Japan International Cooperation Agency

About: Japan International Cooperation Agency is a government organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 555 authors who have published 613 publications receiving 9536 citations.

Investment in home-based maternal, newborn and child health records improves immunization coverage in Indonesia.

Abstract: Summary Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys show that the ownership of home-based immunization records among children aged 12–23 months increased from 30.8% in 1997 and 30.7% in 2002–3 to 37% in 2007. In 2002–3, 70.9% of children who owned records had received all vaccines by the time of the survey, whereas 42.9% of children who did not own records had been fully immunized. An Indonesian ministerial decree of 2004 stated that the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCH handbook) was to be the only home-based record of maternal, newborn and child health. The increased immunization coverage seen would be a reflection of MCH handbook implementation, through raising awareness of immunization among community and health personnel and children's parents or guardians and allowing more accurate measurement of immunization coverage.

Effectiveness of the Maternal and Child Health handbook in Burundi for increasing notification of birth at health facilities and postnatal care uptake.

Abstract: Background: In Burundi, birth certificate ownership (56.4%) and postnatal care (PNC) coverage (30%) remain low. Birth certificates prove birth registration and allow clients to receive free medical care including PNC. To obtain birth certificates, notification of birth by witnesses is indispensable. However, use of existing parallel home-based records for mother and child has prevented clients from successfully receiving notification of birth and related information.Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook for increasing notification of birth at health facilities and PNC uptake.Methods: Pre- and post-introduction measurement were applied including: (i) structured interviews with two different sets of randomly selected mothers having infants aged less than six weeks at the pre- or post-studies; and (ii) secondary data from the national health management information system.Results: 95.1% of mothers had an MCH handbook post-study. Significant improvement ...

Collapse behavior of a brick masonry house using a shaking table and numerical simulation based on the extended distinct element method

Abstract: Damage caused by devastating earthquakes has occurred in many developing countries. In order to mitigate such damage by promoting the study of adequate seismic design strategies, the authors conducted a dynamic collapse test on 3 m × 3 m × 3 m brick masonry house constructed with Pakistani bricks, using a one-direction horizontal large-scale shaking table. In order to analyze and simulate seismic performance of the masonry structures, the authors applied a new numerical simulating method based on the Extended Distinct Element Method (EDEM) and conducted collapse simulations of the brick masonry house behavior during the shaking table tests. In the numerical simulation model, bricks were assumed to be rigid bodies, and mortar was modeled using a mortar spring that consists of a normal spring and a shear spring. The parameters of each mortar spring were defined based on the results of material tests. Simulated results showed various collapsing processes, and the simulated aspects were found to be similar to the results of the shaking table tests.

Perioperative Plasma Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Measurement in Patients Who Undergo Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Surgery

Abstract: Background Perioperative complication of end-organ injury including acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and severe problem for patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. This study evaluated an emerging AKI biomarker, plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), in a LVAD implantation cohort. Methods and results Of 31 LVAD implantation patients enrolled to this study, 17 (55%) patients were diagnosed as having AKI. Six AKI patients showed severe AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). Plasma NGAL values in the AKI-with-RRT group (n=6) were significantly higher than that in other patients, although the AKI-without-RRT (n=11) group showed a similar level of plasma NGAL to that of the non-AKI group (n=14). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma NGAL measured at pre-operation and central venous pressure at pre-operation and 12 h after surgery independently discriminated against postoperative RRT requirement. In the AKI-with-RRT group, plasma NGAL decreased before termination of RRT in 4 patients who eventually showed renal recovery, although no decline of plasma NGAL was observed in 2 patients who showed no recovery of renal function. Removal of blood NGAL by continuous hemodiafiltration was shown to be 70-75% lower than that of creatinine. Conclusions Measurement of perioperative plasma NGAL is useful for predicting severe AKI requiring RRT and renal recovery in patients who have had LVAD implantation surgery. Further investigation is necessary to confirm these findings because this study examined a low number of patients.

Draft genome sequences of bacteria isolated from the Deschampsia antarctica phyllosphere

Abstract: Genome analyses are being used to characterize plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria living in different plant compartiments. In this context, we have recently isolated bacteria from the phyllosphere of an Antarctic plant (Deschampsia antarctica) showing ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI), an activity related to the presence of antifreeze proteins (AFPs). In this study, the draft genomes of six phyllospheric bacteria showing IRI activity were sequenced and annotated according to their functional gene categories. Genome sizes ranged from 5.6 to 6.3 Mbp, and based on sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA genes, five strains were identified as Pseudomonas and one as Janthinobacterium. Interestingly, most strains showed genes associated with PGP traits, such as nutrient uptake (ammonia assimilation, nitrogen fixing, phosphatases, and organic acid production), bioactive metabolites (indole acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase), and antimicrobial compounds (hydrogen cyanide and pyoverdine). In relation with IRI activity, a search of putative AFPs using current bioinformatic tools was also carried out. Despite that genes associated with reported AFPs were not found in these genomes, genes connected to ice-nucleation proteins (InaA) were found in all Pseudomonas strains, but not in the Janthinobacterium strain.