Search

Anthropogenic activities have significantly changed global land use land cover (LULC), especially in areas with extreme population expansion and climate change. Remote sensing and the geographic information system are popular methods for keeping track of LULC changes. This research analyzed historical changes and predicted future patterns of LULC in Chittagong Metropolitan City, Bangladesh. LULC maps were created using the semi-automated classification plug-in in QGIS, which was used to classify the satellite images from 1990 to 2020. Eight distinct LULC groups, including (i) agricultural land, (ii) fallow land, (iii) trees outside of forest, (iv) hill vegetation, (v) mangrove, (vi) built-up, (vii) pond/lake, and (viii) river, were used to classify the images. The generated LULC maps showed the changes in the area from 1990 to 2020 in several classifications, showing increases in built-up, pond/lake, and river waterbodies of 278.5, 407.69, and 10.07%, respectively. However, a significant decline was observed in agricultural (61.64%), hill vegetation (43.26%), mangrove forest (30.7%), fallow (22.02%), and Tree Outside of Forest (TOF) land (8.81%). The LULC changes between 2020 and 2035 were predicted using the cellular automata-artificial neural network (CA-ANN) model. The prediction maps from 2020–2035 illustrated increasing trends of built-up land (+ 15.65%) and decreasing trends of all other LULC types, predominantly, agricultural (−3.53%), fallow (−3.13%), trees outside of forest (−6.53%), and pond/lake (−1.44%). The findings of this research may be helpful to design future strategies for sustainable landscape management and help decision-makers in government make better choices for the environment and the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding children's mobility behaviour and parents escorting practices are important to developing a children-friendly society. But only a few studies concerning children's mobility behaviour have focused on developing countries. In this study, we attempted to develop an econometric model to understand escorting practices in a developing country. A multinomial logit (MNL) model is developed using travel diary data of 398 elementary school-going children, inhabiting in Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) area of Bangladesh. We have considered different combinations of environmental (both school and neighbourhood environment), socio-cultural, household, and personal factors to explain children's independent mobility behaviour for both school and discretionary trip purposes. The findings suggested that children's individual (e.g. education level) and parents' sociodemographic (e.g. income, access to cars, mother's education level) facilities available at school, and built-environmental factors (e.g. commercial density, road density, land use mix and proximity to open spaces) are significantly associated with parent's choice for chauffeuring their children in CCC area. Results will be useful to planners and policy makers for formulating effective measures to promote children's independent mobility and will be a guideline for urban planners to include children's mobility demand for the neighbourhood as well as city design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Ensuring standard education through internationalization since it is a big concern in academic institutions all over the globe. The goal is to equip and introduce students and educators to the world’s innovations through globalization at the tertiary level of education and improve & ensure quality education for students and upgrade educators’ quality. Methodology. An evaluative and expository study is conducted on Daffodil International University (DIU), regarding its mission and vision toward internationalization, its collaborations, initiatives, condition of the education quality, and analysis of the mobility data in the last few years. A quantitative overview and analysis of the key performance indicators of the internationalization of DIU are applied. This study is on understanding the IoHE in the Bangladeshi context, based on experience, analysis of student/faculty mobility, and national reports from different regions. Participation in European programs or other supranational programs in education, research and capacity building, and partnerships is indicated. Findings. This study presented the effectiveness of the Internationalization of Higher Education (IoHE) considering the growth of developed countries in respect of ensuring quality education. This research established that Bangladesh is not far behind to cope with or follow the international trend, and some Bangladeshi universities are already involved with mobility programs for their undergraduate-level students, especially DIU, Bangladesh. It resulted in finding that internationalization through mobility programs facilitates the branding and reputation of HEIs as well. Originality. In comparison to the traditional education system, the approach used in the research showed that the academic staff gets acquainted with modern teaching techniques, international standard course contents/syllabus including OBTL, and research methodologies for innovation reinforced their educational and research potential, which be proven to be important components of the overall development of students and academics, giving them awareness and helping them adopt alternative, multifaceted approaches to teaching-learning. Practical value. The result of the research can be institutionalized by policymakers, educators, and academics to create an impact on the students and to develop institutional value in the global market. Given strategies and innovative ideas can play a vital role in enhancing the quality of higher education, facilitating scholars, and improving the quality of research in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen varieties of mungbean were evaluated for resistance against major insect pests i.e., leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), flea beetle (Phyllotreta nigripes), thrips (Megalurothrips distalis), gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) and legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata). Screening was done on the basis of incidence of insect pests from first incidence upto harvest. Statistically significant variation on recorded data was observed at different days after sowing. The lowest leaf folder population was recorded on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.08 larvae per plot) while the highest (2.05) on variety BARI Mung-6. The flea beetle population was the lowest on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.67 flea beetles per plot) while the highest (3.04) was recorded on variety BARI Mung-6. The lowest population of thrips was observed on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.43 thrips per 10 opened flowers) and the highest population (2.67) was observed on variety BINA Moog-7. The lowest gram pod borer population was observed on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.03 caterpillars per plot) while the highest gram pod borer population was observed on variety BARI Mung-6 (2.24). The lowest population of legume pod borer was observed on variety BINA Moog-4 (1.18 larvae per plot) while the highest population (2.75) was recorded on variety BARI Mung-6. Among the tested varieties, BARI Mung-4 was proven comparatively the least pest infested and highest resistant variety. On the contrary, BARI Mung-6 showed least resistance. Rest of the varieties expressed moderately resistance to major insect pests. The results showed that none of the tested varieties was completely resistant to major insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green concern is making a profound impact on building green competitive advantage (GCA) across the globe. Apparel sector of Bangladesh is at crossroads regarding sustainability of firms. Green initiatives are thus required for ensuring the survival of apparel sector. The current study attempts to examine the interplay among environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) dimensions, green corporate image (GCI), and green competitive advantage of firms. To address the research topic, structural equation modeling approach has been adopted. Based on prior research findings, five hypotheses have been devised and finally evaluated by collecting data from 53 apparel firms enlisted with Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh. The study findings reveal that the ECSR dimensions have critical role to play over building GCI and GCA at the firm level. The study attempted to integrate ECSR, GCI, and GCA and contributes to the holistic understanding of the green anxieties of the business world. Understanding the critical role of ECSR, this study calls for proactive managerial actions regarding organizational sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, studies have shown conflicting results regarding the association of blood groups with SARS CoV-2 infection. Objective: To observe the association between ABO blood groups and the presentation and outcomes of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Design, setting, and participants: This was a prospective cohort study of patients with mild-to-moderately severe COVID-19 infections who presented in the COVID-19 unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and were enrolled between 01 June and 25 August, 2020. Patients were followed up for at least 30 days after disease onset. We grouped participants with A-positive and A-negative blood groups into group I and participants with other blood groups into group II. Results: The cohort included 438 patients; 52 patients were lost to follow-up, five died, and 381 completed the study. The prevalence of blood group A [144 (32.9%)] was significantly higher among COVID-19 patients than in the general population (p < 0.001). The presenting age [mean (SD)] of group I [42.1 (14.5)] was higher than that of group II [38.8 (12.4), p = 0.014]. Sex (p = 0.23) and co-morbidity (hypertension, p = 0.34; diabetes, p = 0.13) did not differ between the patients in groups I and II. No differences were observed regarding important presenting symptoms, including fever (p = 0.72), cough (p = 0.69), and respiratory distress (p = 0.09). There was no significant difference in the median duration of symptoms in the two group (12 days), and conversion to the next level of severity was observed in 26 (20.6%) and 36 patients (13.8%) in group I and II, respectively. However, persistent positivity of RT-PCR at 14 days of initial positivity was more frequent among the patients in group I [24 (19%)] than among those in group II [29 (11.1%)]. Conclusions: The prevalence of blood group A was higher among COVID-19 patients. Although ABO blood groups were not associated with the presentation or recovery period of COVID-19, patients with blood group A had delayed seroconversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ganges deltaic coast of Bangladesh experiences an incessant movement over the time. Understanding the shoreline movement of this alluvial delta and a suitable method to calculate the rate of change poses a challenge for this highly dynamic coast having erosion and accretion. Using GIS and multi temporal LANDSAT images, the study investigated the positional change of the Ganges deltaic shoreline for the period of 1977–2017. LANDSAT images were radiometrically corrected and a spectral index i.e., normalized difference water index (NDWI) was applied to differentiate water and land features. A histogram based Otsu's Binary thresholding method along with image based visual interpretation was used to extract the shorelines. Net changes of shoreline position were statistically calculated using three different techniques, namely; End Point Rate (EPR), Linear Regression Rate (LRR) and Weighted Linear Regression (WLR). A comparison between the techniques was also made to choose and evaluate the suitable statistical technique to estimate the rate of shoreline change for this alluvial delta. Analyses showed that LRR technique had less positional uncertainty in compare to EPR and WLR, although at a particular transect the techniques were closely correlated. The EPR, WLR and LRR technique showed that the shoreline is experiencing landward movement (erosion) with an average rate of 0.62 m/yr, 0.96 m/yr and 0.27 m/yr respectively. Moreover, a high erosion rate of 5 m/yr at the mangrove forest area of the GDC is a great concern for the existence of the mangrove forest. During 1977–2017, an overall 6.29 sq. km land area has been lost although significant land depositions were observed at the river estuaries. This study revealed the spatiotemporal trend of shoreline position of the Ganges deltaic coast and that would be beneficial for the coastal management and planning of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the long-run relationship between stock market indices in Bangladesh using exchange rate (ER), domestic credit provided by banks (DCB), industrial production index (IPI), and crude oil price (COP) in the presence of structural breaks. The study used time series data from 2009 to 2017 and applied ARDL bounds testing approach. Both conventional unit root and unit root tests in the presence of structural breakpoints are conducted. ARDL bounds testing approach confirms the presence of a long-run relationship among the selected variables and the stock market crash of 2010 and oil price shock of 2011 are found to have a significant effect on the stock price fluctuations in both stock exchanges in Bangladesh. The error correction term suggests that 43.3% of the disequilibrium in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) returns is adjusted monthly to get back to the long-run equilibrium, whereas the value is 34.9% for Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). Moreover, ER, DCB, and COP have a significant positive impact on stock prices for both stock exchanges. The policy guideline of this study is that the regulators in foreign exchange market, banking sector, and capital market should work together to make prudential regulatory framework with a view to transforming both stock exchanges into a robust one within the South Asian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted at farmers' field of Itbaria, Patuakhali sadarupazila under Patuakhali district during January to April 2016under the agro ecological zone AEZ-13 (Ganges Tidal Flood plain). This site was located in between 22°14' and 22°29' North latitudes and in between 90°12' and 90°28' East longitudes of Bangladesh. Fifteen mungbeanvarieties viz., BARI Mung-1, BARI Mung-2, BARI Mung-3, BARI Mung-4, BARI Mung-5, BARI Mung-6, BINA Moog-4, BINA Moog-5, BINA Moog- 6, BINA Moog-7, BINA Moog-8, BU Mug-1, BU Mug-2, BU Mug-4 and Patuakhali local Mung were tested to select best suitable variety for costal region. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Significant variation was observed among the different mungbeanvarities in respect of majority of the observed parameters. BU Mug-1 showed the tallest plant height while the tallest pod length was observed in BARI Mung-5. The highest number of branches per plant was found in BINA Moog-4 whereas the highest number of leaves per plant found for BARI Mung-6. The highest seed yield and yield attributes like number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and 1000 seed weight was recorded in BARI Mung-6 followed by BINA Moog-8 while Patuakhali local Mung produced the lowest yield and attributes. Most of the yield contributing factors of BARI Mung-6 was favorable for better yield in coastal region of Bangladesh. Hence the mungbean production can be increased by introducing BARI Mung-6 in costal region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Possible causes of brown plant hopper resurgence were determined at the net-house of Entomology Division of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) during 2015. Causes of resurgence in the form of resurgence ratios were higher with acetamiprid, acephate, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate, lambda cyhalothrin, thiamethoxam insecticides compared to imidacloprid, cartap, dinotefuran, isoprocarb /MIPC, phenthoate, pymetrozine when even applied at recommended dose. However, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, isoprocarb / MIPC and cartap applied at sub-lethal dose produced higher resurgence ratio of BPH than others. Isoprocarb / MIPC, a commonly used recommended insecticide was found to have a higher resurgence ratio with the insecticide treatment at the egg stage (1.71) and combination of all stages (0.82). These insecticides influenced on the growth and reproductive physiology of rice brown planthopper and consequently resurgence ratio ranged increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of infectious diseases in Sonali chickens at Bogra Sadar Upazila, Bogra, Bangladesh. Materials and methods: A total of 258 sick and dead Sonali chickens were examined for the diagnosis of different infectious diseases based on history, clinical findings and postmortem lesions of dead and sacrificed birds. Results: Infectious Bursal disease (IBD) was recorded in 14.72% (n=38/258) cases. Similarly, Newcastle disease (ND), Coccidiosis, Colibacillosis and Mycoplasmosis were recorded in 11.24% (n=29/258), 13.95% (n=36/258), 14.72% (n=38/258), 12.79% (n=33/258) cases, respectively. Mixed infection of IBD, ND and Coccidiosis found in 16.67% (n=43/258) birds. On the other hand, mixed infection of IBD, ND and colibacillosis was recorded in 15.89% (n=41/258) cases. Conclusion: It is concluded that several infectious diseases are commonly present in Sonali chicken in the study area of Bangladesh. Mixed infections are more prevalent as compared to single infection. Proper hygienic management and appropriate vaccination should be taken in consideration for effective control the diseases. Further microbiological and molecular diagnoses are suggested for detail studies of these diseases and their pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) and associated climate change consequences are gripping attention globally, while MSW management as a vital subsystem of urban metabolism significantly influences the urban carbon cycles. This study evaluates the GHG emissions and carbon flow of existing and proposed MSW management in Bangladesh through scenario analysis, including landfill with landfill gas (LFG) recovery, waste to energy (WtE), and material recovery facility (MRF). The analysis indicates that, scenario H 2 and H 5 emitted net GHGs − 152.20 kg CO 2 eq. and − 140.32 kg CO 2 eq., respectively, in comparison with 420.88 kg CO 2 eq. of scenario H 1 for managing per ton of wastes during the reference year 2015. The annual horizontal carbon flux of the waste input was 319 Gg and 158 Gg during 2015 in Dhaka and Chittagong, respectively. An integrated strategy of managing the wastes in the urban areas of Bangladesh involving WtE incineration plant and LFG recovery to generate electricity as well as MRF could reverse back 209.46 Gg carbon and 422.29 Gg carbon to the Chittagong and Dhaka urban system, respectively. This study provides valuable insights for the MSW policy framework and revamp of existing MSW management practices with regards to reduction of GHGs emissions from the waste sector in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although buffaloes play very important role in rural economy of Bangladesh, researches on buffalo diseases are surprisingly scarce in the country. Therefore, the study was undertaken to investigate the prevailing buffalo diseases in Bangladesh in order to help develop appropriate control and prevention measures. Both retrospective and prospective investigations on the incidence and prevalence of different buffalo diseases were conducted for a period of two years in different selected areas of the country. Laboratory analyses were conducted on biological samples to identify the causal agents for different diseases recorded. As high as 64.2% of the studied buffaloes were infected with one or more species of gastro-intestinal parasites. Younger animals were found to be more susceptible to both parasitic and protozoan infections but sex was found not to affect the incidence. Most of the non-parasitic enteritis was caused by E. coli (62.5%) and Salmonella sp. (29.16%). Clinical and subclinical mastitis were recorded in 23.68% and 31.57% of samples analyzed, respectively. The study unveiled a comprehensive scenario of buffalo diseases in Bangladesh in relation to casual agents and predisposing factors that are expected to serve as the key points to develop control and prevention strategies against the diseases of buffaloes in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is imperious to know the reproductive parameters of the subsisting swine breed for profitable farming in Bangladesh. This study was designed to compare the reproductive parameters of sows at hilly areas between the local and crossbred at farm and backyard level. A total of 116 breedable sows were included. The data on age at puberty, litter size, birth weight, weaning weight, gestation length, interval between farrowing and number of piglets born per sow in local and crossbred sows were determined and direct questionnaire method was used for data collection. The present study revealed that age at puberty between farm and backyard system of crossbred sows was 8.88±0.153 and 9.85±0.221 months, respectively. The farrowing interval was shorter in crossbred sows which were kept in farming system rather than backyard system. The interval between farrowing and onset of estrus was shorter in crossbred sows. The gestation length was almost similar between backyard and farm condition. The number of litter size per sow per farrowing was 8.45±0.41 in crossbred and 7.17±0.250 in local pigs at backyard system. The birth weight and weaning weight were more in farm conditions than backyard system. The age at puberty in local breed was lower than the crossbred and litter size was 8.45±0.407 in crossbred which was higher than local breed 7.17±0.250 in backyard system. These results suggest that reproductive parameters of local sow need to be improved for better production and crossbred sows should be reared for obtaining desired productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, participatory forestry practices have gained a remarkable shift from top down traditional forest management to more people-oriented approaches in Bangladesh. The new approaches have involved many actors; however, their relative role or actor power has not been investigated thoroughly. Hence, the study was undertaken to identify the relative role of actors in participatory agroforestry program (PAP) and assess how the interests of powerful actors influence the social, economic and ecological outcomes of PAP. Using different quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, the study identified twenty actors, representing a diversity of interests in PAP in Madhupur Sal forests area. The actors' power analysis suggested that the forest department evidenced itself as the most powerful and influential actor in every dimensions of power. The study argues that PAP has no doubt led a new elucidation of forest management with a strategy to include local people so as to improve Sal forests condition and livelihoods of local communities. At the same time, exercising of power especially from the powerful actors has strictly controlled the empowerment and access of local people, and apparently reduced the participants' opportunities to maximize outcomes of PAP. So, there is an immediate need to empower local participants, by which they can easily play the central role in decision making and governing all of their development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the environmental noise of select industries in Chittagong city and tried to relate the findings with occupational health to evaluate the vulnerability of workers toward possible health injuries. Sound levels were measured based on industry types and zones within industries. Eight different industries of the Nasirabad area were selected, divided into three zones, and categorized as steel, garments, and aluminium industries. The mean maximum and minimum sound levels ranged between 77.26 to 96.53 and 67.71 to 86.62 dBA, respectively. Sound levels also varied significantly (p < 0.05) within the same and between the different zones. From median observation, 25th and 75th percentiles maximum and minimum sound levels again showed a significant (p = 0.00) variation for different types of industries. The overall analysis of this study could be regarded as arbitrary baseline data for further studies or concerned stakeholders in Chittagong city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas are an appropriate means for managing biodiversity and have become increasingly central to conservation strategies. However, declaring a natural resource to be protected has an immense influence on the livelihoods of many local communities living in and around the protected area. This article explores the role of protected sal forests—namely, the Madhupur National Park (MNP) on the livelihoods of forest-dependent ethnic minorities, drawing empirical data from ethnic households. The results revealed that the MNP has brought changes, most of which have had negative impacts on ethnic livelihoods. Now their livelihoods are not stable, as most do not have substantial sources of securing income. In spite of this, the ethnic communities have experienced severe antagonistic relationships with park managers and faced social inequity; all these factors affect their livelihoods. Therefore, establishment of a legitimate process to constructively work with the local communities is the most feasible and just way to achieve conservation and development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The CONTROL (COversyl in Newly diagnosed stage-II & unconTROlled hypertensive patients triaL) was performed with an objective to evaluate the blood pressure (BP) lowering efficacy and tolerability of Perindopril 8mg in newly diagnosed stage II patients and uncontrolled hypertensive patients among Bangladeshi population. Methods: This was an open-label, observational, multi-center study conducted in consultation centers for out-patients located in different cities of Bangladesh. Adults, aged above 18 years with newly diagnosed stage-II hypertension or uncontrolled hypertension, were recruited. Patients were treated with Perindopril 4mg daily for first 1 week, afterwards uptitrated to Perindopril 8 mg daily and continued treatment for 12 weeks. Patients were followed-up at week-1, week-4, week-8 and week-12. Results: In total, 245 patients were enrolled. Among them, 88 were newly diagnosed stage-II (Group-I) and 157 were uncontrolled (Group-II) hypertensive patients. Male and female distribution was 57% and 43% respectively. Mean age of patients was 54.5 ±11.7 years. After 12 weeks treatment, there was a significant reduction in BP from baseline (p<0.001) in overall population as well as in Group I and in Group II. In overall population, the mean BP reduction was -31/-15 mmHg (from 163.7/96.8 mmHg to 132.4/81.7 mmHg. In Group I, the reduction was -33/-16 mmHg (from 166.5/98.2 mmHg to 133.4/82.0 mmHg) and in Group II, -30/-14 mmHg (from 159.3/95.6 mmHg to 129.1/81.6 mmHg). 10 patients (4.1%) had to discontinue the treatment due to adverse effects. Dry cough (2%) and hypotension (1.2%) were the main cause of discontinuation. Perindopril 8mg was well tolerated as indicated by the high proportion of physicians (81%) reporting 'good' to 'excellent' tolerability at week 12. Conclusion: This study suggests that Perindopril 8mg is effective and safe in the treatment of hypertension in Bangladeshi patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates a quadratic stochastic frontier production function to examine the determinants of technical efficiency in rice farming in Bangladesh using the computer program FRONTIER 4.1. Primary data has been collected using multi-stage random sampling technique from twelve villages in north-central and north-western regions in Bangladesh. Rice cultivation displayed much variability in technical efficiency ranging from 0.16 to 0.94 with mean technical efficiency of 0.83 which suggested substantial gains in output with available resources and existing technologies. The analysis of the determinants of technical efficiency revealed that the age and education of the household heads, availability of off-farm incomes, land fragmentation, access to microfinance, extension visits, and regional variation were the major factors that caused efficiency differentials among the farm households studied. Hence, the study proposes strategies such as providing better extension services and farmer training programs, ensuring access to agricultural microfinance, reducing land fragmentation and raising educational level of the farmers to enhance technical efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Bangladesh, one of the main causes of waterborne diseases is related to the use of contaminated surface water. This pilot study was conducted to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of a recently developed surface water purifying mixture to prevent diarrhoeal diseases in a rural community in Bangladesh. The mixture, using a combination of alum potash, bleaching powder and lime, is added to 15 l of surface water and mixed; the water becomes suitable for drinking after 30min. A total of 420 households from 15 villages were provided with the mixture and were taught how to use it. Episodes of diarrhoeal disease from study families were determined from hospital records of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in Matlab and were compared with diarrhoea episodes among 1613 control families who were not provided with the mixture. A total of 83 diarrhoeal patients were treated at Matlab Hospital from 1613 control families, but only one patient was treated for diarrhoea from among the intervention families. Among the intervention families, 73 families decided to shift from using tube well water to surface water using the mixture. The mixture could be used as a cheaper, easier and simpler point-of-use water treatment strategy in Bangladesh. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Determining the best way to persuade consumers to consume more healthy foods is challenging. In Bangladesh, however, daily newspapers consistently show that various hazardous chemicals (e.g. calcium carbide, sodium cyclamate, cyanide and formalin, etc.) are mixed with or added to foods and foodstuffs. These chemicals are very dangerous to humans. This present study examines the reasons behind the use of hazardous chemicals in foods as well as the extent to which food producers/sellers use such chemicals. In addition, this study assesses consumer perceptions of and attitudes towards these contaminated food items and explores how adulterated foods and foodstuffs affect consumer health. The empirical data were collected from 110 consumers, 25 sellers or producers, seven doctors and seven pharmacists in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. This study shows that nearly every consumer (93.7%) is aware that various foods and foodstuffs contain hazardous chemicals, and that 95.5% of consumers are aware that these adulterated foods and foodstuffs are harmful to their health. This paper explores the myriad reasons why consumers nevertheless feel compelled to consume such chemically treated foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 36 years old married female with children from a district of Bangladesh had been suffering from mitral stenosis with atrial fibrillation (AF) with left atrial(LA) thrombus & active pulmonary tuberculosis under anti-TB drugs. She presented with shortness of breath (SOB),blood mixed sputum &right lower limb pain for 14 days which was later diagnosed as thromboembolism with acute limb ischemia. LA clot was removed by open heart surgery. Three masses of clots were removed, one ball thrombus, another irregular mass taking the shape of LA appendage and the other is a mixture of old and fresh thrombus..Patient underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR). One side of the irregular thrombus showed the impression of a human face (? Ghost).Histopathology confirmed them as thrombi. Patient was discharged home on the 8th post operative day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Being an emerging disease hotspot, Bangladesh has lack of relevant data that allowed to assess risks of the introduction of emerging disease in the country. Thus, to fill up this knowledge gap, a qualitative risk assessment approach has been adopted to transform the tacit knowledge of subject expert into an explicit knowledge to update the current knowledge on disease management. Methods & Materials: Two assessors from each disciplineanimal health, human health and wildlife health- was invited to participate in an iterated qualitative approach to order the risk of emerging diseases in Bangladesh. Definition and scores of "likelihood" and "consequence" were adopted from the Australian standard for risk analysis The results of each assessor were assembled into SRA version 3.0 tool. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ranges between -1 and +1) was used to identify the agreement and disagreement level between assessors. This tool has the hazard rank graph to distinguish hazards that prevail the majority of uncertainty. Results: Assessors correlations was moved from 0.14-0.87 to 0.49-0.85 in second risk assessment. However, improved correlation between assessors was seen in second assessment. Median correlation was rose from 0.51 to 0.65 in second assessment. Importantly, no negative values was recorded between pairs of assessors signifying no high disagreement in hazard rank order among assessors of three field. "HPAI" and "Nipah virus" were considered the two most important hazards of the 11 hazards, while "Lyme disease" was found the least important hazard in the country. Subsequently, high and narrow uncertainty level score were evident with "Nipah virus" and "Lyme diseas" portraying significant agreement and disagreement among assessors. Conclusion: Though no significant agreement and variability in the perceived risk was emerged, an iterated qualitative approach can provide an interim quality data, by reducing the linguistic uncertainty among assessors, to guide policy makers to formulate necessary steps for disease mitigation. Further testing and validation through various examples and scenarios are still required to adopt this method in developing countries like Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 is endemic in domestic poultry in most Asian countries and occasionally spillover to humans. On the report of a suspected human A/H9 outbreak, a multidisciplinary team investigated the source of infection and extent of the outbreak in a rural village between February 2-4, 2017. We surveyed the community within a 1km radius of the index case house. Anthropologists conducted observation and key informant interviews to understand the human poultry interaction and poultry rearing practices. We collected swab samples and data from poultry (n=55) and humans (n=18). We tested all samples using specific real-time RT-PCR for influenza virus A (M gene), followed by subtype H5, H7, H9, and N2 and sequenced. We observed backyard poultry frequently scavenged inside and outside the kitchen and bedroom. The poultry farmers reported that children were involved in bird-raising activities and kept their chickens inside their living room at night. They handled sick poultry and slaughtered it without personal protective equipment. They rarely used soap after handing and slaughtering poultry and threw the poultry offal and entrails in the nearest water body or bushes. All human samples were negative against AIV. None of the poultry samples were positive for H5 and H7. H9N2 prevalence was 16.4% (n=9/55; 95%CI: 7.8-28.8) in bird level and 23.8% (n=5/21; 95%CI: 8.2-47.2) in farm level. Phylogenetic analysis of the H9N2 sequences suggests that these are like the previously circulated Bangladeshi G1-like lineage. The investigation revealed that H9N2 was circulating in the rural community and highlighted the significance of monitoring and characterizing AIV to understand the emergence of novel strains in poultry and the risk of spillover to humans. Human and poultry interaction with risky behavioral practices might facilitate transmitting the AIV from poultry to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an increasingly detailed picture of the molecular mechanisms of bacteriophage (phage)-bacterial interactions, we lack an understanding of how these interactions evolve and impact disease within patients. In this work, we report a year-long, nationwide study of diarrheal disease patients in Bangladesh. Among cholera patients, we quantified Vibrio cholerae (prey) and its virulent phages (predators) using metagenomics and quantitative polymerase chain reaction while accounting for antibiotic exposure using quantitative mass spectrometry. Virulent phage (ICP1) and antibiotics suppressed V. cholerae to varying degrees and were inversely associated with severe dehydration depending on resistance mechanisms. In the absence of antiphage defenses, predation was "effective," with a high predator:prey ratio that correlated with increased genetic diversity among the prey. In the presence of antiphage defenses, predation was "ineffective," with a lower predator:prey ratio that correlated with increased genetic diversity among the predators. Phage-bacteria coevolution within patients should therefore be considered in the deployment of phage-based therapies and diagnostics.

Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under five globally, particularly in regions like South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Bangladesh has made substantial progress in reducing child mortality, yet pneumonia remains a significant contributor to under-five deaths. This study aimed to investigate the association between in-house environmental factors and childhood ARI, considering factors such as household crowding, smoking, and sanitation facilities., Methods: This case-control study was conducted at a tertiary-level children's hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from March to September 2019. The study included children aged 6-59 months. Cases were children with ARI symptoms, while controls were children without such symptoms. Rigorous matching by age and gender was employed to ensure comparability. Data were collected through structured questionnaires, and bivariate and conditional logistic regression analyses were performed., Results: Several household environmental factors were significantly associated with childhood ARIs. Children from overcrowded households (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.52-4.71; p < 0.001), those using unclean cooking fuels (OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.56, 3.73; p = < 0.001), those exposed to in-house smoking (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.01, 3.05; p = 0.04) and those with unimproved sanitation facilities faced higher odds (AOR = 4.35, 95% CI = 2.14-9.26) of ARIs. Additionally, preterm birth and higher birth order were associated with an increased risk of ARI. In contrast, exclusive breastfeeding was a protective factor., Conclusion: In-house environmental factors, including sanitation, crowding and in-house smoking, significantly influence childhood ARIs. Additionally, birth order and preterm birth play a crucial role. Promoting exclusive breastfeeding is associated with a lower ARI risk among under-five children in Bangladesh. These findings can guide interventions to reduce ARIs in low-income regions, particularly in South Asia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Acute febrile illness (AFI) is a prevalent disease in developing countries that is difficult to diagnose due to the diversity of infectious organisms and the poor quality of clinical diagnosis. TaqMan array card (TAC) can detect up to 35 AFI-associated organisms in 1.5 h, addressing diagnostic demands. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of TAC in determining the causative organisms in hospitalized AFI patients., Methods: The study had a cross-sectional design and enrolled 120 admitted patients with persistent fever for three or more days from the medicine ward of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital (BITID). Blood samples were collected and then subjected to automated BacT/Alert blood culture, microbial culture, TAC assay, and typhoid/paratyphoid test., Results: The total number of study participants was 120, among them 48 (40%) samples showed a positive result in TAC card, 29 (24.16%) were TP positive and nine (7.51%) were culture positive. The number of organisms detected by the TAC card was 13 bacteria, three viruses, one protozoan, and one fungus. The sensitivity and specificity of the TAC assay for different bacterial pathogen compared to blood culture was 44.44%, and 90.99%, respectively. In contrast, the TP test had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 80%, respectively, compared to the blood culture test., Conclusion: TAC can be a handful tool for detecting multiple organisms in AFI with high specificity which can facilitate early diagnosis of different pathogens contributing to AFI., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has created unprecedented havoc among health care workers, resulting in significant psychological strains like insomnia. This study aimed to analyze insomnia prevalence and job stressors among Bangladeshi health care workers in COVID-19 units., Methodology: We conducted this cross-sectional study to assess insomnia severity from January to March 2021 among 454 health care workers working in multiple hospitals in Dhaka city with active COVID-dedicated units. We selected 25 hospitals conveniently. We used a structured questionnaire for face-to-face interviews containing sociodemographic variables and job stressors. The severity of insomnia was measured by the Insomnia Severity Scale (ISS). The scale has seven items to evaluate the rate of insomnia, which was categorized as the absence of Insomnia (0-7); sub-threshold Insomnia (8-14); moderate clinical Insomnia (15-21); and severe clinical Insomnia (22-28). To identify clinical insomnia, a cut-off value of 15 was decided primarily. A cut-off score of 15 was initially proposed for identifying clinical insomnia. We performed a chi-square test and adjusted logistic regression to explore the association of different independent variables with clinically significant insomnia using the software SPSS version 25.0., Results: 61.5% of our study participants were females. 44.9% were doctors, 33.9% were nurses, and 21.1% were other health care workers. Insomnia was more dominant among doctors and nurses (16.2% and 13.6%, respectively) than others (4.2%). We found clinically significant insomnia was associated with several job stressors (p < 0.05). In binary logistic regression, having sick leave (OR = 0.248, 95% CI = 0.116, 0.532) and being entitled to risk allowance (OR = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.124.1.081) showed lower odds of developing Insomnia. Previously diagnosed with COVID-19-positive health care workers had an OR of 2.596 (95% CI = 1.248, 5.399), pointing at negative experiences influencing insomnia. In addition, we observed that any training on risk and hazard increased the chances of suffering from Insomnia (OR = 1.923, 95% CI = 0.934, 3.958)., Conclusion: It is evident from the findings that the volatile existence and ambiguity of COVID-19 have induced significant adverse psychological effects and subsequently directed our HCWs toward disturbed sleep and insomnia. The study recommends the imperativeness to formulate and implement collaborative interventions to help HCWs cope with this crisis and mitigate the mental stresses they experience during the pandemic., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may cause severe life-threatening diseases called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) owing to cytokine storms. The mortality rate of COVID-19-related ARDS is as high as 40% to 50%. However, effective treatment for the extensive release of acute inflammatory mediators induced by hyperactive and inappropriate immune responses is very limited. Many anti-inflammatory drugs with variable efficacies have been investigated. Colchicine inhibits interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and its subsequent inflammatory cascade by primarily blocking pyrin and nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) activation. Therefore, this cheap, widely available, oral drug might provide an added benefit in combating the cytokine storm in COVID-19. Here, we sought to determine whether adding colchicine to other standards of care could be beneficial for moderate COVID-19 pneumonia in terms of the requirement for advanced respiratory support and mortality., Methods and Findings: This blinded placebo-controlled drug trial was conducted at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 300 patients with moderate COVID-19 based on a positive RT-PCR result were enrolled based on strict selection criteria from June 2020 to November 2020. Patients were randomly assigned to either treatment group in a 1:1 ratio. Patients were administered 1.2 mg of colchicine on day 1 followed by daily treatment with 0.6 mg of colchicine for 13 days or placebo along with the standard of care. The primary outcome was the time to clinical deterioration from randomization to two or more points on a seven-category ordinal scale within the 14 days post-randomization. Clinical outcomes were also recorded on day 28. The primary endpoint was met by 9 (6.2%) patients in the placebo group and 4 (2.7%) patients in the colchicine group (P = 0.171), which corresponds to a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 0.44 (0.13-1.43). Additional analysis of the outcomes on day 28 revealed significantly lower clinical deterioration (defined as a decrease by two or more points) in the colchicine group, with a hazard ratio [95%CI] of 0.29 [0.098-0.917], (P = 0.035). Despite a 56% reduction in the need for mechanical ventilation and death with colchicine treatment on day 14, the reduction was not statistically significant. On day 28, colchicine significantly reduced clinical deterioration measured as the need for mechanical ventilation and all-cause mortality., Conclusion: Colchicine was not found to have a significant beneficial effect on reducing mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation. However, a delayed beneficial effect was observed. Therefore, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the late benefits of colchicine., Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical trial registration no: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04527562 https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=NCT04527562., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Rahman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Irrational and inappropriate use of antibiotics in commercial chicken production can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance. We aimed to assess antibiotic usage in commercial chicken production in Bangladesh, and identify factors associated with this practice. We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional study to collect information on antibiotic usage in commercial chickens from January to May 2021. Structured interviews were conducted with 288 broiler, 288 layer and 192 Sonali (locally-produced cross-bred) farmers in 20 sub-districts across Bangladesh. The frequency of antibiotic usage, the types of antibiotics and purpose of usage were estimated for each production type. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated to measure the association between antibiotic usage and factors related to the characteristics of the farms and farmers using multivariable logistic regression models. The proportion of farms, irrespective of their production type, reporting usage of antibiotics in the 24 hours preceding the interview was 41% (n = 314, 95% CI: 37-44%). Forty-five percent (n = 344, 41-48%) reported antibiotic usage in the last 72 hours, 86% (n = 658, 83-88%) in the last 14 days, and almost all farms, 98% (n = 753, 97-99%), had used antibiotics since the start of their production cycle. Use of antibiotics in the 24 hours preceding an interview was more frequently reported in broiler (OR 1.91, 95% CI: 1.36-2.69) and Sonali (OR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.33-2.33) than layer farms. Oxytetracycline (23-31%, depending on production type), doxycycline (18-25%), ciprofloxacin (16-26%) and amoxicillin (16-44%) were the most frequently used antibiotics. Antibiotics were reported to be used for both treatment and prophylactic purposes on most farms (57-67%). Usage of antibiotics in the 24h preceding an interview was significantly associated with the occurrence of any illnesses in chickens (aOR broiler: 41.22 [95% CI:13.63-124.62], layer: aOR 36.45[9.52-139.43], Sonali: aOR 28.47[4.97-162.97]). Antibiotic usage was mainly advised by veterinary practitioners (45-71%, depending on production type), followed by feed dealers (21-40%) and farmers (7-13%). Improvement of chicken health through good farming practices along with changes in key stakeholders (feed dealers and practitioners) attitudes towards antibiotic recommendations to farmers, may help to reduce the levels of antibiotic usage and thus contribute to mitigate antimicrobial resistance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have substantial functional disability which poses a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL). So, this study aims to assess the QoL of RA patients by the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Total sixty-two (62) rheumatoid arthritis patients were included in this cross-sectional observational study and were performed in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from August 2018 to September 2019 according to selection criteria. A Bengali validated version of Medical Outcomes Study-36: Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire was used to assess QoL. Among the sixty-two (62) patients, mean age was 44.18±12.14 years with female preponderance (77.4%). About one-fifth of the patients (19.4%, n=12) were illiterate and the majority (71.0%, n=44) were housewives. Amongst all, 53.2% (n=33) had monthly family income >20,000 taka. Forty percent (n=25) had a disease duration of 1 to 5 years. According to Disease Activity Score Sheet 28 (DAS-28), 36(58.1%) patients had moderate disease activity and 26(41.9%) patients had high disease activity. Among the 8 domains, the mental health domain had the highest score (42.77±13.78) and the role physical domain had the lowest (35.89±15.43). Male, literate patients with higher income had relatively better QoL. Patients with prolonged disease, high disease activity and irregular taking of Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) had poor quality of life. A significant negative correlation was present between SF-36 scores and the DAS-28 scores (r = -0.803, p<0.001). Rheumatoid arthritis had a relatively poor quality of life regarding both physical and mental health components, but the physical health component was predominantly affected.

Objective: To describe the implementation, coverage and performance of the national kangaroo mother care programme in Bangladesh., Methods: Kangaroo mother care services for clinically stable babies with birth weight under 2000 g were set up in government-run health-care facilities in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. Each facility provided counselling on kangaroo mother care, ensured adequate nutrition, and followed up mothers and babies. We studied implementation of the programme from January 2016 to March 2020 using data from the national database. We tracked the number of eligible babies enrolled and their outcomes, mortality and post-discharge follow-up., Findings: The numbers of kangaroo mother care facilities increased from 16 in 2016 to 108 in 2020. Over the 4-year period 64 426 babies weighing under 2000 g were born in these facilities,  6410 of whom received kangaroo mother care. The quarterly percentage of eligible babies receiving kangaroo mother care increased from 4.7% (37/792) during the first quarter to 21.7% (917/4226) during the last five quarters of the programme. Deaths of babies receiving kangaroo mother care showed a downward trend over the study period. The overall mortality was 1.2% (77/6410), with large quarterly fluctuations in mortality. Post-discharge follow-up was low and only 15-20% of babies received four follow-up visits., Conclusion: Implementation of kangaroo mother care interventions is feasible in low-resource settings. Such care has the potential to reduce mortality among low-birth-weight and premature babies. Challenges include low coverage, expanding the programme to the community and strengthening the monitoring system., ((c) 2022 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

Background: Diarrhea remains a major public health problem and characterization of its etiology is needed to prioritize interventions. However, most data are from single-site studies of children. We tested samples from participants of any age from 11 geographically diverse hospitals in Bangladesh to describe pathogen-specific burdens of diarrhea., Methods: We utilized 2 existing diarrhea surveillance systems: a Nationwide network at 10 sentinel hospitals and at the icddr,b hospital. We tested stools from enrolled participants and nondiarrheal controls for enteropathogens using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and calculated pathogen-specific attributable fractions (AFs) of diarrhea., Results: We analyzed 5516 patients with diarrhea and 735 controls. Overall, rotavirus had the highest attributable burden of diarrhea (Nationwide AF, 17.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 14.3-20.9%; icddr,b AF, 39.9%; 38.0-41.8%), followed by adenovirus 40/41 (Nationwide AF, 17.9%; 95% CI: 13.9-21.9%; icddr,b AF, 16.6%; 95% CI, 14.4-19.4%) and Vibrio cholerae (Nationwide AF, 10.2%; 95% CI, 9.1-11.3%; icddr,b AF, 13.3%; 95% CI: 11.9-15.1%). Rotavirus was the leading pathogen in children <5 years and was consistent across the sites (coefficient of variation = 56.3%). Adenovirus 40/41 was the second leading pathogen in both children and adults. Vibrio cholerae was the leading pathogen in individuals >5 years old, but was more geographically variable (coefficient of variation = 71.5%). Other attributable pathogens included astrovirus, norovirus, Shigella, Salmonella, ETEC, sapovirus, and typical EPEC., Conclusions: Rotavirus, adenovirus 40/41, and V. cholerae were the leading etiologies of infectious diarrhea requiring hospitalization in Bangladesh. Other pathogens were important in certain age groups or sites., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Typhoid fever remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries. Vi-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-TT) is recommended by WHO for implementation in high-burden countries, but there is little evidence about its ability to protect against clinical typhoid in such settings., Methods: We did a participant-masked and observer-masked cluster-randomised trial preceded by a safety pilot phase in an urban endemic setting in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 150 clusters, each with approximately 1350 residents, were randomly assigned (1:1) to either Vi-TT or SA 14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine. Children aged 9 months to less than 16 years were invited via parent or guardian to receive a single, parenteral dose of vaccine according to their cluster of residence. The study population was followed for an average of 17·1 months. Total and overall protection by Vi-TT against blood culture-confirmed typhoid were the primary endpoints assessed in the intention-to-treat population of vaccinees or all residents in the clusters. A subset of approximately 4800 participants was assessed with active surveillance for adverse events. The trial is registered at www.isrctn.com, ISRCTN11643110., Findings: 41 344 children were vaccinated in April-May, 2018, with another 20 412 children vaccinated at catch-up vaccination campaigns between September and December, 2018, and April and May, 2019. The incidence of typhoid fever (cases per 100 000 person-years) was 635 in JE vaccinees and 96 in Vi-TT vaccinees (total Vi-TT protection 85%; 97·5% CI 76 to 91, p<0·0001). Total vaccine protection was consistent in different age groups, including children vaccinated at ages under 2 years (81%; 95% CI 39 to 94, p=0·0052). The incidence was 213 among all residents in the JE clusters and 93 in the Vi-TT clusters (overall Vi-TT protection 57%; 97·5% CI 43 to 68, p<0·0001). We did not observe significant indirect vaccine protection by Vi-TT (19%; 95% CI -12 to 41, p=0·20). The vaccines were well tolerated, and no serious adverse events judged to be vaccine-related were observed., Interpretation: Vi-TT provided protection against typhoid fever to children vaccinated between 9 months and less than 16 years. Longer-term follow-up will be needed to assess the duration of protection and the need for booster doses., Funding: The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests VEP has received reimbursement from Merck and Pfizer for travel expenses to scientific input engagements unrelated to the topic of this manuscript and is a member of the WHO Immunization and Vaccine-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Superficial fungal infection or dermatophytosis is one of the most common dermatological problems in a tropical country like Bangladesh. For last 4-5 years this skin problem is on rise with increase in cases of recalcitrant, recurrent and chronic dermatophytosis. In place of an easy task to treat dermatophytosis recently it has evolved into difficult to treat by traditional antifungal agents. Meanwhile, voriconazole, primarily appeared as an agent for deep fungal infections, has come out as a new promising systemic antifungal drug for dermatophytosis also. In Bangladesh recently an endeavor has been made to treat superficial fungal infection with voriconazole. Two hundred and ninety four patients suffering from recalcitrant, recurrent, resistant and chronic dermatophytosis between 12 and 70 years of age and both sexes were selected for the study between August 2018 and November 2018 from different parts of the country. Two categories of therapy were designed: Group A - 200mg 12 hourly for 14 days and Group B - 200mg 12 hourly for 28 days. Patients showing full response in 2 weeks were declared apparently cured and were kept under follow up. Those who did not show significant response (less than 50% improvement) in 2 weeks were considered failed. Unresponsive cases after 28 days were considered failed. Both groups were followed up for 4 weeks. Cases not showing any activity of the disease and negative microscopy on two occasions at 2 weeks interval were considered cured. Two hundred and fifty patients completed the study. Incidence of cure rate was more in Group B (93.04%) which is statistically significant (p<0.005). Relapse rate was observed more in Group A (22.83%). Visual side effects were 4.4% while vertigo and headache were observed in 12.0% and 10.8% respectably. Voriconazole is a promising treatment option for recurrent, recalcitrant and chronic dermatophytosis in dosage of 200mg twice daily for at least 4 weeks with negligible side effects. More diversified studies with longer follow up period is required for further opinion to establish an authenticated dosage schedule for treatment of superficial fungal infection.

Bangladesh is one of the top-ten most heavily burdened countries for viral hepatitis, with hepatitis B (HBV) infections responsible for the majority of cases. Recombinant and occult HBV infections (OBI) have been reported previously in the region. We investigated an adult fever cohort ( n =201) recruited in Dhaka, to determine the prevalence of HBV and OBI. A target-enrichment deep sequencing pipeline was applied to samples with HBV DNA >3.0 log 10 IU ml -1 . HBV infection was present in 16/201 (8 %), among whom 3/16 (19 %) were defined as OBI (HBsAg-negative but detectable HBV DNA). Whole genome deep sequences (WGS) were obtained for four cases, identifying genotypes A, C and D. One OBI case had sufficient DNA for sequencing, revealing multiple polymorphisms in the surface gene that may contribute to the occult phenotype. We identified mutations associated with nucleos(t)ide analogue resistance in 3/4 samples sequenced, although the clinical significance in this cohort is unknown. The high prevalence of HBV in this setting illustrates the importance of opportunistic clinical screening and DNA testing of transfusion products to minimise OBI transmission. WGS can inform understanding of diverse disease phenotypes, supporting progress towards international targets for HBV elimination.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value and antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of some Bangladesh vegetables using fruits of ash gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, okra, ridge gourd, snake gourd, and leaves of Indian spinach, kangkong, and stem amaranth. Proximate composition showed that the dried extracts were composed mainly of crude protein (14.6%-46.7%) and non-fibre carbohydrates (26.4%-53.5%). With the exception of stem amaranth, all the extracts had >40% DPPH radical scavenging ability at 0.5 mg/ml. In contrast metal chelation was lower, except in Indian spinach with ~46%. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was highest for the kangkong (10.9 mM Fe 3+ reduced), which is similar to the 9.9 mM for butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). All the extracts suppressed linoleic acid oxidation better than BHT within the first 5 days of the incubation period. We conclude that the Indian spinach, kangkong, and okra could be considered as the most promising sources of antioxidant compounds. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Vegetables are commonly consumed as part of a regular diet but the high water and fiber contents usually mean that large quantities are required to provide long-term health benefits. Therefore, in this work, aqueous extracts of nine Bangladesh vegetables were prepared to provide a more concentrated form of nutrients and bioactive compounds. The extracts had strong nutritional value based on the high contents of crude protein, potassium, iron, and non-fibre carbohydrates. The high content of polyphenolic compounds in the extracts can also provide health benefits, which was demonstrated through strong free radical scavenging, metal chelation, ferric iron reduction, and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. These vegetable extracts have the potential to be used as sources of bioactive compounds to prevent or treat non-communicable diseases that are associated with high oxidative stress., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The establishment of protected areas has been considered a tool to battle deforestation in densely populated countries like Bangladesh. Since 2000, Bangladesh's Forest Department has declared about 41 protected areas. However, before more land is designated as a protected area, it is important to know how effective existing protected areas are in achieving conservation goals. Unfortunately, the determination of the conservation effectiveness of protected areas, such as their capacity to reduce deforestation and forest fragmentation over a considerable period at high temporal frequency (e.g., yearly), is still unavailable despite some known methods being available, for example, the System for the Integrated Assessment of Protected Areas. In this study, we processed and analyzed the Hansen dataset from 2000 to 2018 to produce yearly forest/non-forest maps of four protected areas in Bangladesh and used these maps, with a matching method, to estimate the effectiveness of protected area in reducing deforestation after controlling for potential hidden bias. We also analyzed the forest fragmentation scenario over the same time frame. The forest cover change results from 2010 to 2018 revealed a large-scale deforestation pattern in areas adjacent to the protected area boundary of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) and Baroiyadhala National Park-Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary (together B-HWS). Using a propensity score matching (PSM) approach with a caliper of 0.25, we found that B-HWS was the best performing of the studied protected areas, and that 37% of forest pixels in B-HWS would have been deforested in 2018 if they had not been brought under protection in 2010. Similarly, the estimated avoided deforestation rates were approximately 21% and 4% for CWS and Dudpukuria-Dhopachari Wildlife Sanctuary, respectively. Despite an improvement in deforestation scenarios, during the period 2010-2018, for all protected areas, the forest fragmentation scenarios were exacerbated both inside their boundaries and in adjacent unprotected areas. Therefore, it remains questionable whether protected areas can ultimately maintain the integrity of conservation., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed at examining health sufferings of readymade garments (RMG) workers, the factors that affect their health sufferings, their healthcare seeking pattern, knowledge about health insurance and health related rights in Bangladesh., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 486 RMG workers recruited randomly from eight garments factories located on the periphery of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, headache, fever and abdominal pain was estimated and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine association between these illnesses of workers and their socio-demographic characteristics and other work related information. We also explored their healthcare seeking patterns, knowledge about health insurance and health related rights., Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, headache, fever and abdominal pain was found to be 78.1%, 57.9%, 52.2% and 24.6%, respectively, among the RMG workers. Factors that increased the odds of: musculoskeletal pain were working for more than 10 h per day (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.7) and being female [AOR: 4.6, 95% CI: 2.0-10.6]; fever was living in slums [AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.5]; and abdominal pain was being female [AOR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.4-9.3]. The workers commonly reported visiting drug sellers in local pharmacies for reported illnesses. They also had better knowledge of health related rights but poor knowledge of health insurance., Conclusion: In order to address the overall health and well-being of the RMG workers, it is imperative to lay out a blueprint for a safe and healthy workplace., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

The mechanism of protection against cholera afforded by previous illness or vaccination is currently unknown. We have recently shown that antibodies targeting O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) of Vibrio cholerae correlate highly with protection against cholera. V. cholerae is highly motile and possesses a flagellum sheathed in OSP, and motility of V. cholerae correlates with virulence. Using high-speed video microscopy and building upon previous animal-related work, we demonstrate that sera, polyclonal antibody fractions, and OSP-specific monoclonal antibodies recovered from humans surviving cholera block V. cholerae motility at both subagglutinating and agglutinating concentrations. This antimotility effect is reversed by preadsorbing sera and polyclonal antibody fractions with purified OSP and is associated with OSP-specific but not flagellin-specific monoclonal antibodies. Fab fragments of OSP-specific polyclonal antibodies do not inhibit motility, suggesting a requirement for antibody-mediated cross-linking in motility inhibition. We show that OSP-specific antibodies do not directly affect V. cholerae viability, but that OSP-specific monoclonal antibody highly protects against death in the murine cholera model. We used in vivo competitive index studies to demonstrate that OSP-specific antibodies impede colonization and survival of V. cholerae in intestinal tissues and that this impact is motility dependent. Our findings suggest that the impedance of motility by antibodies targeting V. cholerae OSP contributes to protection against cholera. IMPORTANCE Cholera is a severe dehydrating illness of humans caused by Vibrio cholerae V. cholerae is a highly motile bacterium that has a single flagellum covered in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) displaying O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), and V. cholerae is a noninvasive intestinal pathogen, it is likely that antibodies that bind the pathogen or its products in the intestinal lumen contribute to protection from infection. Here, we demonstrate that OSP-specific antibodies isolated from humans surviving cholera in Bangladesh inhibit V. cholerae is a noninvasive intestinal pathogen, it is likely that antibodies that bind the pathogen or its products in the intestinal lumen contribute to protection from infection. Here, we demonstrate that OSP-specific antibodies isolated from humans surviving cholera in Bangladesh inhibit V. cholerae motility and are associated with protection against challenge in a motility-dependent manner., (Copyright © 2020 Charles et al.)

Background: Alargebodyof evidence has shown a link between arsenic exposure and diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms have not yet been clarified., Objective: We explored the association between arsenic exposure and the reduction of skeletal muscle mass as a potential mechanism of insulin resistance for developing arsenic-related hyperglycemia., Methods: A total of 581 subjects were recruited from arsenic-endemic and non-endemic areas in Bangladesh and their fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin, and serum creatinine levels were determined. Subjects' arsenic exposure levels were assessed by arsenic concentrations in water, hair, and nails. HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were used to calculate insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, respectively. Serum creatinine levels and lean body mass (LBM) were used as muscle mass indicators., Results: Water, hair and nail arsenic concentrations showed significant positive associations with FBG, serum insulin and HOMA-IR and inverse associations with serum creatinine and LBM in a dose-dependent manner both in males and females. Water, hair and nail arsenic showed significant inverse associations with HOMA-β in females but not in males. FBG and HOMA-IR were increased with the decreasing levels of serum creatinine and LBM. Odds ratios (ORs)of hyperglycemia were significantly increased with the increasing concentrations of arsenic in water, hair and nails and with the decreasing levels of serum creatinine and LBM. Females' HOMA-IR showed greater susceptibility to the reduction of serum creatinine and LBM, possibly causing the greater risk of hyperglycemia in females than males. Path analysis revealed the mediating effect of serum creatinine level on the relationship of arsenic exposure with HOMA-IR and hyperglycemia., Conclusion: Arsenic exposure elevates FBG levels and the risk of hyperglycemia through increasing insulin resistance with greater susceptibility in females than males. Additionally, arsenic exposure-related reduction of skeletal muscle mass may be a mechanism underlying the development of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) can increase rabies vaccination coverage among dogs that are inaccessible to parenteral vaccination (i.e., inaccessible dogs). Because bait uptake can differ according to the bait attractant used and dog characteristics, we evaluated proportion of bait uptake and time to bait uptake using three bait formulations. We looked for associations between bait uptake and dog characteristics (temperament, age, and body condition) and assessed the efficiency of using these bait formulations, as measured by number of dogs vaccinated per hour. A total of 356 baits were offered to free roaming dogs in urban and peri-urban districts of Bangladesh. Fish baits were ignored by 86% (n = 122; 95% CI: 79-91%) of dogs, whereas 60% (n = 45; 95% CI: 49-70%) consumed egg baits and 89% (n = 124; 95% CI: 83-93%) consumed intestine baits. Among the consumed baits, dogs fully consumed 56% (n = 10; 95% CI: 34-75%) of fish baits, 84% (n = 38; 95% CI: 71-92%) of egg baits, and 98% (n = 122; 95% CI: 94-100%) of intestine baits. Among inaccessible dogs, no associations were found between bait uptake and dog characteristics in either bivariate or multivariate analyses. Bait consumption averaged 2 dogs per hour for fish baits, 10 dogs per hour for egg baits, and 18 dogs per hour for intestine baits. The absence of association between bait type preference and individual dog characteristics simplifies the process of choosing attractants for oral rabies vaccines. While intestine attractants achieved highest uptake, egg baits may prove a suitable compromise when considering biological and operational constraints. The efficiency of ORV was demonstrated when compared to parenteral vaccination of free-roaming dogs previously described., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

After the large influx of Rohingya nationals (termed Forcibly Displaced Myanmar National; FDMN) from Rakhine State of Myanmar to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, it was apparent that outbreaks of cholera was very likely in this setting where people were living under adverse water and sanitation conditions. Large campaigns of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) were carried out as a preemptive measure to control cholera epidemics. The aim of the study was to evaluate the immune responses of healthy adults and children after administration of two doses of OCV at 14 days interval in FDMN population and compare with the response observed in Bangladeshi's vaccinated earlier. A cross-sectional immunogenicity study was conducted among FDMNs of three age cohort; in adults (18+years; n = 83), in older children (6-17 years; n = 63) and in younger children (1-5 years; n = 80). Capillary blood was collected at three time points to measure vibriocidal antibodies using either plasma or dried blood spot (DBS) specimens. There was a significant increase of responder frequency of vibriocidal antibody titer at day 14 in all groups for Vibrio cholerae O1 (Ogawa/Inaba: adults-64%/64%, older children-70%/89% and younger children-51%/75%). There was no overall difference of vibriocidal antibody titer between FDMN and Bangladeshi population at baseline (p = 0.07-0.08) and at day 14, day 28 in all age groups for both serotypes. The seroconversion rate and geometric mean titer (GMT) of either serotype were comparable using both plasma and DBS specimens. These results showed that OCV is capable of inducing robust immune responses in adults and children among the FDMN population which is comparable to that seen in Bangladeshi participants in different age groups or that reported from other cholera endemic countries. Our results also suggest that the displaced population were exposed to V. cholerae prior to seeking shelter in Bangladesh., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.