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A study using the assigned Complete Block Design with three replications was carried out at Hobigong, Bangladesh from January to August 2021 to investigate the impact of different combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth and production of bitter gourd. The experiment employed five different combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers, which are listed below: T1: 4 kg of organic fertilizer per plant, T2: 4 kg of organic fertilizer + 2 liters of cow urine + 2 liters of bc (biochar), T3: 2 liters of liquid bc (biochar)) + NPK (44 g urea + 43 g TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) + 77 g MoP (Muriate of Potash), T4: NPK (44 g urea + 43 g TSP + 77 g MoP), and T5: 4 kg of organic fertilizer + 2 liters of bc+ NPK (44 g urea + 43 g TSP + 77 g MoP) on three distinct soils in the villages of Kalonjhora, Madhabpur, and Jointure. The growth and yield of bitter gourd at different study locations were significantly affected by the application of both organic and inorganic fertilizers, according to the results. The results showed that the use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers had a significant effect on the development and yield of bitter gourd at the different study sites. Maximum germination rate (90%), at 45 DAS (days after sowing), longest plant (173.28 cm) at 100 DAS, maximum number, longest and heaviest fruit (6.30 number of fruits per plant, 15.51 cm and 82.50 g, respectively) were obtained from crops grown in Jointer village that were applied with 4 kg organic fertilizer + 2 liters bc + NPK (44 g urea + 43 g TSP + 77 g MOP). According to the previously described research, most development and yield characteristics of bitter gourd are improved when grown in a mixture treated with 4 kg organic fertilizer + 2 liters bc + NPK (44 g urea) + 43 g of TSP + 77 g of MoP.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and may be associated with the disease. We aimed to determine the prevalence of IBS in AS patients and its association with clinical and demographic patient characteristics and with macroscopic and microscopic gut lesions. Sixty consecutive AS patients were included in this study. Disease activity was assessed with the BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index) and functional status with the BASFI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index). The ROME III criteria were used to diagnose IBS. Macroscopic lesions were graded during colonoscopies. Biopsy specimens were taken from the terminal ileum, colon (ascending, transverse and descending) and rectum. Histological samples were scored with Cuvelier grading. The prevalence of IBS was 23.3% (14/60). The mean age of 14 IBS subjects (10 male) was 32 ± 8.50., with a higher BASDAI (p = 0.046). Macroscopic lesions were more frequent in IBS cases in the terminal ileum (46.2% vs. 34.9%), ascending colon (21.4% vs. 2.2%) and rectum (21.4% vs. 17.4%), with Grade 2 significantly more prevalent in the ascending colon (p = 0.03). Microscopic lesions did not differ among the IBS-present and -absent groups. In conclusion, the prevalence of IBS was high in AS patients and associated with higher disease activity. Grade 2 macroscopic lesions were more frequent in the ascending colon.

Objective: The study looked into the effects and techniques of feeding a traditional medicinal herb, honeyweed (Leonurus siribicus) to broiler chicks in a commercially operated poultry farm. Materials and Methods: Sixty chicks, each one day old, were partitioned into four distinct groups: T1 (Commercial Feed), T2 (formulated feed, FF with 5% (w/w) honeyweed powder), T3 (FF with 5% (w/v) honeyweed powder solution), and T4 (FF with 5% (w/v) honeyweed powder solution administered through drops). This arrangement followed a completely randomized design, with three (3) replications of five (5) birds each. The broiler chicks were fed either commercial feed or FF with a honeyweed supplemented diet for 30 days. Results: The body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and death rate were computed at the conclusion of the trial. The T2 diet was found to have the lowest FCR, mortality rate, and maximum weight gain (p ≤ 0.05). Amazingly, honeyweed powder put into poultry feed dramatically reduced blood cholesterol, TG, and LDL and improved HDL (p ≤ 0.05). Remarkable differences in serum SGPT and SGOT levels have been found between the commercial feed and honeyweed-supplemented diets. Surprisingly, histological research revealed that 5% honeyweed-supplemented feed resulted in little fat formation in the liver. In addition, a 5% (w/w) honeyweed-supplemented diet reduced the total viable bacteria in the feces. We also conducted the study to observe the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli by using the methanol and water extracts of honeyweed in comparison to the synthetic antibiotic tetracycline in vitro. Intriguingly, tetracycline, methanol extract, and water extract of honeyweed showed inhibition zones of 17, 13, and 8 mm against E. coli, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that this novel-designed feed with 5% honeyweed might be used as a natural feed additive instead of dangerously manufactured antibiotics for safe poultry meat production. [Vet. Res. Notes 2024; 4(5.000): 56-64]

Vulnerability assessment is crucial for reducing the impact of natural disasters on marginalized coastal communities. In Bangladesh, studies have addressed the vulnerability of coastal populations, but they often overlook the Sundarbans mangrove forest resource-dependent communities (SMFRDCs). These marginalized groups, reliant on the forest, frequently face natural disasters such as cyclones, increasing their vulnerability. This study seeks to assess the extent of vulnerability among SMFRDCs and uncover the critical risk factors contributing to it. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in three southwestern coastal districts of Bangladesh: Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat. Data were collected from 782 SMFRDCs in three Upazila (sub-district) of selected coastal districts using a structured interview schedule (SIS) and following a multistage stratified random sampling approach. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics v27 for Windows. A one-sample binomial test was performed to assess the prevalence of vulnerability. Additionally, bivariate analyses (Pearson’s Chi-square [χ2], Yates’s Correction for Continuity [χ2Yates], Phi [φ], and Cramer’s V [φc]), and multivariable binary logistic regression (MBLR) were conducted to identify the associated risk factors. The findings of the one-sample binomial indicate that among the coastal Upazila, the vulnerability prevalence was highest in Mongla (53.4 %; 95 % CI: 47.4 % - 59.3 %). Additionally, honey collectors were found to be more vulnerable to natural disasters, with a prevalence of 60.8 % (95 % CI: 52.7 % - 68.6 %) among the SMFRDCs. The MBLR findings indicate that SMFRDCs with over 31 years of experience and involvement in multiple occupations were less vulnerable to natural disasters. Likewise, SMFRDCs with better household materials, transport, and livestock assets were less vulnerable to natural disasters. In contrast, those with medium-to-high domestic assets were more at risk. Additionally, having land and access to loans reduced the likelihood of vulnerability. SMFRDCs with better natural, physical, and political capital were also less vulnerable. The findings show that vulnerability among SMFRDCs varied by geospatial location and occupation. Socio-demographics, household resources, and livelihood capitals were key predictors of the household vulnerability of SMFRDCs. To reduce this vulnerability, it is recommended that organizations – governmental and non-governmental – work together to create comprehensive plans involving SMFRDCs in both planning and implementing disaster risk reduction strategies by addressing individual and community-level factors.

This paper plans to examine the effects of board extent on non-performing assets (NPA) and firm value measured as comprehensive financial performance (CFP) of banks in Bangladesh using data from 2016 to 2022. Using a sample of 210 firm-year observations, this paper reveals that NPA is significantly related to board size, which signals that a big board of directors (BODs) is linked with lowering the extent of NPA in the context of developing economies like Bangladesh. Besides, the affinity between board extent and firm value proxies as CFP is positive, but the result is not consequential. This research would be value additive to the literature because it examines the effects of board size on NPA and CFP, which is scanty in the corporate finance literature. Furthermore, this research finds no literature that applies CFP as the performance measure of banks, especially in Bangladesh.

Background: Lupus patients frequently exhibit specific and nonspecific skin lesions and lesions associated with skin infections. This study aimed to determine the frequency of lupus-specific and non-specific skin lesions and the incidence of skin infections. Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Rheumatology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 2014 to 2016. After obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Board of BSMMU, 136 consecutive patients fulfilling the ACR criteria for SLE were enrolled and followed up for at least one year. A dermatologist confirmed lupus-specific, non-specific, and skin lesions related to infections and noted them in a datasheet. Relevant investigations were performed at baseline and during subsequent follow-up visits. Results: One hundred thirty-one patients completed their follow-up period. The mean (standard deviation) follow-up period was 13.3 (2.0) months. The patients' mean (standard deviation) age was 28.8 (8.2) years. Skin lesions and skin infections were present in 71.8% and 26.7%, respectively of patients. Common lupus-specific lesions were malar rash (75.4%) and DLE (12.3%). Photosensitivity (72.6%), non-scarring alopecia (67.9%), mucosal ulcers (47.6%), Raynaud’s phenomenon (23.8%), and hyperpigmentation (23.8%) were the prevalent lupus non-specific skin lesions. The common skin infections were tinea (42.9%), herpes infection (34.3%), paronychia (20%), and scabies (17%). Conclusions: Skin lesions related to infections were common, along with lupus-specific and nonspecific lesions skin lesions. Tinea and herpes infections were more common skin infections.

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Background: The practice of self-medication (SM) is common worldwide and is an important component of medical self-care. However, improper practice can be dangerous. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of SM and the factors associated with it among Bangladeshi adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among Bangladeshi adults (aged > 19 years) using convenient sampling. A total of 1320 subjects were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the practice of SM. Results: Overall, 41% of adults in our survey reported SMP. The most common illnesses that prompted SM were common cold/flu (66.4%), gastric problems (65%), and headache (64.4%). The most frequent reasons for SM were to get better-perceived quality of care (30.6%), perceiving SM without side effects (23.3%), and saving time with effectiveness (14.56%). Potential risk factors included 10 years (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.04–3.50) and >12 years of schooling (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.27–11.15), being a businessman (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI: 1.74–12.37), having ≤6 family members (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.40–3.24), being a member of a social group (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.10–2.12), a health status check after every six months (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08–2.13), and current ill-health (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06–1.87). Protective factors identified included ≤30 years of age (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17–0.93), and practice of modern (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22–0.69) and herbal (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21–0.97) treatment modality. Conclusion: More than one-third of the study participants reported practicing SM. Increasing the community’s awareness of the adverse outcomes of SM and not just the average experience might sway individuals away from SM, and implementing strict jurisdiction could be a way to minimize inappropriate SM.

Developing countries with predominantly agricultural economies are particularly vulnerable to short-term climate variability and long-term climate change adversities. This provides the context for adopting climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices to ensure consistent agricultural product supply and food security. Although concepts of CSA tools and strategies are well-established, their adoption trends in developing regions are still undesirable, with little to no empirical understanding of factors contributing to these trends. The current research aims to address this gap of knowledge by assessing the nature of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and socio-economic characteristics of the farmers influencing the adoption of CSA techniques in a rural cohort in Southwestern Bangladesh. Systematically designed interview schedules revealed that the most common and devastating consequences of climate change in the study area were increased infestation of pests and diseases. Other overlooked hazards including water-logging, cyclones and cold waves, are posing new threats to regional agriculture by changing conventional patterns. Contrary to the status quo, many CSA technologies, especially indigenous approaches, are widely and effectively adopted by farmers in the studied area to cope with climate change. These adoption tendencies and innovations in CSA were found to be significantly driven by factors such as extension and training programs, education of farmers, and dependence on on-farming income. The findings of the current study provide a preliminary analysis of the attitude, knowledge and trends of CSA technology adoption by farmers in a less-saline floodplain niche of a predominantly salinity-impacted coastal region. The study acts as a model for future relevant investigations and implementations for stakeholders with supply of inputs, technologies and expertise in finding sustainable solutions and appropriate extension for communities around the world confronted with similar challenges.

In this study, cross-bonded self-binding and bone glue-bonded particleboards were manufactured from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) bagasse with different pre-treatments of particles. Six types of panels were manufactured from bagasse particles with and without bone glue. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the panels were examined according to the standards. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were performed to investigate the changes in the chemical bonds and thermal stability of the fabricated composites, respectively. It was found that cross-bonded bagasse self-binding (TC) and bone glue-bonded (T3) panels fabricated from non-boiled bagasse particles showed higher physical and mechanical properties compared to the other types of panels. Non-boiled bagasse particles with bone glue panels showed the highest mechanical properties, i.e., modulus of rupture (MOR = 26.22 MPa), modulus of elasticity (MOE = 4302 MPa), tensile strength = 8.35 MPa, and hardness = 1.72 MPa. TC and T3 panels also showed higher thermal stability compared to the other types of panels. A new peak at 3331–3334 cm−1 for the NH stretching vibration in the FTIR analysis represents the presence of bone glue in the cross-bonded particleboards. Thus, this research advances the production of formaldehyde-free bagasse particleboard, introducing the cross-bonding technique and sustainable bone glue.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels are independent risk factors for depression in axSpA patients. Methods: All axSpA patients with BASDAI ≥4 were invited consecutively between March 2021 and August 2021 to participate. Depression was evaluated with the WHO-5 Well-Being scale. Disease activity was assessed using BASDAI (0–10), ASDAS-CRP (0.61–7.22), ASDAS-ESR (0.29–7.61), and health status by ASAS-HI (0–17). Serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels were measured by ELISA. An association between depression and cytokine levels was investigated with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient test. Results: A total of 252 axSpA patients (155 men) could be included; of these, 123 (48.81%) were depressed, and of these, 75 were male. Serum TNF-α and IL-1β were not significantly associated with depression (r −0.041 and 0.110, respectively). Serum TNF-α levels were higher in depressed female axSpA patients (20.05 vs. 17.87; p = 0.03). Differences between depressed and non-depressed patients were respectively: TNF-α (19.7 vs.18.0; p= 0.84), IL-1β (32.3 vs. 21.2; p= 0.04), BASDAI (5.47 vs. 4.77; p = 0.000), ASDAS-CRP (4.17 vs. 3.78; p = 0.000), ASDAS-ESR (3.86 vs. 3.39; p = 0.000), CRP (48.43 vs. 37.93 mg/L; p = 0.000), and ASAS-HI (13.37 vs. 10.24; p = 0.000). Factors associated with depression were: peripheral joint involvement (OR = 1.073, 95% CI 1.012–1.138), BASDAI (OR = 1.534, 95% CI 1.011–2.335), and ASAS-HI (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.239–1.557). Only in depressed patients with peripheral SPA were higher IL-1β levels found, though the differences were probably not clinically relevant. Conclusions: Serum TNF-α and IL-1β were not independently related to depression in axSpA patients. Disease activity, peripheral joint involvement, and reduced health status showed the highest association with depression.

The term cyberbullying, for its devastating consequences, has become a significant topic in recent years. Technological advances have constructed a fertile environment for cyberbullying, which is increasing rapidly. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, or YouTube, offer ground for generating and distributing cyberbullying content. This study aimed to investigate the behavioral change pattern through cyberbullying in social media. A quantitative survey method was used in the study. A simple random sampling technique was used for selecting the sample. The sample size was 393 (male 223, female 170). The study found that Facebook is the most cyberbullying-friendly media (94.15%). Almost half of the respondents have experienced cyberbullying, and 74.5% of respondents avoid it if they are bullied. Most respondents stated that cyberbullying changed their social, mental, economic, and physical behavior. Users who practice cyberbullying use different methods. These include posting cyberbullying content, mentioning, forwarding, sharing, reacting, and participating in cyberbullying discussions.

Abstract Suicidal ideation is a complex phenomenon influenced by several predisposing, contextual, and mediating factors that seem more common among healthcare workers, especially nurses. We investigated the association of bullying and burnout with suicidal ideation among Bangladeshi nurses and identified the associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1264 nurses in Bangladesh between February 2021 and July 2021. We applied a modified Poisson regression model with robust error variance to determine the association of bullying and burnout with suicidal ideation. Among 1264 nurses, the female was 882 (70.02%), and the mean age was 28.41 (SD = 5.54) years. The prevalence of high levels of suicidal ideation was 13.26%. In the Poison regression model, high risk bullying (RR = 6.22, 95% CI 3.13–12.38), targeted to bullying (RR = 7.61, 95% CI 3.53–16.38), and burnout (RR = 8.95, 95% CI 2.84–28.20) were found to be significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Furthermore, we found significant interaction between workplace bullying and burnout with suicidal ideation (p

Abstract Groundwater is one of the world’s most important sources of fresh drinking water. Various contaminants mix with groundwater and alter its natural composition, such as arsenic. This study aimed to ascertain the present condition of arsenic concentration, its spatial pattern, and its relationship with tube well depth in the Gangni Union in the Chuadanga district of Bangladesh. Additionally, the study tried to assess the associated noncarcinogenic health risks imposed by oral ingestion of arsenic. Systematic sampling was used to collect water samples $$(n=100)$$ ( n = 100 ) along with depth information from the sample tube wells. Water samples were analyzed with the pre-calibrated Hach EZ, Dual-Range Arsenic Test Kit (Range: 0.00–0.5 mg/l). Both geostatistical (spatial autocorrelation, Hotspot analysis, and IDW) and statistical (descriptive and correlation statistics) methods were used. The resultant arsenic content of the samples tested ranges from 0.0004 (mg/l) to 0.10 (mg/l). Arsenic levels in almost 42% of the samples exceeded the WHO standard, 21% exceeded the Bangladesh standard, and 37% were within the tolerable standard. Geostatistical analysis shows that approximately 63% of the total area is arsenic contaminated. Furthermore, hotspot analysis reveals that the northeastern and southeastern parts of the study area are more arsenic-contaminated than the other parts. Noncarcinogenic health risk assessment shows that children have a higher average daily dose (ADD) range (8.33E-06-0.00181) than adults (2.78E-06-0.0006). Similarly, the hazard quotient (HQ) value is also higher for children (0.0277–6.033) than for adults (0.0092–2.011). The result of Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r (98) = − 0.7580, p = 0.000, shows a negative linear relationship between concentration values and depth, meaning that increasing depth will reduce arsenic contamination from tube well water.

In response to environmental concerns, researchers explore fly ash as a cement replacement material, and crushed bricks as a cost-effective and load-reducing aggregate, particularly where stone chips are scarce. Therefore, this study investigates the mechanical properties and microstructure of brick aggregate concrete (BAC) with raw fly ash (FA) as a partial replacement of cement. The research involved casting raw FA based BAC (FBAC) cylinders (100 mm diameter and 200 mm height) and prism (100 × 100 × 500 mm) with varying levels of FA (0–25%) using a constant mix proportion by volume of 1:1.5:3 (cement : fine aggregate : coarse aggregate) with a water to binder (w/b) ratio of 0.50 and three curing ages (7, 28, and 90 days). Tests for mechanical properties, including compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson's ratio were conducted to assess the behavior of FBAC, and microstructure were then investigated at 28 days. The results indicated that increasing the FA content up to 15% led to gradual improvement in compressive strength and tensile strength values. At 28 days, the highest values of compressive strength and split tensile strength were observed at 10% FA, with 7.9% and 14.2% increase, respectively, compared to the control concrete. However, the flexural strength of FBAC decreased gradually with cement replacement. On the other hand, modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio increased gradually up to 20% and 25% cement replacement, respectively. Up to 15% FA enhanced a more uniform and compact microstructure than that of control concrete. Several equations have been developed to express relationship between compressive strength and other mechanical properties of FBAC. Hence, up to 15% raw FA as a partial replacement of cement improved the mechanical properties and microstructure of BAC.

This study aimed to explore whether Nypa juice collection as an alternative income-generating activity (AIGA) influenced the life and livelihood of the coastal communities of Bangladesh. Following a cross-sectional survey method, this study was conducted in four unions of Kalapara and Taltoli Upazila (sub-district) of Patuakhali and Barguna districts, where data were collected using a multistage stratified random sampling from 208 participants, including both Nypa juice collectors and no-collectors by administering a semi-structured interview schedule (SSIS). Findings indicated that Nypa juice collectors were older (p = 0.032) and mostly Hindu (p

Abstract Background and Aims The prevalence of depression among the elderly is a growing concern, and this study examines the differences between urban and rural areas in terms of geriatric depression. Methods Using a two‐stage random sampling approach in urban areas and a multistage random sampling approach in rural areas, the study surveyed 944 elderly individuals of both sexes. Results The results indicate that the prevalence of depression was high, with 52.5% of the elderly population experiencing mild to severe depression. The study found that increasing age, female gender, nuclear family structure, and involvement of housewives or others were significant factors affecting depression in urban areas, while increasing age and elderly people without spouses were significant factors in rural areas. Additionally, the study identified hearing impairment, asthma, and arthritis as risk factors for depression in rural areas, and bronchitis, heart disease, and thyroid illness as significant factors in urban areas. Conclusion These findings highlight the need for policymakers to focus on addressing the mental health needs of older people, particularly women and those without spouses.

Abstract Objective: There is a broad spectrum of dietary supplements (DS) and their accessibility worldwide. However, little is known about the prevalence of DS use among Bangladeshi adolescents. This study estimates the prevalence, correlates and common conditions related to DS use. Design: A cross-sectional, convenient sampling strategy was adopted using an interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. Setting: Kurigram and Patuakhali districts of Bangladesh. Participants: 702 adolescents aged 10–19 years. Results: The overall prevalence of DS use was 83 %. The majority of participants (93·4 %) agreed that DS were good for health, and 28·3 % reported general health and well-being as the reason for using DS. The most frequently used supplements were multivitamins (38·6 %) and Ca (37 %). DS use was more common among adolescents who had ≤5 siblings, good health status, no chronic diseases, a positive impression that DS are good for health and who had the tendency to encourage DS to others. DS use was also higher among those who received DS information from healthcare providers, professional literature, friends, family and relatives. Conclusions: The prevalence of DS use is relatively higher among Bangladeshi adolescents compared to Bangladeshi adults and adolescents from other countries, highlighting the inclination towards DS use. Guidelines for safe DS use for adolescents are warranted to control DS use and prevent adverse effects.

Discharge of unused and untreated dye effluents into the environment by the textile industries is a major issue. In this wastewater, the methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) remain in a dissolved state along with various pollutants at different levels. To remove these dyes, visible light (λ ​≥ ​420 ​nm) active F (fluorine) doped bismuth oxide (Bi2O3-xFx) photocatalyst was synthesized through facile sol-gel method utilizing bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and hydrofluoric acid (HF). Bi2O3-xFx demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity to decompose methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The F content in Bi2O3-xFx composite was optimized to 0.94 atom % with respect to organics decomposition. The study showed that enhanced photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3-xFx was ascribed due to participation of photo-induced electron (e¯)-hole (h+) in photocatalysis. The existence of hole (h+) and the generated °OH radical was experimentally confirmed in aqueous medium. The formation mechanism of these reactive species was explained on the basis of relative energy band position of Bi2O3-xFx and a detail photocatalytic decomposition reaction mechanism was proposed.

Malaria, a life-threatening disease worldwide, can be diagnosed using antigen tests and microscopy tests. However, both of them are erroneous and time-consuming. Therefore, a trustworthy and fast early malaria prognosis infrastructure is required. In this age of machine learning (ML), there are several ML-based methods to do the task. This paper proposes an unorthodox method for malaria prognosis based on an extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm. In this regard, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), ELM, and double hidden layer (DELM) have been used as classifiers. A CNN model has been used as a feature extractor and also as a classifier to perform a comparative study. The derived features have been used to train ELM and DELM. Two versions of the malaria image dataset have been used: one is the original dataset, and the other is a modified dataset where ambiguous samples have been removed. The parasite inflator acts as the shape increaser of the small, darker malaria parasites in the RBC images in order to detect malaria easily. CNN-DELM has achieved a sanguine result on every performance standard compared to CNN and CNN-ELM. The proposed CNN-DELM method has achieved 97.79% and 99.66% accuracy for the original version and the modified version, respectively. Hence, the proposed CNN-DELM model has also produced either comparable or better results when compared to other methods proposed in the literature, showing its robustness in detecting malaria.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 remains a public health burden that has caused global economic crises, jeopardizing health, jobs, and livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. Several efforts have been made by several countries by implementing several health strategies to attenuate the spread of the pandemic. Although several studies indicated effects of COVID-19 on mental health and its associated factors, very little is known about the underlying mechanism of job insecurity, depression, anxiety, and stress in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of job insecurity and depression, anxiety, stress as well as the association between job insecurity, mental health outcomes also contributing determinants amongst humanitarian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Methods We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study among 445 humanitarian workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in six sub-districts of Cox’s bazar district of Bangladesh between April and May 2021. The questionnaire was composed of socio-demographic, lifestyle and work related factors. Psychometric instruments like job insecurity scale and depression, anxiety also stress scale (DASS-21) were employed to assess the level of job insecurity and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety and stress). STATA software version 14 was employed to perform statistical analyses. Results The prevalence of job insecurity was 42%. The odds of job insecurity was higher in Kutubdia and Pekua (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.36, 7.22) Teknaf (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.33, 6.41), the impact of dissatisfaction on salary (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.49, 3.58) was evident with job insecurity. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression, anxiety and stress among humanitarian worker were (26%, 7%), (25%, 10%) and (15%, 7%) respectively. Further, the region of work, being female, marital status, work environment, and salary dissatisfaction were contributing factors for poor mental health outcomes. Those with job insecurity were almost 3 times more likely to experience depression (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.85, 4.04), anxiety (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.76, 3.71) and stress (AOR: 2.8; 95% CI 1.89, 4.26), respectively. Conclusion Our findings highlight that job security remains essential to help tackle the severity of depression, anxiety and stress in humanitarian workers. The results reflected the critical importance of local and international NGOs addressing poor mental health conditions of their employees to prevent mental health outbreaks.

Abstract We examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and continuum of care (CoC) completion rate in maternal, neonatal, and child health among mothers in Bangladesh. We used data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) from 2017 to 2018. Our findings were based on the responses of 1527 married women who had at least one child aged 12 to 23 months at the time of the survey. As a measure of SES, we focused on the standard of living (hereinafter referred to as wealth). The CoC for maternal and child health (MNCH) services is the study's outcome variable. The CoC was calculated using seven MNCH interventions: four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits with a skilled practitioner, delivery by a skilled birth attendant, post-natal care for mothers (PNCM) within two days of giving birth, post-natal care for newborns (PNCM) within two days of birth, immunization, age-appropriate breastfeeding, and maternal current use of modern family planning (FP) methods. Only 18.1% of Bangladeshi women completed all seven MNCH care interventions during the reproductive life span. Participants in the high SES group were 2.30 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61–3.28) more likely than those in the low SES group to have higher composite care index (CCI) scores. Women with secondary or higher secondary education, as well as women who were exposed to mass media at least once a week, women who lived in an urban setting, women who had an intended pregnancy, and women with one parity, are associated with high CCI scores when other sociodemographic variables are considered. The complete CoC for MNCH reveals an extremely low completion rate, which may suggest that Bangladeshi mothers, newborns, and children are not receiving the most out of their present health care. Participants in the high SES group displayed higher CCI values than those in the low SES group, indicating that SES is one of the primary drivers of completion of CoC for MNCH services.

Abstract The application of citric acid and glycerol as natural binder was investigated for the manufacturing of jute stick particleboard in this study. The effects of citric acid content (0–30 wt%), citric acid and glycerol mixture (ratio of CA–G), and pressing temperatures on the properties of jute stick particleboard were investigated. Citric acid-bonded jute stick particleboard had good mechanical properties and dimensional stability when citric acid concentration was 20 wt% at pressing temperature of 200 °C. By addition of glycerol concentration (40/60), the properties were further increased. The modulus of rupture (MOR) and thickness swelling (TS) values of CA–G (40/60) bonded jute stick particleboard were 19.67 N/mm2 and 9%, respectively, which satisfy the minimum requirement for type-18 of particleboard JIS A 5908 (2003). FTIR analysis confirmed the formation of ester linkage by polymerization reaction between carboxyl groups and alcohol groups. Citric acid and glycerol polymer reacted with jute stick particles and produced cross-linked networks with enhanced properties, hence improved the adhesiveness during particleboard production. It could be concluded that citric acid and glycerol mixture can be a potential natural binder for the production of jute stick particleboard.

Many plant extracts could be considered as natural effective tool against yellow mite instead of synthetic chemicals. The research was aimed at studying the effects of plant extracts on Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks infestation and jute yield production. This experiment was conducted in Manikganj, Bangladesh following randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were Neem oil 3% (T1), Neem leaf extract @ 1:30 (T2), Mahagoni seed extract @ 1: 10 (T3) Turmeric powder extract @ 1: 40 (T4), Garlic paste extract @ 1:30 (T5) and control (T6). Percent reduction of mite population was found in neem oil (87.94%), neem leaf extract (85.76%) and garlic paste extract (86.48%) at 72 hrs after spray. After 7 days of spraying, Neem oil treated plot received the best reduction (89.05 %) followed by neem leaf extract (87.03%), Mahogany (79.60%), turmeric (78.02%), and garlic (80.06%), respectively. Neem oil treated plot showed highest fibre yield (2.95tha-1). Control plot showed highest mite infestation with lowest yield contributing attributes. Neem oil/leaf extract and mahogany seed extracts were found effective to control yellow mite infestation resulting higher fibre yield production.

This study aims to assess the environmental impact of different chemical classes of reactive dyes and their treatment. To attain this outcome, four different types of reactive dyes (Procion Blue PX-3R (Monochlorotriazine), Levafix Blue CA (Bi-functional heterogeneous), Remazol Brilliant Blue R (Vinylsulphone) and Remazol Brilliant Blue RR (Bi-functional homogeneous) on the cotton fabric were analyzed. The potential cytotoxic effect of different reactive dyes was evaluated using the growth inhibition test according to AATCC 22662 by exposing the culture over 72 hours at 21 °C. The dyeing operation was performed in a labrotex sample dyeing machine, and a data color spectrophotometer was administered to analyze the strength percentage of dyes in post-dye liquor. Among the reactive dyes, Levafix Blue CA exhibited better effluent characteristics compared to others, lowering the threat to the environment. The dyed wastewater was directly disposed of and treated in a pilot plant containing lime and ferrous sulfate as coagulant and polyacrylamide as polyelectrolyte, which resulted in a significant reduction of BOD5 (64.97-74.67%), COD (61.03-70.28%), TDS (55.02-61.97%) and TSS (47.07-50.19%) with improved pH and DO values. This investigation reflects the specific selection of a reactive dye leading to a lower environmental impact of a dyeing process coupled with wastewater treatment processes.

Maize production in Asia is rapidly increasing. For its sustainable production, the effects of raw and dry manure application on soil water dynamics, nutrient leaching, and plant growth were investigated. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the percolated water below a 110-cm depth of field-lysimeter columns were analyzed to quantify leaching. Soil water, soil temperature, and plant growth were routinely monitored. The manure application practices increased soil water content by 0.008–0.025 cm3 cm-3 throughout the vegetative period by reducing bulk density and reduced the daytime temperature range by 0.4–1.2°C. The average leaching concentrations of total N increased from 2.6 to 4.7 mg N L-1 and available P decreased from 0.12 to 0.04 mg P L-1 between 63 and 93 DAS (day after sowing), respectively. The manure treatments did not increase nutrient leaching load at 63 DAS, but at 93 DAS the N load was increased by 219–324 g ha-1 and P load by 2.0–3.1 g ha-1 compared with the control treatment. The dry manure released a larger amount of N (30.7%) and P (3.2%) in the leachates than the raw manure. The dry and raw manure treatment produced 14.5 and 5 cm taller plants, respectively than the control treatment. Manure application with a slight modification in nutrient management can avoid the nutrient leaching problem.

Abstract Background Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is an emerging zoonotic disease of cattle associated with pathological prion protein (PrPsc) transmitted via meat and bone meal (MBM). Although Bangladesh did not experience a BSE outbreak but the country could not export animal products to developed countries as has not yet been declared BSE free country by OIE due to lack of scientific risk evaluation for BSE. The objectives were identification of hazard, release and exposure pathways of pathological prion protein through MBM and analysis of risk for the occurrence of BSE in Bangladesh. Methods The scientific data were reviewed, hazards were scheduled and surveys were conducted on livestock production system, import of MBM and its use to identify the hazards present in Bangladesh context. The analysis was done by the ‘OIE Risk Analysis Framework 2006 and European Union (EU) Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) 2003’. From the historical reviews, import of MBM and its use was identified, as external hazards. Results The analysis revealed that these hazards had negligible or moderate risk for the introduction of infectious PrPsc as Bangladeshi cattle are vegetarian cattle. No milk replacer was used and use of slaughtered waste in the animal feed industry is absent. Unconsumable bones are processed to produce bone chips, fertilizers and bone meal for poultry feeds. Scrapie was never prevalent in Bangladesh. Therefore, risk from the internal challenge was negligible in Bangladesh for the occurrence of classical BSE. These prevented the propagation of BSE infectivity and eliminated BSE infectivity from the system very fast, if that was present. Conclusions It was concluded that introduction of PrPsc into cattle population of Bangladesh through MBM was very negligible. Therefore, Bangladesh can be considered as BSE negligible risk country.

The Bangla language is the seventh most spoken language, with 265 million native and non-native speakers worldwide. However, English is the predominant language for online resources and technical knowledge, journals, and documentation. Consequently, many Bangla-speaking people, who have limited command of English, face hurdles to utilize English resources. To bridge the gap between limited support and increasing demand, researchers conducted many experiments and developed valuable tools and techniques to create and process Bangla language materials. Many efforts are also ongoing to make it easy to use the Bangla language in the online and technical domains. There are some review papers to understand the past, previous, and future Bangla Natural Language Processing (BNLP) trends. The studies are mainly concentrated on the specific domains of BNLP, such as sentiment analysis, speech recognition, optical character recognition, and text summarization. There is an apparent scarcity of resources that contain a comprehensive review of the recent BNLP tools and methods. Therefore, in this paper, we present a thorough analysis of 75 BNLP research papers and categorize them into 11 categories, namely Information Extraction, Machine Translation, Named Entity Recognition, Parsing, Parts of Speech Tagging, Question Answering System, Sentiment Analysis, Spam and Fake Detection, Text Summarization, Word Sense Disambiguation, and Speech Processing and Recognition. We study articles published between 1999 to 2021, and 50% of the papers were published after 2015. Furthermore, we discuss Classical, Machine Learning and Deep Learning approaches with different datasets while addressing the limitations and current and future trends of the BNLP.

The postharvest processes of groundnuts often become sources of microbial contamination leading to infections and intoxication. Hence, this study examined the microbial pathogens contaminating groundnuts after harvesting. About 50 samples were randomly collected from four major groundnut-producing towns: Bolgatanga, Chiana, Navrongo, and Bongo, all in the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana, and microbiologically examined using Analytical Profile Index (API® 20E). The results revealed that samples from Bolgatanga were the most contaminated, while Chiana has the least contaminated samples. Several species of bacterial genera such as Staphylococcus, Proteus, Escherichia, Bacillus, and Micrococcus, and fungal genera including Aspergillus, Fusarium, Rhizopus, Mucor, Saccharomyces, and Eurotium were isolated as the main microbial pathogens contaminating the produce. Navrongo and Bolgatanga recorded the highest rate of bacterial species for unshelled (29.5%) and shelled (30.4%) groundnuts, respectively, while Bongo and Bolgatanga registered the highest rate of fungal species under unshelled (32.8%) and shelled (32.6%) groundnuts, respectively. Due to the high levels of microbial contamination of most of the samples and the kind of microbial species involved, proper hygiene standards must be adopted during the postharvest handling of the shelled and unshelled groundnuts.

Consuming raw milk and milk-based products that have not been produced under strict control conditions can cause brucellosis, a highly contagious zoonotic disease. It is a significant global public health concern, particularly in regions with poor management and limited resources, such as Latin America, North and East Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia. The study aims to summarize the occurrence of human brucellosis linked to milk and milk products and the presence of Brucella species in dairy foods. To achieve this goal, a meta-analysis was conducted on 69 studies ranging from 2001 to 2022, which were categorized into two groups: the incidence of Brucella species in milk and milk products and the prevalence of human brucellosis resulting from the consumption of contaminated milk. The following milk and milk products showed the highest incidence of Brucella species: cow milk (1.86%–81.7%), buffalo milk (10.4%–61.67%), camel milk (0%–24%), goat milk (0%–88.8%), and cheese (0%–39.1%). Consuming unpasteurized milk and milk products has been identified as the leading cause of human brucellosis, with incidence rates varying from 33.9% to 100%. Several human brucellosis cases have been linked to consuming raw milk and cheese in Spain, Israel, and other countries. Various serological techniques are employed to detect Brucella-specific antibodies in milk. The milk ring test (MRT) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) are the two most widely utilized methods for detecting these antibodies in milk. Recently developed dual biosensors are a powerful approach for early diagnosis of Brucella from milk. Real-time PCR can rapidly detect organisms, reducing the risk of lab contamination and false positive results. To prevent and control brucellosis, essential steps include proper pasteurization of milk and dairy products, using the milk ring test (MRT) to detect Brucella in individual and bulk milk, immunization, education, and increasing public awareness of the disease. The consumption of raw milk and milk-made products that are not produced under strictly controlled conditions poses a significant risk to human health, mainly due to the high incidence of Brucella contamination. Therefore, ensuring strict control measures in producing milk and milk-made products is crucial to preventing the spread of this disease and safeguarding human health.

BackgroundPornography exposure, particularly among students, in Bangladesh, has increased in the twenty-first century. However, pornography exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were compelled to “stay at home” and relied extensively on the internet for all forms of activities, including academia, socializing, and communication, has remained unexplored. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of pornography exposure among students during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated predictors.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional study was carried out among students with certain specifications, i.e., current students at high school/college/university with access to the internet and valid social media accounts. By administering a semi-structured e-questionnaire using Google Forms, a total of 646 valid responses were retained for this study. The data were analyzed in two phases by Pearson's Chi-square and multiple logistic regression model, using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 25. The results were expressed as an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI).ResultsThe findings suggest that 75.9% of students were exposed to pornography during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and preferred to watch the amateur/professional genre of pornography. Pornography exposure was significantly associated with age and relationship status, as students aged 22–24 years (95% CI: 1.01–2.41; p = 0.045) and over 25 years (95% CI: 1.61–10.03; p = 0.003) were more likely to watch pornography, while married students and those in relationships (95% CI: 1.24–3.49; p = 0.006) also watched pornography during the pandemic. In contrast, students who were living alone (95% CI: 0.38–0.92; p = 0.021), were living in the Khulna division (95% CI: 0.16–0.52; p < 0.001) or had a negative attitude toward pornography (95% CI: 0.94–0.99; p = 0.002) were less likely to be exposed to pornography.ConclusionPornography exposure was higher among students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic, and religiosity and disapproving attitudes toward pornography negatively influenced the pornography exposure. For a better understanding of the complex dynamics of socio-demographic issues with pornography exposure among students, extensive research is required for policymakers to devise appropriate strategies and interventions to ensure healthy and safe sex life for the younger population.

Our study aimed to examine the practices and knowledge of food handling and safety among 1534 university students in Bangladesh (mean age 22.09 ± 1.78), as well as the relationship between these factors and their academic and demographic backgrounds. Participants in this study were undergraduate and graduate students from four public universities in Bangladesh from different religions, income levels, years and majors of study, residential areas, living alone or not, and whose mothers are working or non-working. The questionnaire included 14 questions on food handling practices and 16 on knowledge. Questions were related to food preparation, hygiene, cross-contamination, and storage. The overall mean score for food handling practices was 34.9% (SD = 13.7), while that of knowledge was 41.8% (SD = 16.5). Female students, those from food-related majors, and those engaged in cooking activities scored significantly higher in the knowledge and practice sections (p < 0.05). Students who lived with their families performed significantly better on the knowledge parts, while those who shared a home with roommates in mess performed significantly better on the practice part (p < 0.05). Students having housewife mothers, personal poisoning experience, and continuous involvement in food purchasing scored significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the practices section but not in the knowledge one. On the other hand, students living in urban areas scored significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the knowledge section but not in the practices one. Our results highlight the importance of educational interventions and initiatives to enhance food safety awareness among Bangladeshi university students.

Background: The most common maternal oral diseases that potentially could bring adverse pregnancy outcome are periodontal diseases. So periodontal diseases during pregnancy require special attention. Oral health education is often not addressed with importance during antenatal counseling. Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the periodontal status, treatment needs and factors that influence periodontal diseases among pregnant women attending to antenatal clinic situated at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted including 170 pregnant women selected by convenience sampling technique. Data were collected by pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Periodontal assessment was done by Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) and oral hygiene status was assessed by the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S).The data analysis was done by SPSS software. Chi-square test was used for different variables. A probability value of

Surface water contamination by various dyes and pigments is a global problem caused by rapid industry, particularly textile/dyeing. Bangladesh's export-oriented textile sector has exploded in recent decades, polluting local waterways significantly. In this study, nano-ZnO were prepared using surfactant-assisted sol–gel, hydrothermal and thermal methods. SEM, XRD, reflectance spectrophotometer, EDS and adsorption tests were used to characterize the synthesized nano-ZnO. BET isotherms were used to determine the surface area, pore volume, and pore size of the as-prepared nano-ZnO. The mixed surfactant assisted-sol gel method produced nanorod-ZnO, whereas the hydrothermal and/or thermal methods yielded clusters of needles ZnO, as proven by SEM images. XRD data revealed that the synthesized nanorod-ZnO had a mainly wurtzite crystalline structure and their size was estimated using the Scherrer equation to be about 23.90 nm. EDS spectra confirmed the synthesis of pure nanorod-ZnO. Using a UV–visible reflectance spectrophotometer, the band gap energy of the as-prepared nanorod-ZnO was found to be 3.35 eV. According to BET isotherms, the BET and Langmuir surface areas were 4 and 5.4 m2/g, respectively. Prior to analyzing photodegradation, the RB was adsorbing in the presence of various doses of the nanorod-ZnO in the dark, but no adsorption was observed. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized nano-ZnO were compared to TiO2 (anatase) for the degradation of RB in an aqueous system under solar light, UV, fluorescence, and tungsten filament light irradiation. Nanorod-ZnO showed exceptional photocatalytic activity in degrading RB in an aqueous solution under solar light irradiation. The results suggest that 0.01 g/50 mL nanorod-ZnO with a solution pH of 7.8 is the best combination for complete degradation of 2.00 × 10-5 M RB under solar light irradiation. When nano-ZnO was exposed to light, the inhibiting effect of ethanol and/or tert-butanol on the degradation of RB confirmed the formation of mostly hydroxyl free radicals. The synthesized nanorod-ZnO shown substantial photocatalytic activity in the removal of pollutants from industrial effluents and contaminated river water under solar light irradiation. A mechanism of excellent photocatalytic activity of the nanorod-ZnO is discussed.

Background: Depression in physicians emerges early in their academic and professional careers. Lengthy and irregular duty time, high levels of obligation, job dissatisfaction, workstation culture, organizational rules, and so on significantly increased the psychological pressure on physicians. Objectives: The study's aim was to measure the level of depression, association, and influence of socio-demographic characteristics and job satisfaction on depression among physicians in Bangladesh, as well as to explore the factor structure of job satisfaction measure and examine its internal reliability. Methods: Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey of 301 physicians. The factors related to depression were investigated using a multivariable logistic regression model, and factor analysis was done to identify the important factors associated with job satisfaction. Results: Male respondents made up 49.5 percent of the sample overall, while female respondents made up 50.5 percent. 24.58% of the physicians had mild depression, whereas 13.29%, 7.31%, and 0.66% of the participants had moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression, respectively. In multivariable analysis, sex (male vs. female, AOR: 2.16, 95% CI:1.28–3.62), monthly income 40000 BDT, (AOR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14–0.89), and income

BackgroundAlthough Bangladesh has made noticeable progress in reducing the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and being underweight among under-5 children, it has not been very successful in reducing overall severe anthropometric failure (SAF) among them. Therefore, the study aims to identify the prevalence and risk factors of SAF measured by the Composite Index of Severe Anthropometric Failure (CISAF) among under-5 children in Bangladesh.MethodsData was drawn from a cross-sectional Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) conducted in 2017–2018. A bivariate analysis (Chi-square test) and logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the unadjusted, and age and sex-adjusted prevalence of SAF. Odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) were assessed using logistic regression analysis to identify the various risk factor of SAF.ResultsThe overall adjusted prevalence of under-5 child SAF was 11.3% (95% CI: 10.6–12.0) and it was highly prevalent among children of uneducated mothers (adjusted, 22%, 95% CI: 17.3–26.8). The key factors associated with SAF were children in the age group 24–35 months (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.83–3.23), children born with low birth weight (OR: 3.14, 95% CI: 2.24–4.97), children of underweight mothers (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.44–2.29), children of parents with no formal education (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.56–3.31) and children from lower socio-economic status (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.55–3.26).ConclusionPrioritizing and ensuring context-specific interventions addressing individual, community, public policy, and environment level risk factors from policy level to implementation to reduce structural and intermediary determinants of under-5 SAF.

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is rapidly acquiring new mutations. Analysis of these mutations is necessary for gaining knowledge regarding different aspects of therapeutic development. Previously, we have reported a Sanger method-based genome sequence of a viral isolate named SARS-CoV-2 NIB-1, circulating in Bangladesh. The genome has four novel non-synonymous mutations in V121D, V843F, A889V, and G1691C positions. Results Using different computational tools, we have found V121D substitution has the potential to destabilize the non-structural protein-1 (NSP-1). NSP-1 inactivates the type-1 interferon-induced antiviral system. Hence, this mutant could be a basis of attenuated vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. V843F, A889V, and G1691C are all located in nonstructural protein-3 (NSP-3). G1691C can decrease the flexibility of the protein. V843F and A889V might change the binding pattern and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLPro) inhibitor GRL0617. V843F substitution in PLPro was the most prevalent mutation in the clinical samples. This mutation showed a reduced affinity for interferon-stimulated gene-15 protein (ISG-15) and might have an impact on innate immunity and viral spread. However, V843F+A889V double mutant exhibited the same binding affinity as wild type PLPro. A possible reason behind this phenomenon can be that V843F is a conserved residue of PLPro which damaged the protease structure, but A889V, a less conserved residue, presumably neutralized that damage. Conclusions Mutants of NSP-1 could provide attenuated vaccines against coronavirus. Also, these mutations of PLPro might be targeted to develop better anti-SARS therapeutics. We hope our study will help to get better insides during the development of attenuated vaccine and PLPro inhibitors.

Pesticides have been a major contributor to the growth of agricultural productivity and food supply. Pesticides were a key factor in significant agricultural productivity growth during the last century and continue to be a critical factor in reducing crop damage. Fifteen insecticides were investigated to select their effective and economic doses against Hairy caterpillar in a Tossa Jute variety during April-October’ 2020 at the Department of Entomology, Manikganj and Narayanganj, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI), Bangladesh following Randomized Completely Block Design with three replications. All new insecticides with a standard were found effective for controlling jute hairy caterpillar giving 95.38, 94.55, 95.19, 92.85, 93.59, 94.22, 93.49, 93.62, 89.84, 95.72, 93.56, 93.38, 94.42, 95.39, 91.34 and 95.41 % at Manikganj; 95.78, 93.32, 93.97, 93.18, 92.09, 92.49, 93.74, 92.93, 92.29, 93.69, 93.95, 93.17, 95.31, 94.99, 92.11 and 94.53 % reduction of infestation at Narayanganj at 5th day after spray over control plot respectively. In Manikganj, the highest fibre yield (3.66 t/ha) was found in the plot treated with Rock 20 EC and the lowest (2.96t/ha) was found in Reset 20WDG treated plot. In case of Narayanganj, the highest fibre yield (3.85 t/ha) was found in the plot treated with Proxy 20 EC and the lowest (2.79t/ha) was found in Daman treated plot. These insecticides can be recommended for the farmer’s use to control jute hairy caterpillar.

BackgroundFollowing the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Bangladesh implemented strict non-therapeutic measures, i.e., “social distancing,” “lockdown,” “work from home,” in the first quarter of 2020. Like other professionals, teachers at schools, colleges and universities were confined within households. However, the introduction of online education imposed an additional burden on teachers along with growing household responsibilities, thus, affecting their psychological state.AimsThis study was aimed to explore the prevalence of mental health problems among teachers in Bangladesh and to identify the associated risk factors.MethodsThis web-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 381 teachers working at schools, colleges, and universities between 01 August and 29 August 2021 by administering a self-reported e-questionnaire using Google Form, where the mental health of teachers was assessed by depression, anxiety, and stress scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26) and STATA Version 16, and multiple linear regression was executed to predict mental health problems among teachers.ResultsThe findings indicate that the overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among teachers was 35.4%, 43.7%, and 6.6%, respectively. The prevalence was higher among male and older teachers than among their female and younger colleagues. The findings further showed that place of residence, institution, self-reported health, usage of social and electronic media, and fear of COVID-19 significantly influenced the mental health status of teachers.ConclusionIt is strongly recommended that the government and policymakers provide proper mental health services to teachers in order to reduce mental health problems and thus sustain the quality of education during and after the pandemic.

Abstract Background Frailty is associated with healthy ageing, and it has been identified as a means of measuring older adults’ physio-psychosocial health. We know about the ageing trends and common diseases of older adults living in South Asia, but literature to date does not widely feature their health status based on frailty, especially in Bangladesh. This study aims to understand the prevalence of frailty in Bangladeshi older adults; classify their health status; and investigate associated risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the north-eastern region (i.e. Sylhet City Corporation) of Bangladesh. Four hundred participants aged 55 years and above were randomly selected, attended a health assessment session and completed a multi-indicator survey questionnaire. We developed a 30-indicator Frailty Index (FI30) to assess the participant’s health status and categorized: good health (no-frailty/Fit); slightly poor health (mild frailty); poor health (moderate frailty); and very poor health (severe frailty). Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results The participants’ mean age was 63.6 years, and 61.6% of them were assessed in poor to very poor health (moderate frailty/36.3% - severe frailty/25.3%). The eldest, female and participants from lower family income were found more frailty than their counterparts. Participants aged 70 years and above were more likely (adjusted OR: 4.23, 95% CI: 2.26–7.92, p $473.3) found a lower risk (adjusted OR: 0.294, 95% CI: 0.11–0.76, p

In recent years, researchers have proposed many deep learning (DL) methods for various tasks, and particularly face recognition (FR) made an enormous leap using these techniques. Deep FR systems benefit from the hierarchical architecture of the DL methods to learn discriminative face representation. Therefore, DL techniques significantly improve state-of-the-art performance on FR systems and encourage diverse and efficient real-world applications. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of various FR systems that leverage the different types of DL techniques, and for the study, we summarize 171 recent contributions from this area. We discuss the papers related to different algorithms, architectures, loss functions, activation functions, datasets, challenges, improvement ideas, current and future trends of DL-based FR systems. We provide a detailed discussion of various DL methods to understand the current state-of-the-art, and then we discuss various activation and loss functions for the methods. Additionally, we summarize different datasets used widely for FR tasks and discuss challenges related to illumination, expression, pose variations, and occlusion. Finally, we discuss improvement ideas, current and future trends of FR tasks.

The aim of the present paper is to look at whether corporate tax avoidance (CTA) contributes to firm value in the perspective of Bangladeshi listed firms. Our conceptual assumption is that in presence of agency conflicts, corporate managers take on tax avoidance (TA) initiatives to extract their own benefits through taking advantage as of the loopholes of current tax laws. Further, CTA does not fulfill the ethical and social demands. Agency costs and social irresponsibility that produce from TA activities could adversely influence the firm value. It is also among the first paper focusing on the TA and firm value association in the perspective of Bangladeshi listed firms after the gradual decline of stock market index during the year 2019, whereas most of the adjacent South Asian countries’ bourse has achieved gradual improve. However, the present paper aims to integrate relevant studies and theories to extend the intended potentials for limiting corporate tax avoidance to enhance the value of the listed companies in Bangladesh. This study has evaluated CTA behavior from a combination of agency theory and stakeholder theory standpoint rather than traditional sight of tax burden decreasing strategy. Moreover, as existing literature reveals inconsistent and less evidence that attempt to examine the consequence of CTA on firm value, the present paper proposes and shows an imperative proposition for potential empirical research.

This study assessed the strength and durability parameters of brick aggregate concrete (BAC) incorporating rice husk ash (RHA) as a partial replacement of cement. For this, concrete cylinders (100 mm × 200 mm) were made with 0% (control) to 25% RHA as a partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) at a mix proportion of 1 : 1.5 : 3 and a water-to-binder (w/b) ratio of 0.50. Specimens were immersed separately in normal water, 3% sodium chloride (NaCl), 5% sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), 5% magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), 1% hydrochloric acid (HCl), and 1% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solutions for several immersion periods. The slump test results indicated that the workability of BAC containing RHA (RBAC) decreased about 29.69%–75.02% compared to control (0% RHA). After 90 days, the BAC containing RHA (up to 15% replacement) was found approximately 2.28%–6.64% greater compressive strength than that of control concrete. In addition, water absorption and porosity of RBAC were around 17.59%–40.73% and 12.12%–35.68% lower than that of control concrete, respectively. Similarly, RBAC (up to 25% replacement) exhibited roughly 35.62%–54.79% higher resistance against chloride attack and 0.39%–4.56% better resistance against Na2SO4 attack (up to 15% replacement), however, it exhibited inferior resistance against MgSO4 attack compared to control. Meanwhile, BAC with 10% RHA showed about 5.35% and 1.00% superior performance than that of control concrete against HCl and H2SO4 attack, respectively. The relationships between the strength and durability parameters of RBAC also suggested that RHA contributes to improving the strength and durability parameters of BAC.

Mulching and no-till are recommended practices to conserve soil water and soil health, but their effects on nutrient leaching in maize fields under monsoon rainfall need to be assessed. Soil water, soil temperature, and root and shoot growth of maize under plastic mulch, straw mulch, and no-till treatments were observed. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching below a 110-cm deep lysimeter after heavy rainfall events were determined. The mulching and no-till treatments increased soil water content by 0.022–0.025 cm3/cm3 and reduced daytime soil temperature by 0.5–2.6 °C. Average leaching concentrations of total N and available P at 63 and 93 DAS (days after sowing) were 2.4 and 4.9 mg N/L and 0.12 and 0.08 mg P/L, respectively. For the control condition, the leaching concentrations of N and P decreased between 63 and 93 DAS. The mulching treatments did not influence nutrient leaching load at 63 DAS, but at 93 DAS the N leaching load increased by 181–248 g/ha and P load by 3.1–4.9 g/ha compared with the control treatment. The mulch treatments had taller shoots (5.1–18.3 cm) and a higher root-shoot ratio. The higher soil water content in the mulched treatments facilitated nutrient redistribution, plant growth, nutrient transport, and leaching. No-till increased N leaching by 103 g N/ha per leaching event but not P leaching. The no-till treatment had shorter shoots but longer roots than the conventional tillage treatment due to poor nutrient redistribution in the no-till soil. A modification in the nutrient management plan is needed to better control nutrient redistribution and minimize leaching.

Background:Escherichia coli is a major extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing organism responsible for the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that has compromised our ability to treat infections. Baseline data on population structure, virulence, and resistance mechanisms in E. coli lineages from developing countries such as Bangladesh are lacking.Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was performed for 46 ESBL–E. coli isolates cultured from patient samples at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b)-Dhaka. Sequence data were analyzed to glean details of AMR, virulence, and phylogenetic and molecular markers of E. coli lineages.Results: Genome comparison revealed presence of all major high-risk clones including sequence type 131 (ST131) (46%), ST405 (13%), ST648 (7%), ST410 (4.3%), ST38 (2%), ST73 (2%), and ST1193 (2%). The predominant ESBL gene and plasmid combination were blaCTX–M–15 and FII-FIA-FIB detected in diverse E. coli phylogroups and STs. The blaNDM–5 (9%) gene was present in prominent E. coli STs. One (2%) mcr-1–positive ST1011 E. coli, coharboring blaCTXM–55 gene, was detected. The extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli genotype was associated with specific E. coli lineages. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genome phylogeny largely showed correlation with phylogroups, serogroups, and fimH types. Majority of these isolates were susceptible to amikacin (93%), imipenem (93%), and nitrofurantoin (83%).Conclusion: Our study reveals a high diversity of E. coli lineages among ESBL-producing E. coli from Dhaka. This study suggests ongoing circulation of ST131 and all major non-ST131 high-risk clones that are strongly associated with cephalosporin resistance and virulence genes. These findings warrant prospective monitoring of high-risk clones, which would otherwise worsen the AMR crises.

Mango kernel is generally treated as a waste material, but its flour can be used in many foods as a potential substitute of wheat flour (WF). The aims of this study were to process mango kernel flour (MKF) and to compare its nutritional, functional and physical properties with WF and finally to evaluate the quality of MKF substituted composite cakes. Analysis showed that MKF contained comparatively higher energy than WF (4.12 vs 3.54 kcal/g), while proximate compositions were: 7.58% moisture, 2.16% ash, 8.03% protein, 10.16% fat, 1.16% crude fiber and 72.07% total carbohydrate in MKF. Bulk density and water absorption capacity of MKF was higher than WF, while oil absorption capacity, swelling index and brightness were higher for WF. Most of the macro nutritional components of the developed cakes increased with increasing of MKF content and around 3.60% more energy was given by 40% MKF containing cake compared to control one. Chroma analysis showed that MKF addition caused in darkness of crust and crumb color of the cakes but all of the values did not differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05. Sensory evaluation indicated that 20% MKF containing cake was the most acceptable to the panelists among composite cakes and storage stability test revealed that the cakes can be stored for about 7–10 days without any preservatives and MKF substituted cakes showed better stability than control during the storage period. Keywords: Mango kernel flour, Composite cake, Physiochemical properties, Functional properties, Chroma meter analysis, Storage stability

The study was concerned with the kinetics of dehydration of jackfruit and mango pulp and their use for the development of mixed leather. Kinetics study showed that jackfruit pulp dried faster than mango pulp. The chemical composition of fresh jackfruit and mango pulp showed that moisture, ash, protein, fat, vitamin -C, acidity, pH and total soluble solids content were found 74.23%, 0.86%, 1.55%, 0.60%, 5.04 mg/100g, 0.224% (wb), 5.41 and 25.0% for jackfruit pulp, whereas for mango pulp, the contents are 80.1%, 0.45%, 1.2%, 0.70%, 24.2 mg/100 g, 0.48% (wb), 3.79 and 18.0% respectively. During mechanical drying, it was shown that drying rate decreased with the increase in thickness and for fresh jackfruit and mango pulp, values of index n were 0.38 and 0.20 at 60°C respectively, whereas for steam blanched jackfruit and mango pulp, value of index n were 0.38 and 0.29 at 60°C respectively and these were lower than 2 as predicted by the Ficks 2nd law of diffusion. The activation energy (Ea) was calculated as 3.12 Kcal/g.mole, 2.786 Kcal/g.mole, 2.90 Kcal/g.mole and 2.786 Kcal/g.mole for the fresh jackfruit, fresh mango, steam blanched jackfruit and steam blanched mango pulps respectively. The organoleptic taste test showed that sample 401 (Fruit pulp with sugar and KMS) secured highest score. [Fundam Appl Agric 2019; 4(4.000): 1089-1096]

Abstract Background The hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodidae) is widely distributed in East Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand. It can transmit many infectious pathogens, including the causative agents of human rickettsiosis, bovine theileriosis, bovine babesiosis and canine babesiosis. Therefore, a greater understanding of H. longicornis biology might aid in the development of more effective control measures against the tick and tick-borne pathogens. Methods We analyzed the expression of miR-184 in different developmental stages and various tissues of H. longicornis using real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Antagomir (Ant-184) was used to knock-down miR-184, whilst Ms-Ant and non-injected ticks were used as the negative and blank controls, respectively. We used online software tools (RNAhybrid and TargetScan) to predict the putative target genes of miR-184. Results The expression of miR-184 was highest in unfed nymphs and lowest in unfed larvae. The tissue distribution of miR-184 showed abundant expression in the midgut. To investigate the probable roles of miR-184, antagomir (Ant-184) was used to knock-down miR-184 (t (4) = 12.32, P = 0.0002). After inhibiting miR-184, other biological factors were examined in each group. The engorged body weight was significantly reduced in the treated group (Ant-184) in contrast to control groups (t (22) = 2.19, P = 0.0388). The mean duration of the egg-laying days was significantly increased (33.5 ± 1.91) and the number of eggs (t (10) = 3.147, P = 0.0137), and egg mass (t (10) = 3.4472, P = 0.0063) were significantly reduced in the treated group. During oviposition, eggs were monitored and in half of the ticks of the Ant-184 group the eggs were completely desiccated, lacked embryo development and did not hatch. We analyzed the expression of Vg proteins (Vg1, Vg2, Vg3) in semi-engorged ticks, engorged ticks, ticks at day 2 after engorgement and egg stage in Ant-184, non-injected and Ms-Ant groups, and found significant variation. Conclusions This study provides information on the role of miR-184 in H. longicornis ticks. The data suggest that miR-184 targets Vg proteins and affects blood digestion and oviposition.

The study was designed to observe the behavior of mechanical and osmotic dehydration of pineapple, retention of vitamin C content during drying and development of jam from fresh and dehydrated pineapple. Osmotic dehydration carried out with pineapples collected from local market of Mymensingh in July 2015 and found that pineapples contained higher moisture content (93.9%,wb) than normal (85-87%,wb) and showed contradictory osmotic behavior due to higher moisture content and hormonal effect. Then the studies were conducted using pineapples of Gaint Kew variety collected from Madhupur without hormone treatment which contained 86.11% moisture, 0.36% ash, 13.89% total solid, 0.54% protein and 17.38mg/100g vitamin C. The osmotic concentration behavior was investigated using sugar and combined sugar-salt solution for 6mm thick pineapple slices and immersion time was 6 hrs. The extent of water loss, solid gain and normalized solid content were strongly influenced by strength of osmotic solution. It was found that K-value (mass transfer coefficient) increases with increasing concentration and was the highest (0.15min-1) for 55/5% sugar/salt solution and lowest (0.07min-1) for 45% sugar solution. Three different temperatures (55, 60 and 65°C) and thicknesses (4, 6 and 8mm) were used to investigate the drying behavior of pineapple slices in a mechanical dryer. Activation energy value of 8.14 Kcal/g-mole was found for fresh pineapple slices. 55/5% sugar/salt osmosed and dried pineapple gave 5.46 times higher dryer throughput compared to nonosmosed dried pineapple. Degradation of vitamin C content of pineapple at different air-dry bulb temperatures (55, 60 and 65°C) of 6mm thickness was investigated and activation energy for degradation of vitamin C was found to be 14.38 Kcal/g-mole. Osmotic dehydration prior to air drying, gave the lower rate of degradation of vitamin C during drying compared to that dried without osmosis. Developed jams were tested for their acceptability by sensory evaluation using 1-9 point hedonic scale and jam made from osmotically dehydrated (55/5% sugar-salt and then dried at 60°C) secured highest score (8.5) and ranked as like very much, while the other products were ranked as like moderately. [Fundam Appl Agric 2019; 4(1.000): 723-734]