Problem statement:The soil properties of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia have been characterized by several researchers; however empirical data on soil characteristics under rehabilitation program are still limited or even lacking. This research is important to determine the soil physical and chemical properties of a rehabilitated degraded forest land 19 years after planting with various indigenous species in comparison with adjacent secondary forests and to elucidate the soil fertility status in rehabilitated and secondary forests by using Soil Fertility Index (SFI) and Soil Evaluation Factor (SEF). Approach: Soil samples were collected from both locations which were rehabilitated forest and secondary forest (Nirwana forest) at University Putra Malaysia, Bintulu Sarawak Campus. The plot size of each experimental site was 20×20 m. An auger was used to take soil samples from two depths, namely 0-10 and 10-20 cm. For soil profile, the soil samples were collected from different depths up to 100 cm according to the soil horizons. The samples were airdried, homogenized and sieved to pass a 2 mm mesh sieve for further analysis. The physical analysis consisted of bulk density and soil moisture content. For chemical analysis, soil acidity, soil organic matter, total organic carbon, available P, exchangeable Al, exchangeable ammonium and nitrate, exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) were determined. The soil fertility status was determined based on SFI and SEF values for both rehabilitated and secondary forests. Results: The bulk density of the rehabilitated forest ranged between 0.70 and 1.29 g cm −3 and that of the secondary forest was 0.64-0.76 g cm −3 . The soil moisture content of the rehabilitated forest was 23.31-51.03% while that of secondary forest was 41.06-41.49%. The range pH (water) of the rehabilitated forest was 4.5-5.0 and that of the secondary forest range was 4.2-4.3. Furthermore, the content of SOM in the rehabilitated forest was 2.5-5.8%. On other hand, the range for the secondary was 4.1-4.6%. The exchangeable Al of the rehabilitated forest was 0.8-2.5 cmol c kg −1 and that of the secondary forest was 1.6-1.7 cmol c kg −1 . The CEC of the rehabilitated forest was 1.4-11.8 cmol c kg −1 , while that of the secondary forest was 4.3-4.5 cmol c kg −1 . Based on SFI and SEF values, the secondary forest had a lower fertility status compared to the rehabilitated forest. Moreover, the SEF value of the secondary forest was below 5, while some of the plots of rehabilitated forest had the SEF values greater than 5. Conclusion: It can be concluded that both rehabilitated and secondary forests have significant differences based on selected physical and chemical properties. Moreover, the soil fertility status at rehabilitated plots was comparatively higher than secondary Am. J. Applied Sci., 7 (9): 1200Sci., 7 (9): -1209Sci., 7 (9): , 2010 1201 forest indicating a good potential of 'Miyawaki' forest rehabilitation technique in rehabilitating and replenishing soil fe...

extramarital sexual activities (2.4%), tattooing (3.6%) were found to be independent risk factors of being HCVpositive. No apparent risk factors could be demonstrated in 29 (11.2%) of the positive cases. CONCLUSION:Our data indicate that a history of transfusion and iv drug abuse and haemodialysis are important risk factors for HCV infection in our area and that more careful pretransfusion screening of blood for anti-HCV must be introduced in our blood banks. Improvements in certain lifestyle patterns, and customs in this area may be essential to prevent transmission of the infection. INTRODUCTIONHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. HCV is a leading cause of liver failure and liver transplantation in adults. Identified risk factors for HCV infection include intravenous (IV) drug use, exposure to infected blood products, and intranasal drug use [1] . High-risk sexual activity [multiple sexual partners, history of sexually transmitted disease (STD)], tattooing, and skin piercing have also been suggested to be associated with increased risk for HCV [2] . In addition, mother-to-infant transmission has been demonstrated [3,4] , but the possibility of other transmission routes has not been thoroughly explored. With the use of RT-PCR or bDNA techniques, HCVRNA has been detected in many systemic fluids other than blood, including peritoneal fluids, seminal and vaginal secretion, urine, and feces. These observations, however, have not been confirmed by all investigators [5] . The possibility of HCV replication in the mosquito alimentary tract has recently been demonstrated, but the epidemiological importance of this has not yet been RAPID COMMUNICATION Seroepidemiology of hepatitis C and its risk factors in

BackgroundAnimal bites and stings contribute significantly to mortality in certain parts of the world. India accounts for the highest number of snakebites and related mortality globally. We report on mortality due to bite or sting of a venomous animal from a population-based study in the Indian state of Bihar which estimated the causes of death using verbal autopsy.Methodology/principal findingsInterviews were conducted for all deaths that occurred from January 2012 to March 2014 in 109,689 households (87.1% participation) covering 627,658 population in 1,017 clusters representative of the state using the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium shortened verbal autopsy questionnaire. Cause of death was assigned using the SmartVA automated algorithm. The annualized mortality rate per 100,000 population due to snakebite, scorpion sting and other animals adjusted for age, sex and urban-rural population distribution of the state; and detailed contextual information on snakebites are reported. Deaths due to bite/sting of a venomous animal accounted for 10.7% of all deaths due to unintentional injuries, with an adjusted mortality rate of 6.2 (95% CI 6.0–6.3) per 100,000 population. The adjusted snakebite mortality rate was 4.4 (95% CI 4.3–4.6) which was significantly higher in the rural areas (4.8, 95% CI 4.7–5.0) and in females (5.5, 95% CI 5.3–5.7). Snakebites accounted for 7.6% of all unintentional injury deaths across all ages but for 33.3% of the deaths in 10–14 years age group. A similar proportion of snakebite deaths occurred while sleeping (30.2%), playing (30.2%) and during field/outdoor activities (27.9%). In these cases, 8.2% people were already dead when found, 34.7% had died before treatment could be provided, and 28 (57.1%) had died post treatment among whom 46.4% had sought treatment at a health facility, 25% with a traditional healer, and the rest from both. Death before reaching a health provider, non-availability of medicines or doctor, referral patterns, and sex-differentials in the context of snakebite deaths are reported. None of the verbatim specifically mentioned anti-venom being used for treatment. The adjusted mortality rate for scorpion sting was 0.9 (95% CI 0.8–0.9).ConclusionsThe findings from this large representative sample documents the magnitude of snakebite mortality in Bihar and highlight the circumstances surrounding the snakebite events that could facilitate prevention and intervention opportunities.

Background The objectives of this study were to understand the differences in mortality rate, risk factors for mortality, and cause of death distribution in three neonatal age sub-groups (0–2, 3–7, and 8–27 days) and assess the change in mortality rate with previous assessments to inform programmatic decision-making in the Indian state of Bihar, a large state with a high burden of newborn deaths. Methods Detailed interviews were conducted in a representative sample of 23,602 live births between January and December 2016 (96.2% participation) in Bihar state. We estimated the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) for the three age sub-groups and explored the association of these deaths with a variety of risk factors using a hierarchical logistic regression model approach. Verbal autopsies were conducted using the PHMRC questionnaire and the cause of death assigned using the SmartVA automated algorithm. Change in NMR from 2011 to 2016 was estimated by comparing it with a previous assessment. Results The NMR 0–2-day, 3–7-day, and 8–27-day mortality estimates in 2016 were 24.7 (95% CI 21.8–28.0), 13.2 (11.1 to 15.7), 5.8 (4.4 to 7.5), and 5.8 (4.5 to 7.5) per 1000 live births, respectively. A statistically significant reduction of 23.3% (95% CI 9.2% to 37.3) was seen in NMR from 2011 to 2016, driven by a reduction of 35.3% (95% CI 18.4% to 52.2) in 0–2-day mortality. In the final regression model, the highest odds for mortality in 0–2 days were related to the gestation period of ≤ 8 months (OR 16.5, 95% CI 11.9–22.9) followed by obstetric complications, no antiseptic cord care, and delivery at a private health facility or home. The 3–7- and 8–27-day mortality was driven by illness in the neonatal period (OR 10.33, 95% CI 6.31–16.90, and OR 4.88, 95% CI 3.13–7.61, respectively) and pregnancy with multiple foetuses (OR 5.15, 95% CI 2.39–11.10, and OR 11.77, 95% CI 6.43–21.53, respectively). Birth asphyxia (61.1%) and preterm delivery (22.1%) accounted for most of 0–2-day deaths; pneumonia (34.5%), preterm delivery (33.7%), and meningitis/sepsis (20.1%) accounted for the majority of 3–7-day deaths; meningitis/sepsis (30.6%), pneumonia (29.1%), and preterm delivery (26.2%) were the leading causes of death at 8–27 days. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a detailed neonatal epidemiology by age sub-groups for a major Indian state, which has highlighted the distinctly different mortality rate, risk factors, and causes of death at 0–2 days versus the rest of the neonatal period. Monitoring mortality at 0–2 and 3–7 days separately in the traditional early neonatal period of 0–7 days would enable more effective programming to reduce neonatal mortality. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12916-019-1372-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This is the first report on the localization and phenotypes of DCs in the gastric mucosa of autoimmune gastritis. The presence of mature DCs in the gastric mucosa of murine and human autoimmune gastritis, in spite of their absence in the gastric mucosa of normal mice, suggests that mature DCs play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune gastritis.