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Herein, the standard solid-state reaction process was employed to synthesize the polycrystalline Ba 1-x Dy 2x/3 Ti 0.98 Mn 0.02 O 3 ( x  = 0.0000-0.0085) ceramics and each composition was sintered at 1200 °C for 3 h. The structural, morphological, electrical, and magnetic properties were carried out by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), impedance analyzer, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) to investigate the influence of doping of Dy 3+ (low concentration) and Mn 4+ in BaTiO 3 simultaneously. The XRD study confirmed the formation of perovskite structure with tetragonal symmetry of the prepared solid solution. The magnitude of the porosity (P%) decreased from 13.22 to 9.49 with increasing content of Dy and x  = 0.0080 sample showed the lowest value. The mean grain size was estimated in the micrometer range, with values ranging from 0.5713 to 0.1457 μm. The highest grain size determined for the x  = 0.0070 sample was 0.5713 μm. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) adsorption isotherm measurements were used to estimate the specific surface area; the result was 24.181 m 2 /g for x = 0.007 composition. For the compound with x = 0.0070 the maximum recorded dielectric constant was found to be 6 × 10 3  at 10 3  Hz. A relatively lower dielectric loss (<5 %) was observed. The Nyquist plot illustrated that only the grain boundary effect is significant for the conduction process in the studied compositions. The present solid solution revealed better magnetic results compared to other reported ceramics similar to the prepared constituents. The optimum value of saturation magnetization (0.371 emu/g) was obtained for x  = 0.0080 composition. Among the synthesized Dy doped samples x  = 0.0075 composition displayed a significant complex initial permeability ( μ i / ). An enhanced relative quality factor (RQF) was seen with increasing frequency and the highest relative quality factor was noticed (>100) for the x  = 0.0075 sample at 10 8  Hz. The studied materials could be employed as an environmentally acceptable alternative to the hazardous lead (Pb)-based multiferroic substance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This study uses Zillow's ZTRAX property transaction database to investigate variation in hedonic price effects of water clarity on single-family houses throughout the United States. We consider five spatial scales and estimate models using different sample selection criteria and model specifications. Our results indicate considerable spatial heterogeneity both within and across the four U.S. Census regions. However, we also find heterogeneity resulting from different types of investigator decisions, including sample selection and modelling choices. Thus, it is necessary to use practical knowledge to consider the limits of market areas and to investigate the robustness of estimation results to investigator choices. (JEL Q51).

In this paper, a non-isolated quadratic boost DC-DC converter has been proposed. The proposed converter provides high output voltage gain with a lower component count on the structure. In addition, the input side inductor provides continuous source current and the output voltage is positive. Since the proposed topology possesses the continuous source current, it simplifies the filter design at the input side further making the converter suitable for photovoltaic applications. Another important feature of this converter includes the utilization of the same switch ground that omits the additional control power supply in the system design. The detailed mathematical modeling of the proposed topology including the steady state analysis for different modes of operations, voltage stress calculations of the components, and power loss calculations have been precisely demonstrated in this work. The simulation has been carried out in Matlab/Simulink software. Finally, a 250 W experimental prototype has been developed and tested in the laboratory environment and the peak efficiency of the proposed topology has been found 92% at 50% duty cycle, which validates the correctness of the theoretical and simulation outcomes of the proposed work., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Subhani et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Informed consent to medical intervention is fundamental in both ethics and law. But in practice it is often not taken seriously in developing countries. This paper provides an appraisal of informed consent practices in Bangladesh. Following a review of the ethical and legal principles of informed consent, it assesses the degree to which doctors adhere to it in Bangladesh. Based on findings of non-compliance, it then investigates the reasons for such non-compliance through an appraisal of informed consent practices in Bangladesh and provides recommendations aimed at improving such practices. The significance of this paper lies in unveiling the interdependence between the ethical and legal traits of informed consent and their ramifications on strengthening the patient-oriented approach of duty to care., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Measuring COVID-19-related mortality is vital for making public health policy decisions. The magnitude of COVID-19-related mortality is largely unknown in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Bangladesh, due to inadequate COVID-19 testing capacity and a lack of robust civil registration and vital statistics systems. Even with the lack of data, cemetery-based death records in LMICs may provide insightful information on potential COVID-19-related mortality rates; nevertheless, there is a dearth of research employing cemetery-based death records. This study aimed to assess the excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in an urban setting in Bangladesh using a cemetery-based death registration dataset. A total of 6,271 deaths recorded between January 2015 and December 2021 were analysed using a Bayesian structural time series model. Exploratory analysis found that the average monthly number of deaths was 69 during the pre-COVID-19 period (January 2015-February 2020), but significantly increased to 92 during the COVID-19 period (March 2020-December 2021). The increase in male deaths was twice as large as the increase in female deaths. Model-based results were not statistically significant (relative effect 17%, 95% credible interval: -18%, 57%), but there was an overall increasing trend during the COVID-19 period, and specific months or shorter periods had a substantial increase. This first-of-its-kind study in Bangladesh has assessed the excess mortality in an urban community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cemetery-based death registration appears to aid in tracking population mortality, especially in resource-limited countries where collecting data on the ground is challenging during crisis periods; however, additional large-scale research is required., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Hossain et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne disease and has become a major public health threat, particularly for tropical and subtropical countries including Bangladesh. This comprehensive review aims to summarize the overall scenario of dengue, including disease burden, clinical spectrum, seroprevalence, circulating serotypes/genotypes, and spatial distribution since the first recorded outbreak in Bangladesh. Since the first recorded outbreak in 2000, dengue epidemiology has shown the typical epidemic pattern with more frequent and bigger outbreaks and gradual geographic expansion to non-endemic regions in Bangladesh. For instance, highly confined Rohingya refugee camps that provide shelters to nearly 1.2 million forcibly displaced vulnerable Myanmar nationals in Cox's Bazar district confronted a massive outbreak in 2022. Recent major outbreaks are found to be associated with the emergence of serotype DENV-3, which was undetected for a long time. Consequently, changes in serotypes might be attributed to increased severity in clinical manifestation in recent years. The existing weak surveillance and risk management systems are inadequate to deal with impending dengue risks. The healthcare system, particularly at the district level, is not prepared to manage impending large-scale dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh. Our findings would contribute to the development of strategies for dengue control and management in Bangladesh as well as other similar settings elsewhere in the world., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is mounting evidence suggesting that COPD patients are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes; however, it remains unclear whether they are more susceptible to acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this comprehensive review, we aim to provide an up-to-date perspective of the intricate relationship between COPD and COVID-19. We conducted a thorough review of the literature to examine the evidence regarding the susceptibility of COPD patients to COVID-19 infection and the severity of their disease outcomes. While most studies have found that pre-existing COPD is associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes, some have yielded conflicting results. We also discuss confounding factors such as cigarette smoking, inhaled corticosteroids, and socioeconomic and genetic factors that may influence this association. Furthermore, we review acute COVID-19 management, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery in COPD patients and how public health measures impact their care. In conclusion, while the association between COPD and COVID-19 is complex and requires further investigation, this review highlights the need for careful management of COPD patients during the pandemic to minimize the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes.

High-quality water resources provide a wide range of benefits, but the value of water quality is often not fully represented in environmental policy decisions, due in large part to an absence of water quality valuation estimates at large, policy relevant scales. Using data on property values with nationwide coverage across the contiguous United States, we estimate the benefits of lake water quality as measured through capitalization in housing markets. We find compelling evidence that homeowners place a premium on improved water quality. This premium is largest for lakefront property and decays with distance from the waterbody. In aggregate, we estimate that 10% improvement of water quality for the contiguous United States has a value of $6 to 9 billion to property owners. This study provides credible evidence for policymakers to incorporate lake water quality value estimates in environmental decision-making.

Background: Malnutrition may decrease physical function and exacerbate health conditions and thus have a negative effect on health-related quality of life of older people., Aim: The study was aimed at evaluating the extent of malnutrition, physical function and other associated risk factors for the older persons (>65 years) living in the residential aged care facilities in Bangladesh., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 200 older people in various residential aged care facilities in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the socioeconomic condition, dietary diversity, functional ability and other related risk factors for malnutrition., Results: According to the Mini Nutritional Assessment, 33.5% of participants living in residential aged care facilities were malnourished and 52.5% were at risk of malnutrition. Dietary diversity score differs significantly ( p <0.001) among malnourished (3.78 ± 0.45), at risk of malnutrition (4.46 ± 0.98) and well-nourished (4.75 ± 1.11) groups. Twenty-five percent of the study participants reported limitations in mobility and 26.5% reported limitations in activities of daily living. Females were more vulnerable in terms of malnutrition and physical function than males. Mini Nutritional Assessment score is significantly correlated ( p <0.05) with several risk factors for malnutrition such as body mass index, education level, meal, protein consumption, dietary diversity score, weight loss, reduced food intake, mobility and activities of daily living of the older people., Conclusions: The study reaffirms that a high rate of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition is prevalent among aged care residents, who need special attention and may benefit from individualized nutrition interventions.

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils and its subsequent transfer to crops is one of the high-priority environmental and public health issues of global concern, especially in densely populated developing countries like Bangladesh. However, no effective strategy has been introduced or implemented yet to manage Cd-contaminated soils in order to sustain agricultural production with no human health risks. In this study, agricultural soil samples were collected from 60 locations of 10 upazilas from Tangail district to assess the extent of soil Cd contamination. The Cd concentration ranged from 0.83 to 4.08 mg kg -1 with a mean of 2.17 mg kg -1 in topsoil (0-15 cm), and from 0.67 to 3.74 mg kg -1 with a mean of 2.10 mg kg -1 in subsoil (16-30 cm). The values of contamination factor (CF) indicated that all the sampling locations were found to be highly contaminated with Cd. Pot trials with the application of different doses of biochar and vermicompost in Cd-contaminated soil (0.8 mg kg -1 Cd) revealed that integrated application of biochar (5 t ha -1 ) and vermicompost (5 t ha -1 ) was the best treatment that significantly (p < 0.05) reduced plant Cd concentration (72%) and increased the biomass of experimental crop, Red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus). This combined treatment also significantly reduced the uptake of Cr (37%) when co-contamination was present. The study suggests the application of biochar (5 t ha -1 ) in combination with vermicompost (5 t ha -1 ) to reduce human health risk and increase crop production when the soil is loamy sand in texture., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Iodine deficiency disorder is one of the major hidden hunger for poverty-stricken coastal rural areas of Bangladesh. Despite various programs, including universal salt iodization, IDD is significantly persistent due to poverty, inadequate knowledge, poor attitude, and practice of iodized salt consumption. The present study aimed to determine iodine concentration in salt at the household level as well as the magnitude of knowledge, attitude, and practice related to iodized salt utilization and iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs)., Material and Method: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out using multistage sampling among 400 households in four coastal districts in Bangladesh. A standard pretested questionnaire was used to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards iodized salt consumption. The iodine level was measured using the gold standard iodometric titration technique in the collected salt samples from the selected households., Result: The study results revealed that almost half of the participants had good knowledge regarding a balanced diet, whereas the positive attitude and practice of balanced diet consumption was relatively low (only 16.2% and 11.3%, respectively). The respondents' education profile and age were strongly correlated with knowledge and attitude; however, the practice was not significantly correlated with age and education. The concentration of iodine in salt at household levels was strongly associated with the practice of using iodized salt. Use of adequate iodized salt was 2.838 times (OR: 2.838, 95% CI: 1.7-4.735) and 3.884 times (OR: 3.884, 95%CI: 2.029-7.433) more likely to have a positive attitude and good practice towards iodized salt and IDDs respectively., Conclusion: Proper knowledge about iodized salt and IDDs should be introduced to all public education premises levels. Interventions and programs can be formulated to enhance knowledge, attitude, and practice at the household level so that the consumption of adequate iodized salt can be ensured to reduce iodine deficiency problems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Strip meniscometry (SM) is a relatively new technique for evaluating inferior tear meniscus. We described SM in an epidemiology study and its potential associations with clinical and tear parameters. This cross-sectional study involved 1050 factory garment workers in Gazipur, Bangladesh. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and a standard examination for dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), including the five-second SM, were performed by a single ophthalmologist. The participants' ages were 35.56 ± 12.12 years (range 18-59), with 53.8% women. The overall SM was 7.7 ± 3.6 mm, with skewness of 0.126 and kurtosis of 1.84 in frequency distribution. SM values were significantly lower in men than women, and significantly correlated with schirmers (r = 0.71) and tear break up time (TBUT) (r = 0.89). A lower SM value was associated with higher OSDI, lower Schirmer test, increased MG severity and lower TBUT. In multivariable analysis, when adjusted by age, SM values remained associated with schirmers and TBUT, and inversely associated with OSDI. In a separate regression model, higher SM was associated with increasing age, reduced severity of MGD grading, and increased TBUT. To conclude, SM is a rapid clinical test associated with dry eye symptoms and signs, with findings affected by both tear secretion and tear stability., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and the associated factors of severe dry eye symptoms (SDES) among garments worker of Gazipur, Bangladesh. We prospectively collected cross-sectional data for 1050 garments workers of a factory (70% response). All participants had an evaluation of the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), and a detailed ophthalmic examination including tear breakup time (TBUT), ocular surface fluorescein staining, and Schirmer's I test. MGD grading was based on the viscosity/color and ease of manual expression of meibum. Mean age of participants was 35.5 ± 12.1 years; 53.8% were women. The prevalence of dry eye (OSDI > 12) was 64.2% (95% CI 61.2-67.1%). OSDI was not significantly different between sex or age-groups but associated with increasing MGD grade ( p < 0.001), reduced TBUT (<5 s) [ p < 0.001], and reduced Schirmer's test (<5 mm) [ p < 0.001]. Thirty-five percent had SDES (OSDI > 32). Using univariate logistic regressions, SDES was associated with older age (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.01, 95% Confidence Interval [1.005-1.03] per year increase) and male sex (OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.36-2.27). When adjusted for age and sex, SDES were strongly associated with increase in MGD severity grading (OR 188, 95% CI: 91-390). However, in multivariate regression, TBUT, but not MGD severity, became the only significant determinant of SDES (OR 13.0, 95% CI: 6.3-27.0, for every 1 s decrease in TBUT). MGD is common in garments workers, contributing to dry eye symptoms in addition to other tear parameters. Reduced tear stability is associated with SDES.

The reconstruction of fine-scale information from sparse data measured at irregular locations is often needed in many diverse applications, including numerous instances of practical fluid dynamics observed in natural environments. This need is driven by tasks such as data assimilation or the recovery of fine-scale knowledge including models from limited data. Sparse reconstruction is inherently badly represented when formulated as a linear estimation problem. Therefore, the most successful linear estimation approaches are better represented by recovering the full state on an encoded low-dimensional basis that effectively spans the data. Commonly used low-dimensional spaces include those characterized by orthogonal Fourier and data-driven proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes. This article deals with the use of linear estimation methods when one encounters a non-orthogonal basis. As a representative thought example, we focus on linear estimation using a basis from shallow extreme learning machine (ELM) autoencoder networks that are easy to learn but non-orthogonal and which certainly do not parsimoniously represent the data, thus requiring numerous sensors for effective reconstruction. In this paper, we present an efficient and robust framework for sparse data-driven sensor placement and the consequent recovery of the higher-resolution field of basis vectors. The performance improvements are illustrated through examples of fluid flows with varying complexity and benchmarked against well-known POD-based sparse recovery methods.

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) and anaemia is a growing concern in developing countries. Using the cross-sectional Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 2011, 5763 mother⁻child pairs were examined. In households where the mother was overweight, 24.5% of children were stunted, 19.8% underweight, 9.3% wasted, and 51.7% anaemic. Significant regional differences were found in DBM and anaemia as well as drinking water source, while DBM alone was more common in more well-off households (based on wealth index) and where the father was employed in skilled or service occupations. More policy and awareness programmes are needed to address the coexistence of child undernutrition and maternal overweight/obesity and anaemia in the same household., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background: The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world and spends $40-$80 billion to house inmates per year. It is well-known that a significant correlation is present between substance use and crime, especially over recent years as opioid use disorder (OUD) has grown exponentially. To mitigate OUD, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has demonstrated effectiveness in numerous randomized and quasi-experimental studies. A potentially fruitful environment for MMT is correctional facilities, particularly short-term facilities, such as city and county jails. However, little is known about the economic implications of MMT within correctional facilities., Objective: The aim of the present study was to estimate the economic costs of jail-based MMT using data from a novel, established MMT program located within a large urban jail in New Mexico., Methods: Data were collected using administrative records and by interviewing program administrators using a modified version of the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP). Both sensitivity analysis and cost-structure analysis were conducted to gauge the robustness of the findings., Results: The average (per patient) weekly cost of MMT is $115 and the total treatment cost for an average treatment episode is $689. These costs are generally in-line with non-jail-based MMT programs of similar size. Weekly cost estimates range from $86 to $185 depending on the size of the treatment facility, with larger programs exhibiting lower per-patient costs., Conclusion: Results provide a valuable economic benchmark to policy makers, criminal justice officials, and program administrators considering establishing and/or expanding MMT in jail settings.

Repeated applications of Cd-rich phosphate fertilizers have resulted in elevated concentrations of this toxic element in some New Zealand soils. Exceedance of the food safety standard for Cd (0.1 mg kg fresh weight) has been reported for potato ( L.). Composts may efficiently sorb Cd in soil and therefore reduce its phytoavailability, leading to reduced uptake by plants. We aimed to determine the potential of various composts, shredded corn stover, and lime at two different rates to reduce the transfer of Cd from a soil (containing 1.45 mg kg Cd) to potato (var. 'Nadine'). In the control, the peeled tubers, skins, leaves, and stems had Cd concentrations of 0.04, 0.09, 0.26, and 0.53 mg kg dry weight, respectively. There was a 71% reduction in tuber Cd concentrations in potatoes grown in soil amended with 5% (w/w) shredded corn stover, although it significantly decreased potato biomass. Potatoes grown in soil amended with pig manure compost, mushroom compost, sawdust-animal waste compost, and municipal compost at rates of either 2.5 or 5% (w/w) reduced tuber Cd concentrations by 58 to 66%, 46 to 63%, 52 to 53%, and 29 to 49%, respectively. Lime (1.3%) application in soil reduced tuber Cd concentrations by 50%. Composts significantly increased tuber biomass. Further work is warranted to identify the key components of composts that result in reduced Cd uptake by plants., (Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.)

Background: Bangladesh is one among the few countries of the world that provides free medical services at the community level through various public health facilities. It is now evident that, clients' perceived quality of services and their expectations of service standards affect health service utilization to a great extent. The aim of the study was to develop and validate the measures for perception and satisfaction of primary health care quality in Bangladesh context and to identify their aspects on the utilization status of the Community Clinic services., Methods: This mixed method cross sectional survey was conducted from January to June 2012, in the catchment area of 12 community clinics. Since most of the outcome indicators focus mainly on women and children, women having children less than 2 years of age were randomly assigned and interviewed for the study purpose. Data were collected through FGD, Key informants interview and a pretested semi- structured questionnaire., Results: About 95 % of the respondents were Muslims and 5 % were Hindus. The average age of the respondents was 23.38 (SD 4.15) and almost all of them are home makers. The average monthly expenditure of their family was 95US $ (SD 32US$). At the beginning of the study, two psychometric research instruments; 24 items perceived quality of primary care services PQPCS scale (chronbach's α = .89) and 22 items community clinic service satisfaction CCSS scale (chronbach's α = .97), were constructed and validated. This study showed less educated, poor, landless mothers utilized the community clinic services more than their educated and wealthier counterpart. Women who lived in their own residence used the community clinic services more frequently than those who lived in a rental house. Perceptions concerning skill and competence of the health care provider and satisfaction indicating interpersonal communication and attitude of the care provider were important predictors for community clinic service utilization. Perception related to the quality of management, administration, physical environment of the service point and satisfaction addressing health promotion and women health issues played significant role on community clinic's services utilization., Conclusions: Besides parental education and income, client's perception and satisfaction played significant role in community clinic service utilization. Provider's perception of service quality should be studied. The study findings will enable policy-makers to improve quality of primary health care services, realizing providers' and patients' ideas of community clinic service quality.

Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential trace element that accumulates in agricultural soils through the application of Cd-rich phosphate fertiliser. Vegetables can accumulate Cd to concentrations that sometimes exceed food safety standards. We investigated the potential of low-cost soil amendments to reduce Cd uptake by spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.). Batch sorption experiments revealed the relative sorption of Cd by biosolids, charcoal, lignite, sawdust, two types of compost, bentonite and zeolite. Lignite and compost had the greatest ability to sorb Cd and were subsequently selected for pot trials, which elucidated their effect on Cd uptake by onions, spinach and lettuce in two market garden soils with native Cd concentrations of 1.45 mg/kg and 0.47 mg/kg. The addition of 2.5% (dry w/w) municipal compost reduced the Cd concentration in onions, spinach and lettuce by up to 60% in both soils. The addition of lignite gave variable results, which depended on the soil type and rate of addition. This Cd immobilisation was offset by soil acidification caused by the lignite. The results indicate that municipal compost is a low-cost soil conditioner that is effective in reducing plant Cd uptake., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Bangladesh ranks sixth among higher TB burden countries. Extra-pulmonary TB contributes 12% of all tuberculosis cases in 2008. Risk factors for EPTB in Bangladesh are hypothesized to be different from pulmonary tuberculosis as seen in other high-burden countries. A case control study was conducted to compare the sociodemographic, household condition and lifestyle characteristics between extra pulmonary and pulmonary tuberculosis. This case control study was conducted in thirteen sub districts of Pabna, Shirajgonj and Cox's Bazar districts from January to June 2013. The samples were classified as either extra pulmonary tuberculosis EPTB (cases) or pulmonary tuberculosis PTB (controls). A total of 490 participants including 245 extra pulmonary tuberculosis (cases) and 245 pulmonary tuberculosis (controls), who were being enrolled in DOTS treatment for last six months, were interviewed for epidemiological and clinical information using a standardized questionnaire. Children, adolescent and younger adults had four-time higher risk of being manifested with extra pulmonary tuberculosis [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.97; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.10 to 14.35] and (AOR 4.50; 95% CI 1.48 to 13.72). Respondents, who lived in their own houses showed three times more chance of getting extra pulmonary disease (AOR 3.11; 95% CI 1.15 to 8.39). Extra pulmonary tuberculosis was seven to eight times more likely to occur among those whose resided in bedrooms ventilated with one (p= .001) or more windows (p =.004) and having window shutter made of glasses or wood slit raised the probability of getting extra pulmonary involvement by twenty times. Households using grain husk and leaves as cooking fuel revealed seven times higher chance of being manifested as extra pulmonary tuberculosis (P <.001). Extra pulmonary cases were three times more common among respondents, who had no history of exposure with known tuberculosis cases than those who had frequent exposure history (AOR 3.01; 95% CI 1.24 to 7.34). Extra pulmonary tuberculosis was found 1.5 times more common among BCG vaccinated respondents than pulmonary tuberculosis (AOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.58). Younger age, house ownership, bedroom ventilation, fuel material used for cooking, contact history and BCG vaccination status might be the important risk factors for the extra pulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis relative to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Introduction: Consumption of fruits and vegetables helps to scavenge free radicals owing to the presence of antioxidant nutrients and secondary metabolites, especially polyphenolic compounds. This may lead to a reduction in the risk of diet-related chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to determine the antioxidant capacity (AC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of selected seasonal fruits of Bangladesh., Methods: Hydrophilic extracts from edible portions of fifteen fruits available in the summer season were analysed. Total phenol content was determined spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteau method while antioxidant capacity was determined by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA)., Results: TPC ranged from 0.6 +/- 0.01 to 0.01 +/- 0 mg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g of fresh weight (FW). Antioxidant capacity varied from 4.882 +/- 0 to 0.113 +/- 0.03 micromol Torolox equivalents (TE)/g of FW. Carissa carandas showed the highest AC (4.882 +/- 0 micromol TE/g), while the lowest (0.113 +/- 0.3 micromol TE/g) was seen in Baccaura ramiflora. A positive and significant correlation (R2 = 0.957) between antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of the analysed samples was identified. A significant and positive correlation (p < 0.05) between AC and TPC was found in Manikara zapota, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Litchi chinensis and Articarpus lakoocha., Conclusion: The data indicates that some indigenous seasonal fruits of Bangladesh contain high polyphenols that may serve as a potential source of dietary antioxidants.

Disease stages of HIV infection is one of the important predictor of Health related Quality of Life (HQoL) of the people living with HIV/AIDS. This cross sectional study was an attempt to compare the HQoL of HIV-infected patients across the three CDC stages of HIV-infection namely, asymptomatic, symptomatic, and AIDS-related conditions. A total of 82 patients, 28 in asymptomatic, 26 in symptomatic, and 28 in AIDS-related conditions, from three NGOs and one Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) were interviewed using interviewer administered semi structured questionnaire developed by adopting "World Health Organization Quality of Life HIV BREF (WHOQOL-HIV BREF) instrument". Analysis revealed that AIDS-related conditions and symptomatic patients were experiencing significantly poorer quality of life than asymptomatic patients in the domain of physical (F=7.006, p <0.005), level of independence) F=6.552, p<0.005(, overall perception of health related quality of life (F=3.634, p<0.05) and overall general health perception (F=7.842, p<0.001).

Childhood tuberculosis is one of the major causes of childhood mortality and morbidity though much neglected within our National Tuberculosis Control Program. This case control study was carried out to identify the risk factors for tuberculosis among children. Cases (n=95) and controls (n=94) were selected from Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) centers of four upazillas of Dhaka and Gazipur districts. Cases were childhood tuberculosis patient, who were test positive by sputum microscopy from January to May, 2011 and controls were children who visited DOTS laboratory suspecting tuberculosis infection but were sputum negative. Both cases and controls were selected from the sputum examination registers and were traced at home for exposure data. The study showed more girls were infected than boys. Several socio demographic and environmental factors were found to be associated with the development of childhood tuberculosis. Logistic regression model was constructed to find out the important predictors which revealed age, education of the respondents, indoor environment and contact pattern were significantly associated with childhood tuberculosis. Children more than 14 years of age had 6.25 times higher risk of developing childhood tuberculosis; (Odds ratio=6.25; 95% CI for OR=2.00 to 19.55), Children completed primary education had 3.12 times lower risk of developing childhood tuberculosis, (Odds ratio=.32; 95% CI for OR=.10 to 1.00). Those who resided in better in-house environment had 4.35 times lower risk of developing childhood tuberculosis (Odds ratio=.23; 95% CI for OR=.06 to .95) and children came in contact with source tuberculosis cases who were their relatives or neighbors were 5.26 times lower risk of developing childhood tuberculosis than being in contact with family members with TB (Odds ratio=.19; 95% CI for OR=.07 to .49). Contact Screening should be incorporated in National TB program for early detection and effective treatment of tuberculosis. Improvement of indoor environment and ventilation status of the bedroom might reduce the risk of developing childhood tuberculosis.

The present study focused on development of a sperm cryopreservation protocol for the critically endangered olive barb Puntiussarana (Hamilton, 1822) collected from two stocks within Bangladesh and reared in the Fisheries Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). The sperm were collected in Alsever's solution prepared at 296mOsmol kg(-1). Sperm were activated with distilled water (24mOsmol kg(-1)) to characterize motility. Maximum motility (90%) was observed within 15s after activation, and sperm remained motile for 35s. Sperm activation was evaluated in different osmolalities and motility was completely inhibited when osmolality of the extender was ≥287mOsmol kg(-1). To evaluate cryoprotectant toxicity, sperm were equilibrated with 5%, 10% and 15% each of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and methanol. Sperm motility was noticeably reduced within 10min, when sperm were equilibrated with 15% DMSO, indicating acute toxicity to spermatozoa and therefore this concentration was excluded in further trials. Sperm were cryopreserved using DMSO at concentrations of 5% and 10% and methanol at 5%, 10% and 15%. The one-step freezing protocol (from 5°C to -80°C at 10°C/min) was carried out in a computer-controlled freezer (FREEZE CONTROL® CL-3300; Australia) and 0.25-ml straws containing spermatozoa were stored in liquid nitrogen for 7-15days at -196°C. The highest motility in thawed sperm 61±8% (mean±SD) was obtained with 10% DMSO. The fertilization and hatching rates were 70% and 37% for cryopreserved sperm, and 72% and 62% for fresh sperm. The protocol reported here can be useful for hatchery-scale production of olive barb. The use of cryopreserved sperm can facilitate hatchery operations, and can provide for long-term conservation of genetic resources to contribute in the recovery of critically endangered fish such as the olive barb., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this open, randomized and comparative study, the safety and efficacy of systemic intermittent itraconazole and terbinafine was examined in 30 patients with onychomycosis. The patient with positive mycological culture and also the patients with positive microscopy and negative culture were investigated. Patients were randomly assigned: 15 patients in each group received either 200mg itraconazole or 250 mg terbinafine twice daily during the first week of a 4 weeks cycle. The treatment duration was 16 weeks and was followed-up for 36 weeks. Both the treatment regimen showed significant reduction in onychomycosis affected areas after 8 weeks and maximum reduction was observed at the end of 36 weeks. At the end point of the follow-up period, the clinical cure rates (no residual deformity or with some deformity) were 86.7% in the itraconazole group and 100% in the terbinafine group. The mycological cure rates were 86.7% and 100% respectively. However, no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups were seen in clinical, mycological (P= 0.864) and severity assessment (P= 0.220). Nausea, abdominal cramp, headache, back pain and flu like syndrome are the adverse effects more frequently reported. At least one adverse effect was reported by 17 patients, of them 12 belonged to itraconazole group and 5 to terbinafine group and the difference was statistically significant (P= 0.027). The overall therapeutic effectiveness, safety and cost affectivity were in favor of Terbinafine pulse therapy.