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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Bangladeshi people., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: This study involving 1374 participants was conducted in 15 outpatient clinics of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and its affiliated associations, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and four medical college hospitals in Bangladesh from August 2015 to December 2015. A pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information related to sociodemographic status, level of education, types of profession, and medical history. The questionnaire included eight questions on GDM. Level of knowledge (mean ± 1 standard deviation [SD]) was categorized as poor, average, and good. Descriptive, Chi-squared, and regression analysis were performed to express the results., Results: Of total knowledge score of 8, participants' mean knowledge score (±SD) was 2.7 ± 1.5. The levels of good, average, and poor knowledge were 26.3%, 63.1%, and 10.6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, participants aged below 30 years (P < 0.001), male gender (P < 0.001), high-income group (P < 0.001), having university education (P < 0.001), health professionals (P < 0.001), capital Dhaka city residents (P < 0.001), those with family history of diabetes (P = 0.007), and participants with diabetes (P = 0.007) were found to be significantly associated with the good knowledge score., Conclusions: Participants in this study had average knowledge about GDM. New innovative strategies should be developed to improve the knowledge of GDM among health professionals and general population., (Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by Hummer's method and characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The as synthesized GO was used to make GO/hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) nanocomposite films by the solution mixing method using different concentrations of GO. The nanocomposite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Mechanical properties, water absorption property and water vapor transmission rate were also measured. XRD analysis showed the formation of exfoliated HPMC/GO nanocomposites films. The FESEM results revealed high interfacial adhesion between the GO and HPMC matrix. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposite films containing the highest weight percentage of GO increased sharply. The thermal stability of HPMC/GO nanocomposites was slightly better than pure HPMC. The water absorption and water vapor transmission rate of HPMC film was reduced with the addition of up to 1 wt% GO., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (DM); however, no study has specially assessed the anthropometric indices as predictors of diabetes in rural Bangladeshi population., Objective: To identify markers for diabetes through body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist hip ratio (WHR) and waist height ratio (WHtR) and identify the optimal cut-off values suitable for Bangladeshi adult population., Methods: A total of 2293 subjects aged ≥20 years from rural Bangladesh were randomly recruited to participate in a population-based, cross sectional survey. Age adjusted data for anthropometric indices and diabetes risk were assessed and their relationships were examined., Results: Age adjusted prevalence of DM in men and women were 9.5% and 7.0%, respectively. Both men and women with DM had a higher rate of general obesity (defined by BMI) and central obesity (defined by WC, WHR and WHtR) than non-diabetic subjects. In both men and women the most sensitive indice was WHR for predicting DM. The appropriate cut-offs values for WHR to predict DM in men and women were 0.93 and 0.87, respectively. WC of 82 cm for both sexes was appropriate to predict DM. Those of BMI and WHtR were 21.2 kg/m2, 21.8 kg/m2 and 0.53, 0.54 in men and women, respectively., Conclusions: Compared with BMI, measures of central obesity, WHR, WC, WHtR showed a better association with the risk of DM for both sexes in rural Bangladeshi population. Follow-up studies are needed for validifying these cut-offs values., (© 2014 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity . Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To determine the incidence of Type 2 diabetes and its risk factors. Further, to examine the effect of relative changes in obesity (BMI and waist circumference)., Methods: A sample of 2011 non-diabetic adults aged 20 and above were randomly selected and followed from 1999 to 2004. Fasting blood glucose including biophysical and anthropometric measures was measured., Results: The overall 5 year cumulative incidence of diabetes was 16.4 per 1000 person-years and 65.1 per 1000 person-years in those with impaired fasting glucose adjusted for age and sex. Among obesity measures, only waist >85in. increased the risk for diabetes in males (RR=3.0). Relative changes stratified by loss in BMI and WC ≥5% or gain of BMI >15% from the baseline values for men were significantly associated with the incidental cases of diabetes. Increased hip circumference for men was significantly associated with a protective effect while an opposite association was observed for women., Conclusion: Relative change in both loss and excessive gain of BMI were risks for increased diabetes. Targeted intervention in those with impaired fasting blood glucose will expectedly reduce the incidental cases. Further investigations are needed for non obese related diabetes in Asian Indian subjects., (Copyright © 2011 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The inhumanity of human beings to other human beings has transcended all continents and every civilization from time immemorial. No amount of prohibitions, be they religious or legal edicts, has prevented cruel and inhuman punishment inflicted by human beings on others to subjugate them. Torture continues to be a common method to subdue and intimidate people. The forms of bodily harm can take any number of ways, some of which might even defy the imagination of any civilized people. We need only to recall the Holocaust and the decimations of thousands in Africa in more recent times.