most entirely used as a vegetable in Bangladesh.Thepotato is a short duration crop that produces a largeamount of calories in a short period of time[1].Thepotato produces more protein and calories per unitarea per unit time than any other major food…     

INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR CABBAGE-BRINJAL-RED AMARANTH CROPPING PATTERN IN HOMESTEAD AREA

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic manure and chemical fertilizers on soil properties and vegetable crops in the cabbage-brinjal-red amaranth cropping pattern at the homestead in a Grey Terrace Soil (Aric Albaquept) of Bangladesh. There were eight treatments: poultry manure (PM) at 5 t ha^?1, cowdung (CD) at 10 t ha^?1, household waste (HW) at 10 t ha^?1, PM at 2.5 t ha^?1 + chemical fertilizers (CF), CD at 5 t ha^?1 + CF, HW at 5 t ha^?1 + CF, CF, and Control. The lone CF treatment indicates 100% chemical fertilizers and any manure + CF indicates supplementary or reduced rate of fertilizers. The PM at 2.5 t ha^?1 + CF treatment performed the best yield for cabbage and brinjal, and HW at 5 t ha^?1 + CF yielded the highest for red amaranth. The highest uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur was also found in the treatment that produced the highest yield. Bulk density, organic carbon, and nutrient availability in soil as determined after two-crop cycles were improved due to the applications of manure.     

INTERACTIVE EFFECT OF SULFUR AND PHOSPHORUS ON NODULATION,NITROGEN FIXATION,AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE BY CHICKPEA GROWN ON CALCAREOUS SOILS IN PAKISTAN

Field experiments were conducted at two different locations under rainfed conditions of Punjab, Pakistan to assess nodulation, nitrogen fixation and nutrient uptake by chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in response to application of three rates [0, 40, and 80 kg phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅ ha^?1)] of phosphorus and three rates (0, 15 and 30 kg S ha^?1) of sulfur in different combinations. Effect of phosphorus application was nonsignificant while that of sulfur was significant on percent nitrogen derived from atmosphere. Both phosphorus and sulfur application resulted in increase in nitrogen fixation up to 38% and 33% over control, respectively. Nutrient uptake [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S)] increased significantly with the application of phosphorus and sulfur and correlated positively with nitrogen fixation. There is direct involvement of sulfur in the process of nitrogen fixation whereas effect of phosphorus on nitrogen fixation is indirect mainly through enhanced growth and dry matter production.     

Rice straw biochar amended soil improves wheat productivity and accumulated phosphorus in grain

Abstract

Biochar is a pyrolyzed biomass produced under limited oxygen or oxygen absent conditions. Few investigations have been conducted to determine the combined effect of biochar with chemical fertilizer on growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern in root, shoot and grain in wheat as well as changes in soil physiochemical properties. This research was designed to study the combined effect of chemical fertilizer and rice straw-derived biochar on soil physio-chemical properties, growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern within wheat plant tissue and grain. Results showed that rice straw biochar caused a significant decrease in soil pH and increase in soil organic matter as well as nutrients like total nitrogen (TN), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) due to incubation. Result also showed that root biomass and straw did not differ between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and ½ BARC?+?rice straw biochar treatment. Similarly, thousand grain weight and grain yield did not differ between the same treatments. The phosphorus concentration in wheat grain was highest in ½ BARC?+?rice straw biochar as compared to other treatments. The use of rice straw biochar in addition to the chemical fertilizers in wheat production systems is an economically feasible and practical nutrient management practice. Our findings urged that reduction of chemical fertilizer application is possible with supplementation of rice straw biochar.     

Mapping complex soil patterns with multiple‐point geostatistics

The commonly used variogram function is incapable of modelling complex spatial patterns associated with repetitive, connected or curvilinear features, because it is a two‐point statistic. Because this was strongly limiting to petroleum‐ and hydrogeologists, they developed multiple‐point geostatistics (MPG), an approach that replaces the variogram by a training image (TI). However, soil scientists also face complex spatial patterns and MPG might be of use to them as well. Therefore, this paper aims to introduce MPG to soil science and demonstrate its potential with a case study of polygonal subsoil patterns caused by Weichselian periglacial frost cracks in Belgium. A high‐resolution proximal soil sensing survey provided a reference image from which a continuous (655 sensor data) and a categorical (100 point observations) dataset were extracted. As a continuous TI, we used the geophysical data of another part of the field, and as categorical TI we used a classified photograph of an ice‐wedge network in Alaska. The resulting MPG maps reconstructed the polygonal patterns very well and corresponded closely to the reference image. Consequently, we identify MPG as a promising technique to map complex soil patterns and suggest that it should be added to the pedometrician's toolbox.     

Protected Sal Forest and Livelihoods of Ethnic Minorities: Experience From Bangladesh

Protected areas are an appropriate means for managing biodiversity and have become increasingly central to conservation strategies. However, declaring a natural resource to be protected has an immense influence on the livelihoods of many local communities living in and around the protected area. This article explores the role of protected sal forests—namely, the Madhupur National Park (MNP) on the livelihoods of forest-dependent ethnic minorities, drawing empirical data from ethnic households. The results revealed that the MNP has brought changes, most of which have had negative impacts on ethnic livelihoods. Now their livelihoods are not stable, as most do not have substantial sources of securing income. In spite of this, the ethnic communities have experienced severe antagonistic relationships with park managers and faced social inequity; all these factors affect their livelihoods. Therefore, establishment of a legitimate process to constructively work with the local communities is the most feasible and just way to achieve conservation and development.