Early postnatal care utilization among mothers gave birth in the last six weeks in remote district of Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background majority of neonate and maternal death is occurring in the first week of delivery. Therefore, utilization of postnatal care within the first week of delivery is essential to increase the survival of both a mother and newborn. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the use of postnatal care in the first week of delivery and factors associated among women who gave birth in the last six weeks. Method A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Dano District, one of the remotest districts in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. A total of 274 women who gave birth during the last six weeks and selected using random sampling method were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the utilization of postnatal care within the first week of delivery. Finding with a p-value less than 0.05 is considered a statistically significant association. Result early postnatal care utilization is found to be (within the first week of delivery) was 23.7 percent. Mother given appointment after delivery [AOR=4.84, 95% CI= (1.46, 16.1)], have used postnatal care previous [AOR= 7.4, 95% CI= (2.9, 18.5)] and aware of postnatal care within first week of delivery [AOR=4.27, 95% CI= (1.46, 12.49)] were more likely to use the postnatal care within first week. The qualitative finding indicated traditional beliefs during postpartum also found to affect the use of postnatal care. Conclusion The utilization of postnatal care within first week of delivery in was low in the district. Therefore, creating awareness on the benefits of early postnatal care, and designing of strategies to decrease the effect of traditional belief on postnatal care recommended to improve the coverage.

g.640T>C Polymorphism of the TGF-β2 Gene is Associated with Salmonella pullorum Resistance in Indonesian Chickens

The objectives of this study were to identify polymorphism of transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2) gene associated with Salmonella pullorum resistance in Indonesian chickens. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assays were used to genotype Indonesian chickens. Analysis of polymorphism was conducted by using PopGen 3.2 software. The effect of genotype on S. pullorum resistance was analyzed using the SAS General Linear Model (GLM) procedure. Genotyping was performed on 278 chickens from 7 Indonesian chicken populations (Sentul, Merawang, Pelung, Kampung, Parent Cobb broiler, The F1 crossbreed of Kampung x Parent Cobb broiler (KB) and F2 KB x KB. The product of amplification was 284 bp. The TGF-β2| RsaI locus was polymorphic in all populations, producing two alleles (T and C) and three genotypes (TT, CT, and CC). The result from the analysis of the allele and genotype frequency showed that the T allele had a higher frequency than the C allele in all populations. The χ2 analysis showed that the 6 chicken populations were deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with the exception of the Parent Cobb broiler chicken. The association result showed that TT genotype was significantly associated with S. pullorum resistance in Sentul chicken. Although the leukocyte concentration, leukocyte differentiation and H/L ratio in Sentul chicken with three of TGF-β2 genotypes (TT, TC, and CC) were not statistically different. In conclusion, polymorphism in the TGF-β2 chicken gene can be used as a candidate marker to increase S. pullorum immune response.

The cytoplasmic cage domain of the mechanosensitive channel MscS is a sensor of macromolecular crowding

Cells actively regulate the macromolecular excluded volume of the cytoplasm to maintain the reciprocal fraction of free aqueous solution that is optimal for intracellular processes. However, the mechanisms whereby cells sense this critical parameter remain unclear. The mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS channel), which is the major regulator of turgor in bacteria, mediates efflux of small osmolytes in response to increased membrane tension. At moderate sustained tensions produced by a decrease in external osmolarity, MscS undergoes slow adaptive inactivation; however, it inactivates abruptly in the presence of cytoplasmic crowding agents. To understand the mechanism underlying this rapid inactivation, we combined extrapolated and equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations with electrophysiological analyses of MscS mutants to explore possible transitions of MscS and generated models of the resting and inactivated states. Our models suggest that the coupling of the gate formed by TM3 helices to the peripheral TM1–TM2 pairs depends on the axial position of the core TM3 barrel relative to the TM1–TM2 shaft and the state of the associated hollow cytoplasmic domain (“cage”). They also indicate that the tension-driven inactivation transition separates the gate from the peripheral helices and promotes kinks in TM3s at G113 and that this conformation is stabilized by association of the TM3b segment with the β domain of the cage. We found that mutations destabilizing the TM3b–β interactions preclude inactivation and make the channel insensitive to crowding agents and voltage; mutations that strengthen this association result in a stable closed state and silent inactivation. Steered simulations showed that pressure exerted on the cage bottom in the inactivated state reduces the volume of the cage in the cytoplasm and at the same time increases the footprint of the transmembrane domain in the membrane, implying coupled sensitivity to both membrane tension and crowding pressure. The cage, therefore, provides feedback on the increasing crowding that disengages the gate and prevents excessive draining and condensation of the cytoplasm. We discuss the structural mechanics of cells surrounded by an elastic cell wall where this MscS-specific feedback mechanism may be necessary.