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Cities worldwide are experiencing rapid urbanization and an increasing population, creating a pressing need for smart infrastructure to enhance citizen services. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, faces similar technological and socio-economic challenges, making it crucial to transform it into a sustainable smart city. This research analyzes the opportunities and challenges of smart cities and Dhaka through SWOT and PESTEL analyses. The study employs a fuzzy rule-based inference system in a MATLAB simulation to calculate the smart city index based on parameters such as governance, transportation, waste management, utility management, healthcare, and industrial automation. The findings reveal that good governance has the highest impact on the smart city index, followed by transportation. The paper proposes a sustainable smart city transportation framework and management technique, outlining future research directions. The proposed framework is expected to impact socio-economic, technological, and environmental aspects positively.

Introduction: Medication noncompliance is a necessary but neglected factor for the negative cardiovascular outcome. Despite various studies on the issue, the factors behind noncompliance still need to be explored properly. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the magnitude and factors associated with noncompliance with antihypertensive Medication. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 200 hypertensive patients in Dhaka Medical College Hospital for six months. Patients were included by purposive sampling, aged 18-70 years, and the duration of diagnosis of at least three months. In addition, demographic data, hypertension diagnosis, antihypertensive drugs, factors related to noncompliance, knowledge of hypertension, perception, and family support were included in the questionnaire. Result: About 85% of the patients were non-compliant with treatment in their course of illness, and the main reason behind it was forgetfulness (48.2%). Other factors were inability to buy, side effects, busy schedule, intentionally, bored, and traveling. The highest prescribed drug was beta blockers (41%). Eighty percent of the patients knew that uncontrolled hypertension could lead to stroke, and 54% knew it could lead to heart disease. The majority (87.5%) of the participant went for follow-up only when they felt hypertensive. Regarding perception, 63% of patients felt hypertension is not a curable disease. Furthermore, though all patients were asked for follow-up by their physician, 94% missed their follow-up. Conclusion: Despite the availability of various types of effective antihypertensive drugs, many patients experience difficulty controlling hypertension due to noncompliance. Patient and family member education efficiently prevented many factors behind the disobedience. However, further studies with large sample sizes in multiple centers could explain this more precisely. TAJ 2022; 35: No-2: 103-110

Background: Acute poisoning is a common medical emergency in the pediatric unit. It is a common preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Most of the poisoning in children less than five years of age is accidental. This study aimed to determine the associated factors and clinical profile of childhood poisoning. Material & Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 69 children aged six months to 12 years with a history of poisoning over six months. History, clinical examination, and details of the poisoning were obtained by using a structured questionnaire during admission. Analysis was done through standard statistical tests. Result: Among the 69 children of poisoning, 92.8% were accidental, and 7.2% were suicidal. Most cases (79.7%) were from the 6 - 59 months age group with male-female ratio 1.7:1. Most of the fathers (65.2%) and mothers (75.4%) had primary education, and 75.4% were poor. The most common cause of the poisoning was insecticide (60.9%), and the poison was stored at an available site (91.3%) in an unsealed container (47.8%). Accidental poisoning was more common in younger age group (10 years) in females (80%) patient with h/o familial disharmony (60%). Conclusion: Insecticides and kerosene were the common cause of poisoning. Most of the materials were stored in an unsafe place and stored in an attractive bottle. Poison should be stored in a safe home with a sealed container. Simple and active family preventive measures can reduce accidental poisoning. TAJ 2022; 35: No-2: 75-82

1. Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that involves multiple organ systems. Lipid profile is a panel of blood test that serves as an initial broad medical screening tool for abnormalities in lipid such as cholesterol and triacylglycerol. The result of this test can identify certain genetic diseases and can determine approximate risk for cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and certain form of pancreatitis and other diseases. Premature cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity in lupus which may be directly associated with altered lipid metabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus patient. Objective: To find out the relation of serum lipid profile with systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from January 2017 to December 2017. In this study, fifty diagnosed patients of SLE (Group A) and fifty apparently healthy individuals (Group B) of both sexes were selected according to the selection criteria from Department of Medicine, Dhaka medical college hospital, Dhaka (Group A) and by personal contact (Group B). Baseline parameters (body mass index, blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose) of both groups were measured. Serum lipid profile was estimated by enzyme immune assay, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and high density cholesterol (HDL-c) was estimated by enzymatic method. Results: Among the parameters of lipid profile serum TC, TG and LDL-C were significantly higher (p

This study evaluated the effect of different experimental diets on the growth of Penaeus monodon cultured at different salinities. We used four diets in this experiment, such as diet-1 (F1), diet-2 (F2), diet-3 (F3) and diet-4 (F4). All the diets were fed to P. monodon juveniles cultured at salinities of 5 ppt (S5), 10 ppt (S10), 15 ppt (S15), and 20 ppt (S20) for a 45-day tank trial. In this study, the feed’s fishmeal protein was replaced with concentrated protein as an alternative approach to aquaculture sustainability. There was no interaction effect and no main effects of feed and salinity on the growth of P. monodon. Feed and salinity had an interaction effect, and salinity had a main effect on the survival of P. monodon. Overall, survival was higher in the tanks with higher salinity, such as 15 ppt and 20 ppt. There was also a higher survival at salinity 10 ppt where shrimps were fed with F1 (83.33±3.33%) and F2 (86.67±8.82%). Estimated marginal survival also indicated that survival tends to be raised with increased salinity. There was an environmental fluctuation during this study. Hence, this data might not indicate the general features of growth and survival of P. monodon.

The emergence of a new strain during a pandemic, like the present COVID-19, is a serious concern to the healthcare system. The most effective strategy to control this pandemic is vaccination. Many studies suggest that vaccine efficacy against the new strain may reduce. Additionally, the new strain’s late arrival has a significant impact on the disease dynamics and vaccine coverage. Focusing on these issues, this study presents a two-strain epidemic model along with two vaccination provisions based on human behavior dynamics, in which the new strain appears with a time delay. Individuals can commit vaccination before and after being infected with strain 1 and both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals can be infected with strain 2. Our findings suggested that delaying the second strain increases the overall vaccination coverage and reduces the peak size of the infected individuals.

This study examines the perceived quality of public aquaculture extension services in a selected sub-district of Bangladesh. The SERVPERF scale data were collected from 230 randomly selected fish farmers who resided in the 15 villages under the selected sub-district. The research findings suggest that the aquaculture extension service performs satisfactorily in assurance, responsiveness and tangible dimensions and is relatively low in reliability and empathy. The logistic regression findings confirm that among the dimensions of the SERVPERF, reliability, assurance and empathy can significantly influence the client’s overall satisfaction with the aquaculture extension service. The factor analytic results show that among the 20 statements of SERVPERF, nine statements grouped into three factors can be a viable tool for measuring the quality of aquaculture extension service. This study recommends individualistic client care, the development of extension skills and the intention of the extension agents to provide need-based prompt service and to arrange extension programs considering the client’s convenience.

Background: Urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra which can either be congenital or acquired. In most cases, it is an acquired disorder. Congenital stricture is less common and even less commonly found in paediatric population. Case presentation: A 4-Month-old baby attended outpatient department with complaint of high fever and excessive crying that was more pronounced before and during urination along with whitish discharge mixed with urine. Urine R/M/E detected plenty pus cell. Left ureter appears grossly dilated, tortuous in USG. Constriction is noted in the distal part of urethra with proximal dilatation with bilateral vesico-ureteric reflux. Conclusion: As, no other cause i.e., iatrogenic, traumatic, inflammatory, post-infectious, was found out, there remain only one possibility for this baby having urethral stricture which is idiopathic or congenital cause. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 22 No. 01 January’23 Page : 239-241

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect. As CHD accounts for the most frequent cause of lethal malformation among infants, CHD is also considered a major problem affecting public health worldwide. Objective: To assess pattern of congenital heart diseases and associated risk factors among under-14 children admitted in a selected hospital. Methods: It was cross sectional analytical study conducted among purposively selected 111 children admitted in Children Hospital for treatment. Face to face interview was conducted to collect data. The cases were included in the study when the diagnosis of CHD was established by medical records and echocardiography. Results: About 91% and 9% children came from 10000 IU/d), anti-pyretics and NSAIDs during pregnancy. About 40% mothers consumed contaminated tap water and 29% mothers were exposed to radiation. Ventricular septal defect (40.5%) and atrial septal defect (36.9%) were prominent. Patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary stenosis were 8.1% and 5.4%. Statistical significant association was found between ventricular septal defect and birth weight, gestational age and monthly family income. As like VSD, atrial septal defect showed statistical significant association with birth weight, monthly family income, maternal age and rubella infection 6 months prior to conception or 1st trimester. Conclusion: Ventricular septal defect (40.5%) and atrial septal defect (36.9%) were common among children. Maternal nutrition during pregnancy should be emphasized due to prevent low birth weight and pre-term baby.

The cell phone can provide numerous benefits to sea fishers who risk their lives and resources for making livelihoods. This article is based on the firm assumption that the use of the cell phone during marine fishing can contribute to income, security and risk reduction. This study adds to the empirical evidence of determinants of cell phone use by fishers during marine fishing. For the purpose of reaching objectives, the study has drawn quantitative data generated through structured face-to-face interviews with 200 randomly selected fishers from three selected villages adjacent to the Bay of Bengal in the mid coastal area of Bangladesh during the period January to February 2016. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and binary logistic regression model is used to analyze the data. The study concludes that fishers own cell phone (odds ratio[OR]=6.56, 95 per cent confidence interval [CI]: 1.69,25.44), enjoying the availability of cell phone network (OR=166.20, 95 per cent CI:38.35, 720.28), earned low (OR=20.35, 95 per cent CI:4.24, 97.28) to medium income (OR=9.53, 95 per cent CI:0.99, 91.12) form sea fishing have a greater tendency to use cell phones, while fishers had low information need (OR=0.11, 95 per cent CI:0.01, 1.13) represented lower use of cell phone during marine fishing. Thus, it is essential to build cell phone infrastructure bases in the potential fishing zones of Bangladesh and supplying cell phone devices at subsidised cost.

Background: Oral health care in pregnancy is often neglected by women and is also not appropriately addressed by prenatal and other health care providers and justify appropriate attention. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to describe percentage of oral disease occurrence and underlying causes in this sample of pregnant women. Methods: The study included 147 women aged between 15 to 49 years receiving prenatal care at the outdoor department of Azimpur Maternal and Child Health Training Institute in Dhaka, Bangladesh were invited to participate in this study from January 2013 to April 2013. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Clinical exam data were recorded using validated scales in a special form. Results: Majority (72%) of the women were between 20 to 24 years. 57% had secondary school education. 88% of the women were unemployed and 52% women had very low family income of BOT s;10000. More than 90% of the women had good oral hygiene practices. However, 68% liked to have sugary snacks or drinks in between main meals, 7% visited their dentists during pregnancy , only 3% received advice for routine oral health screening from their prenatal care providers and only 4% women started their antenatal check-up during first trimester. All these negative influences might expose expecting mothers to high level of dental caries (54%), dental erosion (52%), gingivitis (100%) and periodontitis (27%). This study also showed that majority of the women acquired oral health information through watching television (61%) or reading newspaper (12%) while only 4% received information from doctors/dent ists throughout their lifetime. Conclusion: The undertaken research highlighted the importance of using media in modifying Bangladeshi pregnant woman's behaviours toward oral health. It also emphasizes the need for inclusion of oral health preventive programme as part of pre and postnatal care. Further study in this area on a large scale will facilitate formulation of appropriate oral health policy to achieve satisfactory oral and general health outcomes during pregnancy and ensure optimum oral health conditions of their offspring. JOPSOM 2020; 39(1): 50-59

Objectives: This study probed the current status of e-health services use and associated factors that promote or hinder the people to get involved with e-health services. Methods: The quantitative data were collected using a structured interview schedule considering 381 randomly selected respondents covering rural and urban areas of Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, and Barishal district during February–April 2019. Only the adult (more than 18 years age) male, female, and transgender people living in the study area were included in the sample of the study. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression were used to analyze data. Results: Factors that significantly increased the likelihood of using e-health services included age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.08), males (OR = 3.75, 95% CI: 1.70–8.26), knowledge in e-health (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02–1.38), and skill in using cell phone (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02–1.21). On the contrary, factor that negatively influenced the use of e-health services was residence in the rural area (OR = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.08–0.53). Although, this research is one of the few regional researches in e-health service use, the study has limited geographical coverage, failed to explore causality of factors, and did not address factors mediating the relationship of criterion and predictor variables. Conclusion: Regional e-health service providers in developing countries need to focus more on minimizing e-health service divide based on gender and place of residence. In addition, they should also emphasize digital literacy, particularly e-health knowledge and skill in device use. The findings of this study may provide an applied guideline to enhance the use of e-health services among regional communities in developing countries.

Engineers have been using the material balance equation (MBE) for almost the last five decades to estimate cumulative production. However, it still is an effective tool to estimate the original hydrocarbon (oil and gas) available in the reservoir. The conventional material balance method has been successfully applying for the regular structure of a typical reservoir. In this method, all formation properties are assumed constant. However, it is very important to take care of the alteration of rock and fluid properties concerning space and time during the production history of the reservoir. Therefore, there is an immense need to understand how rocks and fluid properties change with space and time. In this paper, a thorough review and critical analysis of MBE are presented so that researchers can find a solution to why and how the incorporation of continuous alteration phenomena is needed to be considered during the development of new and dynamic MBE. Besides, the need for incorporation of all unconventional properties is detailed in this review research This review will help the new researcher to get a guideline for starting further research on the material balance equation. This study makes a crucial scope for carrying research to make a way out for the nonlinear behavior of the reservoir. This article also shows how different unconventional properties of the reservoir have been overlooked in many researches works. Finally, a guideline is provided to overcome the previous challenges in estimating hydrocarbon reserve, and workflow is presented to develop a new dynamic MBE.

Research question: What is the perceived use of accounting information and current practices of accounting in micro enterprises? Motivation: Business decisions are more accurate and focused if they are made based on reliable information, for instance, accounting information. However, the use of accounting information in decision-making varies among the business entities, which is even poor in micro enterprises in developing countries. Idea: This study aims to examine perceived use of accounting information in decision-making and current practices of accounting in micro enterprises of Bangladesh. Data: The data include the characteristics of owner and business, perception on accounting systems, the use of accounting information (ACI) in decision-making and the current accounting practices collected from 148 respondents. Tools: The data are analyzed using standard descriptive statistical tools and multivariate regression. Findings: We find that the perception regarding the use of ACI in decision-making is low. Furthermore, the existing practices of accounting in surveyed entities are very low. The key practices, in terms of weighted mean, are cash reconciliation and practices of budgeting. Furthermore, the number of employees in the enterprises has a positive significant relationship with the perception regarding the use of ACI in decision-making. Besides, enterprises practicing accounting have higher performance. In addition, the size, and the nature of business have statistically significant positive effects on turnover. Contribution: This study may help stakeholders in understanding the role of accounting in business decision-making and its impacts on financial performance of the micro enterprises in developing countries.

Human–robot interaction has extended its application horizon to simplify how human beings interact with each other through a remotely controlled telepresence robot. The fast growth of communication technologies such as 4G and 5G has elevated the potential to establish stable audio–video-data transmission. However, human–robot physical interactions are still challenging regarding maneuverability, controllability, stability, drive layout, and autonomy. Hence, this paper presents a systematic design and control approach based on the customer’s needs and expectations of telepresence mobile robots for social interactions. A system model and controller design are developed using the Lagrangian method and linear quadratic regulator, respectively, for different scenarios such as flat surface, inclined surface, and yaw (steering). The robot system is capable of traveling uphill (30\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{\circ }$$\end{document}∘) and has a variable height (600–1200 mm). The robot is advantageous in developing countries to fill the skill gaps as well as for sharing knowledge and expertise using a virtual and mobile physical presence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12369-020-00676-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Proper patient selection for most appropriate treatment option for hepatic hydatid is crucial to ensure successful treatment outcome. Chemotherapy, newer approaches, like PAIR procedure, (puncture, aspiration, injection and reaspiration) laparoscopy are available. As the indications for these approaches are restricted, surgery remains the key treatment strategy with hope for complete cure. Radical surgical excision coupled with chemotherapy and long-term aggressive chemotherapy for partially resected ensures lowest morbidity and mortality. Methods: This cross sectional observational study of 15-year single-institution experience, intended to further validate different surgical procedures in management of hydatid disease of liver and its outcome. Patients were randomly selected irrespective of their age, sex and mode of presentation. Different preferred surgical treatment modalities, perioperative complications, recurrences, and length of hospital stay were retrospectively analyzed. Result: The study was carried out on 79 Bangladeshi patients diagnosed hepatic hydatidosis, treated surgically from January 2002 to December 2017 in BIRDEM General Hospital. Among them was no anastomotic leakage or mortality in the immediate postoperative period in our series. Conclusion: This study revealed, proper case selection and consideration of risks-benefits, indicationscontraindications for each case of Hydatid cyst of liver, for making a decision for type and timing of surgery is key to successful outcome. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment strategy. Radical surgery is key to effective and successful outcome, ensures better quality of life and prevents recurrence of the disease. Journal of Surgical Sciences (2018) Vol. 22 (2) : 118-124

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) enzymes play a crucial role in azathioprine metabolism. Mutations in the enzyme initiate generation of excess thioguanine, which causes suppression of various cell lineages. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of TPMT mutation in Bangladeshi patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) requiring azathioprine therapy and its relation to the development of myelosuppression. 250 patients with SLE were enrolled, then monitored for myelosuppression adverse events for 4 months. TPMT*3C (rs1142345), TPMT*3B (rs1800460), and TPMT*2 (rs1800462) polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. The risk of myelosuppression (i.e., leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia) was estimated as the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p values. Of the 250 patients, 17 (6.8%) were heterozygous for the TPMT*3 mutation and 233 (93.2%) were homozygous for the wild type; no patients carried a homozygous mutation. Grade III/IV leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia occurred in 12.0%, 12.0%, and 27.9% of wild-type TPMT patients respectively; corresponding rates in heterozygous TPMT*3C patients were 70.6%, 64.7%, and 5.9%. Patients with Grade III/IV azathioprine-induced leukopenia were significantly more likely to have the heterozygous TPMT*3C genotype than the wild-type variant (OR 17.6; 95% CI 5.8–53.6; p

During a pandemic event like the present COVID-19, self-quarantine, mask-wearing, hygiene maintenance, isolation, forced quarantine, and social distancing are the most effective nonpharmaceutical measures to control the epidemic when the vaccination and proper treatments are absent. In this study, we proposed an epidemiological model based on the SEIR dynamics along with the two interventions defined as self-quarantine and forced quarantine by human behavior dynamics. We consider a disease spreading through a population where some people can choose the self-quarantine option of paying some costs and be safer than the remaining ones. The remaining ones act normally and send to forced quarantine by the government if they get infected and symptomatic. The government pays the forced quarantine costs for individuals, and the government has a budget limit to treat the infected ones. Each intervention derived from the so-called behavior model has a dynamical equation that accounts for a proper balance between the costs for each case, the total budget, and the risk of infection. We show that the infection peak cannot be reduced if the authority does not enforce a proactive (quantified by a higher sensitivity parameter) intervention. While comparing the impact of both self- and forced quarantine provisions, our results demonstrate that the latter is more influential to reduce the disease prevalence and the social efficiency deficit (a gap between social optimum payoff and equilibrium payoff).

Vestibular migraine (VM) is a leading cause of episodic vertigo, affecting up to 1% of the general population. Despite established diagnostic criteria, there is currently no evidence-based approach for acute treatment of VM, with treatment recommendations generally extrapolated from studies on classical migraine headache. Several small-scale studies have identified flunarizine as a potentially effective prophylactic medication in VM. We conducted a single-centre observational service evaluation study exploring patient experiences of preventative medications over a 28-month period, including flunarizine, for control of VM symptoms. To compare patient experience of flunarizine with other medications, data from patients taking flunarizine were separately analysed. A total of 90% of VM patients taking flunarizine reported symptomatic improvement, compared to only 32% of patients on other medications. Whilst 50% of patients on flunarizine reported side effects. these were not deemed to outweigh the clinical benefits, with most patients deciding to continue treatment. Our data supports the use of flunarizine in VM.

Ramie leaf (Boehmeria nivea L.) has been traditionally used to treat gynecological and bone-related disorders. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Ramie leaf extracts (RLE) against osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Female SD rats aged seven weeks were randomly assigned into five OVX and a sham-operated (sham) group. OVX subgroups include OVX, vehicle-treated OVX group; E2, OVX with 100 μg/kg 17β-estradiol; and RLE 0.25, 0.5, and 1, OVX rats treated with 0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg/day RLE, respectively. Two weeks into the bilateral ovariectomy, all the rats were orally administered with or without RLE daily for 12 weeks. OVX rats administered with RLE showed higher bone density, relatively low tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive osteoclasts, and lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) within bone tissues compared to vehicle-treated OVX rats. Furthermore, supplementation of RLE improved bone mineral density (BMD) and bone microstructure in the total femur. RLE prevented RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and expression of osteoclastogenesis-related genes such as Cal-R, MMP-9, cathepsin K, and TRAP in RANKL-induced RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, RLE administration lowered the intracellular ROS levels by reducing NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX-1) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE). These results suggest that RLE alleviates bone mass loss in the OVX rats by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, where reduced ROS and its associated signalings were involved.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide range of negative consequences for higher education students. We explored the generalizability of the control-value theory of achievement emotions for e-learning, focusing on their antecedents. We involved 17019 higher education students from 13 countries, who completed an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic. A structural equation model revealed that proximal antecedents (e- learning self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy) mediated the relation between environmental antecedents (cognitive and motivational quality of the task) and positive and negative achievement emotions, with some exceptions. The model was invariant across country, area of study, and gender. The rates of achievement emotions varied according to these same factors. Beyond their theoretical relevance, these findings could be the basis for policy recommendations to support stakeholders in coping with the challenges of e-learning and the current and future sequelae of the pandemic. Ostali avtorji: Roxana Balbontín-Alvarado, Denilson da Silva Bezerra, Roberto Burro, Maria Cheraghi, Beata Dobrowolska, Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe, MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris, Thais França, Belinka González-Fernández, Rob Hall, Fany Inasius, Sujita Kumar Kar, Damijana Keržič, Kornélia Lazányi, Florin Lazăr, Juan D. Machin-Mastromatteo, João Marôco, Bertil P. Marques, Oliva Mejía-Rodríguez, Silvia Mariela Méndez Prado, Alpana Mishra, Cristina Mollica, Silvana G. Navarro Jiménez, Alka Obadić, Md Mamun-ur-Rashid, Dejan Ravšelj, Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić, Nina Tomaževič, Chinaza Uleanya, Lan Umek, Giada Vicentini, Özlem Yorulmaz, Ana- Maria Zamfir, Aleksander Aristovnik. Št. članka: 101629. Bibliografija: str. 8-10. Abstract. Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije (ARRS), P5-0093 Odlični v znanosti 2022 (ARRS)

Objective To study clinical outcome and risk factors associated with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) in community-onset bloodstream infections (CO-BSI). Methods This was a population-based cohort study including patients with pheno- and genotype-matched ESBL-producing E. coli and non-ESBL- E. coli in urine and blood samples collected in 2009–2018 in southeast Sweden. Seventy-seven episodes of ESBL-UPEC satisfying the inclusion criteria were matched 1:1 with 77 non-ESBL-UPEC for age, gender, and year of culture. Results The most common ST-type and ESBL gene was ST131 (55%), and blaCTX-M-15 (47%), respectively. Risk factors for ESBL-UPEC were: previous genitourinary invasive procedure (RR 4.66; p = 0.005) or history of ESBL-producing E. coli (RR 12.14; p = 0.024). There was significant difference between ESBL-UPEC and non-ESBL-UPEC regarding time to microbiologically appropriate antibiotic therapy (27:15 h vs. 02:14 h; p = 0.999) or sepsis within 36 hours (51% vs. 62%; p = 0.623) was observed. Conclusion The predominant risk factors for ESBL-UPEC were history of ESBL-Ec infection and history of genitourinary invasive procedure. The overall mortality was low and the delay in appropriate antibiotic therapy did not increase the risk for 30-day mortality or risk for sepsis within 36 hours among patients infected with ESBL UPEC. However, these results must be regarded with some degree of caution due to the small sample size.

Despite the growing knowledge and commitment to climate change, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continue to rise dramatically throughout the planet. In recent years, the consequences of climate change have become more catastrophic and have attracted widespread attention globally. CO2 emissions from the energy industry have lately been highlighted as one of the world's most pressing concerns for all countries. This paper examines the relationships between CO2 emissions, electrical energy consumption, and gross domestic product (GDP) in Bangladesh from 1972 to 2019 in the first section. In this purpose, we applied the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) approach. The findings indicate that CO2 emissions, electrical energy consumption, and GDP have a statistically significant long-term cointegrating relationship. Developing an accurate CO2 emissions forecasting model is crucial for tackling it safely. This leads to the second step, which involves formulating the multivariate time series CO2 emissions forecasting challenges considering its influential factors. Based on multivariate time series prediction, four deep learning algorithms are analyzed in this work, those are convolution neural network (CNN), CNN long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM), long short-term memory (LSTM), and dense neural network (DNN). The root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are used to analyze and compare the performances of the predictive models. The prediction errors in MAPE of the CNN, CNN-LSTM, LSTM, and DNN are 15.043, 5.065, 5.377, and 3.678, respectively. After evaluating those deep learning models, a multivariate polynomial regression has also been employed to forecast CO2 emissions. It seems to have nearly similar accuracy as the LSTM model, having a MAPE of 5.541. 2022 The Authors The publication of this article was funded by Qatar National Library . Scopus

Which of the two climate change adaptation strategies – adjusting or improving farming (defined as Stepping Up) versus reducing or exiting farming (defined as Stepping Out) – provides better developmental outcomes for smallholder farmers? Are the drivers of these two strategies different? Do the outcomes and drivers vary according to farmland holding size? We investigated these unanswered questions, inspired primarily by a widespread but unverified suggestion that stepping out of farming can be a better option for smallholders. We utilised recent survey data from over eight hundred smallholder households located in climatic hazard-prone areas in Bangladesh. We applied a holistic Driver-Strategy-Outcome analytical framework and rigorous statistical methods, including index-based data aggregation, and Structural Equation Modelling with ‘mediation’ and ‘moderation’ analyses. Contrary to widespread speculations, we found that Stepping Out had a large negative effect on smallholders’ livelihood Outcomes; while Stepping Up had a moderate, but positive effect. The natural-environmental Drivers of Stepping Up and Stepping Out were similar; however, the psychological-institutional Drivers of each differed, with the same factor acting as a driver for one strategy whilst as a deterrent for the other. We found significant ‘mediatory’ effects of both the adaptation Strategies on Outcomes as well as significant ‘moderation’ effects of farmland holding size on the Drivers and Outcomes, with the positive effect of Stepping Up observed for smallholders owing lands of

Understanding health in daily life can vary from person to person. The concept of health arises from the perspective of an individual's experience. People face several kinds of barriers while seeking healthcare services, where rickshaw pullers are one of the most vulnerable groups to meet their basic health needs. This study aimed to investigate Bangladeshi rural rickshaw pullers' perception regarding health and what obstacles they face while seeking healthcare services.This study followed a qualitative approach conducted in-depth interviews involving 20 rickshaw pullers in rural Bangladesh from 4th to 15th December 2020. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The verbatim transcription was performed, and the thematic analysis was done through manual coding and NVivo version 12.According to the study's findings, participants' perception regarding health were mainly based on physical, nutritional, and social points of view. The financial hardship to convey medical costs, long waiting time in receiving healthcare services, social class inequality, low trustworthiness on diagnostic services, and mastery of broker in the hospital setting were acknowledged as prevailing barriers to seeking healthcare services.Several health perceptions existed among the rural rickshaw pullers. They faced different kinds of barriers while seeking healthcare services, and those obstacles made them hopeless and worried about getting quality healthcare services. Concerned authorities, including government and private organizations, should take effective strategies to ensure that healthcare services are available, reliable, and affordable.

Background Several coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have already been authorized and distributed in different countries all over the world, including Bangladesh. Understanding public acceptance of such a novel vaccine is vital, but little is known about the topic. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the determinants of intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to pay (WTP) among people in Bangladesh. Methods An anonymous and online-based survey of Bangladeshi people (mean age = 29.96 ± 9.15 years; age range = 18–60 years) was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire consisting of socio-demographics, COVID-19 experience, and vaccination-related information as well as the health belief model (HBM). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intent and WTP. Results Of the 894 participants, 38.5% reported a definite intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 27% had a probable intention, and among this intent group, 42.8% wanted to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Older age, feeling optimistic about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, believing that vaccination decreases worries and risk of COVID-19 infection, and being less concerned about side effects and safety of COVID-19 vaccination under the HBM construct were found to be significant factors in COVID-19 vaccination intention. Most of the participants (72.9%) were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) amount of BDT 400/US$ 4.72 (IQR; BDT 200–600/US$ 2.36–7.07) per dose. Factors associated with higher WTP were younger age, being male, having higher education, residing in an urban area, having good self-rated health status, positivity towards COVID-19 vaccination's effectiveness, and being worried about the likelihood of getting infected with COVID-19. Participants who were COVID-19 vaccination intent preferred an imported vaccine over a domestically-made vaccine (22.9% vs. 14.8%), while 28.2% preferred a routine immunization schedule. Conclusion The findings indicate a considerable proportion of Bangladeshi people intended to get vaccinated and had WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. However, urgent education and awareness programs are warranted to alleviate public skepticism regarding the COVID-19 vaccination.

With the aim of evaluating the effect of Government Youth Development Training on the KSA of the incumbents, this research used structured interview schedule and accomplished face-to-face interview of 142 randomly selected trainees from four purposefully selected Youth Training Centers. A strong positive significant change of KSA occurred due to the training and major change happened in knowledge followed by skill and attitude. The regression analysis shows that the traits of the trainers, location of the training center, and regularity in class attendance had significant relationship with knowledge change of the incumbents, while the traits of the trainers, experience of other trainings, and location of the training centers were significant determinants of skill change. Continuous improvement of trainer’s traits as well as inclusion of more practical field works in training sessions, and frequent evaluation of each training program based on KSA( Knowledge Skill & Attitude) is crucial to improve the effect of government youth development training in the study area.

Classification of samples into one or more populations is one of the main objectives of gene expression data (GED) analysis. Many machine learning algorithms were employed in several studies to perform this task. However, these studies did not consider the outliers problem. GEDs are often contaminated by outliers due to several steps involve in the data generating process from hybridization of DNA samples to image analysis. Most of the algorithms produce higher false positives and lower accuracies in presence of outliers, particularly for lower number of replicates in the biological conditions. Therefore, in this paper, a comprehensive study has been carried out among five popular machine learning algorithms (SVM, RF, Naïve Bayes, k-NN and LDA) using both simulated and real gene expression datasets, in absence and presence of outliers. Three different rates of outliers (5%, 10% and 50%) and six performance indices (TPR, FPR, TNR, FNR, FDR and AUC) were considered to investigate the performance of five machine learning algorithms. Both simulated and real GED analysis results revealed that SVM produced comparatively better performance than the other four algorithms (RF, Naïve Bayes, k-NN and LDA) for both small-and-large sample sizes. J. bio-sci. 28: 69-80, 2020

With the rapid development of high-throughput DNA microarray technologies, researchers can measure expression profiles of thousands of genes simultaneously with low costs. These massive amounts of gene expression (GE) data often contain missing values or outliers due to various reasons of data generating process. Most of the statistical methods were developed based on complete dataset. As a result, for subsequent analysis using incomplete dataset, these methods strongly suffer and we cannot find our target. A numerous methods have been developed to impute missing values and they are available in the literature. Albeit, missing values imputation and outliers handling both are equally important for analyzing GE, most of the methods perform these tasks separately and produce misleading results. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt is made to develop a new hybrid approach which is robust against outliers and missing values, simultaneously. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method in a comparison of popular missing value imputation method K-NN while performing feature selection using both simulated and real GE datasets. The Results obtain from simulated as well as real data studies show that the proposed method outperforms K-NN in presence of different percentages of missing values and outliers. On the other hand, in absence of outliers with missing values, the proposed method keeps equal performance with the other methods. J. bio-sci. 27: 31-41, 2019

This research endeavours the usefulness of cell phones for crop farmers in selected region of Bangladesh. For adequate findings and to achieve its purpose, structured interview schedule was adopted to collect data from 281 randomly selected farmers and it was revealed that a little over 60% of them found cell phones very useful, while only 5.3% respondents found the cell phone as less useful. Based on average talk time hours spend in the last six months, top three sources of agricultural information were friends and relatives, distributors and middlemen, and farmers in advanced categories. The results of the ordered logit model showed that their usefulness was significantly determined by age, farm size, per month call charges, and experience in using cell phones. Higher call rates, lack of awareness and paucity of mobile-based information sources were major bottlenecks in using cell phones for agricultural information. The recommendations suggested therein lead to connecting farmers with reliable and rich information sources, use of MMS and SMS, voice call activities, providing subsidized SIM cards, and ultimately undertake widespread campaigns for training of aged farmers to persuade their interest towards the use of cell phones and mobile-based information sources.

In this research work, the well-known Homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is used to find the approximate solutions of the nonlinear Liénard differential equation (LDE) using different types of boundary conditions. In order to find the accuracy of the approximate solution, one term, two terms and three terms HPM approximations are considered. This idea is actually based on the idea of Taylor’s series polynomials. It is found that solution converges to the actual solution with the increase of the terms in the guess solution. Moreover, in each of the new HPM solution, previously obtained solutions are added to it in order to find the exactness of HPM solutions. However, the nature of the solution seems to be complicated. In addition, comparisons are made with the previously published results and a good agreement is observed. GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 39 (2019) 87-100

This paper represents an economical accident prevention embedded system based on obstacle detection IR (infra-red) sensor, which will detect the lane indicator lines on the road. Receiving signals from these sensors, a microcontroller performs various functions like monitoring, motivation and control to prevent accidents due to overtaking and wrong lane driving. An RF (radio frequency) transmitter and receiver is applied to communicate with adjacent vehicles in a relevant range, which will help a driver to take decision in case of emergency overtake. A new model is also proposed by removing the use of external RF transmitter control, located at public zone (school, hospital) and when the vehicle receiver enter into the transmitter coverage area, controls the speed of vehicle. In lieu of this model our proposed model ensures that, the vehicle can recognize itself in a public zone and control its speed automatically by detecting two horizontal lines at a specific distance on the road effectively.

There have been numerous studies about the health implication of COVID-19 on patients, but little attention has been paid to the impacts of the pandemic on physicians. Our paper attends to this gap by exploring the mental health of physicians in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly important since the mental health of physicians impacts not only on themselves, but also their professional performance and hence the care of patients. This study examined physicians' mental health outcomes by evaluating the prevalence and associated potential risk factors of anxiety and depression. Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 114 physicians. Seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and Nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to measure the anxiety and depression, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the potential risk factors related to anxiety and depression. The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 32.5 and 34.2%, respectively. Findings revealed that marital status, work per day and current job location were the main risk factors for anxiety while sex, age, and marital status were the main risk factors for depression. Our results highlight the need to implement policies and strategies for positively impacting the mental health of physicians during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study investigated the current practice of learning, teaching and assessment in science, particularly in classrooms at primary level in a division of Bangladesh. In addition, this study also focused on the role of DPEd program in the development of the professional preparation of teachers' for improving their quality of science teaching. For the purpose of this study, a mixed method research design which used both quantitative and qualitative method to gather and analyse data. A random stratified sampling process was used to select 150 primary science teachers and 60 students in grade 5 (10 + years) students for collecting quantitative data while a purposeful sampling process was used for qualitative inquiry. Qualitative data was obtained through analysis of the national documents and the interviews of Head teachers of primary schools, Assistant Upazila (Sub-district) Education Officers and Instructors of Primary Training Institutes (PTI) and Upazila Resource Centers. Quantitative data was analysed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was transcribed and labelled into emerging themes. A triangulation technique was used to establish the findings of this study. The findings of this study revealed that the present practice of learning and teaching science is mostly teacher centred with little active pupil participation, limited opportunity for hands on activity and discussion. The major barriers for teachers' to teach science effectively were large class sizes, insufficient materials, lack of teacher's knowledge and skills, absence of assessment for learning strategies, inadequate opportunities for professional development and poor quality of support from the stakeholders. The current DPEd program has consist of limited focus on hands of activities, insufficient learning assessment capacity of the PTI instructors, and a lack of teacher monitoring in placement schools during training. The basic recommendation suggested by this research is to enhance the use of an inquiry oriented science learning and teaching approach with associated assessment for learning strategies for ensuring the quality of science learning and teaching. For preparing a better quality teacher, ensuring subject based training and to review the current teacher training program is further suggested. The result of this study can be used for future development of science learning and teaching practice at elementary level in Bangladesh and similar other developing countries., Current practice; Learning and teaching; Primary level; Professional preparation; Quality; Triangulation; Teacher-centered; Pupil participation; Inquiry oriented; Scientific literacy.

Aim This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19 among youth in Bangladesh. Subject and methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 5 May to 25 May 2020. People aged between 18 and 35 years were approached via social media to complete an online questionnaire that consisted of socio-demographic information and KAP toward COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Out of 707 survey participants, 57.1% were male, the majority were students (60.3%), aged 24-29 years (61.5%), having a bachelor’s degree (57%), having family income 25,000-50,000 BDT (40.5%) and living in urban areas (64.4%). Participants gathered information on COVID-19 mostly through social media (70.4%). Overall, 61.2% had adequate knowledge with 78.9% having a positive attitudes toward COVID-19 and only 51.6% had good practices. Most (86.8%) of the participants were confident that COVID-19 will be successfully controlled and Bangladesh was handling the COVID-19 health crisis well (84.20%). Only 75.2% of participants always washed their hands with soap or hand-sanitizer, and 70.6% wore a mask when going outside the home. Factors associated with adequate knowledge were being female, having a master’s degree and above, and living in an urban area (p < 0.05). Participants having adequate knowledge of COVID-19 had higher likelihood of positive attitudes (OR: 6.41, 95% CI = 2.34–25.56, p = 0.000) and good practices (OR: 8.93, 95% CI = 3.92–38.42, p = 0.000). Conclusion The findings highlight the need for tailored education programs for COVID-19 which incorporates consideration of associated factors to improve the level of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically shaped higher education and seen the distinct rise of e-learning as a compulsory element of the modern educational landscape. Accordingly, this study highlights the factors which have influenced how students perceive their academic performance during this emergency changeover to e-learning. The empirical analysis is performed on a sample of 10,092 higher education students from 10 countries across 4 continents during the pandemic’s first wave through an online survey. A structural equation model revealed the quality of e-learning was mainly derived from service quality, the teacher’s active role in the process of online education, and the overall system quality, while the students’ digital competencies and online interactions with their colleagues and teachers were considered to be slightly less important factors. The impact of e-learning quality on the students’ performance was strongly mediated by their satisfaction with e-learning. In general, the model gave quite consistent results across countries, gender, study fields, and levels of study. The findings provide a basis for policy recommendations to support decision-makers incorporate e-learning issues in the current and any new similar circumstances. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The wellbeing of disadvantaged children in low-income countries (LIC) is often compromised by a range of environmental risk factors, as well as by limited access to supports and services. The aim of this exploratory study was to understand service provision barriers for children's wellbeing in an urban informal settlement in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by complementing stakeholder perspectives with a spatial method and a knowledge exchange framework. The research literature and official records informed interviews with 19 stakeholders, who identified interdisciplinary services. Visual geospatial analysis mapped services in relation to child wellbeing. These maps informed a knowledge exchange participatory workshop with 21 stakeholders, who co-produced recommendations related to child-centeredness and safety, community involvement, and accessible resources. Such a participatory approach combining stakeholder perspectives with geospatial analysis can be a useful tool in low-resource contexts.

The present study aimed to explore perceptions and barriers regarding telemedicine services among Bangladeshi young adults. This qualitative study was performed through telephonic interviews where 20 young adults (cases) were taken for in-depth interviews, using a purposive sampling technique from July 1 to July 20, 2020. The verbatim transcriptions was used, and the thematic analysis was performed through manual coding. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of participants perceived telemedicine as it is a system through which we are able to get healthcare services by using the internet, mobile application, or just a phone call from health care providers. Participants had positive attitudes toward telemedicine. Low trustworthiness, difficulties in getting access to emergency diagnostic services, significant anxieties on the use of telemedicine complexity and observability, shortage of network and power supply, as well as financial complexities were acknowledged as significant barriers in terms of receiving telemedicine services during the COVID-19 outbreak. Concerned authorities, including governmental and private organizations, should take effective measures to make telemedicine services available, reliable, and affordable for all across the country.

In the current energy perspective, home energy management (HEM) is an essential requirement for residential consumers due to excessive energy utilization by the household appliances. This paper proposes an improved energy and cost minimization scheme for residential consumers to shape peak load and utility tariffs. An efficient power management algorithm (PMA) has been developed with renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESS). The PMA is executed using C++ software. The benefits of the RESs and ESS with the proposed PMA techniques are analyzed using three different scenarios. Extensive case studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed energy and cost minimization scheme. It is demonstrated that the proposed method may save energy and costs up to 34% and 45% compared to the existing methods.

Background Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death globally. Countries vary in their rates, and changes have occurred over time. Nowadays, developing countries pose new public health challenges. Objectives The objective of the present study was to appraise the alterations in the levels of serum Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn that occur in patients with ischemic heart disease and to depict the correlations of the effects of these changes that lead to the pathogenesis of IHD. Methods Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn in the IHD patients were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results This study evaluated 52 patients with IHD, and 61 healthy volunteers served as controls. The primary outcomes of interest were explored regarding the correlations of the serum levels of these trace elements in patients with IHD. The secondary outcomes were explored in terms of inter-element relations to connect them with the pathogenesis of IHD. Our study found significantly reduced levels of Zn and Cu (2.50 ± 0.19 mg/L and 2.52 ± 0.17 mg/L, respectively) and an elevated level of Fe (148.97 ± 17.25 mg/L) in the patient group with IHD. The level of Mn (7.32 ± 1.23 mg/L) was elevated in the sera of the patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) compared to healthy control subjects. Conclusion Our results indicate strong associations of the pathogenesis of IHD with depleted serum levels of Zn and Cu and elevated Fe and Mn levels, which may provide a prognostic tool for the treatment of this concerning the disease., Cardiology; Biochemistry; Molecular biology; Pathophysiology; Public health; Pharmacology; Clinical research; Ischemic heart disease, Case-control study, Trace elements, Pearson's correlation, Bangladesh.

Aim: This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among young adults in Bangladesh. Subject and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 5th May to 25th May 2020. Young adults aged between 18-35 years were approached via social media to complete an online questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic characteristics and KAP towards COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple logistic regression were conducted.Results: Of the 707 survey participants, the majority were male (57.1%), with a mean age of 25.03 (SD: 4.26) years, 60.3% were students, 57% had a bachelor's degree, and 64.4% were urban residents. Participants gather information on COVID-19 mostly through Social media (70.4%). Overall, 61.2% had adequate knowledge with 78.9% having a positive attitude towards COVID-19 and only 51.6% had good practices. Most (86.8%) of the participants were confident that COVID-19 will be successfully controlled and Bangladesh was handling the COVID-19 health crisis well (84.20%). Only 75.2% of participants always washed hands with soap or hand-sanitizer and 70.6% wore a mask when going outside the home in recent days. Factors associated with adequate knowledge were being female, having a master's degree and above, and living in an urban area (𝑝 < 0.05). Participants having adequate knowledge of COVID-19 had higher likelihood of positive attitudes (OR: 6.41, 95% CI = 2.34-25.56, 𝑝 = 0.000) and good practices (OR: 8.93, 95% CI = 3.92-38.42, 𝑝 = 0.000).Conclusion: Introducing effective COVID-19 Health campaigns incorporating factors to influence KAP is urgently needed.

Several efforts have been taken to promote clean energy towards a sustainable and green economy. Existing sources of electricity present some complications concerning consumers, utility owners, and the environment. Utility operators encourage household applicants to employ residential energy management (REM) systems. Renewable energy sources (RESs), energy storage systems (ESS), and optimal energy allocation strategies are used to resolve these difficulties. In this paper, the development of a cluster-based energy management scheme for residential consumers of a smart grid community is proposed to reduce energy use and monetary cost. Normally, residential consumers deal with household appliances with various operating time slots depending on consumer preferences. A simulator is designed and developed using C++ software to resolve the residential consumer&rsquo, s REM problem. The benefits of the RESs, ESS, and optimal energy allocation techniques are analyzed by taking in account three different scenarios. Extensive case studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed cluster-based energy management scheme. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can save energy and costs up to 45% and 56% compared to the existing methods.

Aim This study aimed at exploring the perception and experiences with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi urban young adults. Subject and methods Using a mixed-method approach, an online cross-sectional survey among 315 participants and in-depth interviews (IDI) among 20 young adults were conducted from May 1 to May 25, 2020. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed for quantitative data, along with the thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 26.54 (± 3.05), and the majority were male (54.9%). About 81.6% of the participants reported COVID-19 as a viral disease, transmitted through droplets of sneezing and coughing, and close contact with another person (90.8%). Nearly 40% of participants reported news channels as a reliable source of information for COVID-19. Participants who were male were less likely to be aware than females in terms of mode of transmission of COVID-19 such as going outside of the home (82.7% male vs 90.8% female; p

Background To determine whether work ability and well-being predict return to work (RTW) among women with long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain at 1-year follow-up, and to assess the ability of the Work Ability Index (WAI) and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-11) to discriminate between those who did RTW and those who did not RTW (NRTW). Methods A survey was sent to 600 women receiving sick leave (SL) benefits from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. In total, 208 women responded at baseline, and 141 at a 1-year follow-up. To identify whether work ability and well-being predicted RTW, multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with and without adjustment for type of work and pain intensity. To assess the discriminative ability of the WAI and LiSat-11 for women who did RTW and those who did NRTW, receiver operating characteristic curves were fitted. Results Work ability predicted RTW, and the results remained significant after adjusting for type of work and pain intensity (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22). Well-being was not significant. The WAI at baseline adequately discriminated between RTW and NRTW after one year (AUC 0.78, 95% CI: 0.70–0.86), but the LiSat-11 did not. Conclusions Our results indicate that work ability is an important factor for RTW among women on SL for long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain. The findings also indicate that the WAI, but not the LiSat-11, is able to discriminate between RTW and NRTW in the population under study. The WAI may be used to identify women at risk of NRTW.

Global aquaculture makes an important contribution to food security directly (by increasing food availability and accessibility) and indirectly (as a driver of economic development). In order to enable sustainable expansion of aquaculture, we need to understand aquaculture’s contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and how it can be mitigated. This study quantifies the global GHG emissions from aquaculture (excluding the farming of aquatic plants), with a focus on using modern, commercial feed formulations for the main species groups and geographic regions. Here we show that global aquaculture accounted for approximately 0.49% of anthropogenic GHG emissions in 2017, which is similar in magnitude to the emissions from sheep production. The modest emissions reflect the low emissions intensity of aquaculture, compared to terrestrial livestock (in particular cattle, sheep and goats), which is due largely to the absence of enteric CH4 in aquaculture, combined with the high fertility and low feed conversion ratios of finfish and shellfish.

In this research work, Homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is applied to find the approximate solution of the Van der Pol Differential equation (VDPDE), which is a well-known nonlinear ODE. Firstly, the approximate solution of Van Der Pol equation is developed using Dirichlet boundary conditions. Then a comparison between the present results and previously published results is presented and a good agreement is observed. Finally, HPM method is applied to find the approximate solution of VDPDE with Robin and Neumann boundary conditions.