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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]

Objective. Poor health outcomes of Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) workers tend to be associated with a variety of occupational factors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, the physical and psychological health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers. Methods. Responses to a cross-sectional survey from a convenience sample of 411 adult Bangladeshi RMG workers (mean age = 26.24 years; SD 6.40 years; female = 80%) were analysed using bivariate and multivariate (logistic regression models) analyses. Results. More than half of the participants reported headaches (61.6%) and colds/flu (51.3%), followed by fever (37.2%), diarrhoea (32.8%), bodily pain (29.9%) and respiratory infections (20.9%). For psychological health, stress (69.1%), anxiety (66.2%) and boredom (64.5%) were most prevalent, followed by sleeplessness (51.3%), depression (48.2%) and fear (34.3%). RMG workers from the factories located in Chattogram (a peripheral region compared to Dhaka) reported poorer physical and psychological health outcomes than those working in factories in Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh). Overall, compared to males, female RMG workers were more likely to be vulnerable to both physical and psychological health outcomes. Conclusion. Improvement in workplace conditions and safety programmes is needed to safeguard the overall health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled all educational institutions from the conventional campus-based education system to e-learning worldwide. However, adapting to this new platform, e-learning readiness may cause perceived stress among students. This study aimed to examine the association between e-learning readiness and perceived e-learning stress and the relationship between sociodemographic and e-learning related factors. A cross-sectional study was employed, where 1145 e-learning enrolled university students were surveyed. The result indicated that nearly 91% of students reported moderate (76.07%) to the higher level (14.85%) of perceived e-learning stress, whereas more than half of them (58.17%) were at the sub-optimum level of readiness. Furthermore, it was found that students with the sub-optimum level of readiness compared to optimum had a significantly higher chance of reporting moderate and high level of perceived e-learning stress. Besides, parents' highest education, residence, students' preference in (e-learning or learning format), and having any eye problems were associated with perceived e-learning stress. A sudden introduction of e-learning during the COVID-19 catastrophe has brought about challenges, including the students' readiness, that might exacerbate the perceived stress level in different ways. This study reported that most of the students were at sub-optimal levels of readiness and suffered from moderate to high levels of perceived e-learning stress. The findings should integrate into the education monitoring system to enhance students' coping strategies, incite readiness, straighten, and nourish existing policies. The moderate and higher level of e-learning stress was 76% and 15%, respectively. Here, 58% of students were at the sub-optimum level of e-learning readiness. Students' sub-optimum level of e-learning readiness was significantly associated with the perceived moderate and high level of e-learning stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoride (F−) originating from many natural geologic sources and anthropogenic activities has imposed a substantial environmental health risk. More than 200 million people from more than 35 nations are at risk of fluorosis, thus increasing the global attention paid to F− research. The present study reviews the mechanisms of F− ingestion from possible sources and exposures, correlating possible health effects by extensively surveying the literature. The relationship between F− levels in drinking water and dental and skeletal fluorosis has been studied for decades. However, several alternative routes of exposure, such as food and other supplements, influence fluorosis incidence and hinder benchmarking of fluorosis levels with F− concentrations in drinking water. Deposition of F− in developing teeth, accompanied by the loss of matrix protein, leads to deformities in tooth enamel and dentin. Skeletal fluorosis results from the strong and irreversible inclusion of F− in the deeper parts of bone and causes increased bone mass and density along with enlarged joints. This review article also describes extensive in vivo or in vitro studies of F− ingestion in laboratory animals and the correlation of F− exposure with several health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, four textural classes of soil (Clay, Clay Loam, Loam, and Loamy Sand) were used to investigate the dielectric properties of soils, using a vector network analyser with an open-ended coaxial probe kit at room temperature (25 ± 2°C) in the 700–7000 MHz microwave frequency range. Four levels of soil moisture content (oven dry, 33% field capacity, 66% field capacity and 100% field capacity) were maintained to perform the experiment with three replication and three observation each. The results showed that, with increasing soil moisture, from oven dry conditions to 100% field capacity, both the real (Dielectric Constant) and imaginary (Loss Factor) components of the dielectric properties increased; however, the responses were not linear. The dielectric properties of oven dry soils were very low compared with the soils with higher moisture content. Therefore, soil moisture was the major contributor to the dielectric behaviour of soil. The dielectric properties of sandy soil were much lower than the other soils; however, the dielectric loss factor of the Dookie clay soil was higher compare with the other soils. Models were developed to explain the dielectric properties of soils as a function of frequency and moisture content. The goodness of fit (r2) for these models varies between 0.952 for the Dookie Sandy Soil to 0.997 for the Dookie Loam Soil, suggesting that these models were adequate to describe the dielectric properties of these soils over the range of frequencies and moisture contents assessed in this study. Another model was developed to estimate the expected penetration depth of electromagnetic waves in these soils, based on the model of the dielectric properties. It was clear that penetration decreases with both frequency and moisture content. Low frequencies penetrate further into the soils than higher frequencies. Similarly, dry soils allow further penetration than moist soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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During the British Raj, as part of an effort to reform the Muslim community through religious regeneration and in the absence of Muslim political power on the subcontinent, Islamic scholars (ulema) from the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary urged the setting up of separate institutions of religious education for Muslim women. The reformist discourse of the Deobandi ulema had, and still has, a profound influence on the pedagogy of madrasah education for women in South Asia, including Bangladesh. This study examines how Deobandi reformist ideals continue to be reflected in a non-government female madrasah in Bangladesh. The study provides an ethnographic account which illustrates the development of a sense of Muslim womanhood, rooted in ideas of moral guidance and the pious lifestyles of the female students of the madrasah. Madrasah education increases Muslim women's participation in religious institutions and forums, thereby heightening the possibility of a broader impact on religious life. Although madrasah education empowers female students to improve their religious consciousness, it has less impact on patriarchal ideology, which is deeply embedded in Bangladeshi society and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of the Deobandi model of religious school has been taken for granted in South Asia, although how its pedagogic method and theological stances are being replicated in Bangladesh has received little academic attention. This paper delves into the replication of the Deobandi model of religious schooling in Bangladesh by describing the replication process in a local Quomi madrasa, which received strong patronage from Deoband at the height of the Islamic revivalist-reformist movements in South Asia. This study reveals that localized versions of Deobandi madrasas in Bangladesh are concerned with the 'other' Muslims, that is, Muslims with doctrinal views differing from the Deobandi school of thought. The contestation between the Deobandi interpretation of Islam and the other interpretive Islamic groups within the circle of madrasas suggests that Muslim identity is a matter of contention, with differing points of view from one type of madrasa to another and from one group of ulama to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compacted soil liners are widely used as a waste containment barrier to control or restrict the migration of contaminant/leachate from the landfill into the environment because of their low hydraulic conductivity, attenuation capacity, resistance to damage or puncture, and cost effectiveness. Compacted soil liners are usually composed of natural inorganic clays or clayey soils. If natural clayey soils are not available, kaolinite or commercially available high swelling clay (bentonite) can be mixed with local soils or sand. This study examines the potential of a sedimentary residual soil as a waste containment barrier in landfills. The laboratory experiments conducted were: grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, swelling tests, compaction, volumetric shrinkage strain, unconfined compression, hydraulic conductivity and cation exchange capacity. The experimental results were compared with those recommended by various researchers for evaluation of its suitability. Test results showed that the soil compacted with modified Proctor compaction effort possesses low hydraulic conductivity (≤1 × 10-7 cm/s) and adequate strength. In addition, compacted sedimentary residual soil exhibited little volumetric shrinkage strain of below 4% at this compaction effort. Thus, the sedimentary residual soil could be effectively used for the construction of a waste containment barrier in landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]