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Abstract Despite having a demographic dividend, the unemployment rate is soaring in Bangladesh, posing a great challenge for the nation. This perplexing situation demands knowledge of socio-demographic factors that may affect the employment status among graduates. Thus, this study aims to examine the impact of socio-demographic factors, such as gender, age, marital status, field of study, and family financial support on employment status. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire survey was conducted. Through the survey, data were collected from 415 respondents and analyzed using a Forward Likelihood Ratio binary logistic regression. The findings revealed that age, marital status, field of study, and financial support are crucial predictors that affect the probability of employment among graduates, whereas gender does not influence the probability of getting employed. The insights of the current study will assist policymakers in reaping the demographic dividend to reduce graduate unemployment by incorporating sociodemographic characteristics in Bangladesh’s policymaking for graduates. This study will help the government meet its commitment to development goals by identifying the basic socio-demographic elements that influence graduates’ employment status.

Abstract Background Neck pain is the most common musculoskeletal complexity with a high prevalence, especially in adults and the elderly. Objectives The objective of our study is to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of neck pain in research and development department staff in Bangladesh. Methodology Data were collected through questionnaire-assisted interviews to investigate the prevalence and related factors of neck pain among 384 R&D employees aged 18–55 years in Bangladesh. We performed regression analysis on neck pain and associated risk factors to uncover its sociodemographic and occupational correlates. Results The neck pain prevalence was high in this investigation, which is 35.7%, and of these, 27.6% affected the general working ability of the employees. The results indicated that people aged 40 to above years were more significantly to have neck pain, with an OR of 6.148 (p = 0.046), and BMI results indicated that those who were underweight were slightly significantly to have pain (p < 0.001). Again, educational qualification especially HSC or diploma OR 15.600 (p = 0.020) and those who often work on the computer were more significantly to have neck pain, with OR 8.801 (p = 0.078). Conclusions This study showed that the prevalence of neck pain was high among R&D workers in private industry. In this investigation, several factors associated with neck pain were found through logistic regression evaluation. The results of this study indicated that age, BMI, educational qualification, and those who frequently worked on computers had higher neck pain.

Abstract With the development of e-commerce, impulse buying behavior has transitioned from offline to online, presenting significant exploration value. This study aims to provide a comprehensive knowledge map and in-depth analysis of research on impulsive purchase behavior, helping readers understand the latest global trends in this field from 1967 to September 30, 2023. The study offers a visual analysis using CiteSpace, encompassing 704 academic articles on impulsive buying behavior published over 55 years. The status is revealed through collaboration networks, co-citation networks, and trend analysis. Researchers explore impulsive buying behavior in various contexts, with “e-commerce” being a primary focus. Notable new keywords include technology, customer satisfaction, perceived value, and virtual reality, among others. These terms contribute to future research directions. Overall, this pioneering research combines visual analysis to provide valuable insights and research recommendations for academics studying impulsive buying behavior.

This study explores the causes of curiosity-driven impulse buying in blind boxes using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model and adaptation level theory. It examines how store environment and product factors contribute to customer curiosity, incorporating price consciousness into the overall framework. Insights from an online survey of 306 Chinese respondents indicate that environmental factors and specific product characteristics positively influence consumer curiosity, while price consciousness has a negative moderate effect. The findings also show that customer curiosity stimulates impulse buying behavior and mediates the relationship between store atmosphere, surprise, and perceived novelty. This study identifies both objective and subjective factors behind blind box impulse buying and offers relevant suggestions for governments and consumers on managing impulse buying.

This study aims to use hot aqueous extract of herbal residue (HRE) to enhance bacterial growth and possess anti-diarrheal effects. In this study, lactobacillus species L. brevis (SAM-1), Lactobacillus plantarum (SAM-2), and Lactobacillus herbinensis (SAM-3) were isolated from date palm sap (collected in winter season). Square Pharmaceuticals PLC, Bangladesh provided herbal residues ‘Adovas’ which is non-sedating herbal cough syrup with sixteen common herbs including Adhatoda vasica. In our observation, HRE increased the number of colonies in MRS media. In the anti-diarrheal study by castor oil and magnesium sulphate-induced diarrheal mouse model, SAM-1 and 2 with or without HRE showed almost similar results. After initial morphological characterization, tests such as resistance to low pH, bile salt and survival capability in gastric simulated fluid (GSF) were performed to confirm them as a probiotic candidate. All three isolates were gram-positive bacteria and could grow in a mesophilic range of temperatures. The isolates were catalase-negative and were able to coagulate milk after overnight incubation. As the isolates exhibited resistance to low pH and could tolerate bile salts, they may survive in the stomach and intestine, thus making them a promising probiotic candidate. The isolated probiotics and HRE inhibited diarrheal and restored the body's electrolytes. Interestingly, SAM-2 showed higher efficacy than the standard drug (Loperamide), while SAM-1 showed a similar effect and SAM-3, had less effect than Loperamide. The findings suggest that probiotics and herbal residue could contribute to diarrhoeal disease prevention, which might be an alternative to a synthetic standard drug (Loperamide).

Abstract Metamaterial absorbers have sparked widespread interest due to their remarkable electromagnetic properties, which enable a wide range of applications in light absorption and manipulation. This study introduces a new three-layer nanomaterial absorber (NMA) unit cell composed of nickel (Ni), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and nickel (Ni) designed to operate across the entire visible spectrum (390–780 nm). We demonstrate the NMA’s exceptional absorption characteristics through rigorous numerical simulations using industry-standard software, achieving a mean absorption rate of 97.17% and a maximum absorption peak of 99.99% at 694.89 nm under standard angles. Furthermore, the NMA unit cell has good impedance matching, efficient coupling between capacitors and inductors, and significant plasmonic resonance properties. Fabrication feasibility and potential applications in solar energy harvesting, optical sensing, and light detection.

Abstract In Malaysia’s rapid economic growth and industrialization, environmental degradation and carbon emissions pose significant challenges. As urbanization continues to rise, there is a growing recognition of the imperative to tackle CO2 emissions. Trade openness and globalization drive economic activity but also heighten environmental pressures, including CO2 emissions from transportation and industry. Information communication technology (ICT) usage, shaped by infrastructure and regulations, can either improve energy efficiency or increase energy consumption. The study examines the impacts of economic growth (EG), trade openness (TON), technological innovation (TIN), and ICT on CO2 emissions in Malaysia, using both symmetric and asymmetric methods from 1985 to 2021. While many studies have explored environmental degradation, focusing on CO2 emissions and ecological footprint indicators, only a limited number have delved into the combined impact of sustainable EG, TON, ICT, and TIN on Malaysia’s CO2 emissions. Notably, these studies have often neglected the utilization of both symmetric and asymmetric methodologies. Hence, this study employed auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) and non-linear ARDL approaches to investigate the dynamic effects of the studied variables. The key findings from the symmetric analysis demonstrate that EG, TON, and ICT together take part in the increase of CO2 emissions in both the short and long run. Particularly, technological innovation plays a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions in the short term through the adoption of cleaner technologies. However, the results of the NARDL bound test reveal asymmetric long-term consequences of technological innovation, economic growth, and ICT on CO2 emissions. The study underscores the need for CO2 reduction policies in Malaysia, advocating for measures, such as incentivizing cleaner technologies and upgrading energy infrastructure. It also recommends implementing carbon pricing mechanisms for production and trade, alongside awareness campaigns to foster behavioral changes aimed at reducing emissions.

This study investigates the impact of micro- and nanocellulose coatings on the properties of wool fabrics using the solution blow spinning technique. The objective is to assess how varying cellulose sizes influence key fabric attributes, including physical properties, UV-shielding ability, air permeability and water vapour permeability, with a focus on their practical applications. Coating with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was found to increase the air permeability of fabric significantly, whereas coating with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) enhanced water vapour permeability and reduced pore size. The air permeability could relate to the breathability, and water vapour permeability could relate to the comfortability. Coated fabric with both sizes of cellulose could have different applications, like pollen filtration and printable cloth, and further functionality could be achieved by modifying the cellulose structure. This research establishes a platform for the effective application of cellulose coatings on wool fabric, offering promising advancements for textile performance and sustainability.

Lignin-cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs) can be used as UV-functional fillers in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films for various applications. However, agglomeration of particles restricts their addition to 20 wt% in the polymer matrix due to the reduction in mechanical properties. In this work, a new method is proposed to produce a flexible UV-protective composite film with a superior amount of L-CNCs (>76 wt%), where cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were used as a co-reinforcing agent (20%) and amount of synthetic polymer was very low, i.e., 5% PVA. Hemp hurd, a naturally abundant waste resource, was used for both L-CNCs and CNCs extraction. The addition of CNCs showed a synergistic effect with L-CNCs, improving the UV-shielding ability of the film at 300–400 nm light wavelength. The resultant films were flexible, and showed similar elongation behaviour to PVA, yet had a high modulus. The initial results showed improvement in the shelf-life of raspberries with a high amount of L-CNCs film, which indicated the potential of the bio-based nanocomposite film as a sustainable alternative to commercial petroleum-based plastics.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a biodegradable polymer that has applications in several industries, such as textiles and paper manufacturing. Due to the water solubility, it is also a useful solvent in 3D dispensing to extrude printable solutions at a low temperature. However, its hydrophilicity is a drawback when considering the property of the end-use material if water contact is required. Using the water solubility of PVA as a benefit during 3D dispensing but avoiding the hydrophilicity in the printed material is tricky and unresolved. This study proposes a technique to achieve this phenomenon by taking advantage of the natural hydrophobicity of wool waste by using it as a filler in PVA. There is no previous knowledge on how wool could impact the water resistance characteristic of PVA. Three types of micro-sized wool powder (22.2–46.3 μm) were used and their impact on the wool/PVA (25/75) 3D composite properties was investigated. The wool powders reinforced in PVA were able to resist water drops from penetrating the surface for the full length of the experiment (10 min). Water solubility test also showed a greater resistance of the 3D composite samples due to the incorporation of wool powders. Though tensile strength and crystallinity of PVA were decreased by including the wool particles, powders prepared with finer wool showed minimum influence on this reduction. The rheology and thermal properties also suggested better compatibility in the wool/PVA system when finer wool was used. Overall results indicate that wool waste could be effectively utilised to naturally induce water-resistant performance in PVA composite. This finding could be beneficial not only in 3D dispensing, but also in many other areas, such as packaging, where the use of PVA is still limited due to its sensitivity to water.

Owing to the ongoing pandemic, the importance of and demand for antimicrobial textiles have reached new heights. In addition to being used for medical purposes, antimicrobial textiles could be a self-defense entity against microbes for the general population. Because textiles are widely used, they can effectively be used to prevent the spread of microbes worldwide. The conventional antibacterial finishing process of textiles is the wet treatment method using either the pad–dry–cure or exhaustion techniques. However, the textile wet treatment industries are major contributors to worldwide pollution, which is extremely concerning. Given the current and near-future high demand, it is imperative to include plasma in antimicrobial finishing to achieve high efficiency in production, while retaining a safe environment. Hence, this paper reviews the rationale of plasma use in textile antimicrobial finishing through a critical analysis of recent studies and emphasizes the types and mechanisms of plasma techniques available for application.

The current study aims to examine the symmetric and asymmetric effects of climate change (CC) on rice productivity (RP) in Malaysia. The Autoregressive-Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) models were employed in this study. Time series data from 1980 to 2019 were collected from the World Bank and the Department of Statistics, Malaysia. The estimated results are also validated using Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR). The findings of symmetric ARDL show that rainfall and cultivated area have significant and advantageous effects on rice output. The NARDL-bound test outcomes display that climate change has an asymmetrical long-run impact on rice productivity. Climate change has had varying degrees of positive and negative impacts on rice productivity in Malaysia. Positive changes in temperature and rainfall have a substantial and destructive impact on RP. At the same time, negative variations in temperature and rainfall have a substantial and positive impact on rice production in the Malaysian agriculture sector. Changes in cultivated areas, both positive and negative, have a long-term optimistic impact on rice output. Additionally, we discovered that only temperature affects rice output in both directions. Malaysian policymakers must understand the symmetric and asymmetric effects of CC on RP and agricultural policies that will promote sustainable agricultural development and food security.

Online learning has been extensively conducted to continue the academic activities in the universities transversely the realm during the pandemic instigated by COVID-19. Like other countries’ universities across the world, universities in a developing country such as Bangladesh are going through the online learning phenomenon. However, the current virtual platform of learning implies enormous challenges for undergraduates to participate in the online learning process due to numerous barriers. Thus, the current paper intends to examine barriers that intensify unwillingness to online education at the university level in the context of Bangladesh. Based on the underpinning theories of TAM3 and UTAUT, this study identified four major barriers such as financial, insufficient institutional support, technological, and individual. Furthermore, gender is considered as moderating variable in the model. To inspect such barriers along with the moderating variable, this study employs the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique to estimate the measurement and structural model parameters and to generate the coexisting bootstrap assessments. The bootstrapping procedure has been initiated to test the statistical significance of the model parameter estimations. The findings confirm that technological, and insufficient institutional support barriers are statistically significant whereas the other two barriers have been revealed as non-significant to intensify learners’ reluctance to the online study. Furthermore, current findings also ratify no significant effect of gender as a moderating variable. Finally, this study augments specific policy implications for diverse stakeholders in current settings.

Abstract The highly infectious nature of SARS-CoV-2 necessitates the use of widespread testing to control the spread of the virus. Presently, the standard molecular testing method (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) is restricted to the laboratory, time-consuming, and costly. This increases the turnaround time for getting test results. This study sought to develop a rapid, near-patient saliva-based test for COVID-19 (Saliva-Dry LAMP) with similar accuracy to that of standard RT-PCR tests. A lyophilized dual-target reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test with fluorometric detection by the naked eye was developed. The assay relies on dry reagents that are room temperature stable. A device containing a centrifuge, heat block, and blue LED light system was manufactured to reduce the cost of performing the assay. This test has a limit of detection of 1 copy/µL and achieved a positive percent agreement of 100% [95% CI 88.43% to 100.0%] and a negative percent agreement of 96.7% [95% CI 82.78–99.92%] relative to a reference standard test. Saliva-Dry LAMP can be completed in 105 min. Precision, cross-reactivity, and interfering substances analysis met international regulatory standards. The combination of ease of sample collection, dry reagents, visual detection, low capital equipment cost, and excellent analytical sensitivity make Saliva-Dry LAMP particularly useful for resource-limited settings.

The study aimed to identify different molds that grow on various food surfaces. As a result, we conducted a case study for the detection of mold on food surfaces based on the “you only look once (YOLO) v5” principle. In this context, a dataset of 2050 food images with mold growing on their surfaces was created. Images were obtained from our own laboratory (850 images) as well as from the internet (1200 images). The dataset was trained using the pre-trained YOLOv5 algorithm. A laboratory test was also performed to confirm that the grown organisms were mold. In comparison to YOLOv3 and YOLOv4, this current YOLOv5 model had better precision, recall, and average precision (AP), which were 98.10%, 100%, and 99.60%, respectively. The YOLOv5 algorithm was used for the first time in this study to detect mold on food surfaces. In conclusion, the proposed model successfully recognizes any kind of mold present on the food surface. Using YOLOv5, we are currently conducting research to identify the specific species of the detected mold.

The precarious and decisive dy namics concerning the health of the populat ion of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries has called for further inquiry into the determinants of life expectancy (LE) in this region. Hence, the current paper employs the panel data estimation methods to analyse the economic, social, demographic, environmental, and technological factors influencing LE in five SAARC countries. These countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) are selected as they are favoured by the country similarity theory and other identical contexts. Available secondary data from 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the World Bank and UNDP databases for the specfic countries. The results reveal that the mean year of schooling and sanitation services are significant positive predictors of life expectancy at birth (LEAB). However, the total fertility rate, urban population, and CO2 emissions negatively influence life expectancy. Furthermore, the impact of health expenditure on life expectancy is significant but negative, which is unconventional. On the other hand, other independent variables, such as GDP, gross capital formation, internet usage, and mobile cellular subscription turn out to be insignificant predictors of LEAB. Our aggregate findings reveal some common factors on which the governments of SAARC countries can colla borate to improve the LEAB of the region while identifying some idiosyncratic factors that require tailored attention of the governments and policymakers of the respective nations. (original abstract)

Abstract Background 125 million women are pregnant each year in malaria endemic areas and are, therefore, at risk of Malaria in Pregnancy (MiP). MiP is the direct consequence of Plasmodium infection during pregnancy. The sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the placenta adversely affects fetal development and impacts newborn birth weight. Importantly, women presenting with MiP commonly develop anaemia. In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health recommends screening symptomatic women only at antenatal care visits with no formal intermittent preventive therapy. Since MiP can display low-level parasitaemia, current tests which include microscopy and RDT are challenged to detect these cases. Loop mediated isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology is a highly sensitive technique for DNA detection and is field compatible. This study aims to evaluate the impact of active malaria case detection during pregnancy using LAMP technology in terms of birth outcomes. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted in two health centres of the Kafa zone, South West Ethiopia. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women were enrolled in the first or second trimester and allocated to either Standard of Care (SOC—microscopy and RDT) or LAMP (LAMP, microscopy and RDT). Women completed at least three visits prior to delivery, and the patient was referred for treatment if Plasmodium infection was detected by any of the testing methods. The primary outcome was to measure absolute birth weight, proportion of low birth weight, and maternal/neonatal haemoglobin in each arm. Secondary outcomes were to assess the performance of microscopy and RDT versus LAMP conducted in the field. Results One hundred and ninety-nine women were included and assigned to either LAMP or SOC. Six were lost to follow up. In this cohort, 66.8% of women did not display any clinical symptoms and 70.9% were multi-parous. A reduced proportion of low birth weight newborns was observed in the LAMP group (0%) compared to standard of care (14%) (p

Bombyx mori muslin silk fabric was dyed with three different bi-functional reactive dyes in exhaust method. Dyeability of the silk fabric was analyzed by reflectance spectra, microscopic appearance, color strength, and saturation limit. Thermal influence on dye exhaustion, migration index, level dyeing factor, and color fastness properties were also investigated. Different kinetic models were approached to study dynamic behavior of dye adsorption and predictability of the models was assessed by co-efficient of regression (r2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). Some physico-chemical parameters such as activation energy and chemical potential of dyeing were also evaluated. Brilliant color was observed on silk by all class of reactive dyes. A controlled dyeing condition was also suggested to avoid the risk of unlevel dyeing. Wet fastness properties exhibited excellent results on silk fabric. The adsorption data conformed to the pseudo second-order kinetic model with r2 ≥ 0.94 and the activation energy (ΔE) valued (≥55 kJ/mol) within the range of chemisorption for all dyes. The increase of negativity of chemical potential supported higher dye uptake on silk at elevated temperature.

Contemporary research on technology and innovation management has gauged blockchain as a catalyst for the electronic-information era. As developing countries around the globe are facing challenges to adopt and implement blockchain, this evidence-based systematic review aims to identify the implementation challenges of blockchain technology for developing countries. A total of 1,298 published documents during the period 2016-2021 from the Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect databases were explored to recognize 19 appropriate publications for research analysis using a PRISMA flow diagram. Based on the identified challenges from the thorough reviews of these 19 publications, using the association technique, the authors developed four comprehensive themes as broad challenges: technological, governance, organizational and environmental, and knowledge. Later, they performed bibliometric analyses using VOSviewer 1.6.17, and based on the bibliometric evidence constructed term co-occurrence network plots. The results show that developing countries face challenges vis-à-vis technological, governance, organizational and environmental, and knowledge issues when implementing blockchain technology. Hence, to make blockchain adoption and implementation processes successful in developing countries, these broad categories of challenges must be properly addressed. In addition, practitioners of disruptive technology, policymakers, consultants, IT experts, business people, top company managers, and above all, respective governments need to pay attention to these challenges for accelerating the blockchain adoption and implementation process in developing countries.

Abstract Background Malaria elimination requires diagnostic methods able to detect parasite levels well below what is currently possible with microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. This is particularly true in surveillance of malaria at the population level that includes so-called “asymptomatic” individuals. Methods The development of the first ultrasensitive loop mediated amplification method capable of detecting malaria from both whole blood and dried blood spots (DBS) is described. The 18S rRNA and corresponding genes that remain stable on DBS for up to 5 months are targeted. Results In the case of Plasmodium falciparum, lower limits of detection of 25 parasite/mL and 50–100 parasite/mL from whole blood and DBS were obtained, respectively. A sensitivity of 97.0% (95% CI 82.5–99.8) and specificity of 99.1% (95% CI 97.6–99.7) was obtained for the detection of all species in asymptomatic individuals from Africa and Asia (n = 494). Conclusion This tool is ideally suited for low middle-income countries where malaria is endemic and ultrasensitive surveillance of malaria is highly desirable for elimination.

Endeavour has been made in this research work using experimental data for constructing a fuzzy inference model based on the Mamdani approach to prognosticate the shrinkage and mass per unit area of a single jersey cotton knitted fabric. To control the dimensional stability of the cotton knitted fabric in advance, an artifi cial intelligent system is required in the knitting industry which simulates all product and process variables and is able to give human-like decisions in advance. The most important controlling parameters of knitted fabric properties such as stitch length, yarn count and overfeed percentage in stenter were considered as input variables, and mass per unit area, lengthwise shrinkage and widthwise shrinkage as output variables. Overall, 35 experiments were conducted to construct the model, varying different parameters. The applicability of the model was validated by comparing the results from 15 newly conducted experiments. The coeffi cient of determination of predicted and actual data for mass per unit area, lengthwise shrinkage and widthwise shrinkage were 0.97, 0.99 and 0.99, respectively which validates the model relatively effectively for an industrial application. The proposed model can assist a fabric manufacturer by taking a decision in selecting knitting and fi nishing parameters prior to producing the fabric. Moreover, it can reduce the time and energy required, and waste produced in the process by skipping the sample development step before bulk production.

Lignin is a natural source of UV-shielding materials, though its recalcitrant and heterogeneous structure makes the extraction and purification processes complex. However, lignin’s functionality can be directly utilised when it stays as native with cellulose and hemicellulose in plant biomass, rather than being separated. The fabrication process of this native lignin is sustainable, as it consumes less energy and chemicals compared to purified lignin; thus, it is an economic and more straightforward approach. In this study, the properties of native and purified lignin–cellulose nanocrystals (L–CNCs) sourced from hemp hurd waste were compared to explore the differences in their morphology, UV-shielding properties and chemical structure affected by their distinct fabrication process. These two kinds of L–CNCs were further added into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to evaluate their reinforcement characteristics. The resulting native L–CNCs/PVA film showed stronger UV-shielding ability than purified L–CNCs. Moreover, the native L–CNCs showed better compatibility with PVA, while the purified L–CNCs/PVA interfaces showed phase separation. The phase separation in purified L–CNCs/PVA films reduced the films’ tensile strength and Young’s modulus and increased the water vapour transmission. The laboratory-scale cost of native L–CNCs production (~AUD 80/kg) was only 10% of purified L–CNCs (~AUD 850/kg), resulting in a comparatively lower cost for preparing native L–CNCs/PVA composite films. Overall, this study shows that the proposed method of production and use of native L–CNCs can be an economic approach to deliver UV-shielding properties for potential applications, such as food packaging.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 85% of all solid tumors of the kidney. For many years, radical nephrectomy was the stan­dard treatment for RCC. Partial nephrectomy has gradual­ly replaced radical nephrectomy over the past decade, es­pecially for T1 stage renal cell carcinoma. However, the benefit of partial nephrectomy on oncolog­ic outcomes is not well known. Objective: to investigate the clinical outcome of partial nephrectomy on T1 renal cell carcinoma. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in a single unit of urology department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh from the period September 2014 to September 2017. Fourteen patients underwent partial nephrectomy during this period with renal mass based on eligibility criteria. Two follow up was done at three months and six months. Result: Mean age of the patients undergoing surgery was 52.0± 3.8 (46.0 to 57.0 years) years. For the majority of the patients, tumour size was in a range of 3-7 cm. Average operative time was 90 minutes and mean ischaemic time was 16.5 ± 4.6 minutes (14.5 to 21.0 minutes). Histopathological reports correlated with clinical diagnosis and showed adequate surgical clear margin in every case. There was no recurrence of tumour noticed during the two follow up periods. The different investigation did not reveal the impaired renal functional test during the follow-up period. Conclusion: The clinical outcome of partial nephrectomy was found better in this study. Partial nephrectomy has the potential to replace radical nephrectomy for managing T1 tumours. However, there are some controversies regarding the post-operative oncological outcome. More studies are recommended to investigate the effect of partial nephrectomy for T1 tumours.

The adsorption kinetics study of curcumin on a cotton fabric was investigated at three different temperatures at neutral pH with 1 : 20 material liquid ratio and 1 g/L initial dye concentration. Pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order kinetics were approached to experimental data and the adsorption kinetics of curcumin on cotton fitted well with the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The activation energy was 71.96 kJ/ mol, whereas enthalpy and entropy were 68.99 kJ/mol and –59.7 J/mol K, respectively. Dye adsorption declined with increasing temperature, which suggests that the process is exothermic and the negative value of entropy indicates the presence of interaction between the adsorbent and adsorbate.

A kinetic study of curcumin on modal fabric was carried out using an initial dye concentration of 1 g/L at three different temperatures, 70 °C, 85 °C and 100 °C, at pH 7 and an material to liquor ratio of 1:20. Pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order kinetics were applied, and it was found that the adsorption kinetics of curcumin on modal fabric matched the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The activation energy was found to be equal to 71.14 kJ/mol, while the enthalpy and entropy of activation were 68.16 kJ/mol and –66.02 J/molK respectively.

Abstract A fuzzy prediction model has been built based on hydrogen peroxide concentration, temperature and time of bleaching as the input variables and knitted fabric whiteness index as the output variable. The process parameters affecting the whiteness index of cotton knitted fabrics are very non-linear. Fuzzy inference system is a prospective modeling tool as it can map effectively in nonlinear domain with minimum investigational data. Triangular-shaped membership functions were considered for the variables and total 48 rules were created in this study. It was found that the sole effect of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide on whiteness is pretty low, but is affected by temperature noticeably even in a fixed concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The model proposed in the present study has been verified by additional experimental data set. The root mean square, mean absolute error percentage and coefficient of determination (R 2 ) between the predicted and experimental values were found to be 0.536, 0.798 and 0.959 respectively. The results validate that the model can be applied suitably for the prediction of fabric whiteness index in textile industries.

Automatic inference of task level parallelism is fundamental for ensuring many kinds of safety and liveness properties of parallel applications. For example, two tasks running in parallel may be involved in data races when they have conflicting memory accesses, or one is affecting the termination of another by updating shared variables. In this paper, we have considered a task-graph-based actor model, used in signal processing applications (e.g., baseband processing in wireless communication, LTE uplink processing) that are deployed on many-core platforms, in which the actors, task-graphs, and tasks are the active entities running in parallel. The actors invoke task graphs, which in turn invoke tasks, and they communicate through message passing, thus creating different kinds of dependencies and parallelism in the application. We introduce a novel May Happen in Parallel (MHP) analysis for complex parallel applications based on our computational model. The MHP analysis consists of (i) data-flow analysis applicable to parallel control-flow structures inferring MHP facts representing pairs of tasks running in parallel, (ii) identification of all direct and indirect communication by generating a context-free grammar and enumerating valid strings representing parallelism and dependencies among active entities, and (iii) inferring MHP facts when multiple task-graphs communicate. Our analysis is applicable to other computational models (e.g. Cilk or X10) too. We have fully implemented our analysis and evaluated it on signal processing applications consisting of a maximum of 36.57 million lines of code representing 232 different tasks. The analysis took approximately 7 minutes to identify all communication information and 10.5 minutes to identify 12052 executable parallel task-pairs (to analyse for concurrency bugs) proving that our analysis is scalable for industrial-sized code-bases.

Lignin is a natural light-coloured ultraviolet (UV) absorber; however, conventional extraction processes usually darken its colour and could be detrimental to its UV-shielding ability. In this study, a sustainable way of fabricating lignin–cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs) from hemp hurd is proposed. A homogeneous morphology of the hemp particles was achieved by ball milling, and L-CNCs with high aspect ratio were obtained through mild acid hydrolysis on the ball-milled particles. The L-CNCs were used as filler in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, which produced a light-coloured nanocomposite film with high UV-shielding ability and enhanced tensile properties: the absorption of UV at wavelength of 400 nm and transparency in the visible-light region at wavelength of 550 nm was 116 times and 70% higher than that of pure PVA, respectively. In addition to these advantages, the nanocomposite film showed a water vapour transmission property comparable with commercial food package film, indicating potential applications.

The performances of formaldehyde-based and non-formaldehyde cross-linkers on pretreated cotton woven fabric were assessed and compared in this research. Fixapret CL was considered as the formaldehyde-based resin and Fixapret NF as the formaldehyde-free resin. Dry cross-linking method was adopted for the application of cross-linkers. Different properties of resin treated fabrics investigated and compared were as follows: DP (durable press) rating, wrinkle recovery, stiff ness, tensile strength, tear strength, shrinkage, skewness, hydrophobicity, whiteness and yellowness index. Marginally low performances in smoothness appearance and dimensional stability on fabric were exhibited with formaldehyde-free cross-linkers although indicating lower amount of the strength loss percentage. The formaldehyde-based compounds imparted more yellowing tendency to the treated fabric. The formaldehyde-free resins may be a good choice of replacements considering the overall eff ectiveness on fabric

Abstract Background Despite the efforts of the National Malaria Control Programme, malaria remains as an important public health problem in Bangladesh, particularly in the south-eastern region bordering India. Successful malaria control strategies rely on a detailed understanding of the underlying causes of malaria transmission. Here, an entomological survey was conducted in a malaria endemic area of Bangladesh bordering India to investigate the Anopheles mosquito community and assess their Plasmodium infection status. Methods Monthly entomological collections were undertaken from October 2010 to September 2011 in five villages in the Matiranga sub-district, Khagrachari district in Bangladesh, bordering the Indian State of Tripura. CDC miniature light traps were placed inside houses to collect adult Anopheles mosquitoes. Following morphological and molecular identification of the female Anopheles mosquitoes collected, they were screened for circumsporozoite proteins (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), Plasmodium vivax-210 (Pv-210) and Plasmodium vivax-247 (Pv-247), by ELISA to determine natural infection rates. Variation in Anopheles species composition, relative abundance and Plasmodium infection rates were analysed between sampled villages. Results A total of 2,027 female Anopheles were collected, belonging to 20 species. Anopheles nivipes was the most abundant species in our test villages during the peak malaria transmission season, and was observed sympatrically with An. philippinensis in the studied area. However, in the dry off-peak season, An. jeyporiensis was the most abundant species. Shannon’s diversity index was highest in October (2.12) and evenness was highest in May (0.91). The CSP ELISA positive rate overall was 0.44%. Anopheles karwari (n = 2), An. barbirostris s.l. (n = 1) and An. vagus (n = 1) were recorded positive for Pf. Anopheles kochi (n = 1) was positive for Pv-210 while An. umbrosus (n = 1), An. nivipes (n = 1) and An. kochi (n = 1) were positive for Pv-247. A mixed infection of Pf and Pv-247 was detected in An. barbirostris s.l.. Conclusion High diversity of Anopheles species was observed in areas close to the international border where species that were underestimated for malaria transmission significantly outnumbered principal vector species and these may play a significantly heightened role in malaria transmission.

The Sundarbans Forest (∼10,000 km2) represents the only mangrove ecosystem inhabited by tigers Panthera tigris. However, in the Bangladesh portion of the Sundarbans (∼6,000 km2) tigers appear to have declined. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of a range of environmental and landscape variables in possible changes in the relative abundance of tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans over a five-year period (2007–2011). In 2007, 2011 tiger relative abundance was assessed using sign surveys. Using regression models we investigated changes in relative abundance versus multiple landscape variables (human disturbance associated with villages and commercial shipping lanes, distance to the international border with India where there is enhanced patrolling, presence of forest guard stations, number of criminal prosecutions and forest protection status). Tiger relative abundance was higher in 2007 and declined by 2011 with changes best explained by the proximity to international boundaries. This result might have been affected by the high levels of security patrols at the India-Bangladesh border along with cross border tiger movement between India and Bangladesh. Neighboring tiger range countries could strengthen cross-border law enforcement, increasing protection of dispersing animals. Particularly alarming was the absence of a positive effect of protected areas relative to those outside the protected area system or forest guard stations, implying a lack of management effectiveness suggesting an urgent need for an improved strategy for managing tigers and their habitats. Keywords: Wildlife poaching, Population declines, Transboundary protection, Joint patrolling, Protected area effectiveness

The aim of this paper is to assess the service quality of Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited’s (DESCO) online bill payment system using extended SERVQUAL model termed as SERVQUAL-Butterfly Model that integrates customer expectation and perception of actual service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Using random sampling method, primary data were collected from a total of 300 customers from three operating zones of DESCO. The data were analyzed through PLS-SEM second-order hierarchical modeling approach and Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). We found that expectation on service quality has no effect on customer satisfaction; however, it influences the formation of perception about the actual quality of service. Customer satisfaction is significantly influenced by the perception of actual service quality and customer satisfaction significantly helps to make the customer loyal. For DESCO, empathy found to be a powerful indicator of both expectation and actual service quality and perception of actual service found to be the single most important factor for customer satisfaction. Future researchers can use this SERVQUAL-Butterfly Model that eliminates inherent limitations of original SERVQUAL model and augment it according to their specific industry, context, and culture.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Jordan. Rigorous needs assessment for breast cancer patients can prioritize both cancer care and palliative care to propose the appropriate services effectively. We conducted a cross-sectional study of breast cancer patients in a cancer center in Jordan. We assessed symptom burden, comorbidities, and performance using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the Australia-modified Karnofsky performance scale (AKPS). Descriptive analysis and regression models to predict the highest symptom burden were used. A total of 233 participants were enrolled: curative vs. palliative intent groups (147 (63%) vs. 86 (37%) patients), respectively. Tiredness was the most reported symptom in 189 patients (81%), while nausea was the least in 61 patients (26.2%). A relationship between the AKPS score and total ESAS was seen (correlation coefficient of -0.487; p < 0.0001). The prevalence of anxiety ( p = 0.014), lack of appetite ( p = 0.002), poor well-being ( p < 0.001), and sleep disorder ( p = 0.035) was higher in the palliative care intent group than in the curative one. We identified unmet needs in breast cancer patients. Both groups showed a prevalence of distressing symptoms suggesting that even those with non-palliative intent have high needs and should receive integrated palliative care.

Elucidation of the sperm-egg interaction at the molecular level is one of the unresolved problems in sexual reproduction, and understanding the molecular mechanism is crucial in solving problems in infertility and failed in vitro fertilization (IVF). Many molecular interactions in the form of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate the sperm-egg membrane interaction. Due to the complexity of the problem such as difficulties in analyzing in vivo membrane PPIs, many efforts have failed to comprehensively elucidate the fusion mechanism and the molecular interactions that mediate sperm-egg membrane fusion. The main purpose of this study was to reveal possible protein interactions and associated molecular function during sperm-egg interaction using a protein interaction network approach. Different databases have been used to construct the human sperm-egg interaction network. The constructed network revealed new interactions. These included CD151 and CD9 in human oocyte that interact with CD49 in sperm, and CD49 and ITGA4 in sperm that interact with CD63 and CD81, respectively, in the oocyte. These results showed that the different integrins in sperm may be involved in human sperm-egg interaction. It was also suggested that sperm ADAM2 plays a role as a protein candidate involved in sperm-egg membrane interaction by interacting with CD9 in the oocyte. Interleukin-4 receptor activity, receptor signaling protein tyrosine kinase activity, and manganese ion transmembrane transport activity are the major molecular functions in sperm-egg interaction protein network. The disease association analysis indicated that sperm-egg interaction defects are also reflected in other disease networks such as cardiovascular, hematological, and breast cancer diseases. By analyzing the network, we identified the major molecular functions and disease association genes in sperm-egg interaction protein. Further experimental studies will be required to confirm the significance of these new computationally resolved interactions and the genetic links between sperm-egg interaction abnormalities and the associated disease.

Oxidative addition of aryl bromides to 12-electron [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)][BAr(F)(4)] (Ar(F)=3,5-(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3)) forms a variety of products. With p-tolyl bromides, Rh(III) dimeric complexes result [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)(o/p-MeC(6)H(4))(mu-Br)](2)[BAr(F)(4)](2). Similarly, reaction with p-ClC(6)H(4)Br gives [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)(p-ClC(6)H(4))(mu-Br)](2)[BAr(F)(4)](2). In contrast, the use of o-BrC(6)H(4)Me leads to a product in which toluene has been eliminated and an isobutyl phosphine has undergone C-H activation: [Rh{PiBu(2)(CH(2)CHCH(3)CH(2))}(PiBu(3))(mu-Br)](2)[BAr(F)(4)](2). Trapping experiments with ortho-bromo anisole or ortho-bromo thioanisole indicate that a possible intermediate for this process is a low-coordinate Rh(III) complex that then undergoes C-H activation. The anisole and thioanisole complexes have been isolated and their structures show OMe or SMe interactions with the metal centre alongside supporting agostic interactions, [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)(C(6)H(4)OMe)Br][BAr(F)(4)] (the solid-state structure of the 5-methyl substituted analogue is reported) and [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)(C(6)H(4)SMe)Br][BAr(F)(4)]. The anisole-derived complex proceeds to give [Rh{PiBu(2)(CH(2)CHCH(3)CH(2))}(PiBu(3))(mu-Br)](2)[BAr(F)(4)](2), whereas the thioanisole complex is unreactive. The isolation of [Rh(PiBu(3))(2)(C(6)H(4)OMe)Br][BAr(F)(4)] and its onward reactivity to give the products of C-H activation and aryl elimination suggest that it is implicated on the pathway of a sigma-bond metathesis reaction, a hypothesis strengthened by DFT calculations. Calculations also suggest that C-H bond cleavage through phosphine-assisted deprotonation of a non-agostic bond is also competitive, although the subsequent protonation of the aryl ligand is too high in energy to account for product formation. C-H activation through oxidative addition is also ruled out on the basis of these calculations. These new complexes have been characterised by solution NMR/ESIMS techniques and in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography.

Diabetes and increased blood pressure (BP) are believed to interact synergistically in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic nephropathy. The present studies were performed to examine if there were differences in BP load and/or protective renal autoregulatory capacity between the obese diabetic Zucker fatty /spontaneously hypertensive heart failure F1 hybrid (ZSF1) (fa/fa cp) rats and their lean controls. By approximately 26 wk of age, ZSF1 (n = 13) but not their lean controls (n = 16) had developed substantial proteinuria (180 +/- 19 vs. 16 +/- 1.4 mg/24 h) and glomerulosclerosis (19 +/- 2.4 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.2%; P < 0.001). However, average ambient systolic BP by radiotelemetry (12-26 wk of age) was modestly lower in ZSF1 than in lean controls (130 +/- 1.4 vs. 137 +/- 1.7 mmHg, P < 0.002), although the 24-h BP power spectra showed a mild increase at frequencies <0.1 Hz in the ZSF1. Autoregulatory capacity under anesthesia in response to step changes in perfusion pressure between 100 and 140 mmHg was similarly well preserved in both ZSF1 and lean controls at 16-18 wk of age [autoregulatory indexes (AI) <0.1]. Similarly, differences were not observed for dynamic autoregulation in conscious rats [transfer functions between BP (input) and renal blood flow (output) using chronic Transonic flow probes]. Collectively, these data indicate that the pathogenesis of nephropathy in the ZSF1 model of type 2 diabetic nephropathy is largely independent of differences in systemic BP and/or its potential renal transmission. However, these data do not exclude the possibility that the diabetic milieu may alter the glomerular capillaries in the ZSF1, such that there is an enhanced local susceptibility to injury with even normal glomerular pressures.

Reaction of heteroaromatic o-aminonitrile with ethyl N-[bis(methylthio)methylene]amino acetate resulted in annelation of a thieno[3,2-e]imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidine moiety in a one step process. [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-c]thieno- [3,2-e]pyrimidine derivatives were prepared by initial treatment of o-aminonitrile with carbon disulfide, followed by methylation with methyl iodide and subsequent reaction with benzhydrazide and thiosemicarbazide, respectively. Hydrazinothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine was prepared by cyclization of heteroaromatic o-aminoester with formamide, followed by chlorination and subsequent displacement with hydrazine. Treatment of the hydrazino derivative with acetylacetone, benzaldehyde and acetic anhydride afforded pyrazolylpyrimidine, benzylidenehydrazonopyrimidine and triazolopyrimidine derivatives, respectively. Some of these derivatives exhibited pronounced antimicrobial activity.