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Waste poly(vinyl chloride) fill material from the cooling tower of a power plant was used for mechanical recycling. Mechanical recycling is the processing of plastic waste without changing the original chemical structure of the plastic. The waste rigid poly(vinyl chloride) fill material was cleaned, grinded and compression molded at optimized conditions of time, temperature and pressure using a compression molding machine. Virgin poly(vinyl chloride) was purchased and compression molded by the same compression molding machine. The compression molded sheets of waste poly(vinyl chloride) and virgin poly(vinyl chloride) were characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared analyses, tensile properties analyses, and thermal properties analyses. The results revealed that waste rigid poly(vinyl chloride) fill material is mechanically recyclable into new products such as pipes, profiles, furniture and other related products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interpretive phenomenological study reports the effects of reflecting on reflections concerning Critical Incidents (CIs) on the pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) professional development and conceptualization of their identity as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers. The study involved nine PSTs who were specializing in TESOL and doing their teaching practicum. The main instrument of the study was reflective writing, which required the PSTs to report CIs, write reflections, and share these for receiving peers’ reflections to further reflect on self-reflection and reflection of peers. The process enabled the participants to pursue professional development and conceive identity as TESOL teachers. This seemingly engaging, thought-provoking and meaningful reflective practice can be additive to the existing reflective practices, which have been questioned and debated in the literature. In pursuit of professional development and teacher identity, PSTs can be assigned to reflect on reflections with diverse elements of focus alongside CIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Birth weight of an infant isthe most important determinant of its chances ofsurvival, healthy growth, and development. It depends on many maternal factors. Maternal age, parity and gestational age have been shown to increase the risk of adverse neonatal outcome, such as intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, mortality and low birth weight. Objective: This study was planned to observe the incidence of low birth weight baby and to correlate the maternal age, parity and gestational age on birth weight of babies. Methodology: It was a retrospective study. Data were collected from medical records. Total 2850 live births new born baby were enrolled in this study during the period January 2013 to December 2018 in Ibn Sina medical college and hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh with inclusion criteria. The weights of the newborns were measured without clothes on a digital weighing scale soon after the birth. Parameters such as birth weight, gender of baby, maternal age, parity and gestational age of the mother were noted. Data were analyzed statistically. Results: 52.99% baby was male and 47.01% were female. Low birth weight baby were 33.3% in the age group of less than 18 years of aged mother. With increasing the age of mother, birth weight of babies increase. Primipara mother delivered 15.52% low birth weight baby and 84.48% normal birth weight baby. With increasing parity birth weight of baby increased. The birth weight of <2.5 kg was 19.27% and 80.73% baby’s birth weight >2.5 kg in mother more than 37 weeks of gestation. Baby born by 35-37 weeks of gestation had 27.69% low birth weight and 72.31% were normal birth weight. Incidence of low birth weight was 79.3% and normal birth weight 20.7% found by 32-34 weeks of gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa) straw management is challenging due to its large volume and environmental and health risks associated with traditional disposal methods. Sustainable practices like composting, bioenergy production, biochar, and other industrial applications can address these issues while providing economic advantages. This study introduces a method for converting Rice straw into a slow-release hydrogel containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizers. The process involves a series of acid-base pretreatment to enhance Rice straw reactivity, followed by graft copolymerization with acrylamide (AM) and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) to form a three-dimensional network that retains water and plant nutrients. The application of ammonium persulfate-ferrous sulfate (APS-FS) redox initiator system reduces the gelation time (<2 min) and ensures stable hydrogel structures of whole Rice straw and Rice straw derived cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin-based hydrogels. The hydrogel's structure ensures a slow release of NPK fertilizers, enhancing nutrient use efficiency and providing water to plants. Additionally, achieving over 98 % atom economy indicates that the overall hydrogel production process is a zero-effluent system. Despite challenges in scalability and performance variability under different environmental conditions, the Rice straw-based hydrogel offer promising economic and environmental benefits, positioning them as a valuable tool in sustainable agriculture. [Display omitted] • Rice straw is converted into a slow-release hydrogel containing NPK nutrients. • The hydrogel slows NPK fertilizer dissolution and has excellent water retention. • The agriculture industry could benefit from NPK rice straw hydrogel. • 98 % atom economy shows rice straw conversion and hydrogelation are sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English Medium Instruction (EMI) is a commonly observed phenomenon in higher education (HE) in the countries where English is mandated as a second or foreign language. The globally conducted studies reported the prospect, practice, problems, and eventualities of EMI in HE. Numbering around 105, private universities in Bangladesh also adopted EMI. Being guided by Cooper (1989) and Spolsky (2009), this phenomenological study explored the language ideology of lecturers and students regarding the benefits of EMI, their remarks about the language management to achieve compatibility for adopting EMI, and their opinion concerning the implementation (language practice) of EMI in the classrooms of private universities in Bangladesh. We collected from eight participants (four students and four lecturers) who responded to the semistructured interviews and classroom observations. The findings of the study suggested EMI does not observe full-fledged practice in the classrooms, as lecturers and students struggle to impart and receive knowledge due to their limited proficiency in the English language, although they did not deny the benefit of EMI to produce globally efficient workforces empowered with English language proficiency. This paper suggested the implementation of a bilingual curriculum in which instruction is delivered in English and Bangla to imparting a great deal of knowledge to the students. In the national languagein-education policy, Cognitive Communicative Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) should be prioritized over Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) to enrich knowledge acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]