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In this research, we introduce a comprehensive epidemiological model that accounts for multiple strains of an infectious disease and two distinct vaccination options. Vaccination stands out as the most effective means to prevent and manage infectious diseases. However, when there are various vaccines available, each with its costs and effectiveness, the decision-making process for individuals becomes paramount. Furthermore, the factor of waning immunity following vaccination also plays a significant role in influencing these choices. To understand how individuals make decisions in the context of multiple strains and waning immunity, we employ a behavioral model, allowing an epidemiological model to be coupled with the dynamics of a decision-making process. Individuals base their choice of vaccination on factors such as the total number of infected individuals and the cost-effectiveness of the vaccine. Our findings indicate that as waning immunity increases, people tend to prioritize vaccines with higher costs and greater efficacy. Moreover, when more contagious strains are present, the equilibrium in vaccine adoption is reached more rapidly. Finally, we delve into the social dilemma inherent in our model by quantifying the social efficiency deficit (SED) under various parameter combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research adopted an exploratory mixed methods approach to explore women's participation, its associated determinants, causes, and obstacles to participation in dry fish processing in a selected coastal region of Bangladesh. Data were collected using structured interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with women residing in six coastal villages. Extreme poverty, supporting family expenditure, and bearing children's educational expenses drive women's participation in dry fish processing activities. Multiple regression analysis indicates that intra-family empowerment status, self-confidence, personal income, family land ownership, and family size can significantly explain women's participation in dry fish processing. It was also discovered that women worked long hours in dry fish processing and were underpaid compared to men workers. The major obstacles to participation were physical hazards, low salary payment, seasonality of work, and low social status of the job. This study recommends strategies to improve the status of women's participation in dry fish processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of a novel strain during a pandemic, like the current COVID-19, is a major concern to the healthcare system. The most effective strategy to control this type of pandemic is vaccination. Many previous studies suggest that the existing vaccine may not be fully effective against the new strain. Additionally, the new strain's late arrival has a significant impact on the disease dynamics and vaccine coverage. Focusing on these issues, this study presents a two-strain epidemic model in which the new strain appears with a time delay. We considered two vaccination provisions, namely preinfection and postinfection vaccinations, which are governed by human behavioral dynamics. In such a framework, individuals have the option to commit vaccination before being infected with the first strain. Additionally, people who forgo vaccination and become infected with the first train have the chance to be vaccinated (after recovery) in an attempt to avoid infection from the second strain. However, a second strain can infect vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. People may have additional opportunities to be vaccinated and to protect themselves from the second strain due to the time delay. Considering the cost of the vaccine, the severity of the new strain, and the vaccine's effectiveness, our results indicated that delaying the second strain decreases the peak size of the infected individuals. Finally, by estimating the social efficiency deficit, we discovered that the social dilemma for receiving immunization decreases with the delay in the arrival of the second strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study probed the current status of e-health services use and associated factors that promote or hinder the people to get involved with e-health services. Methods: The quantitative data were collected using a structured interview schedule considering 381 randomly selected respondents covering rural and urban areas of Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, and Barishal district during February–April 2019. Only the adult (more than 18 years age) male, female, and transgender people living in the study area were included in the sample of the study. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression were used to analyze data. Results: Factors that significantly increased the likelihood of using e-health services included age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.02–1.08), males (OR = 3.75, 95% CI: 1.70–8.26), knowledge in e-health (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02–1.38), and skill in using cell phone (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02–1.21). On the contrary, factor that negatively influenced the use of e-health services was residence in the rural area (OR = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.08–0.53). Although, this research is one of the few regional researches in e-health service use, the study has limited geographical coverage, failed to explore causality of factors, and did not address factors mediating the relationship of criterion and predictor variables. Conclusion: Regional e-health service providers in developing countries need to focus more on minimizing e-health service divide based on gender and place of residence. In addition, they should also emphasize digital literacy, particularly e-health knowledge and skill in device use. The findings of this study may provide an applied guideline to enhance the use of e-health services among regional communities in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model based on SEIR process coupling self- and forced quarantine provisions has been established. • Authoritative forced quarantine has been found more influential than voluntary self-quarantine to control the disease. • Forced quarantine substantially reduces the gap between the payoffs at Nash equilibrium and social optimum. During a pandemic event like the present COVID-19, self-quarantine, mask-wearing, hygiene maintenance, isolation, forced quarantine, and social distancing are the most effective nonpharmaceutical measures to control the epidemic when the vaccination and proper treatments are absent. In this study, we proposed an epidemiological model based on the SEIR dynamics along with the two interventions defined as self-quarantine and forced quarantine by human behavior dynamics. We consider a disease spreading through a population where some people can choose the self-quarantine option of paying some costs and be safer than the remaining ones. The remaining ones act normally and send to forced quarantine by the government if they get infected and symptomatic. The government pays the forced quarantine costs for individuals, and the government has a budget limit to treat the infected ones. Each intervention derived from the so-called behavior model has a dynamical equation that accounts for a proper balance between the costs for each case, the total budget, and the risk of infection. We show that the infection peak cannot be reduced if the authority does not enforce a proactive (quantified by a higher sensitivity parameter) intervention. While comparing the impact of both self- and forced quarantine provisions, our results demonstrate that the latter is more influential to reduce the disease prevalence and the social efficiency deficit (a gap between social optimum payoff and equilibrium payoff). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of people in Bangladesh suffer from hunger, unpredictable and unstable livelihoods, precarious living conditions and social injustice. Yet they survive and become resilient. However, the resilience achieved by the poor is minimal and incremental in nature and does not result in their wellbeing. Based on three years of qualitative research, this article attempts to understand the nature of and pathways to 'resilience of the poor people'. The article argues that poor people's approach to 'resilience' is twofold. First, they perceive their poverty and associated problems as 'Allah's will', with not much to be done about it. At the same time, they engage in continuous innovative practices to survive. These two worldviews together ('fatalism' and 'self-help') make the poor 'resilient'. This also 'partially' explains the absence of strong activism, collective action and protests within a context of state failure (in terms of ensuring rights and entitlements to its citizens). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily for 10 days) or clindamycin (150 mg 4 times daily for 10 days) on the fecal microbiota of healthy humans for a period of 1 year as compared to placebo. Two different methods, culture and microbiome analysis, were used. Fecal samples were collected for analyses at 6 time-points. The interval needed for the normal microbiota to be normalized after ciprofloxacin or clindamycin treatment differed for various bacterial species. It took 1-12 months to normalize the human microbiota after antibiotic administration, with the most pronounced effect on day 11. Exposure to ciprofloxacin or clindamycin had a strong effect on the diversity of the microbiome, and changes in microbial composition were observed until the 12th month, with the most pronounced microbial shift at month 1. No Clostridium difficile colonization or C. difficile infections were reported. Based on the pyrosequencing results, it appears that clindamycin has more impact than ciprofloxacin on the intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily for 10 days) or clindamycin (150 mg 4 times daily for 10 days) on the fecal microbiota of healthy humans for a period of 1 year as compared to placebo. Two different methods, culture and microbiome analysis, were used. Fecal samples were collected for analyses at 6 time-points. The interval needed for the normal microbiota to be normalized after ciprofloxacin or clindamycin treatment differed for various bacterial species. It took 1-12 months to normalize the human microbiota after antibiotic administration, with the most pronounced effect on day 11. Exposure to ciprofloxacin or clindamycin had a strong effect on the diversity of the microbiome, and changes in microbial composition were observed until the 12th month, with the most pronounced microbial shift at month 1. No Clostridium difficile colonization or C. difficile infections were reported. Based on the pyrosequencing results, it appears that clindamycin has more impact than ciprofloxacin on the intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we address the issue of faster connection establishment in a large vertically stacked optical Banyan (VSOB) network. The best known global routing algorithm, which turns an N × N crosstalk-free VSOB network into a rearrangeably non-blocking one, has time complexity O(NlogN). This is quite large compared to O(NlogN) time complexity of a single plane banyan network, which is a self-routing network with very high blocking probability. For a large size of switching network this O(NlogN) time complexity may result unacceptably long delay. Therefore, an optical network with very low blocking probability and O(NlogN) time complexity will be useful. Previously proposed Plane Fixed Routing (PFR) algorithm has O(logN) time complexity but results in higher than 2% blocking probability with zero-crosstalk constraint for a network as large as 4096×4096 at full load. In this paper, first we propose the pruning of VSOB networks that reduces the hardware cost by almost 30%. The networks can still use the PFR algorithm and results in the same blocking probability. However, we show that the blocking probability can be reduced dramatically while keeping the optimum time complexity O(logN) by allowing only a small amount of crosstalk. Then, we propose a new kind of switching networks in which extra regular banyan planes have been added with the pruned VBOS (P-VSOB) networks. Necessary routing algorithms, namely, PFR_RS and PFR_LS show that this new switching network can reduce the blocking probability to very low value even with zero-crosstalk constraint while keeping the hardware cost 3almost the same as for P-VSOB networks. Both these algorithms also have time complexity O(NlogN). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Several coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have already been authorized and distributed in different countries all over the world, including Bangladesh. Understanding public acceptance of such a novel vaccine is vital, but little is known about the topic.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the determinants of intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to pay (WTP) among people in Bangladesh.Methods: An anonymous and online-based survey of Bangladeshi people (mean age = 29.96 ± 9.15 years; age range = 18-60 years) was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire consisting of socio-demographics, COVID-19 experience, and vaccination-related information as well as the health belief model (HBM). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intent and WTP.Results: Of the 894 participants, 38.5% reported a definite intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 27% had a probable intention, and among this intent group, 42.8% wanted to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Older age, feeling optimistic about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, believing that vaccination decreases worries and risk of COVID-19 infection, and being less concerned about side effects and safety of COVID-19 vaccination under the HBM construct were found to be significant factors in COVID-19 vaccination intention. Most of the participants (72.9%) were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) amount of BDT 400/US$ 4.72 (IQR; BDT 200-600/US$ 2.36-7.07) per dose. Factors associated with higher WTP were younger age, being male, having higher education, residing in an urban area, having good self-rated health status, positivity towards COVID-19 vaccination's effectiveness, and being worried about the likelihood of getting infected with COVID-19. Participants who were COVID-19 vaccination intent preferred an imported vaccine over a domestically-made vaccine (22.9% vs. 14.8%), while 28.2% preferred a routine immunization schedule.Conclusion: The findings indicate a considerable proportion of Bangladeshi people intended to get vaccinated and had WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. However, urgent education and awareness programs are warranted to alleviate public skepticism regarding the COVID-19 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In carp-tilapia pond polyculture, carps are stocked once and usually harvested each 12 to 24 months, while, tilapia is stocked and harvested each 4 to 6 months. Therefore, per carp cycle there are 3 to 6 tilapia cycles. With time, carps grow bigger while tilapia reach only 10 to 50% the mass of carps. Pellet size can offer a feeding management tool in the ponds with large carp and small tilapia. This experiment investigated whether pellet-size can steer the growth of large carps (∼ 500 g) and small tilapias (∼30 g) in polyculture ponds. Four pellet-size treatments were applied in this study, each with a different combination of small (2 mm) and large (6 mm) pellets (on weight basis): S 100 L 0 (100% small, 0% large), S 50 L 50 (50% small, 50% large), S 25 L 75 (25% small, 75% large) and S 0 L 100 (0% small, 100% large). Each treatment was applied to six replicate ponds. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. The treatments did not alter carp production, but tilapia production was highest in S 100 L 0 treatment ponds (P < 0.001). The fish always needed more time to consume large pellets than the small pellets. Small pellets were consumed much quicker when the portion fed was small, indicating strong competition. A similar trend was observed with large pellets but the difference in feed intake time across the treatments was smaller than with small pellets. This is because tilapia ate the majority of both small and large pellets while carps ate less pellets. Tilapia at treatment S 0 L 100 had a lower protein and fat content and a higher ash content than at the other pellet-size treatments. Carp's body composition remain unaffected by pellet-size treatment except the ash content of rohu which was highest at S 100 L 0 and lowest at S 0 L 100. By volume, tilapia had a higher amount of food in the stomach in treatments S 100 L 0 and S 50 L 50 than in the other treatments. In contrast, more food was found in the gut of rohu in treatments S 0 L 100 and S 25 L 75 than in the other treatments. Pellet-size treatments did not affect water quality and the pond food web (P > 0.05) except phytoplankton diversity which was positively influenced when feeding more large pellets. The plankton population increased with the progression of the experiment, suggesting the food web was not fully exploited. In conclusion, pellet-size proves to be a feeding management tool to steer the production of tilapia as well as of total fish biomass, but not of carp's biomass in carp-tilapia pond polyculture. • Using small pellets is the best strategy in large carp - small tilapia polyculture. • Pellet-size does not influence growth of carp species in polyculture ponds. • Tilapia consumes large pellets by nibbling, disturbing feeding by other species. • Higher energy expenditure during nibbling reduces tilapia feed usage efficiency. • Pellet-size does not allow to feed species differently in carp-tilapia polyculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global aquaculture makes an important contribution to food security directly (by increasing food availability and accessibility) and indirectly (as a driver of economic development). In order to enable sustainable expansion of aquaculture, we need to understand aquaculture's contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and how it can be mitigated. This study quantifies the global GHG emissions from aquaculture (excluding the farming of aquatic plants), with a focus on using modern, commercial feed formulations for the main species groups and geographic regions. Here we show that global aquaculture accounted for approximately 0.49% of anthropogenic GHG emissions in 2017, which is similar in magnitude to the emissions from sheep production. The modest emissions reflect the low emissions intensity of aquaculture, compared to terrestrial livestock (in particular cattle, sheep and goats), which is due largely to the absence of enteric CH4 in aquaculture, combined with the high fertility and low feed conversion ratios of finfish and shellfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternanthera sessilis,also known as 'sessile joyweed' or 'dwarf copperleaf', is a popular vegetable and used in traditional medicine in some Asian countries including Bangladesh for the treatment of various ailments. Anthelmintic activity of the ethanol extract of A. sessilis (ASE) and one of its major constituents ellagic acid (EA) was tested against cattle nematode Haemonchus contortus by adult motility test and egg hatch assay. In adult motility test, both ASE (1.56-50 mg/ml) and EA (0.09-3 mg/ml) showed a concentration dependent inhibitory effect on H. contortus. All test worms died 6 h post-exposure of 12.5 mg/ml of ASE treatment and 6 h post-exposure of 1.5 mg/ml of EA treatment. For the concentration of 1.5 mg/ml of the reference drug albendazole, all test worms died 2 h post-exposure of the treatment. In egg hatch assay, both ASE (0.0125-25 mg/ml) and EA (0.0125-25 µg/ml) showed a concentration dependent inhibition of the larval production from H. controtus eggs with the LC50 value of 150.00 and 3.097 µg/ml, respectively. The LC50 for albendazole (0.0125-25 µg/ml) was 0.163 µg/ml. In the HPLC analysis, EA, rutin, (+) catechin and quercetin (3007.26, 490.74, 117.72 and 13.85 mg/100 g extract, respectively) were detected. Phytochemical group test of ASE indicated the presence of reducing sugars, steroids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins and flavonoids. Thus, high level of EA in ASE, along with other phytochemical constituents might be responsible for the observed activity of the extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Outcomes and drivers of smallholders' two alternative climate change adaptation strategies compared. • Stepping Up (SU) and Stepping Out (SO) strategies of Bangladeshi smallholders in climatic hazard-prone areas analysed. • Index-based data aggregation and Structural Equation Modelling with mediation and moderation analyses used. • SO had a large negative effect; SU had a modest positive effect on outcomes. • Drivers of strategies differed; drivers and outcomes varied by farmland size; positive effects of SU found for <2.5 acres. Which of the two climate change adaptation strategies – adjusting or improving farming (defined as Stepping Up) versus reducing or exiting farming (defined as Stepping Out) – provides better developmental outcomes for smallholder farmers? Are the drivers of these two strategies different? Do the outcomes and drivers vary according to farmland holding size? We investigated these unanswered questions, inspired primarily by a widespread but unverified suggestion that stepping out of farming can be a better option for smallholders. We utilised recent survey data from over eight hundred smallholder households located in climatic hazard-prone areas in Bangladesh. We applied a holistic Driver-Strategy-Outcome analytical framework and rigorous statistical methods, including index-based data aggregation, and Structural Equation Modelling with 'mediation' and 'moderation' analyses. Contrary to widespread speculations, we found that Stepping Out had a large negative effect on smallholders' livelihood Outcomes; while Stepping Up had a moderate, but positive effect. The natural-environmental Drivers of Stepping Up and Stepping Out were similar; however, the psychological-institutional Drivers of each differed, with the same factor acting as a driver for one strategy whilst as a deterrent for the other. We found significant 'mediatory' effects of both the adaptation Strategies on Outcomes as well as significant 'moderation' effects of farmland holding size on the Drivers and Outcomes, with the positive effect of Stepping Up observed for smallholders owing lands of <2.5 acres only. We call for relevant policies and interventions to exercise caution in promoting smallholders' exit from agriculture, and to adopt appropriate mitigating measures to manage such a transition. Moreover, smallholder agricultural development initiatives should not discount even the 'smallest of smallholders' and support them through 'diverse and complementary innovations' as well as 'tailored' institutional support services, especially for those living in proximity to hazard hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]