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The study possesses two-fold objectives: first, to explain the nature of internal reverse migration in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic, and second, to explore the push-pull factors of it. This study used a qualitative analysis tool and conducted 04 case studies and 10 In-depth interviews of reverse migrants for case study-based analysis. the study found that the pandemic triggered the reverse migration of informal workers, particularly female workers. Livelihood crisis, food insecurity, unexpected shocks, health insecurity, low living costs, and fear of infection are push-pull factors of reverse migration during COVID-19. Furthermore, these push-pull factors have motivated informal workers to migrate from urban to rural areas during COVID-19. The findings recommend that policymakers should address the vulnerability of informal workers in policy decisions. Policymakers should introduce new programs, i.e., social protection, and emergency economic schemes to provide support to the informal workers during emergencies like COVID-19.

In Iranian law there are two theories in interpretation of the contract: the theory of "Interpretation Based on the Common Intention of the Parties" vs. the theory of "Sociological and Free Interpretation". In American law,"Textualism" and "Contextualism" are the most important theories of contract interpretation. Other theories have been proposed in American law, which include: "Literalism","Subjectivism","Objectivism" and "Objective - Contextual Interpretation" which is a combination of subjectivist and objectivist approaches. The main question is what are the strengths and weaknesses of the interpretation theories, and what relationship can be established among the theories of contract interpretation in Iranian and American law. In the present study, it has been determined by the descriptive-analytical method that in American law, although contextualist and subjectivist theories claim to best discover the real intention of individuals as the main goal of interpretation and fully guarantee the "Principle of Free Will", It seems that although Textualism and Objectivism maintain legal values such as the stability of transactions and trust in the legitimate intentions of individuals, at the same time they also provide economic values such as efficiency and maximum profit in transactions. Therefore, in interpretation of the contract, Textualism with an objective approach is superior to Contextualism and Subjectivism. Lack of reliance on textual interpretation theories and inattention to economic criteria such as efficiency and maximum profit are the major weaknesses of contract interpretation theories in Iranian law.The interpretation of the contract with the inner intention approach in Iran is related to subjectivist and contextualist theories, and the interpretation based on apparent intention can be considered close to objectives and textual theories.

The study was aimed to assess the effect of drying methods on physicochemical properties of Khaya senegalensis gum. Gum exudates obtained from the bark of Khaya senegalensis plant was extracted and subjected to freeze drying and vacuum oven drying. Gel permeation chromatography, Elemental analysis, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transforms Infra red spectroscopy were used to characterize the gum. The effect of drying methods on the gum samples were assessed based on Differential scanning calorimetry, Scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic vapour sorption, particle size analysis via laser diffraction techniques, colour and density measurements. An average molecular weight of 60 KDa expressed as the Dextran equivalent and a polydispersity of 2.17 with a retention time of 18,485 min was recorded for the vacuum dried gum. The vacuum dried gum occurred as irregular discreet coarse particles, containing both amorphous and crystalline portions due to a glass transition of 65◦ and melting temperature of 182.35◦C. It also displayed excellent flow and compressibility properties whereas the freeze-dried gum appeared flaky, porous with large surface area. The mechanism of water sorption was found to be initial surface adsorption and subsequently bulk absorption for both freeze dried and vacuum dried gum samples. The coarseness, water sorption and retention ability of the vacuum dried gum provides a potential for its use as a disintegrant in solid dosage formulations whereas the freeze-dried gum will be suitable for use as a binding agent due to its smaller particle sizes that enhanced solubility. Furthermore, the presence of nitrogen in Khaya senegalensis gum structure explains its partial solubility and the azo aromatic group suggests biodegradability and candidature for drug delivery to the colon. Keywords: Khaya senegalensis Gum; Average Molecular Weight; Amorphous; Crystalline; Direct Compression Excipient; Disintegrant 2 Freeze and vacuum dried Khaya senegalensis gum characterization

The stage of pregnancy is crucial for women of reproductive age and their families. However, in low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh, antenatal and postnatal care are not widely practiced due to various socio-economic factors, such as low education levels, income, age, pregnancy knowledge, and limited healthcare facilities. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with antenatal care in two locations in Bangladesh based on the data collected from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–2018. We explored different variables as explanatory variables related to ANC service. The results showed that most of the respondents were from rural areas, with 77.02% receiving antenatal care at home. Women with secondary education were more likely to receive care at home than those without education. The Chi-square test indicated a positive correlation between antenatal care at home with several variables, whereas, in the case of Upazila health complexes, only three variables showed a positive association. Logistic regression analysis further showed some specific variables such as geographical division, religion, iron intake during pregnancy, and reporting pregnancy complications had a significant impact on ANC at home. In contrast, covariates such as residence, division, and wealth index were significant for antenatal care at Upazila health complexes. The division was a significant covariate in both cases. Interestingly, we observed that mothers who had been informed about the signs of pregnancy complications were 92% more likely to receive antenatal care at home than those who had not experienced pregnancy complications. Conversely, the results revealed that mothers who were unaware of pregnancy complications were 32% more likely to receive antenatal care at home than those who had been informed about complications. This suggests that when women are educated about pregnancy complications, they are more likely to receive more antenatal care. However, Bangladesh's situation is quite different due to a lack of proper education and knowledge of antenatal care services.

Introduction COVID-19 has caused severe disruption to clinical services in Bangladesh but the extent of this, and the impact on healthcare professionals is unclear. We aimed to assess the perceived levels of anxiety, depression and burnout among doctors and nurses during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods We undertook an online survey using RedCap, directed at doctors and nurses across four institutions in Bangladesh (The Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute & Hospital (SRNGIH), Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Mugda Medical College Hospital (MMCH) and M Abdur Rahim Medical College (MARMC) Hospital). We collected information on demographics, awareness of well-being services, COVID-19-related workload, as well as anxiety, depression and burnout using two validated questionnaires: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).Results Of the 3000 participants approached, we received responses from 2705 (90.2%). There was a statistically significant difference in anxiety, depression and burnout scores across institutions (p

The Bangla Language ranks seventh in the list of most spoken languages with 265 native and non-native speakers around the world and the second Indo-Aryan language after Hindi. However, the growth of research for tasks such as sentiment analysis (SA) in Bangla is relatively low compared to SA in the English language. It is because there are not enough high-quality publically available datasets for training language models for text classification tasks in Bangla. In this paper, we propose a Bangla annotated dataset for sentiment analysis on the ongoing Ukraine–Russia war. The dataset was developed by collecting Bangla comments from various videos of three prominent YouTube TV news channels of Bangladesh covering their report on the ongoing conflict. A total of 10,861 Bangla comments were collected and labeled with three polarity sentiments, namely Neutral, Pro-Ukraine (Positive), and Pro-Russia (Negative). A benchmark classifier was developed by experimenting with several transformer-based language models all pre-trained on unlabeled Bangla corpus. The models were fine-tuned using our procured dataset. Hyperparameter optimization was performed on all 5 transformer language models which include: BanglaBERT, XLM-RoBERTa-base, XLM-RoBERTa-large, Distil-mBERT and mBERT. Each model was evaluated and analyzed using several evaluation metrics which include: F1 score, accuracy, and AIC (Akaike Information Criterion). The best-performing model achieved the highest accuracy of 86% with 0.82 F1 score. Based on accuracy, F1 score and AIC, BanglaBERT outperforms baseline and all the other transformer-based classifiers.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across Bangladesh, affecting various sectors, including aquaculture. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects on aquaculture production and profitability in the country. The present study addresses this gap and investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic using a convenience questionnaire survey utilising face-to-face and telephonic interviews with 499 fish farmers from five prominent fish-culture regions (Satkhira, Khulna, Madaripur, Bhola, and Mymensingh) in Bangladesh from April to August 2020. The results show aquaculture production losses averaging 29.1 % during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the farmers reported a profit of USD3813 per hectare, which turned into a loss of USD2565.4 per hectare during the pandemic period. The standard multiple linear regression analysis indicated that large farms experienced a more significant impact on aquaculture production loss and economic loss during the pandemic period compared to small farms [β = 0.15, P = 0.029]. The causes for the production loss were identified by rank based quotient (RBQ), indicating that increased fish transportation costs and prices of seed and feed dominated during the lockdown. The lockdown and movement restrictions also reduced selling prices because of fewer buyers. The government provided financial support to the fish farmers, but only onethird (36 %) of the respondents received financial aid. The study suggests implementing medium and long-term measures, such as strengthening communication networks, digital marketing strategies and developing strategic planning initiatives to improve disaster management and resilience to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.

Purple sweet potato is a vine that grows a lot in Indonesia and is used in various local food preparations because it contains high nutrients. Objective: to review the benefits of various processed foods from purple sweet potatoes in increasing nutritional intake. Method: a literature review of published articles from Science Direct, PubMed, Neliti, and Google Scholar, with 25 shortlisted articles. Purple sweet potatoes contain nutrients that can replenish daily energy sources such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Other ingredients include high anthocyanins, fiber, vitamins A, B12, and C, and minerals; Ca, Fe, Mg, K, and Zn. Purple sweet potatoes are used for traditional and modern food preparations. Some of these processed foods are biscuits, sponges, brownies, snack bars, fit bars, noodles, waffles, flaky cracers, pasta, croquettes, and MP-ASI. Conclusion: the benefits of processed purple sweet potato foods in various forms contribute to adequate nutritional intake, the importance of a good processing process, because the heat process will affect its nutritional content.

The primary agricultural pursuit in Malaysia centres around banana cultivation; however, this vital crop faces the daunting challenge of multiple diseases that hinder its growth. The adverse consequences of these diseases extend beyond the farms to impact the nation’s economy. To empower farmers with the tools to promptly identify and categorize these diseases, image processing techniques offer a valuable solution. This research leverages deep learning Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) implemented through MATLAB in conjunction with a DJI drone. By harnessing this technology, the system can automatically detect and classify major banana diseases. The study meticulously fine-tuned several hyperparameters to achieve impressive training and testing accuracy levels. The results revealed that the model attained its highest training accuracy of 81.27% at epoch 8 and its lowest accuracy of 78.40% at epoch 4, demonstrating its potential to aid in early disease detection and classification in banana crops.

This paper focuses on the production systems that may produce a proportion of recyclable defective products. The developed model is called an Economic Recycle Quantity (ERQ) model with the assumption of a full recovery of defective items. The defective parts are collected during the production-off time and can be used during the next production cycle of the same category. The demand rate of the non-defective items is a two-level piecewise factor—one during the production-run time and another during the production-off time. The developed model aims to optimize the total inventory cost, the order quantity, and the amount of recyclable defective items that represent the ERQ. The mathematical formulations of the model are deduced theoretically. The model was solved analytically, and the optimal results are illustrated. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the effect of varying system parameters and validate the proposed model. Results of the sensitivity analysis show that the consideration of defective part recycling reduces the total inventory cost where the raw material is reduced. The cost reduction is about 1%; of course, the environmental impact is more appreciated. Furthermore, the managerial implications are described, and the future perspectives are discussed.

The endorheic Konya Basin is a vast aggradational plain in Central Anatolia, Türkiye. It occupies a significant portion of Konya Province, covering approximately 50,000 km2. The basin is subjected to intense groundwater withdrawal and extensive agricultural activities with excessive irrigation. These activities have led to human-induced hazards, such as sinkholes and regional land subsidence. Although sinkhole occurrence mainly occurs in the Karapınar area, land subsidence is primarily observed in the central sector of Konya city, with 2 million inhabitants, as well as in various parts of the basin. This study focuses on determining the extent and rate of land subsidence throughout the basin, understanding sinkhole formation, and unraveling their relationship with anthropogenic activities. For this purpose, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis of Sentinel-1 data from 2014 to 2022 was conducted to identify and assess land subsidence. We also used the land cover data and groundwater-level information to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of land subsidence and sinkhole occurrence. Additionally, the land cover data were used to resolve spatial–temporal variations in the cultivated area and urbanization, which are the main factors governing groundwater exploitation in the region. Our study identified widespread subsidence zones with rates as high as 90 mm/y. Groundwater overexploitation to sustain extensive agricultural operations is the main cause of the high rate of land subsidence. Additionally, it was discovered that the number of sinkholes has substantially increased due to anthropogenic influences, currently amounting to as many as 660.

Temperature uncertainty models for land and sea surfaces can be developed based on statistical methods. In this paper, we developed a novel time-series temperature uncertainty model, which is the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) (1,1) model. The model was developed for an observed annual mean temperature anomaly X(t), which is a combination of a true (latent) global anomaly Y(t) for a year (t) and normal variable w(t). The uncertainty is taken as the variance of w(t), which was divided into land surface temperature (LST) uncertainty, sea surface temperature (SST) uncertainty, and the corresponding source of uncertainty. The ARMA model was analyzed and compared with autoregressive (AR) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) for the data obtained from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Surface Temperature (GISTEMP) Analysis. The statistical analysis of the autocorrelation function (ACF), partial autocorrelation function (PACF), normal quantile–quantile (normal Q-Q) plot, density of the residuals, and variance of normal variable w(t) shows that ARMA (1,1) fits better than AR (1) and ARIMA (1, d, 1) for d = 1, 2.

In this research, curium oxide (CmO2) is studied as fuel for VVER-1200 reactor to get an attention to its energy value and possibilities. For this purpose, CmO2 is used in fuel rods or integrated burnable absorber (IBA) rods with and without UO2 and then compared with the conventional fuel assembly of VVER-1200 reactor. It is burned to 60 GWd/t by using SRAC-2006 code and JENDL-4.0 data library. From these studies, it is found that CmO2 is competent like UO2 as a fuel due to higher fission cross-section of 243Cm and 245Cm isotopes and neutron capture cross-section of 244Cm and 246Cm isotopes. As a result, when some or all of the UO2 of fuel rods or IBA rods are replaced by CmO2, we get a similar k-inf like the reference even with lower enrichment UO2 fuels. These studies show that the use of CmO2 as IBA rods is more effective than the fuel rods considering the initially loaded amount, power peaking factor (PPF), fuel temperature and void coefficient, and the quality of spent fuel. From a detailed study, 3% CmO2 with inert material ZrO2 in IBA rods are recommended for the VVER-1200 reactor assembly from the once through concept.

Background: Lung disease is viewed as perhaps the most far reaching and deadly malignancies all throughout the planet. The most seasoned and most crucial technique is based on sputum cytology. The last outskirts for getting sufficient material are fine needle yearning cytology (FNAC) of bronchial development. Aims and Objective: To relate the meaning of sputum cytology and fine needle goal cytology of bronchial tissue under CT rules for diagnosing cellular breakdown in the lungs. Materials and Methods: This potential observational investigation was completed by the division of medication in Chattogram Medical College Hospital, Chattogram, Bangladesh. Where data was collected from January 2019 to June 2020. A total of 50 patients with a suspected history, symptoms, and risk profile of having primary lung cancer, as demonstrated by chest radiography and CT scan, were chosen for the research population. Fifty patients with clinical and biochemical verification of suspected. All collected data were coding and input in SPSS-25 for further analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were tested. Results: Among the 50 patients the vast majority of the patients were 51-60 years of age and the biggest number of the (94 %) patients were male. Sputum cytology is 8% touchy which isn’t steady with different examinations and CT guided FNAC is 94% sensitive. Conclusion: A definitive point of picture guided histological or cytological examination is to stay away from unnecessary thoracotomy and accomplish a particular determination with sensible exactness and least results. So, in this examination we found that sputum cytology is 8% delicate which isn’t steady with different investigations and CT guided FNAC is 94% touchy to last histological analysis of lung cancer. The discoveries recommended that CT guided FNAC discovered to be protected, feasible and viable.

The objective of this research is to the use of americium (AmO2) as a burnable absorber effectively instead of conventional gadolinium (Gd2O3) for VVER-1200 reactor by analyzing its impacts on reactivity, power peaking factor (PPF), safety factor, and quality of the spent fuel. The assembly is burned to 60 GWd/t by using SRAC-2006 code and JENDL-4.0 data library for finding the optimum amount and effective way of using AmO2 as a burnable absorber. From these studies, it is found that AmO2 can decrease the excess reactivity like Gd2O3 without changing the criticality life span and enrichment of 235U. A homogeneous mixture of the 0.20% AmO2+ 4.95% enriched UO2 fuel rod (model MF-4) decreases the PPF than the reference assembly. The use of AmO2+UO2 in the integral burnable absorber (IBA) rod or the outer layer could also decrease the PPF up to 10 GWd/t but increases rapidly after 30 GWd/t, which could be a safety threat. The fuel temperature coefficient and void coefficient of the model MF-4 are the same as the reference assembly. In addition, 22% of initially loaded Am are burning effectively and contributing to the power production.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides a comprehensive tool to analyze the bacterial genomes for genotype–phenotype correlations, diversity of single-nucleotide variant (SNV), and their evolution and transmission. Several online pipelines and standalone tools are available for WGS analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) complex (MTBC). While they facilitate the processing of WGS data with minimal user expertise, they are either too general, providing little insights into bacterium-specific issues such as gene variations, INDEL/synonymous/PE-PPE (IDP family), and drug resistance from sample data, or are limited to specific objectives, such as drug resistance. It is understood that drug resistance and lineage-specific issues require an elaborate prioritization of identified variants to choose the best target for subsequent therapeutic intervention. Mycobacterium variant pipeline (MycoVarP) addresses these specific issues with a flexible battery of user-defined and default filters. It provides an end-to-end solution for WGS analysis of Mtb variants from the raw reads and performs two quality checks, viz, before trimming and after alignments of reads to the reference genome. MycoVarP maps the annotated variants to the drug-susceptible (DS) database and removes the false-positive variants, provides lineage identification, and predicts potential drug resistance. We have re-analyzed the WGS data reported by Advani et al. (2019) using MycoVarP and identified some additional variants not reported so far. We conclude that MycoVarP will help in identifying nonsynonymous, true-positive, drug resistance–associated variants more effectively and comprehensively, including those within the IDP of the PE-PPE/PGRS family, than possible from the currently available pipelines.

Repeated synthetic aperture radar (SAR) acquisitions can be utilized to produce measurements of ground deformations and associated geohazards, such as it can be used to detect signs of volcanic unrest. Existing time series algorithms like permanent scatterer analysis and small baseline subset are computationally demanding and cannot be applied in near real time to detect subtle, transient, and precursory deformations. To overcome this problem, we have adapted a minimum spanning tree based spatial independent component analysis method to automatically detect sources related to volcanic unrest from a time series of differential interferograms. For a synthetic dataset, we first utilize the algorithm's capability to isolate signals of geophysical interest from atmospheric artifacts, topography, and other noise signals, before monitoring the evolution of these signals through time in order to detect the onset of a period of volcanic unrest, in near real time. In this article, we first demonstrate our approach on synthetic datasets having different signal strengths and temporal complexities. Second, we demonstrate our approach on a couple of real datasets, one acquired in 2017–2019 over the Colima volcano, Mexico, showing the occurrence of previously unrecognized short-term deformation events and the other over Mt. Thorbjorn in Iceland acquired over 2020. This shows the strength of the deep learning application to differential interferometric SAR measurements, and highlights that deformation events occurring without eruptions, which may have previously been undetected.

Abstract Background and Aim As the interrelationship between Helicobacter pylori, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is controversial, we undertook a community‐based study with the aim to find the seroprevalence of H. pylori and its relationship with MetS and NAFLD. Methods This door‐to‐door survey was conducted among the adult subjects (≥18 years) of two villages (Charcharia of Dhaka district and Kharrah of Munshiganj district) of Bangladesh. Interviews using a structured questionnaire, clinical examination, anthropometric measurements, ultrasonogram of the liver, and biochemical tests were performed. Results Of 1021 subjects, 781 responded (76.49%), and 767 were included in the final analysis (mean age 40.35 ± 15.56 years; female 63.5%). Anti‐H. pylori antibodies were found in 418 of 767 (54.5%). There were no H. pylori serostatus association with MetS and diabetes mellitus (DM) in univariate or multivariate analysis (all P > 0.05). However, H. pylori seropositive subjects had lower systolic blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] = −2.95 [−5.58, −0.32]) and low density lipoprotein ‐cholesterol (OR −7.79 [−15, −0.57]) compared to seronegative subjects in the linear regression model. Seronegativity of H. pylori was associated with NALFD in univariate (P = 0.007) but not multivariate analysis (P = 0.086). There were no differences in the frequency of H. pylori seropositivity among the participants with nonobese compared to obese NAFLD (19/42 [45%] vs 43/99 [43.4%], P = 0.844). Conclusion In a rural community of Bangladesh, about 55% of the population were H. pylori seropositive, which was more common among the underweight than normal or obese subjects. However, there was no relationship observed between H. pylori seroprevalence and MetS, DM, or NAFLD.

With the evolution of the Internet and multimedia technology, the amount of text data has increased exponentially. This text volume is a precious source of information and knowledge that needs to be efficiently summarized. Text summarization is the method to reduce the source text into a compact variant, preserving its knowledge and the actual meaning. Here we thoroughly investigate the automatic text summarization (ATS) and summarize the widely recognized ATS architectures. This paper outlines extractive and abstractive text summarization technologies and provides a deep taxonomy of the ATS domain. The taxonomy presents the classical ATS algorithms to modern deep learning ATS architectures. Every modern text summarization approach’s workflow and significance are reviewed with the limitations with potential recovery methods, including the feature extraction approaches, datasets, performance measurement techniques, and challenges of the ATS domain, etc. In addition, this paper concisely presents the past, present, and future research directions in the ATS domain.

Identification of meat and meat products is significant for economic, religious, or public health reasons. This study focused on the detection and differentiation of meat animal species. A total of sixty-four meat samples (10 samples of each like beef, buffen, chevon, and mutton; twenty-four samples of pork) were analyzed for these purposes. PCR-RFLP of 12S rRNA gene with four restriction enzymes was performed on individual meat samples as well as mixture of different meat. Species specific primers as well as sequencing of DNA were also used to detect and verify the RFLP results. PCR amplification yielded a 456bp fragments from 100% samples. AluI digested beef DNA into 359 and 97bp, chevon and mutton DNA into 246 and 210bp fragments and pork DNA into 290 and 166bp fragments. However, it cannot digest buffen DNA. On the other hand HhaI digested only buffen DNA into 247 and 209bp fragments but not others. ApoI restricts only mutton DNA and yielded 329 and 127bp fragments but not others. Nevertheless, BspTI yielded 323 and 133bp fragments only from chevon. Besides, mixed samples (1:1) of beef-buffen and chevon-mutton can be differentiated by AluI & HhaI and BspTI & ApoI, respectively. Chord analysis based on our sequence and respective sequences of studied animals from GenBank indicated that the cutting sites are conserved in these species of animals. Phylogenetically each of the species was clustered separately. This technique may be useful for meat animal species detection and differentiation either from individual meat and mixed meat samples.

Purpose – Waiting is associated with pain and stress that leads to frustration. However, consumer narratives may help cope with the stress associated with such waiting. This study aims to understand consumer waiting behaviours within online communities. Design/methodology/approach – Data was gathered following a netnographic approach from a Facebook brand community (FBC) by downloading and archiving the threads related to members’ waiting behaviours. This resulted in 91 pages of data, with 438 individual comments and 179 distinct threads. Findings – The data revealed that members of the sampled FBC exercised waiting behaviour. The authors confirm that waiting for a product is associated with both negative outcomes (frustration, boredom, etc.), but positive ones (create stronger ties with the brand and fellow members, etc.). Members of the FBC exhibited reduced consumer anxiety and stress during the waiting period. Research limitations/implications – This study found 13 waiting behaviours within the FBC and supports the idea that new value-creating behaviours are noticed within the context of FBCs. Originality/value – This study focuses on waiting within a goods-based context (waiting to be served has been examined predominantly within the service sector). The study explored the behaviours of consumers who use social media to complain about extended waiting periods to receive the product along with other consumer reactions to these waiting crowds to reduce the emotional pain associated with such delays.

Anyone who owns a vehicle has certainly dealt with a dead battery at least several times in his/her life, however he/she might not know the hidden hazard of explosion of a battery. Therefore it is very important to know proper handling of battery to prevent a battery from exploding. This study is intended to inform people on proper battery handling, causes of an explosion, and how accident investigations can be conducted. To do this, this work will present information that informs people on causes, investigation, and corrective measures in battery use. The main methods used in this work are research, published literatures, and analysis that will aim to create awareness that is easy to understand. This paper will cover causes of battery explosions, techniques used in investigations, and preventative measures. The expected results of this paper are to find multiple reasons why a battery may explode, various techniques used in investigations and find ways that prevent a battery from exploding.

Abstract Heavy metal pollution in groundwater is a substantial environmental risk for Bangladesh. The Meghna Ghat industrial area in Bangladesh becomes a promising site for installing various industries for few decades. It was necessary to assess the heavy metal level in the groundwater of this area, and current study took the initiative. We collected 20 groundwater samples and tested pH, DO, TDS, EC, turbidity, COD, and DOC as well as four heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ni) to calculate four water quality indices, i.e., water quality index (WQI), degree of contamination (DC), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and heavy metal pollution index (HPI). Ni was too low to detect by the instrument, whereas the mean concentrations of Cr, Cd, and Pb were 0.07, 0.007, and 0.18 mg/L which exceeded the drinking water standards set by Bangladesh. According to the water quality indices, only 10% samples were good according to WQI; 30% and 15% samples were subjected to low level of pollution considering DC and HEI, respectively. Although according to HPI 35% samples were unsuitable for drinking, rest of the values were very close to characterize as unsuitable. Finally, we proposed two best-fitted models that can represent relationships between the metals and water quality indices. Water quality was comparatively better near the open spaces of the study area. The area needed to be under continuous monitoring for checking further pollution distribution.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, onset, and duration of COVID-19 associated symptoms, hospitalization, and recovery time from the infection in Bangladesh.Methods: A retrospective study was designed adopting the snowball sampling technique (n = 439). The association of gender, age, and comorbidity on COVID-19 associated complications was determined using chi-square and binary logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05).Result: Fever, exhaustion, cough, loss of taste, sore throat, body ache, and hair-loss were prevalent among more than 50% of the participants and developed within fourth days in above 90% of the patients. Shortness of breath was significantly higher in males (χ2 = 5.671; OR 1.641). Significant comorbidity association on the shortness of breath (χ2 = 40.119; OR 2.564), vomiting (χ2 = 4.422; OR 1.018), and loss of speech (χ2 = 17.299; OR 3.430) was observed. Patients (>40 years) exerted higher association in shortness of breath (χ2 = 24.083; OR 2.901). Age and comorbidity were significantly associated with COVID-19 associated hospitalization (χ2 = 16.890 and χ2 = 23.638, respectively) and recovery time (χ2 = 12.870 and χ2 = 26.924, respectively).Conclusion: The study suggests that the hospitalization rate increased for older (>40 years) and comorbid patients. Comorbid patients demonstrated higher susceptibility to have shortness of breath, vomiting, loss of speech, and confusion, whereas male patients showed significant increase in the prevalence of sore throat, loss of smell, and vomiting compared to female patients.

Ultrasonic testing (UT) for medical examination as well as metal flaw detection is a popular method. From the beginning of ultrasonic testing Mulhauser in 1931 lot of new things and technologies emerged in UT testing. This review paper deals with progress in detecting human organs as well as materials flaws and future prospects of UT for metal flaw detection. Study on components of UT system is conducted. Then typical UT inspection system is determined. After that advantages and disadvantages of UT have been reviewed. Major types of waves in ultrasound with considering UT instruments have been reviewed as well. Progress in different areas of UT have been discussed extensively with more emphasis on progress in composite piezoelectric materials, variations of probes, EMAT (Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer), focused probe, focusing axicon probe, focused phased arrays, LASER(Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) generation of ultrasound, acoustic holography and ultrasonic microscopy. At the end future prospects of UT have been reviewed as well as recommendation has been provided.

On 22 December 2018, the western flank of Anak Krakatau collapsed into the sea of the Sunda Strait triggering a tsunami which killed approximately 430 people and displaced 33,000. Here, the authors show that Anak Krakatau exhibited an elevated state of activity several months prior to the collapse, including precursory thermal anomalies, an increase in the island’s surface area, and a gradual seaward motion of the southwestern flank.

A safety and engineering related survey has been conducted to identify infrastructure problems in an undeveloped neighborhood. The studied neighborhood has lacked so many modern and updated infrastructures. NNS (Near Northside) neighborhood infrastructure is failing or becoming older because of lack of engineering and safety knowledge among the community people to have awareness to improve the infrastructure. There exists a need to understand the infrastructure deficiencies that currently is apparent within the community of Near Northside. This work addressed those issues and would encourage the people to have a better infrastructure which could help to improve their neighborhood.

Drawing on Jakarta, Metro Manila and Singapore as case studies, we explore the paradox of slow political action in addressing subsiding land, particularly along high-density urban coastlines with empirical insights from coastal geography, geodesy analysis, geology, and urban planning. In framing land subsidence as a classic 'wicked' policy problem, and also as a hybrid geological and anthropogenic phenomenon that is unevenly experienced across urban contexts, the paper uses a three-step analysis. First, satellite-derived InSAR maps are integrated with Sentinel-1A data in order to reveal the socio-temporal variability of subsidence rates which in turn pose challenges in uniformly applying regulatory action. Second, a multi-sectoral mapping of diverse policies and practices spanning urban water supply, groundwater extraction, land use zoning, building codes, tenurial security, and land reclamation reveal the extent to which the broader coastal governance landscape remains fragmented and incongruous, particularly in arresting a multi-dimensional phenomenon such as subsidence. Finally, in reference to distinct coastal identities of each city-the 'Sinking Capital' (Jakarta), 'Fortress Singapore', and the 'Disaster Capital' (Manila) the paper illustrates how land subsidence is portrayed across the three metropolises in markedly similar ways: as a reversible, quasi-natural, and/or a highly individualized problem.

Before, during, and after an accident in worksites, many of the details regarding why and how it occurred are lost. To prevent this from happening, Accident Data Recorders (ADR) can be used to record information over long periods of time. Due to their ability to be networked and the fact that many of these can be used to gather information about the same area (guaranteeing there is not a single point of failure if one fail), they can gather the most relevant information leading up to and after an accident. Similar technology already exists in different application areas but the lack of modularity, ability to network, and many other missing features makes them less effective at recording information. By recording all information relating to an accident, it can become much easier to understand how to prevent another accident in the future. This can not only save money but the lives of employees.

Many urban farms are designed to be indoors or use traditional soil or energy generation techniques. Microgrids provide local electricity to a small network of users with power storage. Few urban farms and microgrids are designed and engineered to draw energy from extreme weather events producing electricity and water. The paper examines the feasibility of a self-sufficient, adaptive small-scale microgrid farm harnessing power from multiple renewable energy (solar and wind) and rainwater collection techniques while producing food. This study’s objective is to conduct an investigative Root Cause Analysis of an outdoor hydroponic system named Pangea. The study findings suggest an outdoor hydroponic system shares many defects from exposure to shifts in climatic conditions to poor engineering and design. The concept and technological aspect of this work can be transferred to commercial, large-scale greenhouse.

Introduction Since there is a paucity of data on the epidemiology of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), particularly in rural areas in Asia, we undertook such a study among the population of a rural community in Bangladesh with the aims to (1) determine the prevalence of non-obese and obese NAFLD, (2) compare the sociodemographic clinical and metabolic characteristics between non-obese and obese NAFLD subjects, and (3) determine the risk factors of NAFLD and no-nobese NAFLD.Methods In this door-to-door survey, clinical examination, anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests and ultrasonography were performed on the adult population (≥18 years) of three villages in Bangladesh.Results Of 1682, 1353 (80.44%) responded. After the exclusion of 48 subjects for alcohol consumption, HBsAg or anti-hepatitis C virus positivity, 1305 ((mean age 41.28±15.10 years, female 908 (69.6%)) were included in the final analysis. On ultrasonography, among the study population, 57 (4.4%) non-obese, 185 (14.2%) obese and, overall, 242 (18.5 %, (male 23.40%, female 16.4%, p=0. 003)) participants had NAFLD. NAFLD was detected in 57/804 (7.1%) of non-obese and 185/501 (36.93%) obese participants. Among the lean subjects, 24/592 (4.1%) had NAFLD. Among NAFLD subjects, 57 (23.55%) were non-obese, and 53 (22%) had raised alanine aminotransferase. On multivariate analysis, age >40 years, male gender, metabolic syndrome (MS), diabetes mellitus (DM), abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity were found as the risk factors for NAFLD. There were no differences in sociodemographic characteristics, DM, MS, abdominal obesity, hypertension and dyslipidaemia between non-obese and obese NAFLD (all p>0.05).Conclusion In this community study in Bangladesh, NAFLD was present in 18.5% participants, one-quarter of whom were non-obese. Apart from body mass index, the metabolic profile was comparable between obese and non-obese NAFLD. Public health measures are needed to control and prevent NAFLD and MS and their adverse health consequences.

This paper offers an analysis of the lexical item confusion in opinion-editorials published by a Malaysian newspaper. The data was collected from The Star, a Malaysian English daily, between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2010. To contextualize, in April 2009, the previous Prime Minister departs and the country welcomes a new leader with an apparently nationalist identity discourse of 1Malaysia (Malaysia as an inclusive nation). This is also when religious debates surfaced regularly in the country’s courtrooms and media. The findings of the study reveal that the authors of op-eds used the lexical item, confusion, to articulate normative and non-normative positions regarding various religious issues in Malaysia (e.g., Allah controversy, Islamic jurisprudence and religious conversion). Those who argued for the normative view, confusion arose within the discursive space of the religion of Islam; while for those who argued against the normative view, confusion arose due to the differences between the religious and the secular positions. It is important to note that the construction of meaning depended on both the semantic field of the lexical item and the context of utterance. However, what is more crucial to follow is that the term confusion served as an ideological tool in the Malaysian context to further the agenda of those individuals who are representatives or spokespersons for specific ideological groups within a contested polity.

A novel melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone hormone therapy was developed as a safe bio-identical alternative hormone therapy for menopausal women based on the Women’s Health Initiative findings that PremPro™ increased breast cancer risk and mortality of all types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. For HER2 breast cancer, melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone delayed tumor onset and reduced tumor incidence in neu female mice. For other breast cancers, its actions are unknown. In this study, melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone hormone therapy were assessed in human ER+ (MCF-7) and triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells, and found to decrease proliferation and migration of both breast cancer lines. Inhibition of MEK1/2 and 5 using PD98059 and BIX02189, respectively, inhibited proliferation and migration in MDA-MB-231 cells and proliferation in MCF-7 cells; however, when combined with melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone, BIX02189 blocked melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone–mediated inhibition of migration in MCF-7 cells and induced Elf-5. For MDA-MB-231 cells, BIX02189 combined with melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone inhibited proliferation and increased pERK1/2 and β1-INTEGRIN; levels of pERK5 remained low/nearly absent in both breast cancer lines. These findings demonstrate novel anti-cancer actions of melatonin, estrogen, and progesterone in ER+ and triple negative breast cancer cells through intricate MEK1/2- and MEK5-associated signaling cascades that favor anti-proliferation and anti-migration.

‘Tubifex worms’ encompass extensive cryptic diversity that requires molecular characterization to confirm the species commonly found in Bangladesh including their lineages. Therefore, this study focused on the molecular characterization and phylogeny analysis at lineages level by sequencing the fragment of 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes through standard cloning and sequencing techniques followed by phylogenetic characterization. All six isolates, belong to the genus Limnodrilus that is confirmed into two different species (L. hoffmeisteri and L. claparedianus-cervix) of the tubifex. The phylogenetic analysis estimated that the resident worms are under the same clade although transmissions from other countries might likely occur through different aquatic routes and birds. The drawbacks were the use of a complex colony rather than a single worm and taking representative isolates instead of all the positive amplicons for sequencing. However, this study is the first report of genetical confirmation of the genus Limnodrilus at lineage level from Bangladesh. Keywords: Tubifex, Phylogeny, Cytochrome oxidase, 16S rRNA, Bangladesh

Abstract Image denoising is considered a salient pre-processing step in sophisticated imaging applications. Over the decades, numerous studies have been conducted in denoising. Recently proposed Block matching and 3D (BM3D) filtering added a new dimension to the study of denoising. BM3D is the current state-of-the-art of denoising and is capable of achieving better denoising as compared to any other existing method. However, there is room to improve BM3D to achieve high-quality denoising. In this study, to improve BM3D, we first attempted to improve the Wiener filter (the core of BM3D) by maximizing the structural similarity (SSIM) between the true and the estimated image, instead of minimizing the mean square error (MSE) between them. Moreover, for the DC-only BM3D profile, we introduced a 3D zigzag thresholding. Experimental results demonstrate that regardless of the type of the image, our proposed method achieves better denoising performance than that of BM3D.

Abstract White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), the etiological agent of White Spot Disease (WSD) is a major impediment for shrimp aquaculture in the worldwide. A critical threshold level of WSSV load in infected shrimp is an important trait for disease manifestation and WSSV transmission in cultured shrimp and subsequently make outbreaks. The present study investigated 120 naturally infected cultured shrimp samples by SYBR Green based qPCR assay for WSD diagnosis and quantification of WSSV load. Among them, 94 samples resulted a variable count of WSSV load ranging from 2.1 × 108 to 2.64 × 1014 copies/g of shrimp tissue. The severity of WSSV infection was assessed based on the established critical threshold load of WSSV in shrimp tissue. Compared to the established critical threshold value of WSSV load in shrimp tissue, our findings showed the horrifying scenario of the severity of WSSV infection in cultured shrimps of Bangladesh that was found to be above the critical limit to initiate an outbreak in the Bangladeshi shrimp aquaculture industry. The latest phylogenetic pattern was altered from the former monophyletic history among WSSVs of Bangladesh due to a variation at 500th nucleotide of VP28 coding gene. Viruses characterized from recent outbreaks in 2015 and 2017 displayed amino acid substitution at position 167 (G→E) on the surface of VP28 protein which has demonstrated the probable replacement of indigenous virus pool. Therefore, it is imperative to take initiative for the management and prevention of WSSV outbreak to sustain shrimp aquaculture in South-West region of Bangladesh.

Background: It is well established that fatty food causes gallbladder contraction by releasing cholecystokinin (CCK). Smoking also causes contraction of gallbladder. There are a limited number of studies evaluating the effect of smoking and fatty meals on gallbladder motility by ultrasonography. Objective: The aim of this study is to see the effect of smoking on gallbladder contraction in comparison with fatty meals. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on thirty young adult male volunteers having age between 18−40 years in the department of Radiology and Imaging of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. Unbiased gallbladder volume measurement of each volunteer was taken on two separate days before and after taking fatty food and as well as before and after smoking at 5,15, 30 and 60 minutes interval. All information were meticulously recorded in structured data collection sheet and analyzed statistically. Then mean gallbladder volume changes against time were presented graphically for two groups using the pre and post smoking values. Results: The result shows that smoking has contractile effect on gallbladder like fatty food. The mean comparison of net change of gallbladder volume before and after smoking and before and after fatty food intake in both smoker and non-smoker groups has been statistically significant (p

Background: There is a wide variation in existing Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains across the globe, and false results in line probe assay (LPA) can occur due to the presence of unique genetic mutations in different settings. Objectives: An attempt was made to observe uncommon mutations in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) strains and determination of genetic diversity by spoligotyping and to study the treatment outcome in patients with uncommon mutations. Materials and Methods: Band pattern analysis of LPA strips was performed as per manufacturer's instructions. DNA sequencing was performed to confirm the presence of uncommon mutations in Intermediate Reference Laboratory in Delhi state. Results: Four uncommon mutations were recognized along with 12 unique spoligotype patterns which serve as an update to worldwide databases. The noteworthy presence of a spoligotype previously rarely seen in India was the SIT53/T1 pattern. Central Asian (CAS) spoligotype was highly associated with MDR followed by Beijing type. During follow-up, the treatment outcomes of cases showing uncommon mutations were considered as cured, after completion of their treatment. Conclusion: The rifampicin resistance appears to be an effective marker of MDR-TB. The presence of uncommon mutations confirms genetic polymorphism that may require treatment targeted at both drug-resistant and drug-susceptible phenotypes for the better management of patients with MDR-TB.

This dissertation titled "The Policies of Authoritarian Regimes towards Political Islam: A Case Study on Soeharto’s and Anwar Sadat’s Regimes" attempts to answer this question: what policies towards Political Islam were adopted by Soeharto’s and Sadat’s regimes and what are the similarities and differences between both of them as well as their underlying factors? This dissertation is a library research with qualitative data using descriptive, interpretative, and analytical approaches based on the theory of policy. The policies of both regimes are classified into two broad strategies, namely: first, the subjugation of Political Islam’s power (through two modes: a. violence and marginalization; and b. propaganda and image politics); second, the accommodation of Political Islam (through two modes: social and religious appeasement; and legislative policy appeasement). Those policies are significantly of similar style and aim but different in terms of order and tactic of implementation. In general, those policies are equally pragmatic and realistic for maximizing the regime’s strength and gains and outrivaling all powers of Political Islam with view of achieving the state’s political stability and avoiding the emergence of legitimacy crisis owing to domestic situations. Therefore, the researcher refers to such policies as hegemonic regime’s domestic political stability strategy.

Background and Aim: Nanotechnology considered as one of the main management strategy in reducing negative effects of water pollution, which leads to treating of water inexpensive and more effective. This study aimed to investigate the removal of Cr and Cu from aqueous solutions using nano-silicate which is synthesized by rice husk. Materials and Methods: In the present study, functionalized nano-silica with rice husk was fabricated and characterized by FT-IR، TEM, SEM and XRD. The effect of adsorbent dosage, initial concentration and equilibrium of chromium and copper and contact time in removal of mentioned heavy metals were investigated. Finally, the adsorption isotherms were analyzed. Results: The silica nanoparticles had nearly spherical morphology with a uniform size of about 80 nm. However, the obtained functionalized silica nanoparticles were spherical (about 90 nm in diameter). Results showed that optimum adsorption of Cr and Cu contaminant obtained at 100 minutes, while the optimum amount of adsorbent for Cr and Cu were 125 and 100 mg respectively. The optimal concentration of Cr and Cu was 2 mg/l. The correlation coefficients of adsorption isotherms of Cr (R2Langmuir =0.9946) and Cu (R2Langmuir =0.999) showed the good agreement between the adsorption data and Langmuir model. Conclusion: The study showed that the silica nanoparticles can be produced using agricultural waste as a inexpensive and environmentally friendly method and can be used to removing of contaminants from the aquatic environment.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was identified on the Arabian Peninsula in 2012 and is still causing cases and outbreaks in the Middle East. When MERS-CoV was first identified, the closest related virus was in bats; however, it has since been recognized that dromedary camels serve as a virus reservoir and potential source for human infections. A total of 376 camels were screened for MERS-Cov at a live animal market in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. In all, 109 MERS-CoV-positive camels were detected in week 1, and a subset of positive camels were sampled again weeks 3 through 6. A total of 126 full and 3 nearly full genomes were obtained from 139 samples. Spike gene sequences were obtained from 5 of the 10 remaining samples. The camel MERS-CoV genomes from this study represent 3 known and 2 potentially new lineages within clade B. Within lineages, diversity of camel and human MERS-CoV sequences are intermixed. We identified sequences from market camels nearly identical to the previously reported 2015 German case who visited the market during his incubation period. We described 10 recombination events in the camel samples. The most frequent recombination breakpoint was the junctions between ORF1b and S. Evidence suggests MERS-CoV infection in humans results from continued introductions of distinct MERS-CoV lineages from camels. This hypothesis is supported by the camel MERS-CoV genomes sequenced in this study. Our study expands the known repertoire of camel MERS-CoVs circulating on the Arabian Peninsula.Emerging Microbes & Infections (2017) 6, e101; doi:10.1038/emi.2017.89; published online 8 November 2017

Melatonin has numerous anti-cancer properties reported to influence cancer initiation, promotion, and metastasis. With the need for effective hormone therapies (HT) to treat menopausal symptoms without increasing breast cancer risk, co-administration of nocturnal melatonin with a natural, low-dose HT was evaluated in mice that develop primary and metastatic mammary cancer. Individually, melatonin (MEL) and estradiol-progesterone therapy (EPT) did not significantly affect mammary cancer development through age 14 months, but, when combined, the melatonin-estradiol-progesterone therapy (MEPT) significantly repressed tumor formation. This repression was due to effects on tumor incidence, but not latency. These results demonstrate that melatonin and the HT cooperate to decrease the mammary cancer risk. Melatonin and EPT also cooperate to alter the balance of the progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms by significantly increasing PRA protein expression only in MEPT mammary glands. Melatonin significantly suppressed amphiregulin transcripts in MEL and MEPT mammary glands, suggesting that amphiregulin together with the higher PRA:PRB balance and other factors may contribute to reducing cancer development in MEPT mice. Melatonin supplementation influenced mammary morphology by increasing tertiary branching in the mouse mammary glands and differentiation in human mammary epithelial cell cultures. Uterine weight in the luteal phase was elevated after long-term exposure to EPT, but not to MEPT, indicating that melatonin supplementation may reduce estrogen-induced uterine stimulation. Melatonin supplementation significantly decreased the incidence of grossly-detected lung metastases in MEL mice, suggesting that melatonin delays the formation of metastatic lesions and/or decreases aggressiveness in this model of HER2+ breast cancer. Mammary tumor development was similar in EPT and MEPT mice until age 8.6 months, but after 8.6 months, only MEPT continued to suppress cancer development. These data suggest that melatonin supplementation has a negligible effect in young MEPT mice, but is required in older mice to inhibit tumor formation. Since melatonin binding was significantly decreased in older mammary glands, irrespective of treatment, melatonin supplementation may overcome reduced melatonin responsiveness in the aged MEPT mice. Since melatonin levels are known to decline near menopause, nocturnal melatonin supplementation may also be needed in aging women to cooperate with HT to decrease breast cancer risk.

Background and Aim: Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals in water that mostly enters the water cycle through industrial waste water. Silver nanoparticles have the capacity to remove heavy metals from the water resources through the mechanism of adsorption. The present study aimed at producing silver bio-nanoparticles and optimizing . Cd removal from aquatic solutions. Materials and Methods: Silver bio-nanoparticles were extracted via a micro-algae Chlorella vulgaris extract and silver nitrate synthesis. Then, the characteristics of the particles were determined using FT-IR, XRD, SEM devices. In order to optimize Cadmium adsorption by means of silver nanoparticles, parameters including pH, reaction time, initial concentration of Cd and concentrations of nanoparticles were studied under different conditions. Results: The resulting nanoparticles were spherical, single and crystalline, whose sizes were 10-45 nm. Under the condition of PH = 8, the initial concentration of cadmium 0.5 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 0.5 mg, reaction time of 10 min, temperature of 300C and mixing speed of 200 rpm, 99% of cadmium was removed. Isotherm of Cadmium-ion adsorption followed Langmuir (R2> 0/96 (and Freundlich (R2> 0/94) models. Conclusion: Under optimal conditions, silver bio-nanoparticles had the capacity of quick and effective adsorption of cadmium. Thus, with a cheap, non-toxic and environmentally friendly method can remove heavy metals in a short time.

Delamination is considered as a major problem in drilling of composite materials, which degrades the mechanical properties of these materials. The thrust force exerted by the drill is considered as the major cause of delamination; and one practical approach to reduce delamination is to use a back-up plate under the specimen. In this paper, the effect of exit support plate on delamination in twist drilling of glass fiber reinforced composites is studied. Firstly, two analytical models based on linear fracture mechanics and elastic bending theory of plates are described to find critical thrust forces at the beginning of crack growth for drilling with and without back-up plate. Secondly, two series of experiments are carried out on glass fiber reinforced composites to determine quantitatively the effect of drilling parameters on the amount of delamination. Experimental findings verify a large reduction in the amount of delaminated area when a back-up plate is placed under the specimen.

Low birth weight (LBW) of the babies was found to be associated with arsenic exposure through consuming arsenic-contaminated water in Bangladesh. But the influences of maternal nutritional status and hemoglobin level remains to be dealt with. This study was conducted to assess the LBW of the babies in reference to arsenic exposure of mothers controlling the influences of the nutritional status (BMI) and hemoglobin level. This was a cross-sectional study carried out amongst the pregnant mothers who came to a district hospital for delivery. The mothers aged ≥18 years and had no complication were included in the study. A total of 101 mothers and their newborn babies were the study sample. Of the total 101 participant mothers, 41.5% were arsenic exposed. Comparatively, on an average, lower birth weight (2492± 477gr) was found among the babies born to arsenic exposed-mother. The exposed mother of LBW babies had significantly a higher urine arsenic concentration (381.38µg/L). The correlation analysis revealed that there was a negative relationship with the urine arsenic concentration (r=-.619; p=.000) and positive relationship with the hemoglobin level (r=.280; p=.092) and BMI (r=.204; p=195) of the exposed mother with the birth weight. After controlling the influence of hemoglobin level and BMI, an almost same association was found between LBW and urine arsenic. Mothers with arsenic exposure were at risk of giving birth to LBW babies, this could increase as evident by higher maternal urine arsenic concentration. And any positive effect of maternal nutritional status and hemoglobin level on birth weight of newborn could be offset by arsenic exposure.

The detection and monitoring of mass movement of susceptible slopes plays a key role in mitigating hazards and potential damage associated with creeping slopes and landslides. In this paper, we use observations from both Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and Global Positioning System (GPS) to assess the slope stability of the Sarcheshmeh ancient landslide in the North Khorasan province of northeast Iran. InSAR observations were obtained by the time-series analysis of Envisat SAR images covering 2004–2006, whereas repeated GPS observations were conducted by campaign measurements during 2010–2012. Surface displacement maps of the Sarcheshmeh landslide obtained from InSAR and GPS are both indicative of slope stability. Hydrogeological analysis suggests that the multi-year drought and lower than average precipitation levels over the last decade might have contributed to the current dormancy of the Sarcheshmeh landslide.

Sustainable urban design is widely considered a promising approach to deal with the multifarious array of social, economic and environmental problems in urban agglomerations. Sustainable design principles and policies helps to improve social inclusion, mobility, accessibility and various urban problems and thus enhances the overall quality of life in cities. But what will be the appropriate policies for sustainable urban designs are yet to be addressed. If, policies are identified than worldwide researchers, urban planners, urban designers and policy makers can easily use them for making urban area sustainable. So, the aim of this paper is to explore the sustainable urban design policies. To cite an example of how cities can use the explored policies, relevant lessons for Hong Kong is briefly described. Literature review and case study are the main source of information of this study. This paper is divided into three chapters; in its first chapter emergence and definition of sustainable development and sustainable urban design is described, in its second chapter policies for sustainable urban design explored and in the third chapter relevant lessons for Hong Kong are narrated.

In the recent years, deserts of Iran have been experiencing an ongoing boost of demand on the part of tourists. Given the sensitivity and fragility of these environments, accompanying the nonexistence of a comprehensive tourism development plan, the necessity for awareness and special attention to these areas has become highlighted. The present research based on tourism sustainability approach, tries to calculate the tourism carrying capacity of three desert destinations: Shahdad, Maranjab-Band e Rig, and Mesr-Farahzad. For this purpose, first by reviewing the literature and asking professionals’ opinions, the influencing indices on tourism carrying capacity of the regions were identified; afterwards, the ‘physical’, ‘real’, and ‘efficient’ carrying capacities were calculated for both extensive and intensive tourism zones. Results indicate that Maranjab-Band e Rig, and Shahdad have higher tourism carrying capacity in comparison with Mesr-Farahzad area. Also findings show that these areas can improve their tourism carrying capacities by developing their infrastructures and services. Furthermore, the current ‘real’ carrying capacities of these areas were found to be over-loaded in the intensive tourism zones.

India accounts for one-fifth of the global TB incidence. While the exact burden of childhood TB is not known, TB remains one of the leading causes of childhood mortality in India. Bacteriological confirmation of TB in children is challenging due to difficulty in obtaining quality specimens, in the absence of which diagnosis is largely based on clinical judgement. While testing multiple specimens can potentially contribute to higher proportion of laboratory confirmed paediatric TB cases, lack of high sensitivity tests adds to the diagnostic challenge. We describe here our experiences in piloting upfront Xpert MTB/RIF testing, for diagnosis of TB in paediatric population in respiratory and extra pulmonary specimens, as recently recommended by WHO.Xpert MTB/RIF testing was offered to all paediatric (0-14 years) presumptive TB cases (both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) seeking care at public and private health facilities in the project areas covering 4 cities of India.Under this pilot project, 8,370 paediatric presumptive TB & presumptive DR-TB cases were tested between April and-November 2014. Overall, 9,149 specimens were tested, of which 4,445 (48.6%) were non-sputum specimens. Xpert MTB/RIF gave 9,083 (99.2%, CI 99.0-99.4) valid results. Of the 8,143 presumptive TB cases enrolled, 517 (6.3%, CI 5.8-6.9) were bacteriologically confirmed. TB detection rates were two fold higher with Xpert MTB/RIF as compared to smear microscopy. Further, a total of 60 rifampicin resistant TB cases were detected, of which 38 were detected among 512 presumptive TB cases while 22 were detected amongst 227 presumptive DR-TB cases tested under the project.Xpert MTB/RIF with advantages of quick turnaround testing-time, high proportion of interpretable results and feasibility of rapid rollout, substantially improved the diagnosis of bacteriologically confirmed TB in children, while simultaneously detecting rifampicin resistance.

ABSTRACT A project entitled the Extension and Communication in Integrated Management Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Konawe District has been implemented at western part of Konawe coastal area. lt was started as a pilot project from March 20OZ to March 2004. The goal of the project are to improve ecological and economic function of land, coral reef and mangrove forest at Konawe coastal zone, so that the productivity of agriculture, fish and other marine biota as well as community income are increased. The out put achieved are (1) A preperation of Document of Sustainable Development of Westem Coastal of Konawe District, (2) rehabilitation of 200 ha of degraded mangrove forest, (3) establishment of Local Economic lnstitution (called ELKAM) to provide capital for local community. The membership had been growing fast, from 50 members in 2002 and increased to about 750 members in 2004. The initial results are that by practicing a good extension with appropriate communication tools is the best approach for integrated coastal management strategy of Konawe District. ABSTRAK Sebuah proyek berjudul Peranan penyuluhan dan komunikasi dalam strategi pengelolaan terpadu mewujudkan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Wilayah Pesisir Kabupaten Konawe telah dilaksanakan dari Maret 2002 sampai Maret 2004. Tujuan proyek adalah memperbaiki fungsi ekologi dan ekonomi terhadap lahan, hutan bakau, terumbu karang, sehingga produktivitas pertanian, ikan dan biota laut lainnya serta pendapatan masyarakat meningkat. Hasil yang diperoleh adalah (1) telah disusun dokumen Pembangunan Berkelanjutan Wilayah Pesisir bagian Barat Kabupaten Konawe, (2) Seluas 200 kawasan hutan bakau telah direhabilitasi, (3) telah dibentuk Lembaga Keuangan Masyarakat (ELKAM), anggotanya berkembang pesat yaitu dari 50 anggota tahun 2002 menjadi 750 anggota tahun 2004. Kesimpulan awal menunjukkan bahwa penyuluhan yang baik dengan komunikasi yang sesuai merupakan pendekatan yang tepat dalam pengelolaan wilayah pesisir terpadu di Kabupaten Konawe.