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Background: Empagliflozin is a relatively newer glucose-lowering drug (GLD) with many extra-glycemic benefits. To date, no study has evaluated the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in Bangladeshi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin as an add-on to ongoing GLDs in Bangladeshi adults with uncontrolled T2DM. Materials and Methods: This real-world, multicenter, open-label, prospective study was carried out at 21 sites throughout Bangladesh from 1 February 2022 to 31 July 2022. Patients with T2DM who met the criteria had Empagliflozin added to their existing GLD treatment, with necessary modifications to their ongoing medication regimen. The efficacy and safety data were collected 12 weeks after empagliflozin initiation. Results: Out of 1449 subjects initiating empagliflozin, 1340 subjects [age 50.3 ± 9.0 years, male 52.5%, overweight/obese 94.4%, insulin-treated 25.7%, baseline hemoglobin A1c (Hba1c) 9.9 ± 1.4%] completed the study. At 12 weeks, the reduction in HbA1c was 1.6% (95% CI 1.5-1.6, P < 0.001); 12.5% of the study subjects achieved HbA1c < 7%. There were also significant (P < 0.001 in all instances) reductions in fasting plasma glucose (3.0 mmol/L), plasma glucose 2 hours after breakfast (4.8 mmoL/L), body weight (1.9 kg), body mass index (0.8 kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (BP) (10 mmHg), diastolic BP (7 mmHg), insulin dose (3 U), serum creatinine (0.06 mg/dL), total cholesterol (18 mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (13 mg/dL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1 mg/dL), and triglyceride (42 mg/dL) and an increase in estimated glomerular filtration rate (4.2 mL/min/1.73 m2) from the baseline values. 6.62% experienced adverse events (lightheadedness 2.21%, genital tract infection 0.97%, urinary tract infection 1.24%, generalized weakness 0.48%, and nocturia 0.48%). 1.1% of subjects experienced hypoglycemia, and other 0.12% reported severe hypoglycemic events. Conclusion: Empagliflozin is effective, safe, and tolerable for treating Bangladeshi patients with uncontrolled T2DM as add-on therapy in routine clinical practice with favorable effects on body weight, BP, lipid profile, and renal function.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is a highly transmissible virus that causes COVID-19 disease. Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis include excessive inflammation and viral-induced cell death, resulting in tissue damage. Here we show that the host E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM7 acts as an inhibitor of apoptosis and SARS-CoV-2 replication via ubiquitination of the viral membrane (M) protein. Trim7 -/- mice exhibit increased pathology and virus titers associated with epithelial apoptosis and dysregulated immune responses. Mechanistically, TRIM7 ubiquitinates M on K14, which protects cells from cell death. Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 sequence analysis from infected patients reveal that mutations on M-K14 appeared in circulating variants during the pandemic. The relevance of these mutations was tested in a mouse model. A recombinant M-K14/K15R virus shows reduced viral replication, consistent with the role of K15 in virus assembly, and increased levels of apoptosis associated with the loss of ubiquitination on K14. TRIM7 antiviral activity requires caspase-6 inhibition, linking apoptosis with viral replication and pathology.

Abstract The main objective of this study was to investigate the depth and breadth of knowledge and ideas about adolescent health among secondary-level students. A concurrent mixed method approach, both quantitative and qualitative methods, was followed to carry out the study. Students enrolled in tenth grade under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in Khulna City, Bangladesh, were chosen as the respondents of the study. Kotwali and Khanjahan Ali Thana of Khulna City were rationally chosen as the areas of the study. A total of 40 schools were randomly chosen, and 400 surveys, 10 surveys from each school, ideally 05 boys and 05 girls, were carried out, including 10 in-depth case studies. Findings indicated that, on average, more than half of the adolescents have knowledge gaps about adolescents and reproductive health, for example, misconceptions about the adolescent period and age range of puberty, vague understanding of the first sign(s) of physical appearances, and face critical emotional and social challenges. Both qualitative and quantitative data further showed that they hardly get sufficient cooperation and support from family and social environments in dealing with their challenges, display risky health behaviour, and make major decisions based on their self-discretionary assumptions to deal with crises. The findings of this study would provide important guidelines to parents and guardians, local and district and regional and national level GOs and NGOs health professionals who work with adolescent and reproductive health services, policymakers, academics, and researchers to create an adolescent-friendly environment.

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to its etiology. Previous evidence has implicated disturbed insulin signaling as a key mechanism that plays a role in both neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and comorbid somatic diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). In this study, we analysed available genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of AD and somatic insulin-related diseases and conditions (SID), i.e., DM2, metabolic syndrome and obesity, to identify genes associated with both AD and SID that could increase our insights into their molecular underpinnings. We then performed functional enrichment analyses of these genes. Subsequently, using (additional) GWAS data, we conducted shared genetic etiology analyses between AD and SID, on the one hand, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolite levels on the other hand. Further, integrating all these analysis results with elaborate literature searches, we built a molecular landscape of the overlap between AD and SID. From the landscape, multiple functional themes emerged, including insulin signaling, estrogen signaling, synaptic transmission, lipid metabolism and tau signaling. We also found shared genetic etiologies between AD/SID and the blood/CSF levels of multiple metabolites, pointing towards “energy metabolism” as a key metabolic pathway that is affected in both AD and SID. Lastly, the landscape provided leads for putative novel drug targets for AD (including MARK4, TMEM219, FKBP5, NDUFS3 and IL34) that could be further developed into new AD treatments.

Abstract Background Koala retrovirus (KoRV), a major pathogen of koalas, exists in both endogenous (KoRV-A) and exogenous forms (KoRV-A to I and K to M) and causes multiple disease phenotypes, including carcinomas and immunosuppression. However, the direct association between the different KoRV subtypes and carcinogenesis remains unknown. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of koalas carrying both endogenous (KoRV-A) and exogenous (KoRV-A, B, and C) subtypes was performed using a high-throughput RNA-seq approach. PBMCs were obtained from three healthy koalas: one infected with endogenous (KoRV-A; Group I) and two infected with exogenous (KoRV-B and/or KoRV-C; Group II) subtypes. Additionally, spleen samples (n = 6) from six KoRV-infected deceased koalas (K1- K6) and blood samples (n = 1) from a live koala (K7) were collected and examined to validate the findings. Results All koalas were positive for the endogenous KoRV-A subtype, and eight koalas were positive for KoRV-B and/or KoRV-C. Transcription of KoRV gag, pol, and env genes was detected in all koalas. Upregulation of cytokine and immunosuppressive genes was observed in koalas infected with KoRV-B or KoRV-B and -C subtypes, compared to koalas infected with only KoRV-A. We found 550 DEG signatures with significant (absolute p 1.5) dysregulation, out of which 77.6% and 22.4% DEGs were upregulated (log2FC > 1.5) and downregulated (log2FC

xCas9 is an evolved variant of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system, engineered to improve specificity and reduce undesired off-target effects. How xCas9 expands the DNA targeting capability of Cas9 by recognising a series of alternative protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences while ignoring others is unknown. Here, we elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying xCas9’s expanded PAM recognition and provide critical insights for expanding DNA targeting. We demonstrate that while wild-type Cas9 enforces stringent guanine selection through the rigidity of its interacting arginine dyad, xCas9 introduces flexibility in R1335, enabling selective recognition of specific PAM sequences. This increased flexibility confers a pronounced entropic preference, which also improves recognition of the canonical TGG PAM. Furthermore, xCas9 enhances DNA binding to alternative PAM sequences during the early evolution cycles, while favouring binding to the canonical PAM in the final evolution cycle. This dual functionality highlights how xCas9 broadens PAM recognition and underscores the importance of fine-tuning the flexibility of the PAM-interacting cleft as a key strategy for expanding the DNA targeting potential of CRISPR-Cas systems. These findings deepen our understanding of DNA recognition in xCas9 and may apply to other CRISPR-Cas systems with similar PAM recognition requirements.

Abstract Date palm fibers possess mechanical properties to synthetic fibers, making them a promising material for fabricating sustainable composites. Date palm fibers exhibit particular hydrophilicity and good mechanical characteristics, which require for particular considerations in composite compositions. Date palm fibers are an incredibly adaptable kind of vegetable fiber which is often used in structural composites. Date palm has also demonstrated promise in a number of other applications, including construction, lighter materials, and sports products. The goal of this study is to present an extensive summary of the current status of research date palm fiber reinforcement composites. This article gives a summary and analysis of the most significant studies on thermoset and thermoplastic composites reinforced with date palm fiber. This document also provides a summary of the primary attributes of date palm fibers, discusses how to improve their characteristics chemically, describes how to create and characterize date palm fiber composites, and highlights prospects for further study. This paper concludes with a few essential suggestions and future directions that highlight the problems that need to be solved in more in‐depth research and possible composites industrialization. Highlights Overviewing the composites made from date palm fiber Different properties of date palm fibers Mechanical behavior of date palm composites Applications of date palm composite Future prospects of the date palm composites.

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), hyperuricemia is a common phenomenon, presumably due to reduced renal clearance of uric acid. This study investigated the effect of xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors allopurinol and febuxostat to prevent oxidative stress in the kidney of two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) rats. In this investigation, 2K1C rats were used as an experimental animal model for kidney dysfunction. 2K1C rats were provided with food and drinking water and received febuxostat at a dose of 10 mg/kg or allopurinol at 100 mg/kg, respectively. After the treatment completion, all rats were sacrificed, and tissue samples were collected. 2K1C rats exhibited increased plasma creatinine, uric acid level, and glomerular injury assessed based on microscopic findings. Both allopurinol and febuxostat significantly normalized creatinine and uric acid levels. Furthermore, 2K1C rats showed increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) alongside decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity. Again, both drug treatments ameliorated these elevated oxidative stress parameters in 2K1C rats. The antioxidant genes such as Nrf-2, HO-1, and SOD were also restored in the kidneys of 2K1C rats by allopurinol and febuxostat treatment. 2K1C rats also showed increased IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-кB mRNA expression in the kidneys which were normalized by allopurinol and febuxostat treatment. Thus, the data suggest that XO inhibition protects kidney function potentially by restoring antioxidant enzyme function and suppressing inflammation.

Background: Malignant pericardial effusion (Eff) is often asymptomatic and has an unknown prevalence, due to its occult presentation. The condition often is identified postmortem on autopsy, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. Given the late presentation of malignant pericardial Effs, a minimal volume of literature has examined the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of these complex patients. We conducted a systematic review to advance present understanding of this condition. Methods: A search of 4 databases resulted in 41 case reports meeting criteria. Inclusion criteria were being a patient aged > 18 years who presented with pericardial Eff in the setting of malignancy. Intervention was medical and/or surgical therapy, and the outcome was mortality. Results: For the 41 patients included, the median age was 54 years, and the majority were male patients (58%). Dyspnea was the leading symptom (90%), and cardiac tamponade was present in 78% of cases. Common cancers included lung, gastrointestinal, and renal neoplasms (59%). Pericardiocentesis occurred in 98% of cases, with a median fluid extraction volume of 1000 mL. Death occurred in 44%, primarily due to disease progression and/or metastasis. Conclusions: This study presents the largest systematic review on malignancy-induced pericardial Effs to date. Notably, solid tumours, and specifically lung adenocarcinomas, are common culprits. Malignant pericardial Effs are often severe, with a majority of patients presenting with cardiac tamponade. Overall, treatment options are limited, and the associated mortality rate is high. Résumé: Contexte: L’épanchement péricardique malin (EPM) est un état généralement asymptomatique, de prévalence inconnue en raison de son tableau clinique occulte. Il est souvent reconnu post-mortem, à l’autopsie, et est associé à un pronostic médiocre. En raison de la consultation tardive pour un EPM, les données publiées relatives à l’épidémiologie, aux caractéristiques cliniques et à l’issue de ces cas complexes sont limitées. Nous avons réalisé une analyse systématique dans le but d’élargir les connaissances sur cette affection. Méthodologie: Une recherche réalisée dans quatre bases de données a permis de repérer 41 rapports de cas qui répondaient aux critères de recherche. Les critères d’inclusion étaient les suivants : être âgé de plus de 18 ans; présenter un épanchement péricardique en présence d’un cancer; intervention pharmacologique et/ou chirurgicale; issue mortelle. Résultats: L’âge médian des 41 patients inclus était de 54 ans; la majorité d’entre eux étaient des hommes (58 %). Le symptôme principal était la dyspnée (90 %), et une tamponnade cardiaque était présente dans 78 % des cas. Les cancers les plus fréquents étaient le cancer du poumon, le cancer gastro-intestinal et les néoplasmes rénaux (59 %). Une péricardiocentèse a été réalisée dans 98 % des cas. Le volume de drainage médian était de 1 000 mL. Quarante-quatre pour cent des sujets sont décédés, principalement en raison de la progression de la maladie et/ou de métastases. Conclusions: Cette étude est la plus vaste analyse systématique réalisée à ce jour sur l’EPM. Les tumeurs solides, et plus particulièrement les adénocarcinomes pulmonaires, sont des causes fréquentes. L’EPM est souvent grave, la majorité des patients présentant une tamponnade cardiaque. Les traitements disponibles sont généralement limités, et le taux de mortalité associé est élevé.

Abstract Introduction Despite the growing use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in cancer treatment, data regarding ICI-associated pericardial disease are primarily derived from case reports and case series. ICI related pericardial disease can be difficult to diagnose and is associated with significant morbidity. We conducted a systematic review to further characterize the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes of this patient population. Methods A search of four databases resulted in 31 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Patients > 18 years old who presented with ICI mediated pericardial disease were included. Intervention was medical + surgical therapy and outcomes were development of cardiac tamponade, morbidity, and mortality. Results Thirty- eight patients across 31 cases were included. Patients were majority male (72%) with a median age of 63. Common symptoms included dyspnea (59%) and chest pain (32%), with 41% presenting with cardiac tamponade. Lung cancer (81%) was the most prevalent, and nivolumab (61%) and pembrolizumab (34%) were the most used ICIs. Pericardiocentesis was performed in 68% of patients, and 92% experienced symptom improvement upon ICI cessation. Overall mortality was 16%. Discussion This study provides the most comprehensive analysis of ICI-mediated pericardial disease to date. Patients affected were most commonly male with lung cancer treated with either Nivolumab or Pembrolizumab. Diagnosis may be challenging in the setting of occult presentation with normal EKG and physical exam as well as delayed onset from therapy initiation. ICI-associated pericardial disease demonstrates high morbidity and mortality, as evidenced by a majority of patients requiring pericardiocentesis.

Bovine brucellosis is an enduring and formidable challenge in Bangladesh. In this first comprehensive review, we explored the historical, current, and future perspectives of bovine brucellosis outbreaks in Bangladesh. Data spanning from 1984 to 2023 regarding bovine brucellosis in Bangladesh were gathered from literature, reviews, conference papers, and online reports using various search engines and software tools. We considered 29 published documents and analyzed them thoroughly to evaluate the current status of bovine brucellosis for the present comprehensive review. We also suggest policy and other frameworks to mitigate and control the disease on a national scale. Bovine brucellosis in Bangladesh affects various livestock and poses economic burdens due to reduced milk and meat production with potential risks to human health. Over the past decade (2013-2023), the ruminant population in Bangladesh has increased substantially (between 1.46 and 26.95 million individuals), with goats showing the most significant growth, while financial losses due to bovine brucellosis have risen steadily, emphasizing its economic impact (basis on species between Euro currency 12.824 and 298.272). This review highlights brucellosis prevalence, diagnostic challenges, and traditional management practices contributing to its spread. Our findings indicate that bovine brucellosis was reported and prevalent in mild to severe forms across 26 districts of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has initiated measures such as vaccination and awareness campaigns, but effective control remains challenging due to diverse farming systems and resource constraints. A one-health approach is advocated for future strategies, emphasizing community engagement and multidisciplinary efforts to address the complex challenges posed by bovine brucellosis in Bangladesh, ultimately aiming to safeguard livestock health, public health, and economic stability. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2024; 11(4.000): 888-913]

Abstract Background Disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) has been used to gain a better understanding of the population’s quality of life. Objectives The authors aimed to estimate age and sex-specific disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) for urban and rural areas of Bangladesh, as well as to investigate the differences in DFLE between males and females of urban and rural areas. Methods Data from the Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics-2016 and the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES)-2016 were used to calculate the disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) of urban and rural males and females in Bangladesh in 2016. The DFLE was calculated using the Sullivan method. Results With only a few exceptions, rural areas have higher mortality and disability rates than urban areas. For both males and females, statistically significant differences in DFLE were reported between urban and rural areas between the ages of birth and 39 years. In comparison to rural males and females, urban males and females had a longer life expectancy (LE), a longer disability-free life expectancy, and a higher share of life without disability. Conclusion This study illuminates stark urban–rural disparities in LE and DFLE, especially among individuals aged

A field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University during November 2021 to April 2022 to investigate the effects of foliar supplementation of 0.1% aqueous solution of boron (B) to inbred and hybrid boro rice varieties. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design (RCBD) with two factors, viz. variety (inbred ‘BRRI dhna29' and hybrid ‘Lal Teer'), and foliar B supplementation in addition to the recommended basal dose (6 kg ha-1 boric acid) which was applied during the final land preparation. The later factor had four levels, viz. (i) no additional B supplementation (B1), foliar supplementation of B (ii) at tillering stage (B2), (iii) at panicle initiation stage (B3), and (iv) at both tillering and panicle initiation stages (B4). The experiment was replicated four times. The results revealed that hybrid (Lal Teer) variety outperformed the inbred variety (BRRI dhna29) in all yield related parameters, and grain and straw yields. All plant characters, yield contributing characters and yields were significantly affected by B supplementation. Although there were yield differences between inbred and hybrid cultivars, their response patterns to foliar supplementation of B were similar. In both varieties, the highest grain yield was recorded when the crops received foliar doses of B twice (tillering and panicle initiation stages) in addition to the recommended basal B fertilizer. However, a single foliar application of B at the tillering stage produced statistically similar results as two foliar applications. The control treatment (no boron application) produced the lowest grain yield and performed poorly in terms of both plant characters and yield related traits. Therefore, a single foliar application of B during tillering stage is recommended for both inbred and hybrid varieties. [Fundam Appl Agric 2024; 9(2.000): 131-137]

Optical fibers, long an enabling technology for telecommunications, are proving to play a central role in a growing number of modern applications, starting from high speed broad band internet to medical surgery and entering across the entire spectrum of scientific, military, industrial and commercial applications. Specialty optical fibers either special waveguide structure or novel material composition becomes heart of all fiber based advanced photonics devices and components. This rapidly evolving field calls on the expertise and skills of a broad set of different disciplines: materials science, ceramic engineering, optics, electrical engineering, physics, polymer chemistry, and several others. This roadmap on specialty optical fibers addresses different technologies and application areas. It is constituted by fourteen contributions authored by world-leading experts, providing insight into the current state-of-the-art and the challenges their respective fields face. Some articles address the area of multimode fibers, including the nonlinear effects occurring in them. Several other articles are dedicated to doped, plastic, and soft-glass fibers. Large mode area fibers, hollow-core fibers, and nanostructured fibers are also described in different sections. The use of some of such fibers for optical amplification and to realize several kinds of optical sources—including lasers, single photon sources and supercontinuum sources—is described in some other sections. Different approaches to satisfy applications at visible, infrared and terahertz spectra regions are also discussed. Throughout the roadmap there is an attempt to foresee and to suggest future directions in this particularly dynamic area of optical fiber technology.

Abstract Micro-characterization of indoor atmospheric particles is essential for understanding atmospheric particle consequences on human health. In this study, the atmospheric particles were collected from inside the different buildings of KUET campus. The samples underwent characterization through FTIR, SEM-EDS, and XRD techniques. Among the four sampled locations, the New Academic Building (NAB) had the highest rate of atmospheric particle deposition at 3.96 µg cm−2 day−1. The FTIR analysis indicated that the primary functional groups present across all samples were organic, specifically hydroxyl (-OH), aliphatic carbon (-CH2), carbonyl (-CO), and amino (-NH2) groups. The morphological analysis by SEM depicted the shape of indoor particles as angular, micro-flake, cubic, and irregular with the major chemical compositions of C, O, Al, Si, Ca, Na, Fe, and Mg of which Si and Fe were dominant in CEC and CEL sites which most likely originated from construction activities and dust from paved and unpaved roads. The average crystallinity of studied atmospheric particles was found to be a minimum of 27.3% at RH and a maximum of 64.5% at NAB sites and the corresponding crystalline size was 11.10 nm and 42.92 nm respectively. Quartz mineral in the inorganic fraction of atmospheric particles was found predominantly in every sample which most likely originates from soil erosion, construction activities and vehicular emissions. The outcome of this study will enhance our understanding of organic and inorganic compounds in atmospheric particles and their significance regarding radiative forcing, health impacts, and policy considerations for atmospheric particle sources.

Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionized the formulation and development of modern pharmaceuticals. With the help of AI, researchers can now optimize drug design, develop formulations, and streamline clinical trials in a much accurate and efficient way. Drug development might be greatly expedited and time-consuming procedure; however, with the help of AI this are significantly reduced. Main body of abstract The main advantages of AI in pharmaceutical formulation are its capacity to analyse vast amounts of data and spot patterns and connections that human researchers would miss. Various tools and technologies, such as ANN, fuzzy logic, neuro-fuzzy logic, and genetic algorithm are used for analysing the date, of which ANN is popular and mostly used. AI enables the discovery of novel pharmacological targets and the creation of more potent medications. AI may also be used to improve medication formulations by forecasting the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of drug candidates, increasing the likelihood that clinical trials will be successful. AI is also applied in designing clinical trials, reducing the time and cost of the process by identifying patient populations that are most likely to benefit from the treatment. Additionally, AI can monitor patients during clinical trials, detecting real-time adverse effects and adjusting dosages to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion AI is a potent pharmaceutical formulation and development tool, allowing researchers to analyse vast amounts of data, optimize drug formulations, and streamline clinical trials. As technology develops, experts anticipate that AI will increasingly show a crucial part in drug development, enabling faster, more efficient, and more effective treatments for various diseases.

Background and Objectives: Limited diabetes drug availability and frequent adverse reactions to oral medications highlight the need for improved drug delivery. This study suggests optimizing drug efficiency through process modifications, focusing on anti-diabetic medications like metformin hydrochloride. Matrix-type formulations are utilized to overcome current drug targeting and dosage management limitations. Methods: This study aims to improve anti-diabetic drugs, focusing on metformin hydrochloride, via process modifications in drug delivery. We developed a sustainable drug release process with matrix-type formulations, comparing hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and guar gum as rate-controlling polymers. The optimized formulation was then compared with Glyciphage SR 500 to identify similarities and differences in drug release profiles. Results: We utilized matrix-type formulations to administer metformin hydrochloride. It develops a sustainable drug release process with HPMC and guar gum as rate-controlling polymers. Next, we conducted comparative drug release studies, systematically optimized the formulation, and compared it to Glyciphage SR 500 using appropriate analytical methods. Results: Comparative dissolution data, including a high similarity factor (f2) of 75.33 with Glyciphage SR 500, emphasizes the promising resemblance between metformin hydrochloride tablet (MT5) and the market sample, warranting further stability studies for potential upscaling. Conclusion: The study's novelty lies in successfully formulating sustained-release MT5 using HPMC K100M and guar gum via wet granulation, demonstrating a potential reduction in dosing frequency and adverse effects. MT5's optimal physical and chemical parameters and sustained drug release exceeded 99% at 12 hours.

Due to the brittle nature of ceramic, the ceramic and construction industry produces a large volume of waste that imposes a severe environmental threat due to its non-biodegradability. In this study, the suitability of ceramic waste as a replacement of natural coarse and fine aggregate in concrete has been investigated by evaluating engineering properties such as bulk density, water absorption, workability, etc. with respect to different concrete samples made with different mix proportions. Furthermore, a prediction model is introduced to predict compressive and splitting tensile strength using the machine learning tool support vector machine (SVM). A data set containing 108 records either for compressive or tensile strength was used for the training and testing purposes of the SVM model. A total of 9 mix proportions was selected and cast cylinders were cured for 7, 28, and 56 days. Four different kernel functions were used to optimize the results and different accuracy parameters like the value of R2, mean absolute error, mean square error, root mean square error, etc. were compared to find the best kernel function for this study. By primarily evaluating the coefficient of determination (R2), SVM showed an acceptable result with an accuracy of over 90%. Moreover, in terms of other accuracy measurement parameters result indicates that the SVM is an effective tool to predict the compressive and splitting tensile strength of concrete comprised of different proportions of ceramic content.

Big data applications are on the rise, and so is the number of data centers. The ever-increasing massive data pool needs to be periodically backed up in a secure environment. Moreover, a massive amount of securely backed-up data is required for training binary convolutional neural networks for image classification. XOR and XNOR operations are essential for large-scale data copy verification, encryption, and classification algorithms. The disproportionate speed of existing compute and memory units makes the von Neumann architecture inefficient to perform these Boolean operations. Compute-in-memory (CiM) has proved to be an optimum approach for such bulk computations. The existing CiM-based XOR/XNOR techniques either require multiple cycles for computing or add to the complexity of the fabrication process. Here, we propose a CMOS-based hardware topology for single-cycle in-memory XOR/XNOR operations. Our design provides at least $2\times $ improvement in the latency compared with other existing CMOS-compatible solutions. We verify the proposed system through circuit/system-level simulations and evaluate its robustness using a 5000-point Monte Carlo variation analysis. This all-CMOS design paves the way for practical implementation of CiM XOR/XNOR at scaled technology nodes.

Digital pathology has played a key role in replacing glass slides with digital images, enhancing various pathology workflows. Whole slide images are digitized pathological images improving the capabilities of digital pathology and contributing to the overall turnaround time for diagnoses. The digitized images have been successfully integrated with artificial intelligence algorithms assisting pathologists in many tasks, but there are still demands to develop a new algorithm for a better diagnosis process. In this paper, we propose a new deep convolutional neural network model integrating a feature pyramid network with a self-attention mechanism in three pathways: encoder, decoder, and self-attention nested for providing accurate tumor region segmentation on whole slide images. The encoder pathway adopts ResNet50 architecture for the bottom-up network. The decoder pathway adopts the feature pyramid network for the top-down network. The self-attention nested pathway forms the attention map represented by the distribution of attention scores focusing on localizing tumor regions and avoiding irrelevant information. The results of our experiment show that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural network models in terms of tumor and stromal region segmentation. Moreover, various encoder networks were equipped with the proposed model and compared with each other. The results indicate that the ResNet series using the proposed model outperforms other encoder networks.

Humans can carry various diseases, some of which are poorly understood and lack comprehensive solutions. Such a disease can exists in human eye that can affect one or both eyes is diabetic retinopathy (DR) which can impair function, vision, and eventually result in permanent blindness. It is one of those complex complexities. Therefore, early detection of DR can significantly reduce the risk of vision impairment by appropriate treatment and necessary precautions. The primary aim of this study is to leverage cutting-edge models trained on diverse image datasets and propose a CNN model that demonstrates comparable performance. Specifically, we employ transfer learning models such as DenseNet121, Xception, Resnet50, VGG16, VGG19, and InceptionV3, and machine learning models such as SVM, and neural network models like (RNN) for binary and multi-class classification. It has been shown that the proposed approach of multi-label classification with softmax functions and categorical cross-entropy works more effectively, yielding perfect accuracy, precision, and recall values. In particular, Xception achieved an impressive 82% accuracy among all the transfer learning models, setting a new benchmark for the dataset used. However, our proposed CNN model shows superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 95.27% on this dataset, surpassing the state-of-the-art Xception model. Moreover, for single-label (binary classifications), our proposed model achieved perfect accuracy as well. Through exploration of these advances, our objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the leading methods for the early detection of DR. The aim is to discuss the challenges associated with these methods and highlight potential enhancements. In essence, this paper provides a high-level perspective on the integration of deep learning techniques and machine learning models, coupled with explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) and gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM). We present insights into their respective accuracy and the challenges they face. We anticipate that these insights will prove valuable to researchers and practitioners in the field. Our ambition is that this in-depth study and comparison of models will inform and inspire future research endeavors, ultimately leading to enhanced disease detection in medical imaging and thereby assisting healthcare professionals.

Abstract With the promise of great benefits for industry and new possibilities for a wide range of applications, Industry 4.0 is quickly rising to prominence as one of the most important and widely discussed topics in academia and in practice. In this study, we look at the steel production business and identify the current state of affairs as well as the barriers to implementing Industry 4.0 there. Initially, the current state of Industry 4.0 was uncovered by visiting and surveying four prominent steel companies in Bangladesh. Less than fifty percent of Industry 4.0 components are now implemented in these plants. To determine the reasons for this unfavorable situation, research was conducted to identify the obstacles impeding the implementation of Industry 4.0. On the basis of the preferences of 9 experts (4 from industry and 5 from academia), 9 of the 12 proposed challenges have been selected as significant obstacles. The ranking of these nine difficulties was then assessed utilizing the popular best–worst method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making approach. It was determined that “high capital investment” was the most significant barrier, while “lack of government support” was the least significant. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted, which improved the ranking’s quality. Then, several viable techniques for overcoming these challenges are discussed.

Abstract Atmospheric particles have been significantly affecting urban air quality and urban-oriented living in an increasing share of the population in Bangladesh. This study assessed the concentration of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 in Khulna, one of the largest cities in Bangladesh located near the Bay of Bengal. The maximum average concentrations were recorded 415 ± 184.01 µg/m3 for PM10, 302 ± 109.89 µg/m3 for PM2.5, and 143 ± 45.05 µg/m3 for PM1.0. These values are several times higher than the World Health Organization air quality standard and Bangladesh National Ambient Air Quality Standard. According to the size and fractional distribution of PM, most of the monitoring locations were dominated by fine particles. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks due to exposure to ambient PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 were also quantified to illustrate the relevant potential human health risks. The excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) values of PM1.0 ranged from 8.6E0–4 to 6.0E–07 and PM2.5 varied between 8.6E–04 and 6.0E–07 exceeded the allowable limit at every location indicating the potential cancer-developing risk to the urban population. The health quotient (HQ) values also crossed the least permissible value at most of the locations depicting strong non-carcinogenic risks. Average HQ values of PM2.5 varied from 1.07 to 20.13 while PM10 ranged from 0.44 to 8.3. This research revealed children and elderly people as the most vulnerable age groups with the highest carcinogenic risks through exposure to atmospheric PM in Khulna city. Therefore, air pollution reduction plans and risk mitigation strategies should be developed and implemented by the government authorities. Graphical Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with a high photocatalytic performance were prepared by using the aerobic combustion of saccharides such as glucose, fructose, dextrin, and starch with zinc nitrate. The ZnO NPs were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray scattering spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The TEM images revealed that the ZnO NPs have sizes ranging from ~20 to 35 nm with a bandgap of ~3.32 eV. The XRPD pattern revealed the hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure of the ZnO NPs. The photocatalytic properties of the ZnO NPs were studied by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) in deionized water (DIW) and simulated fresh drinking water (FDW) under ultraviolet light (UV-B) and sunlight illumination. The terephthalic acid photoluminescence technique was also used to study the generation of a hydroxyl radical (•OH) by ZnO NPs. The saccharide-derived ZnO NPs exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than the nonsaccharide-derived ZnO NPs. Varying the type of saccharides used during the calcination had some effect on the degree of the catalytic enhancement.

Globally, large numbers of adults remain unbanked, and most of them live in rural areas of the Third World. The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how inequalities in accessing financial services continue to affect us. However, digital financial inclusion has emerged as an effective tool used to tackle socioeconomic ills and drive economic development. In fact, due to these modern technological developments, the number of studies in this area is very limited, especially in the context of developing economies. This study examines the impacts of migrant remittances on digital financial inclusion within households in Bangladesh by using the Migration and Remittance Household Survey. To meet the research objectives of this study, a household survey was conducted and 2165 households interviewed in 2022–2023 in Bangladesh. The survey data collected was tested using univariate and multivariate estimations. This study finds that the coefficient of remittance has positive relationships with the probability of e-bank accounts and the use of mobile banking for a household’s financial transactions. However, the use of ATM cards by households for financial transactions has not been significantly affected. The article concludes that remittance flows may enhance access to and use of means of digital financial inclusion by reducing some of the barriers and costs in Bangladesh, which could greatly contribute to the country’s economic growth by creating and increasing a strong fund for investment. The findings of this study can help in taking various steps to facilitate the most powerful financial sector of Bangladesh, namely, remittance management.

Using a control variable, the functionality of Polymorphic circuits can be modified, making them adaptable and useful for reconfiguring circuit behavior — all the way from gate level to system level. State-of-the art polymorphic circuits are based on custom non-linear circuit design or emerging devices such as ambipolar FET, configurable magnetic devices etc. While some of these approaches are inefficient in performance, others involve exotic devices. The Crosstalk computing based polymorphic circuits offer a fresh perspective. In Crosstalk, the interconnect interference between nanoscale metal lines is intentionally engineered to exhibit the programmable Boolean logic behavior. This approach relies on the coupling between metal lines and not on the transistors for computing, resulting in better scalability, security by obscurity, and fault tolerance by reconfiguration. Our novel approach is backed by the mathematical formulation that conveys the rationale to generalize and achieve a wide variety of polymorphic circuits. Our experiments, including design, simulation, and Power Performance Area (PPA) characterization results indicate that crosstalk circuits provide significant improvement in transistor count (about 3x), switching energy (2x), and speed (1.5x) for polymorphic logic circuits. In the best-case scenario, the transistor count reduction is 5x. This paper presents Crosstalk computing’s fundamentals, polymorphism and the scalability aspects to compete/co-exist with CMOS for digital logic implementations below 10 nm. Our scalability study uses Open Source 7 nm PDK, considers all process variation aspects and accommodates worst-case scenarios. The study results for various benchmark circuits show that the Crosstalk technology is a viable alternative to CMOS for digital logic implementations below 10 nm, having 48% density, 57% power, and 10% performance gains over equivalent CMOS counterparts. Finally, we compare Crosstalk Polymorphic Circuit design technique with similar approaches described in related works and discuss its features and constraints.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made remarkable progress in recent years in remote sensing applications, including environmental monitoring, crisis management, city planning, and agriculture. However, the critical challenge in utilizing AI models in real-world remote sensing applications is maintaining their robustness and reliability, particularly against adversarial attacks. In adversarial attacks, attackers manipulate benign data to create a perturbation to mislead AI models into predicting incorrect decisions, posing a catastrophic threat to the security of their applications, particularly in crucial decision-making contexts. These attacks pose a significant threat to the integrity and comprehensiveness of AI models in remote sensing applications, as they can lead to inaccurate decisions with substantial consequences. In this paper, we propose to develop an adversarial robustness technique that will ensure the AI model’s accurate prediction in the presence of adversarial perturbation. In this work, we address these challenges by developing a better adversarial training approach using explainable AI method-guided features and data augmentation techniques to strengthen the AI model prediction in remote sensing data against adversarial attacks. The proposed approach achieved the best adversarial robustness against Project Gradient Descent (PGD) attacks in EuroSAT and AID datasets and showed transferability of robustness against unseen attacks.

Although Bangladesh is a constitutionally Islamic country, some brothels are regulated by state law. But these brothels are located in the suburbs, and there were legal brothels around the capital, which no longer exist. Thus, prostitution is observed in a variety of ways, including in residential hotels, resorts, homes, and open spaces. As prostitution and trafficking are inseparable, this paper adopts a quantitative approach to measure the socioeconomic variables associated with prostitution and trafficking in children in the capital city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The data for this study were collected from 385 respondents, and the questionnaire format was open-ended. The proposed conceptual model is presented in a way that includes sociocultural and economic factors influencing prostitution. To examine the model, a three-level research design was applied. The sociodemographic data of the respondents were collected and analyzed in this study. This study finds that the significant economic factors are poverty and lack of employment opportunities. Moreover, sociocultural variables are closely associated with rape, harassment, divorce, insufficient support from household members, living in vulnerable conditions, social instability, lifestyle, and gender violence. These findings emphasize the need to implement existing anti-trafficking laws and raise awareness of children in Bangladesh to stop child trafficking for sex work.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), the causative agent of the foot-and-mouth disease of cattle population possesses a rapid evolutionary rate. In Bangladesh, the first circulation of the O/ME-SA/SA-2018 lineage as a novel sublineage, MYMBD21 was reported from our laboratory. The first whole genome sequence of an isolate, BAN/MY/My-466/2021 (shortly named My-466) of the SA-2018 lineage is characterized and represented in this study. The genome is 8216 nucleotides long with 6996 nucleotides open reading frame flanked by 5ꞌ UTR (1–1100) and 3ꞌ UTR (8097–8216). VP1 was found to be highly variable among the structural proteins with crucial mutations in the major antigenic region, G-H loop. Structural variations of the VP1 against both field and proposed local vaccine strains were evidenced by the G-H loop displacement in a superimposed 3D model. The complete genome information of the isolate would be valuable for undertaking proper control measures needed to limit the spread of the newly emerged FMDV strain.

Bangladesh is endowed with diverse rivers providing huge ecosystem services, but the diversity status and the abundance of the small indigenous species (SIS) are not identical in all rivers due to the natural water flow regime and anthropogenic challenges. Therefore, the present study endeavors to elucidate the composition and conservation status of SIS fish from four rivers namely, the Padma, the Gorai, the Chandana and the Horai rivers of Rajbari District, Bangladesh. Data were meticulously collected through fish sampling in each season, field observations, focus group discussions, and individual interviews by using a semi-structured questionnaire spanning from May 2021 and April 2022. The number of SIS in the Padma, the Gorai, the Chandana and the Horai rivers of Rajbari were 60, 36, 33 and 26, respectively, whereas a predominant concentration of fishes was notably observed in the benthopelagic zone of these rivers. Among the 60 riverine SIS, 23 fish were common in the four rivers. Additionally, Cyprinidae (>30%) was observed to be the most abundant SIS in the studied rivers. The fishermen in the research area used seven major fishing equipment of which cast nets are the most common for catching fish species. The abundance of SIS during the rainy season was the highest for all the studied rivers than the other seasons and 12 SIS were available throughout the year. Notably, the least concerned SIS outnumbered the other categories whereas, more than 10% was under the vulnerable category in the four rivers. The leading threats to the fish diversity were pollution followed by illegal and overfishing, siltation, reduced depth, degeneration of rivers and others. Consequently, to safeguard the existing SIS, reducing human pressure, implementing fishing regulations strictly, establishing and administering fish sanctuaries, and raising public awareness can be helpful for the sustainability of aquatic resources in deltaic areas.

ABSTRACT: Dengue virus (DENV) is mainly found in the tropics and infects approximately 400 million people annually. However, no clinically available therapeutic agents specific to dengue have been developed. Here, we examined the potential antiviral effects of the French maritime pine extract Pycnogenol® (PYC) against DENV because we previously found that the extract exerts antiviral effects on hepatitis C virus, which belongs to the Flavivirus family. First, we examined the efficacy of PYC against DENV1, 2, 3, and 4 serotypes and determined that it had a dose-dependent suppressive effect on the viral load, especially in the supernatant. This inhibitory effect of PYC may target the late stages of infection such as maturation and secretion, but not replication. Next, we examined the efficacy of PYC against DENV infection in type I interferon (IFN) receptor knockout mice (A129). As the propagation of DENV2 was the highest among the four serotypes, we used this serotype in our murine model experiments. We found that PYC significantly inhibited DENV2 replication in mice on day 4 without significantly decreasing body weight or survival ratio. We further examined the mechanism of action of PYC in DENV2 infection by characterizing the main PYC targets among the host (viral) factors and silencing them using siRNA. Silencing long noncoding-interferon-induced protein (lnc-IFI)-44, polycystic kidney disease 1-like 3 (Pkd1l3), and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 31 (Usp31) inhibited the replication of DENV2. Thus, the results of this study shed light on the inhibitory effects of PYC on DENV replication and its underlying mechanisms.

Abstract Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) hinders the growth of the livestock industry in endemic countries like Bangladesh. The management and prevention of FMD are severely impacted by the high mutation rate and subsequent frequent generation of newer genotypes of the causative agent, Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV). The current study was conducted in nine districts of Bangladesh during 2019–21 to characterize the circulating FMDV strains based on the VP1 sequence analysis, the major antigenic recognition site providing serotype specificity and high variability of FMDV. This study detected the first emergence of the SA-2018 lineage in Bangladesh along with the predominance of Ind-2001e (or Ind-2001BD1) sublineage of ME-SA topotype under serotype O during 2019–21. The mutational spectrum, evolutionary divergence analysis and multidimensional plotting confirmed the isolates collected from Mymensingh districts, designated as MYMBD21 as a novel sublineage under the SA-2018 lineage. Analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed several changes in the G-H loop, B-C loop and C-terminal region of VP1, revealing a 12–13% divergence from the existing vaccine strains and a 95% VP1 protein homology, with most of the mutations potentially considerable as vaccine escape mutations, evidenced by three-dimensional structural analysis. This is the first report on the emergence of the SA-2018 lineage of ME-SA topotype of FMDV serotype O in Bangladesh, as well as a possible mutational trend towards the emergence of a distinct sublineage under SA-2018 lineage, which calls for in-depth genome-wide analysis and monitoring of the FMD situation in the country to implement a strategic vaccination and effective FMD control program.

Background: Although the global thalassemia zone covers Bangladesh, there are very limited studies conducted in this region. Therefore, the focus of our study is to understand the prevalence and burden of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathy in Bangladesh. Methods: The analysis was based on a retrospective evaluation of laboratory diagnoses between 2007 January and 2021 October. A total of 8503 specimens were sampled and analyzed which were either referred by corresponding physicians or self-referred. This was neither any epidemiological nationwide survey nor was the study population chosen randomly. Hematological data were obtained through capillary zone electrophoresis and corresponding complete blood count. Results: 1971 samples (~23.18% of the total) were found with at least one inherited hemoglobin disorder. The most common hemoglobin disorder observed was the hemoglobin E (Hb E) trait (10.67%), followed by the β-thalassemia trait (8.4%), homozygotic Hb E (1.59%), and Hb E/β-thalassemia (1.58%). Other variants found in this study with minimal percentages were Hb N-Seattle, Hb S, Hb D-Punjab, Hb Lepore, Hb C, Hb Hope, Hb H, and hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. Discussion: The pattern of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathy in our study is diverse and heterogeneous. A broad and detailed spectrum of such inherited hemoglobin disorders will ultimately be helpful in implementing nationwide thalassemia management and strategy policy in Bangladesh.

Farmers in Bangladesh are enthusiastic in dragon fruit farming as a new and promising crop that offers both difficulties and potential. The purpose of the study was to examine the advantages and disadvantages of this novel fruit from the perspective of growers. It is a descriptive survey research which was conducted in purposively selected four Upazilas of Chapainawabganj region of Bangladesh including Chapainawabganj Sadar, Gomastapur, Nachol, and Godagari from 16th April to 25th May, 2022. Pearson’s correlation test was administered to determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of the growers and their knowledge on dragon fruit production. Socio-demographic profile of the randomly selected growers of the study revealed that majority of the respondents were in their middle age, highly educated, had a medium annual income with medium sized land, little farming experience, less training and higher cosmopolitan behavior. Majority of the dragon fruit growers showed high level of understanding regarding dragon fruit cultivation and their fellow farmers and mass media were determined to be the most effective sources of information. According to the study’s findings, the majority of farmers were inspired to grow dragon fruit because it is more resistant to pests and diseases, promotes excellent health, yields for a long time, and can be grown from both seeds and cuttings. Furthermore, the fruit has a higher profit margin than other field crops. Weeds, bird invasions, high labor expenses, lack of technical knowledge of farmers on dragon fruit farming were recognized as major obstacles to fruit production. According to a correlation analysis, farmers’ age, extension contacts, and cosmopolitan nature were significantly and positively correlated with their knowledge of growing dragon fruit. More government support, especially from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), and fixing the issues described above could increase the fruit’s future prospects in the country.

ABSTRACTDue to global climate change, fire dynamics around the world are changing around the world affecting regions more severely that had negligible exposure to forest fire. In this study, we assessed the effect of anthropogenic forest fire using the Normalized Burn Ratio in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh while evaluating the relationship of this fire index with different spectral indices, and Soil and Vegetation properties. A Correlation and a regression analysis were used to examine the association of different variables with fire severity and One-way analysis of variances (ANOVA) test was also performed to inspect the damage done by fire and the regrowth potential of the forest ecosystem. According to the result, the total burned area was not alarming. Also, the relationship of fire index with spectral indices, and soil and vegetation properties have been meaningful to understand the impact of the forest fire in Rema-Kalenga. Additionally, significant effects of the fire on the variation of the different properties were also observed. Even though the quantity of burned area in this forest was not significant, fire management in the forest conservation strategies in Bangladesh should be heeded and incorporated to avoid future disasters, keeping in mind the future climate change.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is provoking a prevalent consequence on mental health because of less interaction among people, economic collapse, negativity, fear of losing jobs, and death of the near and dear ones. To express their mental state, people often are using social media as one of the preferred means. Due to reduced outdoor activities, people are spending more time on social media than usual and expressing their emotion of anxiety, fear, and depression. On a daily basis, about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated on social media. Analyzing this big data can become an excellent means to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on mental health. In this work, we have analyzed data from Twitter microblog (tweets) to find out the effect of COVID-19 on people’s mental health with a special focus on depression. We propose a novel pipeline, based on recurrent neural network (in the form of long short-term memory or LSTM) and convolutional neural network, capable of identifying depressive tweets with an accuracy of 99.42%. Preprocessed using various natural language processing techniques, the aim was to find out depressive emotion from these tweets. Analyzing over 571 thousand tweets posted between October 2019 and May 2020 by 482 users, a significant rise in depressing tweets was observed between February and May of 2020, which indicates as an impact of the long ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Groundwater is a vital natural resource that plays a critical role in sustaining agriculture, forest ecosystems, industry, and household uses. However, due to natural and anthropogenic factors, groundwater is facing alarming declines. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the potential groundwater zones (PGWZ) in the north-eastern Bengal Basin of Bangladesh between 1990 and 2021 using satellite images, public and field data pertaining to ten environmental parameters. The study utilized analytical hierarchy process to identify PGWZ and evaluated the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) algorithms (K-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, XGBoost, decision tree, and random forest) for PGWZ classification. The findings indicated a decline in groundwater potential over the decades, which was categorized into five distinct zones based on the relative groundwater potential. The very high PGWZ decreased from 2.19% to 1.3%, and high PGWZ from 34.57% to 28.24%, while there was a sharp increase in the poor status of PGWZ (very low, low, and medium zones) over the same periods. The accuracy and kappa coefficients of the ground data validation for the estimated PGWZ map were 84.34% and 79.61%, respectively. According to accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score, five ML models are reliable predictors of PGWZ. RF achieved the highest accuracy of 92.33%, while XGBoost achieved an accuracy of 90.31%. Both models demonstrated superior prediction performance for PGWZ based on the normalized leverage factor. The study attributes the alteration of groundwater potential to changes in land use and land covers, increased land surface temperatures, decreased rainfall, and changes in soil erosion in the study region over the three decades. The results of this study offer valuable insights for decision-makers to make informed decisions for the sustainable and responsible management of groundwater resources.

Abstract This study employs the DNA barcoding approach to make a molecular taxonomic catalog of reef fishes of Saint Martin's Island (SMI), an ecologically critical area (ECA), and Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Bangladesh. DNA barcoding, along with morphological analysis, confirmed 84 reef‐associated fish species in SMI belonging to 16 orders, 39 families, and 67 genera. A total of 184 sequences were obtained in this study where 151 sequences (534–604 bp) of 81 species were identified from the COI barcode gene and 33 sequences (609 bp) of 19 species from the 16S rRNA gene region which were submitted to the GenBank and Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). Among these sequences, 70 sequences of the COI gene and 16 sequences of 16S rRNA gene region from 41 species were submitted for the first time into the GenBank from Bangladesh. For molecular characterization analysis, another 37 sequences of 15 reef fish species of SMI were added from previous studies, making a total of 221 DNA sequences which comprised 179 sequences of 96 species for the COI gene and 42 sequences of 26 species for the 16S rRNA gene region. The COI sequences contain 145 haplotypes with 337 polymorphic sites, and the mean genetic distances within species, genera, and families were calculated as 0.34%, 12.26%, and 19.03%, respectively. On the contrary, 16S rRNA sequences comprised 31 haplotypes with 241 polymorphic sites, and the mean genetic divergences within species, genera, and families were 0.94%, 4.72%, and 12.43%, respectively. This study is a significant contribution to the marine biodiversity of Bangladesh which would facilitate the assessment of species diversity for strategizing management action. It is also an important input to the DNA barcode library of reef fishes of the northern Bay of Bengal.

Background Different patient clusters were preliminarily suggested to dissect the clinical heterogeneity in Still’s disease. Thus, we aimed at deriving and validating disease clusters in a multicentre, observational, prospective study to stratify these patients.Methods Patients included in GIRRCS AOSD-study group and AIDA Network Still Disease Registry were assessed if variables for cluster analysis were available (age, systemic score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin). K-means algorithm with Euclidean metric and Elbow plot were used to derive an adequate number of clusters.Results K-means clustering assessment provided four clusters based on means standardised according to z-scores on 349 patients. All clusters mainly presented fever, skin rash and joint involvement. Cluster 1 was composed by 115 patients distinguished by lower values of age and characterised by skin rash myalgia, sore throat and splenomegaly. Cluster 2 included 128 patients identified by lower levels of ESR, ferritin and systemic score; multiorgan manifestations were less frequently observed. Cluster 3 comprised 31 patients categorised by higher levels of CRP and ferritin, they were characterised by fever and joint involvement. Cluster 4 contained 75 patients derived by higher values of age and systemic score. Myalgia, sore throat, liver involvement and life-threatening complications, leading to a high mortality rate, were observed in these patients.Conclusions Four patient clusters in Still’s disease may be recognised by a multidimensional characterisation (‘Juvenile/Transitional’, ‘Uncomplicated’, ‘Hyperferritinemic’ and ‘Catastrophic’). Of interest, cluster 4 was burdened by an increased rate of life-threatening complications and mortality, suggesting a more severe patient group.

Objective Still’s disease is more frequently observed in the paediatric context, but a delayed onset is not exceptional both in the adulthood and in the elderly. However, whether paediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease represent expressions of the same disease continuum or different clinical entities is still a matter of controversy. The aim of this study is to search for any differences in demographic, clinical features and response to treatment between pediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease.Methods Subjects included in this study were drawn from the International AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance Network registry for patients with Still’s disease.Results A total of 411 patients suffering from Still’s disease were enrolled; the disease occurred in the childhood in 65 (15.8%) patients, in the adult 314 (76.4%) patients and in the elderly in 32 (7.8%) patients. No statistically significant differences at post-hoc analysis were observed in demographic features of the disease between pediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease. The salmon-coloured skin rash (p=0.004), arthritis (p=0.009) and abdominal pain (p=0.007) resulted significantly more frequent among paediatric patients than in adult cases, while pleuritis (p=0.015) and arthralgia (p

Remote sensing datasets usually have a wide range of spatial and spectral resolutions. They provide unique advantages in surveillance systems, and many government organizations use remote sensing multispectral imagery to monitor security-critical infrastructures or targets. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly in recent years and has been widely applied to remote image analysis, achieving state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance. However, AI models are vulnerable and can be easily deceived or poisoned. A malicious user may poison an AI model by creating a stealthy backdoor. A backdoored AI model performs well on clean data but behaves abnormally when a planted trigger appears in the data. Backdoor attacks have been extensively studied in machine learning-based computer vision applications with natural images. However, much less research has been conducted on remote sensing imagery, which typically consists of many more bands in addition to the red, green, and blue bands found in natural images. In this paper, we first extensively studied a popular backdoor attack, BadNets, applied to a remote sensing dataset, where the trigger was planted in all of the bands in the data. Our results showed that SOTA defense mechanisms, including Neural Cleanse, TABOR, Activation Clustering, Fine-Pruning, GangSweep, Strip, DeepInspect, and Pixel Backdoor, had difficulties detecting and mitigating the backdoor attack. We then proposed an explainable AI-guided backdoor attack specifically for remote sensing imagery by placing triggers in the image sub-bands. Our proposed attack model even poses stronger challenges to these SOTA defense mechanisms, and no method was able to defend it. These results send an alarming message about the catastrophic effects the backdoor attacks may have on satellite imagery.

AlJohara AlQuaiz,1,2 Muneerah Albugami,3 Ambreen Kazi,1,2 Fahdah Alshobaili,2 Fawzia Habib,1,4 Ellen B Gold5 1Princess Nora Bent Abdullah Chair for Women’s Health Research, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Family & Community Medicine, King Saud University Medical city, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Taibah University, Madinah al Munawara, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USACorrespondence: Ambreen Kazi, Princess Nora Bent Abdullah Research chair for Women’s Health Research, King Saud University Medical city, PO Box 231831, Riyadh, 11321, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 1 4692714, Fax +966 1 4691127, Email akamran@ksu.edu.saPurpose: To measure the associations of diet, psycological distress, and lifestyle factors with premenstrual symptoms (PMSx) in women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods: An interview-based, cross-sectional study was conducted on 1831 women aged 18– 50 years seen in primary healthcare centers and teaching institutes in Riyadh from December 2015 to June 2016. Question topics included sociodemographics, physical activity, smoking, and dietary habits information. PMSx were assessed using a symptom checklist with 6 domains: anxiety/mood changes; abdominal/back/joint pain; increased appetite/weight gain, breast pain/tenderness, severe headache, and ≥ 3 PMS symptoms (any). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to provide adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with each PMSx domain.Results: Except for breast pain, drinking > 5 cups of Arabic coffee was associated with increased odds of anxiety/mood [aOR 2.44 (95% CI 1.44, 4.12)], pain [1.83 (1.13, 2.98)], appetite/weight gain [1.66 (1.10, 2.50)], headache [1.57 (1.00, 2.56)] and ≥ 3 symptoms [1.50 (1.07, 2.11)]. A significant association was noted between sugar intake and anxiety/mood symptoms [1.53 (1.07, 2.19)] and abdominal/back pain symptoms [1.84 (1.17, 2.88)]. Increased severity of psychological distress was associated with all symptom domains: anxiety/mood [2.75 (1.92, 3.94)]; pain [1.45 (0.92, 2.28)]; appetite/weight gain [2.01 (1.53, 2.65)]; breast pain [2.19 (1.68, 2.88)]; headache [1.86 (1.37, 2.54)] and ≥ 3 symptoms [3.52 (2.49, 4.95)]. Low physical activity was significantly associated with odds of breast pain symptoms [1.29 (1.04, 1.59)]. Smokers were 3.41 (1.19, 9.77) times as likely to report any ≥ 3 symptoms compared to nonsmokers.Conclusion: Several potentially modifiable factors, such as diet and stress, were positively associated with PMSx. Thus, we suggest that increasing women’s awareness of healthy lifestyles, particularly diet and stress reduction, may help to reduce the occurrence of premenstrual symptoms.Keywords: mental distress, coffee, diet, women, premenstrual symptoms

Abstract Industrial dust generation from material processing is an uninterrupted phenomenon, hence analyzing materials of dust origin with dust particles is important to comprehend the entire scenario of occupational health exposure (OHE). In this study, we investigated the morphological, elemental, and mineralogical characteristics of engendered dust and materials of dust origin in the cement industry (CI) in Bangladesh. We accumulated samples from dust collectors and the internal roadways of the CI to understand the nature of atmospheric dust in the CI. All the materials that could potentially be the sources of the dust of the CI were collected, including clinker, gypsum, limestone, fly ash, slag, and two types of cement products. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed for the characterization. SEM micrographs showed the presence of fine (particles ≤ PM2.5) and ultra-fine (particles ≤ PM0.1) particles with diverse morphology in the studied samples. Ca, Si, Al, Mg, Fe, K, Na, Mo, and Ti were found as existing metallic elements in samples through the EDS technique. Several minerals of silicate, oxide, carbonate, and sulfate were detected with major crystalline phases of Portland cement by SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR analyses in samples; among which some are well documented as occupational hazards. The trace presence of organic carbon was observed in all FTIR spectra. The most significant outcome of this study is the detection of carcinogenic substances such as crystalline silica (quartz, cristobalite) and asbestoses (anthophyllite, chrysotile, and crocidolite) in samples. For instance, quartz was found in the dust of dust collectors while road dust of the CI showed the existence of both quartz and cristobalite. However, asbestoses were found only in source materials, but they could be released anytime during material handling, thus creating OHE.

Antifungal drugs prevent topical or invasive fungal infections (mycoses) either by stopping growth of fungi (termed fungistatic) or by killing the fungal cells (termed fungicidal). Antibiotics also prevent bacterial infections through either bacteriostatic or bactericidal mechanisms. These microorganisms successfully develop resistance against conventional drugs that are designed to kill or stop them from multiplying. When a fungus no longer responds to antifungal drug treatments and continues to grow, this is known as antifungal drug resistance. Bacteria have an amazing capacity to become resistant to antibiotic action as well, and the effectiveness of the scarce antifungal arsenal is jeopardised by this antibiotic resistance, which poses a severe threat to public health.

Processing-in-memory (PIM) techniques have gained much attention from computer architecture researchers, and significant research effort has been invested in exploring and developing such techniques. Increasing the research activity dedicated to improving PIM techniques will hopefully help deliver PIM’s promise to solve or significantly reduce memory access bottleneck problems for memory-intensive applications. We also believe it is imperative to track the advances made in PIM research to identify open challenges and enable the research community to make informed decisions and adjust future research directions. In this survey, we analyze recent studies that explored PIM techniques, summarize the advances made, compare recent PIM architectures, and identify target application domains and suitable memory technologies. We also discuss proposals that address unresolved issues of PIM designs (e.g., address translation/mapping of operands, workload analysis to identify application segments that can be accelerated with PIM, OS/runtime support, and coherency issues that must be resolved to incorporate PIM). We believe this work can serve as a useful reference for researchers exploring PIM techniques.

Abstract Background Excess accumulation of heavy metals in frequently consumed food (e.g., vegetables, fruits) is a serious threat to human health. The concentration of heavy metals in four root vegetables and five leafy vegetables collected from the Kawran Bazar fresh vegetable market of Dhaka, Bangladesh, were analyzed. Average daily intake (ADI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) were also estimated to assess the human health risks posed by the intake of heavy metals from the consumption of the studied vegetables. Apparent differences in the concentration of heavy metals present in different vegetables were observed. Results The presence and degree of contamination was assessed for chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn). Concentrations of Cr, Cd, Ni, and Cu exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL) in some root vegetables. Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Fe concentration were higher in most studied leafy vegetables. ADI was found to be lower than the maximum permitted tolerable daily intake in most cases except Cr (0.202 mg/person day) and Fe (19.681 mg/person day) for the consumption of turnip and mint, respectively. Hazard quotient of Cr for turnip (1.121) and Zn for spinach (1.104), as well as the hazard indices of turnip (1.541), mustard (1.663), spinach (2.113), coriander (1.925), and mint (2.834), exceeded unit value, signifying potential health hazard from the dietary intake of the studied vegetables. Conclusions Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in leafy vegetables compared to the root vegetables. Hence, the consumption of leafy vegetables has higher potential health risks than root vegetables. This study suggests that regular monitoring of heavy metals in vegetables is essential to prevent health risks associated with consuming heavy metal contaminated vegetables.

We carry out this study on the solar energetic particle (SEP) event that occurred on 2023 August 5 over the ascending phase of the current solar cycle 25. It is found that the SEP event might have been initiated by the M1.6 flare, while the SEP peak was caused by the coronal shock manifested in DH -type II radio burst over the propagation phase of a halo coronal mass ejection (CME; ∼1000 km s ^−1 ), thus creating a mixed SEP event. There were two enhancements of the electron fluxes lying over the SEP rise and decay phase. It is surprising that, despite a stronger flare (X1.6) and a faster halo CME (∼1647 km s ^−1 ), there was no SEP enhancement during the second enhancement of the electron fluxes. In order to investigate this, we make an additional effort to analyze the X1.6 flare based on the availability of the temporal, spectral, and spatial evolution of the electromagnetic radiation components. It is observed that the CME shock was aligned with the flare eruption direction and was close to the western limb (W77°), and thus the radially moving CME shock missed the Earth. In another development, it is observed that the electron impulsive phase lies over the type III radio bursts, indicating that the electrons might have escaped directly during the eruption. The radio flux and radio dynamic spectra of a higher frequency lie over the rise phase of the soft X-ray derivative, indicating that a large number of electrons travelled through magnetic fields.

This study extends the recent debate on the rate of return on cattle rearing in India, triggered by Anagol, Etang, and Karlan (2017) and followed by others, to the Bangladeshi context and finds that the apparent paradox of widespread cattle rearing despite negative returns in India is absent in Bangladesh. We use a nationally representative two-year panel data for rural Bangladesh and find that the average and marginal returns on raising cows and bullocks are positive and high in both 2011 and 2015. We show that appreciation of the value of cattle is the major contributing factor to positive returns. The existence of cattle markets where cattle can be freely traded for slaughter, milk production, or for any other purpose—which is constrained to various degrees in India—is the key to high and positive returns in Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, people primarily depend on on-site sanitation facilities (OSSF) with an immense challenge in achieving safe sanitation due to unplanned infrastructure development, improper management of fecal sludge, and inadequate monitoring. The commitment of attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.2 (ensuring safe sanitation for all) by 2030 requires immediate attention in the management of fecal sludge for low-middle income countries. This paper presented the findings, challenges, and possible ways forward from a study conducted to provide data for Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based fecal sludge management (FSM) at a municipality in the northwest of Bangladesh. A total of 18,808 households and 407 institutions in Saidpur municipality, a non-sewered town in Nilphamari district, were studied to understand the type of containment structures and on-ground desludging practices. The study showed around 10% of containments were connected to the drains illegally, 95% of the people in Saidpur practiced unsafe disposal, and 7% still practiced open defecation. To identify these malpractices, the study also implemented an ICT-based sustainable solution through a web application that enabled the local administrator to have a global look at the sanitation scenario of the municipality. The dashboard was developed to create a total sanitation monitoring system, identify defaulters, allow target-based safe managed sanitation service strategies, and ensure sustainability in FSM. The study highlighted the accessibility of vacuum truck services projecting through a spatial map and identified methods to empty the septic tanks where Vacutag services are unavailable by engaging local pit emptiers. The innovative approach of fecal sludge management will help not only to improve the existing sanitation practices but also raise community awareness to ensure sustainable sanitation system. Altogether, the web system will work as a medium to manage the faecal sludge for the existing co-compost plant where the faeces is converted into organic soil conditioner, creating prospects for a green business mechanism.