Isolation and molecular identification of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) virus from infected cattle in Bangladesh

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a new disease of cattle in Bangladesh. It is endemic in Africa but through the last few years disease beings to spread to other countries of the world. The disease was widely spreaded in the many other countries in Asia and some parts of Europe. In Bangladesh, the disease was first time detected in April 2019, in southern part and then continued to spread all over the country.The disease caused enormous economic losses causing cutaneous and internal lesions, affecting milk production, hide quality and in some cases death of infected animal. LSD suspected samples were collected from different areas of the country during the period from July 2019 to January 2020. In this study, a total of 36 clinically suspected LSD samples of skin crustnodules, pus and ocular discharge were collected. Samples were examined by the published PCR protocol for LSD virus, GPV and SPV. Around 78% samples were found positive for LSD virus in PCR test. LSD virus was also identified from pus and ocular discharge of infected cattle. The virus can grow in the lamb testicular cell and clinically the disease is characterized by distinctive nodular lesions mostly on the skin of the affected animals.The results indicated that the LSD virus is circulating in the outbreak are as and is an emerging transboundary cattle disease in Bangladesh. Bang. J. Livs. Res. Vol. 26 (1&2), 2019: P. 15-20

HIV, syphilis and behavioral risk factors among men who have sex with men in a drug-using area of southwestern China: Results of 3 cross-sectional surveys from 2013 to 2015

To assess human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and behavioral risk factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in southwestern China, where HIV started as a drug-driven epidemic, and shifted to mainly heterosexual transmission.These cross-sectional studies were conducted yearly in 2013, 2014, and 2015 in Guangxi, China. A total of 1,996, 1,965, and 1,697 participants were recruited in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. The data included demographic and sexual behavioral variables. Other variables included individuals who used illegal drugs, and who received HIV counseling, testing, and free condoms, and peer education. Participants were tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) with whole blood specimens. Questionnaires and laboratory testing data were double entered, and validated with EpiData software. The data were then transferred into SPSS software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) and Chi-square test performed.The prevalence of HIV was 6.6% in 2013, 8.4% in 2014, and 11.2% in 2015. The prevalence of syphilis was 9.3% in 2013, 9.8% in 2014, and 6.1% in 2015. And HCV prevalence was 0.5% in 2013 and remained stable at 0.4% in 2014, and 2015. HIV infection, and associated factors among MSM in these 3 annual cross-sectional survey showed that HIV-infected MSM were significantly, more likely, to perform unprotected anal intercourse with any commercial male partners in the past 6 months (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.50-2.20), had sex with any female partners in the past 6 months (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.01-1.71), used drugs in the past (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.30-5.71), and are syphilis infected (AOR = 3.53, 95% CI: 2.77-4.49).There is an urgent need for intervention strategies like condom distribution, HIV counseling, free testing, and education regarding safe sex, HIV, and other sex-related diseases in Guangxi to curb, and prevent HIV among MSM.

Alcohol drinking and HIV-related risk among men who have sex with men in Chongqing, China

To estimate the prevalence of any alcohol use and heavy alcohol drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its correlates among men who have sex with men (MSM), a cross-sectional study was conducted among 391 MSM in Chongqing, China to collect data about sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use, sexual behaviors, and other related factors through a computer-assisted self-administered questionnaire. Heavy alcohol drinking in the past 12 months was defined as an AUDIT-C score ≥ 4. Blood was collected from each potential participant to test for HIV and syphilis status. Twenty three percent of MSM had consumed a drink containing alcohol in the previous year. 7.2% had an AUDIT-C score ≥ 4, defined as heavy alcohol drinkers. 23.5% were unmarried, but planning to marry, who were more likely to report any alcohol drinking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-4.06) and to have AUDIT-C scores ≥ 4 (AOR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.60-8.00). MSM who had used any alcohol in the previous year, and MSM who were heavy alcohol drinkers, were more likely to have had anal sex with male casual partners in the previous 6 months, to have been tested for HIV, and to have decreased scores on the scales of general self-efficacy, increased scores on the scales of stigma and discrimination. Our findings provided further evidence of the associations of any alcohol use and heavy alcohol consumption with HIV-risky behaviors, lowered sense of general self-efficacy, and higher sense of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination among MSM in the city with the highest HIV epidemic among MSM in China.

Effect Of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate On Viscometric Properties Of Methanol, Ethanol, n-Propanol And iso-Propanol At Different Temperatures

The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) in water was determined from the conductance and viscosity measurement. The estimated value of CMC was found to be 0.0085 mol.L-1 at 29°C. The concentration of SDS in pre-micellar and post-micellar region of 0.005M and 0.01M, respectively were used for the viscometric measurements of Methanol, Ethanol, n-Propanol, iso-Propanol at different temperatures. Viscosities of ternary mixtures of Methanol, Ethanol, n- Propanol and iso-Propanol in 0.005M and 0.01M aqueous SDS have been studied over the entire range of composition at 298.15- 323.15K with an interval of 5K except Methanol. Methanol system was studied at 298.15-308.15K owing to its low boiling point. Viscosities increase rapidly with alcohol concentration and show maxima in aqueous SDS rich region at 0.2 – 0.3 mole fraction of alcohols. The position of maxima virtually does not change remarkably with the variation of temperature. The excess viscosities, ?E values are found to be positive and large in magnitude, indicating that aqueous SDS solutions of alcohols are highly non ideal. The heights of the maxima are in the order:iso-Propanol + aqueous SDS > n-Propanol + aqueous SDS > Ethanol + aqueous SDS > Methanol + aqueous SDS.The excess viscosities, ?E data have been fitted by the least square method to the four parameter Redlich-Kister equation and the values of the parameter aj have been reported. Journal of Bangladesh Chemical Society, Vol. 25(2), 110-123, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcs.v25i2.15046

Effect of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate on Volumetric Properties of Methanol Ethanol n-Propanol and iso-Propanol at (298.15 - 323.15)K

The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in water was determined from the conductance and viscosity measurement. The estimated value of CMC was found to be 0.0085 mol.L-1 at 29°C. The concentration of SDS in pre-micellar and postmicellar region of 0.005M and 0.01M, respectively were used for the volumetric measurements of Methanol, Ethanol, n-Propanol and iso- Propanol with SDS solutions. Densities of ternary mixtures of Methanol, Ethanol, n-Propanol and iso-Propanol with 0.005M and 0.01M aqueous SDS have been studied over the entire range of composition at 298.15- 323.15K with an interval of 5K except Methanol. Methanol system was studied at 298.15-308.15K due to its low boiling point. The values of excess molar volumes, VE for all the systems are negative over the entire range of composition, showing minima at ~ 0.45 mole fraction of Methanol, ~ 0.4 mole fraction of Ethanol, ~ 0.25 mole fraction of n-Propanol and ~ 0.3 mole fraction of iso-Propanol. All the systems are showing minima at aqueous SDS rich region. The VE values for the n-Propanol + aqueous SDS and iso-Propanol + aqueous SDS mixtures are slightly sigmoid, being negative at lower mole fractions (x2) and positive at higher x2 of Propanols. The excess properties (VE) data have been fitted by the least square method to the four parameter Redlich-Kister equation and the values of the parameter aj have been reported.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujs.v60i1.10351  Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 60(1): 129-136 2012 (January)