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Cotton fiber, which is the most widely used natural fiber in the textile and paper industries, has a crucial environmental impact. Cultivation of conventional cotton consumes a lot of water and requires the usage of a higher amount of pesticides. Organic cotton is a more environmentally friendly alternative to its growing conditions. The characteristics of cotton change with the differences in growing conditions. In this study, the properties of yarns obtained from both conventionally and organically grown cotton were tested and analyzed. The properties of these yarns in the fabric structure were compared in terms of fabric performance. The produced fabrics were dyed in the cold-pad batch method with 5 different colors of reactive dyes, which are the most demanding colors in the ready-made garment industry. The physical properties and the fastness test results of the dyed organic and conventional cotton fabrics were investigated in detail to highlight the plant growing effects on the fabric behavior. Comparative color analysis and evaluation of the fabrics were made to discuss the performance of the fabrics. It is found that organically grown cotton is not only superior in quality but also has no negative eff ECT on fabric properties.

This article attempts to delineate what it means to be Shia in relation to home-making in Sunni-majority Bangladeshi society. Unlike longer established Shias, those primarily settled in Old Dhaka and who are integrated into Dhakaiya culture and linguistic traditions, the post-Partition Urdu-speaking Shia migrants within the "Bihari" fold, a pejorative term used by Sunni-majority Bengalis, continue to seek to root home-making in Bangladeshi society. Both groups, however, have repeated a common practice in making home to bridge geographical and historical distance from a culturally significant center by reproducing it in the new location. Yet, despite the clear connections with Iran, it is the post-Partition migrants who find themselves negatively represented as collaborators with West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and this hinders the integration of this group into their new home. The article demonstrates that home is never produced in isolation of wider geopolitical, spatial, and historical factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the validity, reliability, and factorial structure of the Bengali-translated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 (DASS-21) among Bangladeshi health professionals. Methods: This study incorporated the cross-sectional study design, conducted among 312 health professionals from 28 health facilities in 18 districts across Bangladesh. The internal consistency and intraclass correlation coefficient of the DASS-21 was assessed. The confirmatory factor analyses was done to assess the fitness of different structural models of DASS-21. The concurrent validity was estimated by using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Results: In total, 258 healthcare professionals (82.7%) out of 312 completed the whole survey questionnaire and were included in the study. The internal consistency of the DASS-21 exhibited satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.93) and ICC = 0.92). The conventional three-factor model appeared to best fit the Bengali-translated DASS-21 scale. The discriminant validity has been affirmed by strong evidence. The convergent validity of Bengali DASS-21 was confirmed by the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Conclusions: This study found good validity, reliability, and suitability of the DASS-21 used among the Bangladeshi healthcare professionals. We warrant future research to explore the validity of this tool in other cohorts in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telehealth services are essential to expand healthcare coverage for all in the era of modern technology. Knowledge, willingness, and involvement with the service are also significantly important in the utilization of the service. This study investigated factors associated with knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived concerns, and predisposition to use telehealth services in Bangladesh. This web-based survey was conducted among 1266 adults in Bangladesh. Respondents were enrolled by following a convenience sampling technique. Results: Demographic, telehealth service, and perceived health related information were significantly associated with respondents' knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived concerns, and predispositions. The knowledge was significantly positively correlated with the perceived benefit (p <0.05) and predisposition of telehealth (p <0.05). Albeit, knowledge was significantly negatively correlated with perceived concerns of telehealth (p <0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study may assist policymakers in implementing telehealth services by addressing the associated factors of knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived concerns, and predispositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critically acclaimed novel Khwabnama by Akhtaruzzaman Elias is set in the 1940s and offers a "magical realist" portrayal of the lives and struggles of ordinary individuals of a rural community, with the emergence of the state of Pakistan and peasant struggles of the time serving as the backdrops. Towards the end of the novel, we see Tamiz, a landless peasant, deciding to alter the course of his journey to most likely join the rebellious farmers in their struggle for a fair share of the crops. In this paper, I analyze the character of Tamiz and the meaning and significance of his decisions and actions in the contexts of the novel and Elias' oeuvre in an effort to excavate his ideas about subaltern agency and freedom. Tamiz's action, along with the dreams and the magical elements of the novel, gestures towards barely visible and unspecified visions of freedom, which may be irreducible to languages of national liberation or class struggle, yet express Elias' affirmation of the indomitable spirit of the subaltern to reject and resist the mold of servitude in which they find themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Given the significance of addressing neonatal mortality in pursuing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal on child health, research focus on this area is crucial. Despite the persistent high rates of neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in Bangladesh, there remains a notable lack of robust evidence addressing inequalities in NMR in the country. Therefore, this study aims to fill the knowledge gap by comprehensively investigating inequalities in NMR in Bangladesh. Methods: The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data from 2000 to 2017 were analyzed. The equity stratifiers used to measure the inequalities were wealth status, mother's education, place of residence, and subnational region. Difference (D) and population attributable fraction (PAF) were absolute measures, whereas population attributable risk (PAR) and ratio (R) were relative measures of inequality. Statistical significance was considered by estimating 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each estimate. Results: A declining trend in NMR was found in Bangladesh, from 50.2 in 2000 to 31.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 2017. This study detected significant wealth‐driven (PAF: −20.6, 95% CI: −24.9, −16.3; PAR: −6.6, 95% CI: −7.9, −5.2), education‐related (PAF: −11.6, 95% CI: −13.4, −9.7; PAR: −3.7, 95% CI: −4.3, −3.1), and regional (PAF: −20.6, 95% CI: −27.0, −14.3; PAR: −6.6, 95% CI: −8.6, −4.6) disparities in NMR in all survey points. We also found a significant urban–rural inequality from 2000 to 2014, except in 2017. Both absolute and relative inequalities in NMR were observed; however, these inequalities decreased over time. Conclusion: Significant variations in NMR across subgroups in Bangladesh highlight the need for comprehensive, and targeted interventions. Empowering women through improved access to economic resources and education may help address disparities in NMR in Bangladesh. Future research and policies should focus on developing strategies to address these disparities and promote equitable health outcomes for all newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and depression and anxiety has been reported in the literature. The aim of this meta‐analysis is to investigate the association of H. pylori infection with depression and anxiety. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Chinese databases for observational studies that reported the incidence or prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with H. pylori infection. We conducted meta‐analysis with a random‐effects model. Results. A total of twelve studies were included in this meta‐analysis. Significant and positive association was found for H. pylori infection with anxiety (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.83–3.39), but not depression (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.75–2.58). Subgroup analysis from study design noted a significant positive association between H. pylori infection and anxiety (case‐control and cross‐sectional study, OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.65–3.38; cohort study, RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.28–2.32). The similar trend among studies used the Self‐Rating Anxiety Scale (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.78–3.32) and other questionnaires (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.50–3.87) have been observed. However, subgroup analysis of the association between H. pylori infection and depression yields different results. Subgroup analysis from cohort studies noted a significant association between H. pylori infection and depression (RR 1.99, 95% CI 1.33–2.99), but not case‐control and cross‐sectional studies (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.59–2.46). A significant positive association has been observed among studies used the Self‐Rating Depression Scale (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.11–3.70), as opposed to studies using other questionnaires (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.31–3.44). Conclusion. This meta‐analysis provide the support that a significant positive association between H. pylori infection and anxiety disorders. However, the association between H. pylori infection and depression appears to be insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stones are one of the primary objects that impede the normal activity of underground pipelines. As human intervention is difficult inside a narrow underground pipe, a robot with a machine vision system is required. In order to remove the stones during regular robotic inspections, precise stone detection, segmentation, and measurement of their distance from the robot are needed. We applied Mask R-CNN to perform an instant segmentation of stones. The distance between the robot and the segmented stones was calculated using spatial information obtained from a lidar camera. Artificial light was used for both image acquisition and testing, as natural light is not available inside the underground pipe. ResNet101 was chosen as the foundation of the Mask R-CNN, and transfer learning was utilized to shorten the training time. The experimental results of our model showed that the average detection precision rate reached 92.0; the recall rate was 90.0%; and the F1 score rate reached 91.0%. The distance values were calculated efficiently with an error margin of 11.36 mm. Moreover, the Mask R-CNN-based stone detection model can detect asymmetrically shaped stones in complex background and lighting conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]