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This study explores the influences of parental socio-economic status on their engagement practices in rural secondary schools in Bangladesh. This study took place in a specific context where the majority of parents lacked literacy and faced financial constraints. This reality hindered their ability to provide adequate support for their children's education. A qualitative case study research has been chosen to carry out the research. The data has been collected using group discussion, semi-structured interviews and observation from five rural secondary schools in Bangladesh. The findings of this study revealed that parental engagement initiatives related to the annual programs of schools resulted in limited practice of one-to-one communication with parents. The lack of parental literacy, poverty, and being the first generation to receive schooling were identified as fundamental factors that hindered regular and overall engagement initiatives. Furthermore, there is limited opportunity for both parents and teachers to actively participate in the schooling system. In this regard, this study emphasized the importance of place and suggested contextually formed initiatives for further improvement of parental engagement.

This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of e-assessment in higher education from the perspective of students, and it also examines the student's reaction to this method. There are many developing countries that have begun to explore technology-based assessment systems. The new assessment system has benefits to institutions and to students. The purpose of this paper is to understand the benefits students are receiving from e-assessment as well as the complications they are facing when institutions are adapting e-assessment and switching from traditional assessment. The paper is based on the views of a small sample of university students chosen randomly, which found mixed reactions to e-assessment. Although students appreciate the importance of e-assessment, they have some fears about technology-based examinations as all of them do not have an equal level of IT competence. Further research should be carried out to explore other aspects of e-assessment in the higher education context.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health concern. Evidence shows that depression and anxiety are common among patients with COVID-19 after recovery. About one-third of the total COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh have been reported in Dhaka city. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors in Dhaka city as well as to identify the factors associated with these mental health conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among a total of 384 COVID-19 survivors aged 18 years or older. Data collection was done through face-toface and telephone interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales were used to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of depression and anxiety among patients recovered from COVID-19. Results: The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety was 26.0% and 23.2%, respectively among COVID-19 survivors. The respondents who were =60 years were 2.62 and 3.02 times more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively than those aged 18 to 39 years. Hospitalised patients recovered from COVID-19 had a 2.18 times higher chance of developing anxiety than their nonhospitalised counterparts. COVID-19 recovered patients with comorbidities were at 3.35 and 2.97 times higher risk of depression and anxiety, respectively compared to those without comorbidities. Similarly, the respondents who had already passed a period of 15 days to 3 months after recovery showed 3.06 and 1.85 times higher odds of depression and anxiety, respectively than those who had already passed a period of above 3 to 6 months after recovery. Conclusion: The study reported a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID-19 survivors living in Dhaka city. The findings suggest the need for appropriate interventions to reduce mental health complications in COVID-19 survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive analysis of municipal solid plastic waste (MSPW) management while emphasizing plastic pollution severity in coastal cities around the world is mandatory to alleviate the augmenting plastic waste footprint in nature. Thus, decision-makers' persuasion for numerous management solutions of MSPW flow-control can be met through meditative systematic strategies at the regional level. To forecast solutions focused on systematic policies, an agent-based system dynamics (ASD) model has been developed and simulated from 2023 to 2040 while considering significant knit parameters for MSPW management of Khulna City in Bangladesh. Baseline simulation results show that per-capita plastic waste generation will increase to 11.6 kg by 2040 from 8.92 kg in 2023. Eventually, the landfilled quantity of plastic waste has accumulated to 70,000 tons within 18 years. Moreover, the riverine discharge has increased to 834 tons in 2040 from a baseline quantity of 512 tons in 2023. So the plastic waste footprint index (PWFI) value rises to 24 by 2040. Furthermore, the absence of technological initiatives is responsible for the logarithmic rise of non-recyclable plastic waste to 1.35*1000=1350 tons. Finally, two consecutive policy scenarios with baseline factors such as controlled riverine discharge, increased collection and separation of plastic waste, expansion of recycle business, and locally achievable plastic conversion technologies have been simulated. Therefore, policy 2, with 69% conversion, 80% source separation, and 50% riverine discharge reduction of MSPW, has been found adequate from a sustainability perspective with the lowest PWFI ranges of 3.97 to 1.07 alongside a per-capita MSPW generation of 7.63 to 10 kg from 2023 till 2040. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pasur-Sibsa and Baleshwari River Estuary (PSBE) is the longest estuary located in the southwest part of Bangladesh on the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta which flows into the Bay of Bengal. The study was conducted to investigate the diversity and abundance of the zooplankton from three gateways (S1 station: Pasur river gateway; S2 station: Sibsa river gateway and S3 station: Baleshwari river gateway) in the PSBE from July 2022 to December 2022. Water samples were collected from these gateways using plankton net (55 µm mesh size) and preserved for analyzing in the laboratory. A total of 34 species of zooplankton belonging to 9 orders and 17 families were documented. The dominant orders were Calanoida and Dendrobranchiata, covering 59.52% and 18.20%, respectively. Acartia bilobata was the dominant species, while Sagitta sp. was the inferior species throughout the gateways. The Pasur river estuary gateway showed the highest percentage of abundance, accounting for 36.39% of the total individuals. The study calculated the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, Simpson's Dominance Index, Simpson's Index of Diversity, Margalef's Richness Index, and Evenness ranged from 1.33 to 1.43, 0.24 to 0.30, 0.70-0.76, 1.11 to 1.21, and 0.74-0.80, respectively. The results showed that the zooplankton composition was rich in the S1 station, which serves as a good indicator of marine productivity like zooplankton. The density of zooplankton in a body of water is indicative of the fish stocking rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health crisis and around the last decade, newspapers were one of the main sources of public dissemination of information for so. This study highlights how Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers represented AMR-related news and how they created the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted both quantitative and qualitative content analysis on 275 AMR-related news articles published in the twelve highest circulated dailies (January 2010 to September 2021). We divided the articles into report, opinion, and editorials and analyzed how their contents built the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. Results: Bangladeshi newspapers reported misuse of antibiotics by the consumers the most (32.2%), followed by selling without prescriptions (29%), and over-prescription by the health providers (26.1%). There were hardly any news reports describing the impact of pharmaceutical companies in prescribing and selling antibiotics. Around 45% of the news articles were event-oriented. Moreover, they suggested inadequate recommendations to battle AMR. Conclusion: Valid, consistent, and reliable AMR news coverage can play a crucial role in creating mass awareness, making providers accountable, and supporting national action plan in mitigating AMR threat. The Bangladeshi journalists interested in reporting AMR-issues should focus on disseminating more Bangla articles with scientific information, and reporting causes and recommendations responsibly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrhoea is a global health problem. More than a quarter of diarrhoeal deaths occur among children less than five years. Different literatures analyzed presentation and outcomes of less than five diarrhoeal children. The world has made remarkable progress in reducing child mortality. So, older children are growing in number. Our aim was to identify clinical differentials and variations of pathogens among younger (less than five) and older (five to nine years) diarrhoeal children. Method: Data were extracted from the diarrhoeal disease surveillance system (DDSS) of Dhaka Hospital (urban site) and Matlab Hospital (rural site) of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh for the period of January 2012 to December 2021. Out of 28,781 and 12,499 surveillance patients in Dhaka and Matlab Hospital, 614 (2.13%) and 278 (2.22%) children were five to nine—years of age, respectively. Among under five children, 2456 from Dhaka hospital and 1112 from Matlab hospital were selected randomly for analysis (four times of five to nine years age children, 1:4). Results: Vomiting, abdominal pain, and dehydrating diarrhoea were significantly higher in older children in comparison to children of less than five years age (p-value <0.05) after adjusting study site, gender, antibiotic use before hospitalization, diarrhoeal duration < 24 hours, intake of oral rehydration fluid at home, parental education, WASH practice and history of cough. Vibrio. cholerae, Salmonella, and Shigella were the common fecal pathogen observed among older children compared to under five after adjusting for age, gender and study site. Conclusion: Although percentage of admitted diarrhoeal children with five to nine years is less than under five years children but they presented with critical illness with different diarrhoeal pathogens. These observations may help clinicians to formulate better case management strategies for children of five to nine years that may reduce morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study gives a thorough analysis on the wind energy potential in Dhaka, Bangladesh, utilizing data from NASA Power's remote sensing tools and weather data from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The wind speed data collected over a 22 year period at an altitude of 10 m. The results indicate that 3.07 m per second (ms−1) is Dhaka city's typical wind speed, while the maximum wind speeds were recorded in June and July. A Weibull distribution is used to observe the wind data, as well as to calculate the Weibull form parameter of 2.65 and the scale parameter of 3.43 ms−1. Based on these parameters, the most probable wind speed along with the wind speed carrying maximum energy were calculated 2.83 ms−1 and 4.28 ms−1, respectively. The highest density of energy has been found in the month of July with a value of 52.11 W/m2. According to the study, the south is the most prominent wind direction for Dhaka city. Moreover, the study analyzes the relations between energy density and other variables, like wind speed, humidity, dry bulb temperature, etc. Positive correlations between energy density, wind speed, and dry bulb temperature imply that the higher wind speeds and dry bulb temperatures result in greater energies. The study's conclusions offer intuitive information about Dhaka City's potential for wind energy and can support direct future efforts to pursue this green resource in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Bangladesh has been going through outbreaks of dengue fever cases every year since 2000. Yet this year's (2023) episode of dengue fever has crossed every line concerning fatality. Symptoms of the fever range from high fever, headaches, and muscle aches to deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The present review aims to assess the current pathogenicity and associated risk factors of recent dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh. Methods: To perform this review work, we extracted relevant information from published articles available in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. We used dengue virus, dengue fever, and dengue outbreaks as keywords while searching for information. Results: This Aedes mosquito‐transmitted viral fever is more common in Bangladesh because of the tropical nature and immense burden of populations, resulting in convenient conditions for the reproduction of the vector. The rapid genetic transformation of this RNA virus and the resistance of its vector against insecticides have intensified the situation. The number of hospitalized patients has increased, and the case fatality rate has risen to 0.47%. Inadequate mosquito control measures, plenty of vector breeding sites, and a lack of public awareness have worsened the situation. Routine spraying of effective insecticides in high‐risk zones, regular inspection of potential mosquito breeding sites, and public awareness campaigns are the keys to limiting the spread of this virus. Also, the availability of detection kits, improved hospital settings, and trained health professionals are mandatory to keep disease fatalities under control. Conclusion: Dengue fever is a preventable disease. The successful development of a competent vaccine is now a prime need for preventing any future upsurge of the disease. Also, we recommend public awareness, vector control activities, and global collaboration to prevent spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 vaccination strategies, including heterologous prime–boost regimens and additional booster doses, aim to optimize immune responses. However, seroepidemiological studies on immune responses to different COVID-19 vaccine types and schedules remain limited. This study investigated antibody levels following homologous and heterologous prime-and-boost COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh. In a cohort of 606 participants who received first/second/booster doses of vaccines (AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sinopharm), anti-spike IgG and anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels were measured. Antibody titer variations with respect to age, gender, intervals between doses, and prior infection status were analyzed. mRNA vaccines elicited the highest antibody levels after homologous and heterologous boosting. The AstraZeneca booster resulted in a sharp titer decline rate of ~0.04 units per day. Second or booster vaccine doses significantly increased antibody levels, especially in males (p < 0.05). Older age correlated with higher titers, likely reflecting previous infection, which was further confirmed by the elevation of anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels. About 95.5% of non-Sinopharm recipients were anti-nucleocapsid IgG positive, suggesting prior exposure exceeding self-reported infections (12.5%). mRNA and heterologous COVID-19 boosting enhances humoral immunity over homologous prime–boost vector/inactivated vaccination. However, waning immunity merits further investigation across vaccine platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital wastewater has been identified as a hotspot for the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens that present a serious threat to public health. Therefore, we investigated the current status of antibiotic resistance as well as the phenotypic and genotypic basis of biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from hospital wastewater in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The disc diffusion method and the crystal violet assay were performed to characterize antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation, respectively. Biofilm and integron-associated genes were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Isolates exhibited varying degrees of resistance to different antibiotics, in which .80% of isolates showed sensitivity to meropenem, amikacin, and gentamicin. The results indicated that 93.82% of isolates were MDR and 71 out of 76 MDR isolates showed biofilm formation activities. We observed the high prevalence of biofilm-related genes, in which algDþpelFþpslDþ (82.7%) was found to be the prevalent biofilm genotypic pattern. Sixteen isolates (19.75%) possessed class 1 integron (int1) genes. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant association between biofilm formation and multidrug resistance (χ2 = 0.35, P = 0.55). Taken together, hospital wastewater in Dhaka city may act as a reservoir for MDR and biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa, and therefore, the adequate treatment of wastewater is recommended to reduce the occurrence of outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resources from multiple social contexts influence students' educational aspiration. In the field of social capital a neglected issue is how students obtain social capital from varying contexts and which contexts benefit them more to shape their future educational plan which consequently affects their level of aspiration. In this study, we aim to examine whether the students' social capital, which is created by their families, has an extensive effect in shaping their educational aspiration compared to the social capital which is created in schools. We use the information collected from 553 students, their parents and 225 teachers from 12 selected secondary schools in Bangladesh. We conduct a series of multiple linear regression analyses to estimate the influence of family social capital and school social capital on the dependent variable of educational aspiration. To compare the effect size of family social capital and school social capital we consider the standardized Beta (ß) weights of these two variables. The results show that beyond the socio-economic status, both family social capital and school social capital positively affect students' educational aspiration. In addition, when we compare the effect size of these two variables, results show that family social capital has more strength compared to school social capital to predict the educational aspiration outcome of students.

Background: Currently available treatment options are mostly effective in achieving long-term cure in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients. However, there have been reports of recurrence of this illness in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. Case presentation: We report the first case of recurrent VL relapse in a 19-year-old immunocompetent female with functional hypopituitarism (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with central hypothyroidism) from Bangladesh, who has been treated three times previously with optimal dosage and duration- liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) alone and in combination with miltefosine. We treated the patient successfully with a modified treatment regimen of 10 mg/kg body weight LAmB for two consecutive days along with oral miltefosine for seven days as loading dose. For secondary prophylaxis, the patient received 3 mg/kg body weight LAmB along with oral miltefosine for seven days monthly for five doses followed by hormonal replacement. The patient remained relapse free after 12 months of her treatment completion. Conclusion: In the absence of protective vaccines against Leishmania species and standard treatment regimen, this modified treatment regimen could help the management of recurrent relapse cases. Author summary: Visceral leishmaniasis is a globally recognized neglected tropical disease, and Bangladesh is a major contributor of the global burden of this illness. In this article, we present a case on a 19-year-old immunocompetent female with pubertal delay, who has been diagnosed as a case of visceral leishmaniasis for 11 years and presented to us with recurrent relapses despite being treated with standard treatment regimens. The patient also developed functional hypopituitarism due to this chronic illness, which hindered her personal, familial, as well as social life. In scarcity of evidence of a standard treatment regimen for recurrent relapse cases, we treated her with high dose liposomal amphotericin B and miltefosine, along with secondary prophylaxis combining these two drugs with excellent result. Her pubertal delay was also addressed with utmost importance to re-establish her social confidence. This article could encourage physicians to outline an effective regimen to deal with these difficult-to-treat cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Bangladesh has 22 million adult users of smokeless tobacco (ST). The prevalence among women is higher (24.8%). Health-related quality of life outcome (HRQoL) for ST use is little known. We investigated the association between HRQoL and daily ST use among adult women in Bangladesh. METHODS Using multi-stage design, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. Adult women (randomly selected) were surveyed from 4 purposively selected divisions (Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rangpur). Female ST users and non-users were compared using HRQoL scores. Self-perceived Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) values and HRQoL scores were modelled to examine their association with ST use. RESULTS A total of 2610 women (1149 users and 1461 non-users) were surveyed. The proportion reported any type of problem in all health dimensions was significantly higher among female ST users than non-users (mobility: 43.3% vs 19.5%, self-care: 29.6% vs 11.9%, usual activities: 48.7% vs 21.8%, pain or discomfort: 69.8% vs 40.6%, and anxiety or depression: 61.3% vs 37.5%). The average HRQoL scores were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.78-0.81) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89-0.90) for users and non-users, respectively. Moreover, EQ-VAS average values were significantly higher for non-users [80.7 (95% CI: 79.9-81.6) vs 70.27 (95% CI: 69.2-71.2)]. Controlling the sociodemographics, ST use significantly reduced the HRQoL score by an average of 0.15 points. The EQ-VAS values on average decreased by 0.04 points for ST use. CONCLUSIONS ST use is significantly associated with the HRQoL of females in Bangladesh. Considering the higher prevalence of ST, especially among women, HRQoL hazards need to be communicated for awareness building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The environmental physiognomy of an area can significantly diminish its aesthetic appeal, rendering it susceptible to visual pollution, the unbeaten scourge of modern urbanization. In this study, we propose using a deep learning network and a robotic vision system integrated with Google Street View to identify streets and textile-based visual pollution in Dhaka, the megacity of Bangladesh. The issue of visual pollution extends to the global apparel and textile industry, as well as to various common urban elements such as billboards, bricks, construction materials, street litter, communication towers, and entangled electric wires. Our data collection encompasses a wide array of visual pollution elements, including images of towers, cables, construction materials, street litter, cloth dumps, dyeing materials, and bricks. We employ two open-source tools to prepare and label our dataset: LabelImg and Roboflow. We develop multiple neural network models to swiftly and accurately identify and classify visual pollutants in this work, including Faster SegFormer, YOLOv5, YOLOv7, and EfficientDet. The tuna swarm optimization technique has been used to select the applied models' final layers and corresponding hyperparameters. In terms of hardware, our proposed system comprises a Xiaomi-CMSXJ22A web camera, a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, and a Raspberry Pi 4B microcontroller. Subsequently, we program the microcontroller with the YOLOv5 model. Rigorous testing and trials are conducted on these deep learning models to evaluate their performance against various metrics, including accuracy, recall, regularization and classification losses, mAP, precision, and more. The proposed system for detecting and categorizing visual pollution within the textile industry and urban environments has achieved notable results. Notably, the YOLOv5 and YOLOv7 models achieved 98% and 92% detection accuracies, respectively. Finally, the YOLOv5 technique has been deployed into the Raspberry Pi edge device for instantaneous visual pollution detection. The proposed visual pollutants detection device can be easily mounted on various platforms (like vehicles or drones) and deployed in different urban environments for on-site, real-time monitoring. This mobility is crucial for comprehensive street-level data collection, potentially engaging local communities, schools, and universities in understanding and participating in environmental monitoring efforts. The comprehensive dataset on visual pollution will be published in the journal following the acceptance of our manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Shigella is an important cause of diarrhea in Bangladeshi children <5 years of age, with an incidence rate of 4.6 per 100 person-years. However, the report was more than a decade old, and data on Shigella consequences are similarly outdated and heterogeneously collected. Methods Facility-based disease surveillance is planned to be carried out under the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study consortium for 2 years with aims to optimize and standardize laboratory techniques and healthcare utilization and coverage survey, clinical and anthropometric data collection, safety monitoring and responsiveness, and other related activities. The EFGH is a cohesive network of multidisciplinary experts, capable of operating in concert to conduct the study to generate data that will pave the way for potential Shigella vaccine trials in settings with high disease burden. The study will be conducted within 7 country sites in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Conclusions We outline the features of the Bangladesh site as part of this multisite surveillance network to determine an updated incidence rate and document the consequences of Shigella diarrhea in children aged 6–35 months, which will help inform policymakers and to implement the future vaccine trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species diversity and soil quality are deteriorating due to continuous disturbances in ecosystems caused by human interference. However, agroforestry is considered a good approach to minimizing environmental problems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the impacts of participatory agroforestry on restoring soil fertility, farm productivity and biodiversity in the degraded Madhupur Sal forest of Bangladesh. The study purposefully selected 40 common agroforestry programs in Madhupur Sal forest for the collection of soil and plant data from 2020 to 2023. Agroforestry programs have improved soil organic matter, soil carbon, pH, and available N, P and K content to a substantial degree and protected soil degradation, enhancing yield. The soil improvement index represents the potentiality of agroforestry in restoring soil nutrients and carbon in the form of organic matter, which is an important indicator for carbon sequestration and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The resultant cost–benefit and land equivalent ratios were steadily higher, which corroborates the greater productivity and profitability of agroforestry compared to monoculture systems. In contrast, agroforestry restored 31 plant species, opening up opportunities for restoring plant species in the threatened forest ecosystem. Therefore, this study recommended selecting appropriate site-specific species for managing agroforestry and restoring ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High maternal mortality rates still today remain a significant public health concern in South Asian countries. The majority of maternal deaths occur during pregnancy, and these deaths may typically be avoided by ensuring that women have access to reliable maternity care such as antenatal care (ANC) and facility delivery. The objectives of this research were to assess socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of health care services by mothers and to determine the factors influencing this utilization among women aged 15 to 49 in five South Asian countries. Methods: For this study, nationally representative data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) were analyzed. This research included a total of 262,531 women between the ages of 15 and 49. To determine the likely causes of maternal health care utilization, simple bivariate statistics and binary logistic regression were applied, and decomposition analysis and the concentration curve were used to quantify disparity (Lorenz curve). Results: ANC and institutional delivery were both prevalent in 59.27% and 86.52% of cases, respectively. Among the five nations, Maldives has the greatest ANC (96.83%) and institutional delivery (99.39%), while Bangladesh has the lowest ANC (47.01%) and institutional delivery (49.81%). Women's and husbands' education, household wealth status, BMI, and urban residents are the most important factors influencing maternal health service utilization, whereas higher education level, affluent wealth quintiles, and place of residence are the major contributors to socioeconomic inequalities in access to maternal health care that favor the wealthy. Conclusion: Maternal health care services must be utilized properly in order to promote optimal health and prevent maternal mortality. Several socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables of the individual population, as well as policy issues, all have an impact on maternal mortality. This research recommends for concerted action to enhance how successfully women use maternity care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The COVID‐19 pandemic and its accompanying countermeasures significantly disrupt the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of adolescents. We aimed to estimate the status and associated factors related to HRQoL of adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic from the community population of Bangladesh. Methods: This cross‐sectional study followed two‐stage sampling. From eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh, 2030 adolescents were enrolled. The KIDSCREEN‐10 index was used to measure the HRQoL of adolescents. In addition to this, adolescents' data on sociodemographics, mental well‐being, parenting style, insomnia, food insecurity, depression, anxiety and stress, resilient coping, screen‐based activity, and anthropometry were taken for finding out the factors associated with HRQoL of adolescents. The hierarchical multilinear regression was performed to assess the association. Results: More than 47% of adolescents were found to have moderate and high HRQoL, while 4.7% of adolescents experienced low HRQoL during data collection. Higher age (B: −0.671), having more siblings (B: −0.316), food insecurity (B: ‒2.010), depression (B: ‒0.321), anxiety (B: ‒0.362), and stress (B: ‒0.150) were found to have significantly negative associations with adolescents' HRQoL during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Whereas, positive parenting (B: 0.409), inconsistent parenting discipline (B: 0.266), good mental health (B: 5.662), resilient coping (B: 0.306) were found to have significant positive relationships. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate that over 52% of the adolescents reported a moderate and lower level of HRQoL. In light of these results, it may be beneficial to prioritize interventions targeting psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The global significance of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) cannot be overstated, extending far beyond the confines of developing nations and encompassing even the most developed ones. This study, rooted in the Bihari refugee camp in Bangladesh, seeks to underscore the universality of WASH concerns. Methods: Using a cross‐sectional design and a structured questionnaire, we conducted a meticulous evaluation of WASH practices with 313 participants selected through random sampling. Results: Findings shows the water practice, among all of them, only 4.8% of the respondents were very happy with the water supply system and 16.0% of the respondents were happy with this. A total of 29.7% of the respondents were satisfied with safe drinking water and only 4.8% of the respondents were very satisfied with safe drinking water. Regarding the hygiene practice, among all respondents, 10.2% of them were satisfied with using the same bathroom by multiple people. Only 5.4% respondents were happy in their living environment. Regarding sanitation practice, only 31.3% had private toilet facilities. Among all of the respondents, 13.7% of the respondents were satisfied with using the same toilet by multiple people. Respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.01) and self‐employed (p < 0.04) were satisfied with the water supply. Similarly, respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.03) and self‐employed (p < 0.00) were satisfied with safe drinking water. Respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.02) and whose monthly income was below 8000 BDT (p < 0.00) were satisfied using same bathroom by multiple people. Respondents who were self‐employed (p < 0.01), whose monthly income 8000–12,000 BDT (p < 0.01) and having single room (p < 0.00) were satisfied using the same toilet by multiple people. Conclusion: Enhanced access to safe WASH facilities, coupled with a comprehensive understanding of the study's findings, have the potential to serve as vital signposts for the development and implementation of policies and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on population health. The genetic determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in southern Bangladesh are not well understood. Methods: This study aimed to determine the genomic variation in SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have evolved over 2 years of the pandemic in southern Bangladesh and their association with disease outcomes and virulence of this virus. We investigated demographic variables, disease outcomes of COVID-19 patients and genomic features of SARS-CoV-2. Results: We observed that the disease severity was significantly higher in adults (85.3%) than in children (14.7%), because the expression of angiotensinconverting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) diminishes with ageing that causes differences in innate and adaptive immunity. The clade GK (n = 66) was remarkable between June 2021 and January 2022. Because of the mutation burden, another clade, GRA started a newly separated clustering in December 2021. The burden was significantly higher in GRA (1.5-fold) highlighted in mild symptoms of COVID-19 patients than in other clades (GH, GK, and GR). Mutations were accumulated mainly in S (22.15 mutations per segment) and ORF1ab segments. Missense (67.5%) and synonymous (18.31%) mutations were highly noticed in adult patients with mild cases rather than severe cases, especially in ORF1ab segments. Moreover, we observed many unique mutations in S protein in mild cases compared to severe, and homology modeling revealed that those might cause more folding in the protein's alpha helix and beta sheets. Conclusion: Our study identifies some risk factors such as age comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, and renal disease) that are associated with severe COVID-19, providing valuable insight regarding prioritizing vaccination for high-risk individuals and allocating health care and resources. The findings of this work outlined the knowledge and mutational basis of SARS-CoV-2 for the next treatment steps. Further studies are needed to confirm the effects of structural and functional proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in detail for monitoring the emergence of new variants in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary supplementation with a gut microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) significantly improved weight gain and repaired gut microbiota, as reported in a recent randomized controlled trial on Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a small bowel disorder, and recent evidence shows that it is linked to growth failure in children. Therefore, we intended to investigate whether supplementation with MDCF-2 has any role in modifying gut health by changing the levels of biomarkers of EED and gut inflammation in children with MAM. We randomly assigned 124 children aged 12–18 months to one of two intervention diets, either MDCF-2 or ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF). Approximately 50 g of the diet was administered in two feeding sessions daily for 12 weeks. Stool and plasma biomarkers were assessed to evaluate intestinal health. Results showed that the average change in citrulline concentration (µmol/L) significantly increased among children who consumed MDCF-2 compared to those who consumed RUSF (mean difference-in-differences: 123.10; 95% CI: 3.60, 242.61; p = 0.044). The research findings demonstrated that MDCF-2 might have a beneficial effect on improving the gastrointestinal health of malnourished children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, Bangladesh has seen significant environmental degradation and the loss of its GDP, which has had a detrimental effect on public health, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, industrial development, and environmental services. The unusually high temperatures, humidity, and unpredicted rainfall gave rise to disease like dengue and affecting peoples mental health. However, the government, as well as public and private groups, are undertaking some phenomenal efforts to help reduce environmental degradation and raise the number of green footprints. The objective of this article is to examine the green initiatives, strategies, and policies of Bangladeshi organizations in enhancing green footprints in the socio‐economic spaces, through comprehensive content analysis of various newspapers, journal articles, government reports, and company annual reports. The aim of this article is to trace out the evidences of change in the socio‐economic fabric of the society. The primary focus of the article on the environment friendly business activities, which eventually bring social changes. The article found that green HRM, green business, MFS, green corporate culture is increasingly been seen in the society, which indicate silent changes. Bangladesh has put regulations and programs into place to lessen carbon emissions and safeguard sensitive coastal areas. It is noteworthy for demonstrating a strong dedication to improving sustainable development and environmental preservation. Many organizations in Bangladesh have also received the prestigious Asia's Corporate Excellence and Sustainability Awards for their outstanding zeal to ensure positive environmental changes in the society. Moreover, large proportion of Bangladesh's energy mix comes from renewable energy sources, leading to the installed renewable energy capacity of 579 MW. Additionally, the government has announced plans on replacing traditional transport methods with electric or hybrid vehicles. Bangladesh has further solidified its position as the global leader in green garments factories, as the country has 176 such facilities that have received the USGBC's LEED accreditation. The article placed a strong emphasis on particular policy proposals, including the adoption of the circular economy, the digital economy, sustainable finance, car‐sharing systems, renewable energy sources in manufacturing and workplaces, and environmentally friendly practices in both public and private organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence suggests that measures of maternal gut enteropathy are associated with unfavorable fetal outcomes. It is, therefore, crucial to identify and treat the features of intestinal enteropathy among reproductive-age women living in areas where enteropathy is highly prevalent. However, there is a lack of non-invasive diagnostic tests to determine EED, making it difficult to identify the disease in field settings. In this study, we tested the potential of fecal pH as a biomarker of gut enteropathy and investigated its relationship with fecal biomarkers of intestinal enteropathy in reproductive-age women living in resource-limited environments. Methods: Data on socio-demographic information, anthropometry, and biological samples were collected from 78 apparently healthy women aged between 20 and 27 years from November 2018 to December 2019. The association of stool pH with two fecal biomarkers of gut enteropathy (i.e., intestinal alkaline phosphatase [IAP] and fecal lipocalin-2 [LCN-2] was investigated using multiple linear regression models after adjusting for relevant covariates. Results: In the adjusted models, alkaline stool pH (pH > 7.2) was found to be significantly associated with a decrease in the fecal IAP level by 1.05 unit (95% CI: -1.68, -0.42; p < 0.001) in the log scale, and acidic stool pH (pH < 6) was found to be significantly associated with an increase in the fecal LCN-2 level by 0.89 units (95% CI: 0.12, 1.67; p < 0.025) in the log scale. Conclusions: The study findings demonstrated an association of fecal pH with biomarkers of gut enteropathy indicating its applicability as a simple tool for understanding intestinal enteropathy among reproductive-age women living in resource-limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue, a vector-borne disease, is a major public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries including Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to estimate the societal cost of illness of dengue infections among the urban population in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A cost-of-illness study was conducted using a prevalence-based approach from a societal perspective. Costs attributable to dengue were estimated from a bottom-up strategy using the guideline proposed by the World Health Organization for estimating the economic burden of infectious diseases. Results: A total of 302 hospitalized confirmed dengue patients were enrolled in this study. The average cost to society for a person with a dengue episode was US$ 479.02. This amount was ranged between US$ 341.67 and US$ 567.12 for those patients who were treated at public and private hospitals, respectively. The households out-of-pocket cost contributed to a larger portion of the total costs of illness (66%) while the cost burden was significantly higher for the poorest households than the richest quintile. Conclusions: Dengue disease imposes a substantial financial burden on households and society. Therefore, decision-makers should consider the treatment cost of dengue infections, particularly among the poor in the population while balancing the benefits of introducing potentially effective dengue preventive programs in Bangladesh. Author summary: Dengue is a vector-borne viral disease affecting over 40 million people in Bangladesh. Dengue is endemic in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh, but the economic cost of illness is still limited. A growing literature shows that dengue imposes an enormous socio-economic burden on households, health systems, and societies. As there is no specific study estimating the economic costs of dengue infections in the Bangladesh context, the current study will serve as a benchmark to support evidence-based decision-making processes that guide the dengue prevention and control policies and allocation of health resources efficiently in Bangladesh. This study indicated, there is a substantial economic burden of dengue among the Dhaka city dwellers. We found that prevention of dengue hospitalization incidence, irrespective of the methods of prevention can save about US$ 479 per dengue case. Therefore, decision-makers should consider the treatment cost of dengue infections, particularly among the poor in the population while balancing the benefits of introducing potentially effective dengue preventive programs including vaccination strategies in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of Bangladesh, RMG factory owners and international clothing brands from Western and European countries faced severe criticisms from consumers, trade unions and human rights organisations for inadequate factory monitoring in Bangladesh after the catastrophic Rana Plaza collapse in 2013. As a result, under intense pressure, the Government of Bangladesh allowed two private monitoring organisations (Accord and Alliance) led by European and North American apparel brands to monitor the RMG sector in Bangladesh. However, the Accord and Alliance conflicted with the Government of Bangladesh regarding the RMG factory monitoring program, resulting in the Alliance leaving Bangladesh in December 2018. The Accord's journey ends in mid-2020 in Bangladesh. The local monitoring agency, the Department of Inspection for Factory and Establishments (DIFE), operates under the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Bangladesh. The current research suggests that DIFE is not credible in monitoring local RMG factories in Bangladesh. Therefore, this article critically analyses factory monitoring in Bangladesh's RMG sector and presents evidence and data on whether the private initiative has been more successful than the traditional national approach led by the Bangladesh government. Moreover, recommendations are made to the Bangladesh government, RMG employers and international apparel brands on what should be done to ensure the safety of workers in the country's most important informal economic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The connection between marital status and suicidal behavior has been poorly assessed in South Asia. We aimed to see the proportion of marital status in individuals with suicidal behavior in South Asian countries. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol in advance (PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023399906). A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Meta‐analyses were performed to pool the proportion of married individuals with suicidal behavior (total [suicide + suicide attempts], suicide, and suicide attempt) in South Asian countries. We considered suicidal behavior consist of suicide and suicide attempts (nonfatal). Results: Our search identified 47 studies for this review from 6 countries published from 1999 to 2022 with a sample size ranging from 27 to 89,178. The proportion of married individuals was 55.4% (95% CI: 50.1–60.5) for suicidal behavior, 52.7% (95% CI: 44.5–60.7) for suicides, and 43.1 (95% CI: 32.9–53.9) for suicide attempts. The proportion of married persons among suicide attempts varied significantly across countries (p = 0.016) which was highest (61.8%; 95% CI: 57.2–66.2) in India, followed by Bangladesh (52.5%; 95% CI: 41.8%–62.9%) and Pakistan (45.1%; 95% CI: 30.9–59.9). The pooled proportions did not differ significantly in relation to the quality of the studies (p = 0.633). Conclusion: This review identified married persons died more than others by suicide in South Asian countries while single persons attempted suicide than married. As the current study did not assess any cause‐and‐effect association, a cautious interpretation is warranted while considering married marital status as a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: The incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections after operations is increasing in Bangladesh but data regarding clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis after treatment are lacking. In this case series, three patients having persistent serous discharge from incision wound after operation were studied. Discharge from wounds were collected, wet film microscopy was performed for pus cells and fungus, Gram stain, Ziehl‐Neelsen (ZN) stain, culture in routine culture media and Lowenstein‐Jensen (LJ) media, Xene‐Xpert for mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for NTM were done. NTM‐positive patients were treated initially for 6 weeks with four drugs regimen (clarithromycin 500 mg 12 hourly, ciprofloxacin 500 mg 12 hourly, linezolid 400 mg 12 hourly, and amikacin 500 mg 12 hourly), followed by 5 months with three drugs regimen (clarithromycin 500 mg 12 hourly, ciprofloxacin 500 mg 12 hourly, and linezolid 400 mg 12 hourly) as a maintenance dose. Cessation of discharge occurred within 3–4 weeks after starting treatment, and the wounds were healed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Following the mass influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh in 2017, makeshift settlement camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf have been overburdened, leading to livelihood challenges for both Rohingya and host communities. The humanitarian crisis has had adverse effects on vulnerable populations, which include older people, persons with disabilities, adolescents, and single female household heads. Using a subset of a larger dataset on households with most vulnerable groups in both communities, we analysed the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on the livelihood of single female household (HH) heads. Methods: A cross-sectional household roster survey was designed to collect data from households with most vulnerable groups (MVGs) of host and Rohingya communities from December 2020 to March 2021; 11 host community villages and 10 Rohingya camps purposively selected as per the affiliated intervention of the project. The paper analysed quantitative and qualitative data from the sub-group of single female household heads without any income/low income. Participants were surveyed for their socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19 experiences and knowledge, food security situation, social experiences and mental health using PHQ-2 test for depression. Results: We surveyed 432 single female HH heads. Support during the pandemic was reported to be low, with less than 50% of HHs reporting relief meeting their needs; only 36% and 15% of these HHs received rations in camps and host communities respectively. Loan facilities were mostly unavailable and there were reported insufficiencies in food consumption. Over 50% of respondents tested positive on the PHQ-2, a scale used to screen for depression. Further analyses indicates that having a chronic health issue (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.33–3.66) was positively associated with the PHQ-2 score for Rohingya single females. For host single females, having an ill member in the HH (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.08) and the inability to save before the pandemic (OR 1.57 95% CI 1.11–2.23) increased the odds of screening positive for depression. Conclusion: Our study findings revealed insufficiencies with economic opportunities and food security for single female-headed households, as well as a high rate of positive screening for depression amongst this population. These findings call for a more in-depth understanding of the needs of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is an emerging major infectious disease which causes frequent outbreaks affecting millions. The complex interplay between virus serotype, host immune response and environmental factor set a series of changes in dengue presentation over the years. Materials and method: This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted on 100 diagnosed dengue patients attending a tertiary teaching hospital. The study participants were divided into severe and non-severe categories and compared in terms of their symptoms, severity and lab findings. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS. Result: Majority of the study participants were younger. Female participants were more than male. Apart from fever, headache was found to be the commonest symptom in general. Epistaxis and melaena were significantly higher among severe group than non-severe peers. Gastrointestinal symptoms were frequently present among both groups. Conclusion: Most of the cases of dengue patient didn't suffer from life threatening infection but when the infection is severe, bleeding manifestation can be a predictor of the onset of critical illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by dengue virus; single positive stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. Symptomatic dengue infection causes a wide range of clinical manifestations; from mild dengue fever (DF) to potentially fatal disease, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Dengue is endemic in Bangladesh with recurrent outbreak and is one of the major public health concerns in current period. Therefore; we conducted a literature review to analyze demography, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical feature and diagnosis of dengue virus infection. Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines, the references were selected from PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar database using search strings containing a combination of terms that included "dengue", "Bangladesh", "epidemiology", "outbreak"," pathogenesis", "clinical manifestation", "demography "and "diagnosis". Quality of references was evaluated by independent contributors. Results: About 167,700 confirmed dengue cases were reported at 16'september'2023 in Bangladesh. Although dengue is endemic in Bangladesh, the current dengue surge is unusual in terms of seasonality and the early sharp increase in comparison to previous years, where the surge started around -late June. Plasma leakages are the main pathophysiological hallmark that distinguishes DHF from DF. Severe plasma leakage can result in hypovolemic shock. Various factors are thought to impact disease presentation and severity. Virus segregation in cell cultures, nucleic acid demonstration by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serological detection of viral antigens (such as NS1) or particular antibodies are the preferred microbiological assays for dengue detection. Currently, no specific drugs and licensed vaccines are available to treat dengue disease in any of its clinical presentations for all age group. Conclusion: Understanding the clinical manifestation of dengue infection, prompt diagnosis, appropriate treatment, active and continuous surveillance of cases and vectors are the essential determinants for dengue prevention, control and reducing fatality rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are a group of chronic conditions affecting the oral mucosa with a risk of transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oral leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, oral lichen planus, and oral erythroplakia are the most common OPMDs observed in South Asian population. However, oral leukoplakia and oral lichen planus are commonly encountered OPMDs in clinical practice in Bangladesh, possibly, owing to specific lifestyle habits. Although the exact aetiology is unknown, use of smokeless tobacco, smoking, and chewing of betel quid containing areca nut, are considered as common risk factors for OPMDs. Early diagnosis is very important and can be lifesaving, as at a late stage, OPMDs are more likely to progress into severe dysplasia or even into squamous cell carcinoma. In fact, OPMDs have a significantly increased risk of progressing to cancer, mostly in South Asian population, including Bangladesh. This review provides an overview of the OPMDs in Bangladeshi population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) provides significant health benefits to children. However, mothers may find it difficult to continue EBF for 6 months. The present analysis aimed to examine the influence of the Suchana intervention—a large‐scale programme implemented with the aim of improving the health and nutritional status of mothers and children from poor households in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh—on EBF and stunting among children under 6 months. Baseline and endline data were obtained from the Suchana evaluation. EBF was defined as an infant (<6 months) only receiving breast milk in the previous 24 h. Childhood stunting was defined as a length‐for‐age z‐score of less than −2 among children of the same age. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations of the Suchana intervention with EBF and stunting. EBF prevalence improved from 64% at baseline to 85% at the endline in the intervention area, with the intervention group having 2.25 times higher odds of EBF compared to the control group. Stunting prevalence reduced from 28% at baseline to 24% at the endline in the intervention group, but after controlling for covariates, the association between stunting and the intervention was not significant. However, the interaction analysis showed significantly lower stunting prevalence among EBF children in both intervention and control areas. The Suchana intervention had a positive impact on the EBF practice of rural children in a vulnerable region of Bangladesh, and EBF was identified as a significant factor associated with stunting. The findings suggest that the continuation of the EBF intervention has the potential to have an impact on reducing stunting in the region, highlighting the importance of promoting EBF to improve child health and development. Key messages: Suchana intervention in rural Bangladesh promoted exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among mothers in the intervention group.EBF was found to be a significant factor associated with stunting in the study population.Better integration of determinants of stunting are needed to achieve a statistically significant reduction in stunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We explored whether hospital‐based surveillance is useful in detecting severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) clusters and how often these events result in outbreak investigation and community mitigation. Methods: During May 2009–December 2020, physicians at 14 sentinel hospitals prospectively identified SARI clusters (i.e., ≥2 SARI cases who developed symptoms ≤10 days of each other and lived <30 min walk or <3 km from each other). Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza and other respiratory viruses by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (rRT‐PCR). We describe the demographic of persons within clusters, laboratory results, and outbreak investigations. Results: Field staff identified 464 clusters comprising 1427 SARI cases (range 0–13 clusters per month). Sixty percent of clusters had three, 23% had two, and 17% had ≥4 cases. Their median age was 2 years (inter‐quartile range [IQR] 0.4–25) and 63% were male. Laboratory results were available for the 464 clusters with a median of 9 days (IQR = 6–13 days) after cluster identification. Less than one in five clusters had cases that tested positive for the same virus: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 58 (13%), influenza viruses in 24 (5%), human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in five (1%), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) in three (0.6%), adenovirus in two (0.4%). While 102/464 (22%) had poultry exposure, none tested positive for influenza A (H5N1) or A (H7N9). None of the 464 clusters led to field deployments for outbreak response. Conclusions: For 11 years, none of the hundreds of identified clusters led to an emergency response. The value of this event‐based surveillance might be improved by seeking larger clusters, with stronger epidemiologic ties or decedents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates domestic water consumption and waste patterns in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), Bangladesh, with an emphasis on identifying factors influencing water waste. Employing a mixed- methods approach involving surveys, monitoring, and interviews, the research evaluates both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings indicate significant positive correlations between water consumption, education level, water safety awareness, availability, and source proximity. Notably, a negative relationship between consumption and water source closeness is observed. Variations in consumption across residential zones, including households exceeding recommended water consumption, are highlighted. Water waste practices, such as taps left running and excessive usage, are identified. Additionally, inadequate access to clean drinking water is also revealed. The study offers insights into research-based strategies to conserve water, enhance sustainable management, and ensure efficient urban water resource utilization in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Effective management of hypoxemia is key to reducing pneumonia deaths in children. In an intensive care setting within a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh, bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) oxygen therapy was beneficial in reducing deaths in this population. To inform a future trial, we investigated the feasibility of introducing bCPAP in this population in non-tertiary/district hospitals in Bangladesh. Methods We conducted a qualitative assessment using a descriptive phenomenological approach to understand the structural and functional capacity of the non-tertiary hospitals (Institute of Child and Mother Health and Kushtia General Hospital) for the clinical use of bCPAP. We conducted interviews and focus group discussions (23 nurses, seven physicians, 14 parents). We retrospectively (12 months) and prospectively (three months) measured the prevalence of severe pneumonia and hypoxemia in children attending the two study sites. For the feasibility phase, we enrolled 20 patients with severe pneumonia (age two to 24 months) to receive bCPAP, putting in place safeguards to identify risk. Results Retrospectively, while 747 of 3012 (24.8%) children had a diagnosis of severe pneumonia, no pulse oxygen saturation information was available. Of 3008 children prospectively assessed with pulse oximetry when attending the two sites, 81 (3.7%) had severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia. The main structural challenges to implementation were the inadequate number of pulse oximeters, lack of power generator backup, high patient load with an inadequate number of hospital staff, and inadequate and non-functioning oxygen flow meters. Functional challenges were the rapid turnover of trained clinicians in the hospitals, limited post-admission routine care for in-patients by hospital clinicians due to their extreme workload (particularly after official hours). The study implemented a minimum of four hourly clinical reviews and provided oxygen concentrators (with backup oxygen cylinders), and automatic power generator backup. Twenty children with a mean age of 6.7 (standard deviation (SD)=5.0)) months with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia (median (md) SpO2=87% in room air, interquartile range (IQR)=85-88)) with cough (100%) and severe respiratory difficulties (100%) received bCPAP oxygen therapy for a median of 16 hours (IQR=6-16). There were no treatment failures or deaths. Conclusions Implementation of low-cost bCPAP oxygen therapy is feasible in non-tertiary/district hospitals when additional training and resources are allocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe failure of improperly designed and poorly constructed structures may occur due to the amplified and prolonged ground motion during an earthquake, and hence prediction of the ground motion characteristics at the soil surface is crucial. In this study, based on the prepared simplified engineering geomorphic map, we performed a one-dimensional (1D) nonlinear site response analysis for seismic site characterization of the recently proposed Detailed Area Plan (DAP) area of Dhaka City, the Capital of Bangladesh. The engineering geomorphic unit-based map was prepared from image analysis and verified with the collected borehole data and surface geology map. The study area was classified into three major geomorphic units and seven sub-units subject to the subsurface soil profiles. Nine earthquake time histories, seven from the PEER NGA WEST2 data set and two synthetics, and seven identified subsurface soil profiles were used for nonlinear site response analysis, along with the BNBC 2020 uniform hazard spectrum as the target spectrum. For the selected earthquake ground motions, the near-surface soil response of the DAP area showed de-amplification of acceleration in the short period and amplification of acceleration in the long period. The amplified long-period acceleration could cause severe damage in inappropriately designed and poorly constructed long-period structures. The outcome of this study could be used to prepare a seismic risk-sensitive land use plan for the future development of the DAP of Dhaka City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Assessment of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and feeling of wellbeing among healthcare workers are essential to take necessary steps to treat or prevent any psychiatric morbidity. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the psychiatric morbidity among the healthcare workers of a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Combined Military Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh from July 2021 to December 2021. For this purpose, 50 health workers fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria were taken as sample. They filled up personal & sociodemographic data and the short-form Bangla version of WHO-5, GAD-7, PHQ-9andPSS-5 scale [1,2,3,4,18]. The results showed that the mean age of the health workers was average 25 years with male predominance (58%). Symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and wellbeing were found among 20%, 30%, 96% and 96% of health workers respectively. This excess stress and low feeling of wellbeing may be related to extra stressors caused by dread, fear and exceptional longevity of the disease itself and sudden socioeconomic drift down compounded by Covid-19 pandemic effects. Combination of depression, anxiety and stress in different patterns were also higher in them. Conclusions: Incidence of psychiatric illness was high among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further larger studies are required to categories these illness and to find out help to overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, major emphasis has been placed on understanding the physiological consequences of losing a pregnancy. However, its mental health impact on socially disadvantaged women remains unexplored. To further inform the field the present study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with the development of depressive symptoms and anxiety among women with a history of spontaneous abortion living in the urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: Information was obtained from 240 women who experienced a spontaneous abortion from July 2020 to December 2021. It was obtained through the urban health and demographic surveillance system (UHDSS) survey. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to measure mental health symptoms. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associated factors with the mental health outcomes. Results: Of the 240 women, majority (77.50%) of the women experienced mild to severe depressive symptoms and more than half (58.75%) of the respondants experienced mild to severe anxiety, within one and half years of experiencing spontaneous abortion. A higher level of education and being employed were protective factors for anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. However, women with higher sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) knowledge had significantly increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. In contrast, receiving post-abortion care (PAC) was associated with decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The findings indicate that ensuring access to affordable PAC services and integrating mental health services into the standard PAC service package is crucial. This study also emphasizes the importance of providing education for women living in urban slums and encouraging them to participate in economic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic ambient noise (SAN) energy can potentially blur regional and teleseismic arrivals as well as various microearthquakes at specific frequencies. Therefore, quantification of the SAN energy level in a region is required to optimize seismic station distribution for seismological investigations. Moreover, evaluation of station performance and noise source is possible from observation of SAN energy levels. The SAN energy distribution from seismic stations in the Bengal Basin (BB), Bangladesh has not yet been estimated. At the same time, this tectonically active and complex region is less studied using seismic methods. This study aims to quantify SAN energy and characterize its diurnal variation along with evaluating station performance at 11 seismic stations, which were temporarily installed in the deeper portion of the BB. Herein, the daily SAN energy level was determined within the period range of 0.02-30 s by estimating the power spectral density (PSD) of seismic data for 7 continuous days. SAN energy and its variation over time were observed using the probability density functions (PDFs) of PSDs and spectrograms, respectively. The sources of SAN energies at different period bands were also investigated by comparing the PSDs with daily variations in human activities, nearby noise sources, local meteorological factors (i.e., air temperature and precipitation), and sea level height. The insights from this study could be useful for the future deployment of seismic networks as well as seismological studies in the BB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular characterization of 26 modern rice varieties of Bangladesh was performed using 52 simple sequence repeat markers (SSRs) to estimate the genetic diversity and to reveal genetic relationships among rice cultivars. A total of 156 alleles were detected where the number of alleles per locus generated by each marker varied from 2 to 7, with an average of 3. The band size for a given microsatellite locus ranged from 79 to 278 bp. The polymorphism information content (PIC) for the SSR loci ranged from 0.08 to 0.79, with an average of 0.35. RM566 was the best marker for identification and variability assessment of varieties as revealed by PIC values. A UPGMA dendrogram generated using the NTSYS-pc revealed four clusters with a similarity coefficient of 0.55, whereas phylogenetic cluster analysis of the SSR data based on Neigenetic distance divided the varieties into three groups. Two- and threedimensional graphical views of principal coordinate analysis showed the spatial distribution of the varieties and revealed that BRRI dhan56, BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BRRI dhan61, BRRI dhan62 and BRRI dhan66 were found far away from the centroid of the cluster. The findings of this study are helpful for varietal identification, background selection during backcross breeding and for selecting the suitable genetically diverse parents for crossing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 10th percentiles (10P) of the daily minimum (Tmin) and maximum (Tmax) during 1971–2000 were determined to estimate a threshold for cold days. This 10P (a standard of extreme climatic condition suggested by the World Meteorological Organization) threshold was applied with the daily Tmin and Tmax in the winter months (December, January, and February) of 2000 to 2021 to calculate the number of cold days, and consecutively, cold spells, and their trends. A cold day was declared when the daily Tmax and/or Tmin was lower than that of the 10P threshold, and the average temperature was ≤17 °C in a weather station. In this research, the cold days and spells were categorized into five classes, namely extreme (≤13 °C), severe (>13–14 °C), very (>14–15 °C), moderate (>15–16 °C), and Mild (>16–17 °C). Moreover, a cold spell was considered when such cold days persisted for ≥2 consecutive days in at least two nearby stations. The results revealed a higher number of average cold days during winter in the western and northwestern districts of Bangladesh, and it reduced gradually in the south, southeast, and northeast. Dinajpur and Rajshahi districts showed the highest number of extreme and severe categories of cold days, i.e., 4.81 and 3.24 days/year, respectively. Rajshahi division had the highest number of cold spells on average (3.24/year), and Rangpur division had the highest number of extreme-category (the category that carries the lowest temperature range, ≤13 °C) cold spells (1.29/year). January was the coldest month, with the maximum number of cold days and spells. The highest average number of cold days (25.54%) was observed during the second ten days of January (i.e., 11–20 January). Significant increasing trends were found in the cold days of 11–20 December (5 stations), 21–31 December (3 stations), and the month of December (13 stations). In contrast, significant decreasing trends were noticed for the 1–10 January period in three weather stations. Our proposed 10P method could be used to determine the cold days and spells in Bangladesh that might be useful for the policy makers in formulating appropriate strategies in minimizing the impact of cold regimes during the winter season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species diversity of freshwater crabs of Bangladesh is poorly known. In this study, Acanthopotamon fungosum (Alcock, 1909) and Maydelliathelphusa edentula (Alcock, 1909) are reported as new records from Bangladesh. The two species were identified through morphology and molecular phylogeny based on 16S rDNA gene sequences. Herein, diagnostic characters of both species are provided respective to close congeners. There is concern over the conservation status of A. fungosum due to its narrow distributional range. In addition, an updated checklist and a key to the freshwater crabs of Bangladesh are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is critical in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and is one of the pillars of the WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2020. We conducted an Intra-Action Review (IAR) of IPC response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, to identify best practices, challenges, and recommendations for improvement of the current and future responses. Methods: We conducted two meetings with 54 participants purposively selected from different organizations and agencies involved in the frontline implementation of IPC in Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh. We used the IPC trigger questions from the WHO country COVID-19 IAR: trigger question database to guide the discussions. Meeting notes and transcripts were then analyzed manually using content analysis, and results were presented in text and quotes. Results: Best practices included: assessments, a response plan, a working group, trainings, early case identification and isolation, hand hygiene in Health Facilities (HFs), monitoring and feedback, general masking in HFs, supportive supervision, design, infrastructure and environmental controls in Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Isolation and Treatment Centers (SARI ITCs) and HFs and waste management. Challenges included: frequent breakdown of incinerators, limited PPE supply, inconsistent adherence to IPC, lack of availability of uniforms for health workers, in particular cultural and gender appropriate uniforms and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Recommendations from the IAR were: (1) to promote the institutionalization of IPC, programs in HFs (2) establishment of IPC monitoring mechanisms in all HCFs, (3) strengthening IPC education and training in health care facilities, and (4) strengthen public health and social measures in communities. Conclusion: Establishing IPC programmes that include monitoring and continuous training are critical in promoting consistent and adaptive IPC practices. Response to a pandemic crisis combined with concurrent emergencies, such as protracted displacement of populations with many diverse actors, can only be successful with highly coordinated planning, leadership, resource mobilization, and close supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoption of the right rice variety and water-saving irrigation method could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in lowland rice cultivation. A study was conducted at the research farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, in 2019 during the Boro (dry) season to determine the impacts of different rice varieties (BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan47, BRRI dhan69, Binadhan-8, Binadhan-10, and Binadhan-17) on methane (CH4) emissions under two irrigation methods, i.e., alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and continuous flooding (CF). The treatments were laid out in a split-plot design, considering water regime as the main plots and rice variety as the sub-plots. The emission rates of CH4 were determined by collecting air samples using the closed chamber technique and measuring the concentrations using a gas chromatograph. CH4 emission rates varied with the growth and development of the rice varieties. The lowest cumulative CH4 emission rate was observed in Binadhan-17, particularly under AWD irrigation. Across the rice varieties, AWD irrigation significantly reduced the cumulative CH4 emissions by about 35% compared with CF. No significant variation in rice yield was observed between AWD (5.38 t ha−1) and CF (5.16 t ha−1). This study suggests that the cultivation of Binadhan-17 under AWD irrigation could be effective at reducing the carbon footprint of lowland rice fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compared the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics with seven days of conventional antibiotics. Objective: This present study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of three doses of prophylaxis with ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Methodology: This parallel arm, randomized control trial was conducted among fifty patients, consisting of 25 cases and 25 controls, with acute appendicitis admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Popular Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, and Ad-din Barrister Rafique Ul-Haq Hospital, Dhaka, during the period of November 2021 to April 2022. This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of three doses of combined prophylactic antibiotics, ceftriaxone and metronidazole, in acute non-perforated appendicitis cases. The patients in the control group were treated with seven days of conventional antibiotic therapy to compare the efficacy with three doses of prophylactic antibiotics. Results: Among 9 wound infections (15%), 4 patients were in the control group (36.5%), and 5 (40.5%) were in the case group in the study group with combined surgical prophylaxis of ceftriaxone and metronidazole (P=0.001). One patient develops both a wound infection and an intra-abdominal abscess. The study also found that amount to patient (3.3%) with intra-abdominal abscess formation 01 (50%) in control group and 01(50.0%) in combined prophylaxis group (ceftriaxone and metronidazole) (P>0.3). Conclusion: In conclusion no significant difference could be found between the patients who received combined three doses of ceftriaxone and metronidazole and the control groups with regard to age, sex, distribution of symptoms before admission, preoperative temperature, duration of surgery, hospital stay, and concomitant diseases both overall and within each of the three groups of appendiceal examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, human influenza surveillance identified a human infection with A/H9N2 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with evidence of exposure to a sick quail. We conducted in-depth interviews with household quail caregivers, pet bird retail shop owners, and mobile vendors, key informant interviews with pet bird wholesale shop owners, one group discussion with pet bird retail shop workers and unstructured observations in households, pet bird wholesale and retail markets, and mobile bird vendor's travelling areas to explore quail rearing and selling practices among households, mobile vendors, and retail pet bird and wholesale bird markets in Dhaka. Every day, quail were supplied from 23 districts to two wholesale markets, and then sold to households and restaurants directly, or through bird shops and mobile vendors. All respondents (67) reported keeping quail with other birds in cages, feeding quail, cleaning feeding pots, removing quail faeces, slaughtering sick quail, and discarding dead quail. Children played with quail and assisted in slaughtering of quail. Most respondents (94%) reported rinsing hands with water only after slaughtering and disposing of wastes and dead quail. No personal protective equipment was used during any activities. Frequent unprotected contact with quail and their by-products potentially increased the risk of cross-species avian influenza virus transmission. Avian influenza surveillance in retail pet bird and wholesale bird markets, mobile vendors, and households may identify cases promptly and reduce the risk of virus transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]