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The interaction between the fibers and matrix in a fiber-reinforced polymer composite material is important in figuring out its properties. The incorporation of fibers with polymers can result in composites with enhanced strength and stiffness. This study aims to investigate the thermal and morphological characteristics of hybrid u-polyester composites reinforced with glass fibers and polypropylene. The fabrication of composite specimens was conducted through a straightforward cold press method. The compositions of the composites were held constant, except for the orientation of the glass fibers and polypropylene. In this study, the TG/DTG technique was used to analyze the thermal characteristics of the composites. In addition, transverse thermal conductivity was measured using the ASTM E1530 method. The test results showed that the composite reinforced with glass fibers exhibited the lowest weight loss and minimal thermal conductivity among all the samples, followed by the hybrid composite. Based on the TGA curves of the samples, the matrix experienced a weight loss of 9.7% at a temperature of 300°C, which reduced to 2.6% and 2.1% for hybrid composites and glass fiber-reinforced composites, respectively. DTG curves for composites demonstrate that the hybrid and fiber-reinforced composites degraded at rates of 0.64 mg/min and 0.36 mg/min, respectively, at 392.3°C and 395.7°C. Moreover, transverse thermal conductivity of the composite which consists of five-glass-fibered layers shows a minimal thermal conductivity of 0.05 W/m·K. The morphological properties were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The findings from SEM and FTIR showed that a higher proportion of glass fibers led to a more oriented composite structure, demonstrating enhanced crosslinking between fibers and polyester. Therefore, the insights of this study can be used to improve the performance of glass fibers and polypropylene hybrid-laminated composites intended for high-temperature applications.

Purpose – This study aims to investigate whether Bangladesh would avoid the middle-income trap (MIT) in its transition to a high-income country (HIC) according to its “Vision 2041”. Design/methodology/approach – Using both actual and forecasted secondary data, three MIT models of different approaches were used to evaluate the government’s vision-based projections. Moreover, crucial indicators of deindustrialization and institutional strength were linked to the investigation of potential transitions. Findings – According to the absolute definition and international forecasts, the Bangladesh economy might not fall into an MIT at its lower-middle-income level within the intended period due to being shorter than the defined limit. However, its real GDP per capita relative to the USA would remain far below the defined threshold limit of an upper-middle-income country (UMC) in 2041. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has reached the third of the five gradual phases and is awaiting a new transition in 2029. However, its vision-based plan would face challenges such as skills gaps, institutional reforms and successive global crises. Practical implications – Bangladesh might be trapped in MIT at the UMC level in the 2030s, with no path to renovate after the demographic dividend ends in 2047. In this regard, the government must demonstrate a strong political will to ensure the effectiveness of its policies and the viability of its institutions. Originality/value – This study not only compared projections to forecasts using different MIT models but also connected transition phases to industrial policies and institutional strengths.

The challenges of raising the participation of women as leaders in higher education globally have been extensively but unevenly documented. Potential has been identified for international developmental networks to support an increasing presence of women as leaders in emerging higher education systems. Through an exploration of shared experiences and learnings in a specific developmental network of women, and some men, from universities in Papua New Guinea and Australia, the wider implications of local challenges became visible. A Collaborative Research Culture Framework has been used to highlight key collaborative principles that enable and enhance women's participation in higher education. The authors have framed their theoretical exploration of the issues informed by their own experiences of collaborating to overcome challenges faced by women participating in higher education.

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to look into the impacts after the implication of feeding broiler chickens with spirulina in arsenic-incited toxicities. Materials and Methods: Birds (n = 125) were distributed equally (n = 25) into four groups treated (T1, T2, T3, T4) and a group controlled, T0 (normal feed and water without supplement), the group taking in arsenic trioxide (100 mg/l)-induced diet (T1), and the groups T2, T3, and T4 (feed supplemented with 50, 100, and 200 mg/l of spirulina along with Arsenic Trioxide, respectively). The body weight and hematobiochemical parameters were recorded every 7 days. Results: Different growth development indicators, e.g., body weight, feed intake ratio, feed conversion ratio, depression, and skin lesions, were weak in arsenic trioxide groups and upstanding in the arsenic plus spirulina group. Over and above, the lack of body weight gain in chicken (2.7%–13.00%) in the arsenic-introduced groups given spirulina (T2, T3, and T4) overtook the mere groups exposed to arsenic, where the lack of weight gain was optimum (54.90%). Thereafter, in arsenic-instituted groups given spirulina (T2, T3, and T4), the drop in total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume values became less notable than in arsenic pollutant groups (T1, p < 0.01). Two measurable factors (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) were substantially (p < 0.01) raised in the group (T1) treated with arsenic, but in the arsenic-induced groups (T2, T3, and T4) treated with spirulina, they were elevated less. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that arsenic is a threat to poultry. However, spirulina may be advantageous for alleviating the effects of arsenic in poultry. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(3.000): 501-508]

Abstract Background Globally, ischemic stroke is a major health threat to humans that causes lifelong disability and death. Mentha arvensis (MA) has been used in traditional medicine to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation-related disorders. In the present study, the neuroprotective properties of fermented MA (FMA) extract were investigated in the gerbil and SH-SY5Y cells. model of transient global cerebral ischemia. Methods Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion-induced transient global cerebral ischemia in gerbil and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-mediated neurotoxic effects in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were investigated. FMA (400 mg/kg) was orally administered for 7 days before induction of ischemic stroke. To evaluate the neuroprotective activity of FMA, we implemented various assays such as cell viability assay (MTT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), histofluorescence, and western blot. Results FMA pretreatment effectively decreased transient ischemia (TI) induced neuronal cell death as well as activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampal region. The protective effects of FMA extract against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity of SH-SY5Y cells were observed by MTT and LDH assay. However, FMA pretreatment significantly increased the expression of the antioxidant marker proteins such as superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) and superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD-2) in the hippocampus and SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) further activated a cascade of outcomes such as neuroinflammation and apoptosis. FMA pretreatment notably decreased TI and H2O2 induced activation of MAPK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and p38) proteins in hippocampus and SH-SY5Y cells respectively. Besides, pretreatment with FMA markedly reduced H2O2 mediated Bax/Bcl2 expression in SH-SY5Y cells. Conclusion Thus, these results demonstrated that neuroprotective activities of FMA might contribute to regulating the MAPK signaling pathway.

Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with multimorbidity among adults in community settings in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 individuals aged ≥ 50 years living in three districts of Bangladesh. A multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used. Data were collected through structured interviews covering individual-level, household-level, and community-level factors. The presence of multimorbidity was determined based on self-reporting of two or more known diagnoses of chronic conditions. Logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with multimorbidity. Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity among individuals was around 39% (95% CI: 34.6–42.4), with hypertension (35%) being the most common condition. Being unemployed, having a smaller family size, and a lower monthly income were significantly associated with higher odds of multimorbidity, with odds ratios of 1.78 (95% CI: 1.02–3.10), 1.49 (95% CI: 1.04–2.13), and 1.72 (95% CI: 1.11–2.68), respectively. Conclusions: We found a 39% prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults in Bangladesh, having hypertension as the most prevalent condition. Our findings may help to emphasize the importance of providing awareness-building programs and increasing investment in healthcare services to provide services for decreasing multimorbity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of cropping systems in the salt-affected coastal zones of the Ganges Delta can boost food security in the region. The scarcity of fresh water, coupled with varying degrees of soil and water salinity are however limiting factors for the expansion of irrigated cropping in that area. In this study, we assessed the potential of growing sunflowers using combinations of low and medium saline water for irrigation. The experiments were conducted at two locations with six irrigation treatments in 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. The treatments were: T1—two irrigations at early vegetative (25–30 days after sowing; DAS) and flowering stages (60–65 DAS) with low salinity water (LSW, electric conductivity, ECw < 2 dS m−1); T2—two irrigations, one at the vegetative stage with LSW and one at the flowering stage with medium salinity water (MSW, 2 < ECw < 5dS m−1); T3—two irrigations, one at the vegetative stage with LSW and one at seed development stage (75–80 DAS) with MSW; T4—three irrigations at the vegetative, flowering and seed development stages with LSW; T5—three irrigations, at vegetative stage with LSW, and flowering and seed development stages with MSW; and T6—three irrigations, two at the vegetative and flowering stages with LSW and one at the seed development stage with MSW. Irrigation with LSW at early growth stages and MSW at later growth stages did not significantly (p < 0.05) affect the yield compared to the LSW irrigation at early and later growth stages. Crop water productivity and irrigation water productivity of sunflowers (p < 0.001) increased substantially with the decreasing amount of irrigation water with an average of 1.18 kg m−3 and 2.22 kg m−3 in 2017 and 0.92 kg m−3 and 1.29 kg m−3 in 2018, respectively. Grain yield was significantly correlated with root zone solute potential. The flowering and seed development stages of sunflowers in February–March were sensitive to both low and medium saline water irrigation for seed yield. Overall, the results show that irrigation with LSW (ECw < 2dS m−1) at early growth stages and MSW (2 < ECw < 5dS m−1) at later growth stages could be an option for dry-season sunflowers in the coastal zones of the Ganges Delta which would allow double cropping in this area.

The control of severe or chronic pain has relied heavily on opioids and opioid abuse and addiction have recently become a major global health crisis. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new pain therapeutics which have comparable efficacy for pain suppression but lack of the harmful effects of opioids. Due to the nature of pain, any in vivo experiment is undesired even in animals. Recent developments in stem cell technology has enabled the differentiation of nociceptors from human induced pluripotent stem cells. This study sought to establish an in vitro functional induced pluripotent stem cells-derived nociceptor culture system integrated with microelectrode arrays for nociceptive drug testing. Nociceptors were differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells utilizing a modified protocol and a medium was designed to ensure prolonged and stable nociceptor culture. These neurons expressed nociceptor markers as characterized by immunocytochemistry and responded to the exogenous toxin capsaicin and the endogenous neural modulator ATP, as demonstrated with patch clamp electrophysiology. These cells were also integrated with microelectrode arrays for analgesic drug testing to demonstrate their utilization in the preclinical drug screening process. The neural activity was induced by ATP to mimic clinically relevant pathological pain and then the analgesics Lidocaine and the opioid DAMGO were tested individually and both induced immediate silencing of the nociceptive activity. This human-based functional nociceptive system provides a valuable platform for investigating pathological pain and for evaluating effective analgesics in the search of opioid substitutes.

BackgroundPopulation estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods.MethodsWe estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10-54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10-14 years and 50-54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15-19 years and 45-49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories.FindingsFrom 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4-52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5-4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2-2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10-19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34-40) to 22 livebirths (19-24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3-200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5-2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4-7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15-64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9-1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8-7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07-0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2-2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3-0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0-3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger.InterpretationPopulation trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

BackgroundEfforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of "leaving no one behind", it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990-2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment.MethodsWe measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0-100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator.FindingsThe global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4-67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6-14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1-86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030.InterpretationThe GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains-curative interventions in the case of NCDs-towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions-or inaction-today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

BackgroundAssessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally.MethodsThe GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950.FindingsGlobally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4-19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2-59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5-49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1-70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7-54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3-75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5-51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9-88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3-238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6-42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2-5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development.InterpretationThis analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This study aimed to isolate and characterise the pathogen associated with Alternaria leaf spot on broccoli and to evaluate the inhibitory effects of fungicides against it. We isolated and identified the fungal pathogen as Alternaria sp. using morphological and cultural methods. Based on the aligned sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and molecular phylogenetic analysis by the neighbour-joining method, the isolates (Ab1 and Ab2) were confirmed as Alternaria alternata. The conidia of the isolates were dark brown, cylindrical, obclavate to muriform. The conidiophores were olivaceous brown, septate, and branched. The conidial morphology of the isolates ranged from 52.4-92.4 × 10-20 μm with 2-6 transverse and 0-3 longitudinal septa. Both isolates yielded positive results in the pathogenicity test on broccoli leaves by developing brown and circular spots with concentric rings on the leaves surrounded by yellow halos. The culture studies revealed that the maximum growth of the pathogen was obtained at 30 °C and pH 6.0. Tilt 250 WC showed the highest potential in suppressing the mycelial growth of the A. alternata in vitro at a concentration as low as 50 µg/mL. The results from this study contributed to the positive identification of the pathogen and characterised A. alternata as a destructive pathogen of broccoli which may be successfully controlled by the fungicide Tilt.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the principal staple food, a fundamental component of food security, a significant source of energy and major nutrients, and a key player in the overall nutritional status in Bangladesh. Parboiling is a common rice-processing treatment in Bangladesh. Recently, polishing has also become a common practice among millers seeking to attract consumers. Polishing may influence the nutrient composition of rice. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of parboiling and polishing on the nutritional content of the five High Yield Varieties (HYVs) of rice (BR11, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan49, and BRRI dhan84) and their percent contributions to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of vitamins and minerals. All of the rice samples were analyzed for proximate parameters, vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, and folate), and minerals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Na, K, P). Moisture, ash, fat, and total dietary fiber (TDF) were determined gravimetrically, according to the AOAC Official Methods; protein was measured by the Kjeldahl method; B-group vitamins were measured using Ultra Pressure Liquid Chromatography; and mineral content was determined by ICP-OES. The energy, protein, fat, and total dietary fiber (TDF) content of the samples ranged between 342–357 kcal/100 g, 6.79–10.74 g/100 g, 0.31–1.69 g/100 g, and 2.59–3.92 g/100 g respectively. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxin, and folate content ranged from 0.11–0.25 mg/100 g, 0.01–0.05 mg/100 g, 2.82–6.42 mg/100 g, 0.12–0.30 g/100 g, and 5.40–23.95 g/100 g respectively. In a comparison of parboiling and polishing, macronutrients and vitamin retention were higher in parboiled unpolished rice than in polished unparboiled rice. The minerals (mg/100 g) Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Na, K, and P were in the ranges 32.82–44.72, 30.69–58.34, 0.51–0.70,1.83–2.79, 5.00–5.36, 106.49–112.73, and 162.23–298.03. Minerals of BRRI dhan84 were unaffected by polishing and parboiling. BRRI dhan84 contributed a higher percentage of RDA of all B vitamins and minerals. Therefore, to reduce nutrient loss in rice, industries and consumers should be encouraged to avoid polishing or limit polishing to 10% DOM and to consume unpolished rice, either parboiled or unparboiled.

In recent years, the increasing energy requirement and consumption necessitates further improvement in energy storage technologies to obtain high cycling stability, power and energy density, and specific capacitance. Two-dimensional metal oxide nanosheets have gained much interest due to their attractive features, such as composition, tunable structure, and large surface area which make them potential materials for energy storage applications. This review focuses on the establishment of synthesis approaches of metal oxide nanosheets (MO nanosheets) and their advancements over time, as well as their applicability in several electrochemical energy storage systems, such as fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors. This review provides a comprehensive comparison of different synthesis approaches of MO nanosheets, as well their suitability in several energy storage applications. Among recent improvements in energy storage systems, micro-supercapacitors, and several hybrid storage systems are rapidly emerging. MO nanosheets can be employed as electrode and catalyst material to improve the performance parameters of energy storage devices. Finally, this review outlines and discusses the prospects, future challenges, and further direction for research and applications of metal oxide nanosheets.

This study evaluated growth experiences and identified policy gaps with Bangladesh compared to a few advanced Asian countries. It used secondary data over 120 years in retrospect along with projection to some extent. Whether would Bangladesh be able to enter into subsequent stages along linear stages growth model was a major research question. Bangladesh entered into the third of five stages in the early 1990s. On the other hand, Malaysia reached at the fourth and South Korea at the fifth stage. Bangladesh was too envisioned to reach at peak within 20 years with creative industries and demographic dividend. Some industrial conglomerates and new industries were expanded here in the 2000s. This economy would soon enter into fourth stage satisfying stage-specific indicators like two other economies. It had some policy gaps identified through comparison of stage-specific policies and strategies with others. However, its government, in the second perspective plan (2021-2041), emphasized on ICT based product-innovation and job creation in industry 4.0. Major challenges to moving forward in here was to reducing gaps between planned and actual development.

This study examines the effects of instructors' academic disciplines and prior experience with the learning management system (LMS), Canvas, on current use. Our mixed method study collected data via an online survey from 557 instructors at two United States universities. Quantitative analyses found significant differences in instructors' use of Canvas by their academic discipline and prior Canvas experience. Content analysis of the open-ended responses revealed that, when reporting the strengths and weaknesses of Canvas, while instructors across disciplines reported common strengths, the weaknesses they identified varied according to the features they used for their specific disciplines. Our findings lead us to recommend routine evaluation and assessment of instructors' needs related to LMS. We suggest that, together with general LMS training, campuses design and offer discipline-specific LMS training to ensure instructors' needs for LMS based on their academic fields are addressed. Also, we propose that universities should design and offer basic and advanced LMS training programs for instructors with different levels of LMS experience.

Cholera, an acute waterborne diarrheal disease, remains a major global health challenge. Despite being curable and preventable, it can be fatal if left untreated, especially for children. Bangladesh, a cholera‐endemic country with a high disease burden, experiences two peaks annually, during the dry pre‐monsoon spring and the wet post‐monsoon fall seasons. An early warning system for disseminating cholera risk, which has potential to reduce the disease burden, currently does not exist in Bangladesh. Such systems can raise timely awareness and allow households in rural, riverine areas like Matlab to make behavioral adjustments with water usage and around water resources to reduce contracting and transmitting cholera. Current dissemination approaches typically target local government and public health organizations; however, the vulnerable rural populations largely remain outside the information chain. Here, we develop and evaluate the accuracy of an early warning system—CholeraMap that uses high‐resolution earth observations to forecast cholera risk and disseminate geocoded risk maps directly to Matlab's population via a mobile smartphone application. Instead of relying on difficult to obtain station‐based environmental and hydroclimatological data, this study offers a new opportunity to use remote sensing data sets for designing and operating a disease early warning system. CholeraMap delivers monthly, color‐coded geospatial maps (1 km × 1 km spatial resolution) with household and community cholera risk information. Our results demonstrate that the satellite‐derived local‐scale risk model satisfactorily captured the seasonal cholera pattern for the Matlab region, and a detailed high‐resolution picture of the spatial progression of at‐risk areas during outbreak months. Plain Language Summary: Cholera, an acute waterborne diarrheal disease, remains a major public health challenge in developing nations. An early warning system for disseminating cholera risk has the potential to reduce the disease burden in rural, riverine, and endemic countries like Bangladesh. Current dissemination approaches typically target local government and public health organizations but largely overlook the vulnerable rural populations. We develop and evaluate the accuracy of an early warning system—CholeraMap that uses satellite remote sensing data to forecast cholera risk and disseminate geocoded risk maps directly to the remote population of Matlab, Bangladesh via a mobile smartphone application. CholeraMap delivers monthly, color‐coded risk maps to provide users with household and community cholera risk information along with associated explanations of the risks. Our results satisfactorily captured the spatiotemporal progression of at‐risk areas during high outbreak months and were disseminated to the vulnerable population of Matlab via this novel smartphone application. Key Points: An early warning system for disseminating cholera risk has the potential to reduce disease burden in vulnerable endemic populationsThis study is the first attempt to combine satellite data sets and smartphone‐based dissemination for waterborne diarrheal disease applicationsCholeraMap captured the spatiotemporal patterns and high‐resolution view of the progression of cholera risk during outbreak months [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaves of Annona squamosa (AS) are known for their anti-diabetic properties, although the specific active principles and mechanisms of action remain unidentified. To explore these properties further, various extracts of AS leaves were prepared, including hexane, chloroform, butanol, hexane-washed methanol, total methanol extract, and water decoction. These extracts were characterized and tested for their inhibitory effects on pancreatic á-amylase activity under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Among the extracts, the hexane extract demonstrated the lowest IC50 value of 0.925 mg/mL, prompting further investigation in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic model. The hypoglycemic response of this extract was correlated with its inhibitory activity against a-amylase in pancreatic homogenates. Different doses of the hexane extract were administered and compared with standard drugs such as acarbose and glimepiride. The results indicated that the hexane extract significantly reduced elevated glucose levels by 41.18±2.46% at a dosage of 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) and by 78.10±1.57% at 400 mg/kg BW. Additionally, it increased serum insulin levels from 8.56±1.42 µU/mL (in the experimental control group) to 16.26±1.20 µU/mL at the higher dosage of 400 mg/kg BW. The extract also inhibited á-amylase activity by 76.69±2.52% at 100 mg/kg BW and by 86.67±2.30% at 400 mg/kg BW. In comparison, glimepiride-treated rats exhibited a significant increase in serum insulin levels without a corresponding inhibition of a-amylase activity. Conversely, acarbose-treated rats showed significant inhibition of a-amylase but did not experience a notable rise in serum insulin levels. These findings suggest that the hexane extract of Annona squamosa leaves acts as both an insulin secretagogue--enhancing insulin secretion--and an inhibitor of pancreatic a-amylase in the small intestine. Consequently, this extract could be beneficial for managing postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Undernutrition in children under 5 years of age is one of the most important measurements of assessing the excellence of human life as it confirms healthy growth in early childhood. The main objective of this study is to understand the potential patterns and factors of undernutrition in children under 5 years of age in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2017. Methods: Four cross-sectional rounds of data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2007, 2011, 2014, and 2017) were used for this study. The ordinal logistic regression model was applied to explore the association between selected factors and undernutrition status (stunting, wasting, and underweight). Results: For stunting, the age of the child emerged as a significant factor. Between 2007 and 2017, older children (12–59 months) consistently exhibited a higher likelihood of severe stunting. In 2017, children aged 48–59 months had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.61 [confidence interval (CI): 1.34, 1.94] compared to those aged 0–11 months, a decrease from 3.04 (CI: 2.50, 3.71) in 2007. Regional disparities were notable, with children from the Sylhet division increasingly at risk. The OR for Sylhet rose from 1.02 (CI: 0.85, 1.22) in 2007 to 1.66 (CI: 1.35, 2.04) in 2017. In addition, socioeconomic factors shifted over time: OR for the poorest households decreased from 1.45 (CI: 1.21, 1.74) in 2007 to 1.18 (CI: 0.99, 1.42) in 2017, while children of mothers with higher education saw a consistent effect, with OR of 0.55 (CI: 0.38, 0.77) in 2007 and 0.49 (CI: 0.37, 0.66) in 2017. Over the survey years 2007, 2014, and 2017, girls were consistently less likely to be wasted than boys. In 2007, OR for girls was 0.86 (CI: 0.74, 0.99), slightly decreasing to 0.81 (CI: 0.68, 0.96) in 2017. Children of mothers with higher education were also less likely to be wasted compared to those of mothers without education. OR for children of mother with higher education was 0.79 (CI: 0.52, 1.20) in 2007, decreasing to 0.51 (CI: 0.35, 0.75) in 2017. In 2017, children aged 48–59 months had an OR of 1.84 (CI: 1.51, 2.24) for being underweight compared to those aged 0–11 months, slightly lower than the OR of 2.10 (CI: 1.75, 2.53) in 2007. In addition, in 2017, children from the richest families had OR of 0.68 (CI: 0.53, 0.87), consistent with that of 0.65 (CI: 0.52, 0.80) observed in 2007. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions addressing the specific needs of older children, those from low-income families, and regions with persistent disparities. Strengthening educational initiatives, enhancing nutritional programs, and promoting equitable healthcare access are crucial for sustaining the progress in reducing undernutrition in children under 5 years in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]