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Abstract Background Bangladesh is rapidly urbanizing and approximately half of its urban population resides in deprived slums with limited access to basic needs. However, there is a dearth of information on vulnerability levels among slum dwellers. We aimed to assess the level of vulnerability within and between slums via various socioeconomic and health indicators. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 810 randomly selected households was conducted in two purposively selected slums, Korail and Shyampur, in Dhaka from November to December 2021. Data was collected on various indicators, including demographics, education, employment, access to utility, and healthcare services. Principal component factor analysis was employed to identify the key indicators to construct the socioeconomic and health vulnerability index for the urban slums of Bangladesh (SEHVI-BD). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett’s test, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient test were used to assess indicators’ suitability. The selected indicators were used to generate an index on a scale of 100, with a higher index value indicating a higher level of vulnerability. The estimated scores were used to categorize the vulnerability status into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe vulnerability. The Mann-Whitney-U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied between the generated index and other socioeconomic variables to validate the relationship. Results A total of 27 socioeconomic and health indicators were identified that explained 60% of the variance. The indicators were then grouped into six domains on the basis of their relevance. The prevalence of severe vulnerability in the Korail slum was approximately 9% and moderate vulnerability was 30% whereas these values were approximately 58% and 37%, respectively, in the Shyampur slum. The difference in the vulnerability level between the two slums was also evident across the domains. Households in the poorest wealth quintile, with lower education levels of household heads, and having irregular income experienced higher levels of vulnerability. Conclusions The SEHVI-BD offers a critical tool for policymakers to identify and address vulnerabilities, facilitating more targeted public health interventions in urban Bangladesh and similar low-income settings. This study further emphasizes the importance of integrating comprehensive vulnerability assessments into public health policies to reduce inequalities and improve well-being, especially for the urban marginalized slum population.

BackgroundUpazila Health Complexes (UzHC) serve as the backbone of primary healthcare (PHC) at the sub-district level in Bangladesh, delivering comprehensive healthcare services including both inpatient and outpatient services to the grassroots levels. However, not all the prescribed medicines and diagnostics services are always available at these facilities for outpatient care. This results in out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) to the patients for getting prescribed medicines and diagnostics services which has not been properly explored. Thus, we aimed to estimate the overall provider and user costs for outpatient care services at selected UzHCs in Bangladesh.MethodsAn ingredient-based costing approach was applied to estimate the costs for the most commonly reported illnesses at outpatient of UzHCs from a societal perspective. We conducted a health facility survey at four purposively selected UzHCs to estimate provider costs and a patient exit survey among 452 patients of selected illnesses to estimate the user costs. Commonly reported illnesses were identified in consultation with healthcare providers of these facilities. The difference between costs of prescribed and provided medicines at UzHCs was estimated using the market prices. Data was collected between February to March 2021.ResultsThe societal costs of the common outpatient illness or symptoms varied significantly, ranging from BDT 642 to BDT 1,384 per episode. Antenatal care had the highest cost burden at BDT 1,384, followed by respiratory illness at BDT 783 and urinary tract infection at BDT 670. On average, the provider spent BDT 289 for treating an outpatient, while a patient incurred BDT 446 as OOPE. Further, a patient was expected to spend an average of BDT 341 for purchasing medicines not provided from UzHCs.ConclusionOur study found significant gaps between prescribed and provided medicines at UzHCs, leading to higher OOPE for patients. The current healthcare resource allocation strategy does not consider the outpatient load and healthcare demand at PHC facilities, which further exacerbates this gap. Addressing this gap requires a fundamental shift towards a demand-driven resource allocation model within the healthcare financing strategy to improve healthcare access and achieve health for all.

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented challenges to health systems globally. This study explored slum dwellers’ experience of receiving essential health services during the pandemic and the challenges faced by healthcare providers in urban areas of Bangladesh.Design The study followed a cross-sectional study design using qualitative methods.Setting The study was conducted in Dhaka and Gazipur City Corporations during November 2020–February 2021.Participants 17 key informant interviews were carried out with healthcare providers and policy-makers and 22 in-depth interviews were carried out with slum dwellers. Thematic analysis was performed.Results The study identified challenges to the provision of essential healthcare in selected areas of Dhaka and Gazipur City Corporations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of information on the availability of functional healthcare facilities, fear of contracting COVID-19 and restrictions on movement and transportation, resulted in delays in seeking essential healthcare during a pandemic. Access to healthcare facilities was further hindered by various hospitals’ decision to refuse care to general patients without valid, negative COVID-19 test results. Healthcare providers identified patients’ tendency to hide COVID-19 symptoms as a barrier to providing healthcare services to general patients. Conversely, patients concealed their symptoms to avoid COVID-19 tests and gain access to required treatment. In addition, the reallocation of human resources for COVID-19 treatment disrupted the delivery of essential health services.Conclusion The pandemic affected the accessibility of the slum population to essential healthcare and disrupted health service delivery. The findings of the study have highlighted gaps in the health system during an emergency response period like COVID-19. The study will assist the government and other stakeholders in designing tailored interventions and allocating resources in a more efficient manner to ensure universal health coverage in the face of health emergencies.

BackgroundSince 2016, the government of Bangladesh has been piloting a health protection scheme known as Shasthyo Surokhsha Karmasuchi (SSK), which specifically targets households living below the poverty line. This noncontributory scheme provides enrolled households access to inpatient health care services for 78 disease groups. Understanding patients’ experiences with health care utilization from the pilot SSK scheme is important for enhancing the quality of health care service delivery during the national-level scale-up of the scheme. ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction with the health care services provided under the pilot health protection scheme in Bangladesh. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with the users of the SSK scheme from August to November 2019. Patients who had spent a minimum of 2 nights at health care facilities were selected for face-to-face exit interviews. During these interviews, we collected information on patients’ socioeconomic characteristics, care-seeking experiences, and level of satisfaction with various aspects of health care service delivery. To measure satisfaction, we employed a 5-point Likert scale (very satisfied, 5; satisfied, 4; neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 3; dissatisfied, 2; very dissatisfied, 1). Descriptive statistics, statistical inferential tests (t-test and 1-way ANOVA), and linear regression analyses were performed. ResultsWe found that 55.1% (241/438) of users were either very satisfied or satisfied with the health care services of the SSK scheme. The most satisfactory indicators were related to privacy maintained during diagnostic tests (mean 3.91, SD 0.64), physicians’ behaviors (mean 3.86, SD 0.77), services provided at the registration booth (mean 3.86, SD 0.62), confidentiality maintained regarding diseases (mean 3.78, SD 0.72), and nurses’ behaviors (mean 3.60, SD 0.83). Poor satisfaction was identified in the interaction of patients with providers about illness-related information (mean 2.14, SD 1.40), availability of drinking water (mean 1.46, SD 0.76), cleanliness of toilets (mean 2.85, SD 1.04), and cleanliness of the waiting room (mean 2.92, SD 1.09). Patient satisfaction significantly decreased by 0.20 points for registration times of 16-30 minutes and by 0.32 points for registration times of >30 minutes compared with registration times of ≤15 minutes. Similarly, patient satisfaction significantly decreased with an increase in the waiting time to obtain services. However, the satisfaction of users significantly increased if they received a complete course of medicines and all prescribed diagnostic services. ConclusionsMore than half of the users were satisfied with the services provided under the SSK scheme. However, there is scope for improving user satisfaction. To improve the satisfaction level, the SSK scheme implementation authorities should pay attention to reducing the registration time and waiting time to obtain services and improving the availability of drugs and prescribed diagnostic services. The authorities should also ensure the supply of drinking water and enhance the cleanliness of the facility.

Mobile phones are widely used for personal communication, but their use for agricultural purposes is scarce in the Eastern Gangetic Plain. Given Bangladesh's heavy reliance on rice production, particularly dry season, the study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating farmers' perceptions and examining the factors that influence mobile phone usage and its impact on Boro rice production. The research entailed questionnaire surveys with 150 farmers from highly Boro-intensive regions. A perception index was used to gauge mobile phone acceptance, and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and logit models were employed to analyze the factors affecting mobile phone usage and their influence on production levels. The perception index highlights various benefits, including easy access to farming and market information, prompt responses from extension officers, utilization of mobile apps for disease detection, and participation in online training and seminars. The logit model underscores the significance of educational status, credit access, household income, and extension services on the informative use of mobile phones among Boro rice farmers. The OLS findings showed that the informative use of mobile phones significantly increases Boro rice production by 1.6–4.5%, indicating that farmers with better access to farming information achieve higher production than non-users. Factors such as selling price, rainfall, credit availability, cultivable land, and farming experience significantly influenced Boro rice production. Overall, the study is rooted in the growing significance of mobile technology for disseminating crucial agricultural information. It seeks to thoroughly investigate its potential impact on Boro rice production, contributing to well-informed policy interventions and promoting sustainable agricultural development in the Eastern Gangetic Plain.

BackgroundA health care system is intertwined with multiple stakeholders, including government institutions, pharmaceutical companies, patients, hospitals and clinics, health care professionals, health researchers and scientific medical experts, patients and consumer organizations, and media organizations. Physicians and journalists are the key actors who play a significant role in making health care services and health information accessible to the people of a country. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the tensions and alliances between physicians and journalists in Bangladesh, along with identifying strategies that could potentially improve the often contentious relationship and quality of medical journalism. MethodsWe conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey using the snowball sampling technique from September 2021 to March 2022. Adult Bangladeshi citizens belonging to the two selected professional groups (physicians and journalists), who understood the survey content, and agreed to participate in the survey were considered eligible for inclusion in the study. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses, including the Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test, were performed to determine the differences between groups concerning selected perception-related variables, and the associations of perceptions about lack of trust in each other’s knowledge, skills, and professional integrity with background characteristics. ResultsA total of 419 participants completed the survey, including 219 physicians and 200 journalists. Among physicians, 53.4% (117/219) reported lower trust toward journalists’ professional domain and expertise, whereas 43.5% (87/200) of journalists had lower trust toward physicians’ professional domain and expertise. In terms of perception about not having respect for each other, the median value for the physicians was 5 (strongly agree), whereas it was only 3 (agree) for the journalists. We also found that male physicians (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.45, compared with female physicians) and medical officers (AOR 0.30, compared with specialists) had significantly higher odds of lacking trust in journalists’ knowledge, skills, and professional integrity. When rating the statement “Regular professional interaction between journalists and doctors may improve the relationship between the professional groups,” most physicians (186/219, 84.9%) chose “neither agree nor disagree,” whereas most journalists (106/200, 53.0%) stated that they “slightly agree.” ConclusionsBoth physicians and journalists in Bangladesh have negative perceptions of each other’s professions. However, physicians have a more negative perception of journalists than journalists have of the physicians. Strategies such as a legal framework to identify medical-legal issues in reporting, constructive discussion, professional interaction, and capacity-building training programs may significantly improve the relationship between physicians and journalists.

We have studied dispersion of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in the Kretschmann geometry (prism/Ag/dye-doped polymer) in weak, intermediate, and ultra-strong exciton–plasmon coupling regimes. The dispersion curves obtained in the reflection experiment were in good agreement with the simple model predictions at small concentrations of dye (Rhodamine 590, Rh590) in the polymer (Poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA). At the same time, highly unusual multi-segment “staircase-like” dispersion curves were observed at extra-large dye concentrations, also in agreement with the simple theoretical model predicting large, small, and negative group velocities featured by different polariton branches. In a separate experiment, we measured angular dependent emission of Rh590 dye and obtained the dispersion curves consisting of two branches, one nearly resembling the SPP dispersion found in reflection and the second one almost horizontal. The results of our study pave the road to unparalleled fundamental science and future applications of weak and strong light—matter interactions.

BackgroundBangladesh National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme (NTP) has deployed improved diagnostic technologies which may drive up the programme costs. We aimed to estimate the supply-side costs associated with the delivery of the NTP and the funding gap between the cost of implementation and available funding for the Bangladesh NTP.MethodsAn ingredient-based costing approach was applied using WHO's OneHealth Tool software. We considered 2016, as the base year and projected cost estimates up to 2022 using information on NTP planned activities. Data were collected through consultative meetings with experts and officials/managers, review of documents and databases, and visits to five purposively selected TB healthcare facilities. The estimated costs were compared with the funds allocated to the NTP between 2018 and 2022 to estimate the funding gap.FindingsThe estimated total cost of NTP was US$ 49.22 million in 2016, which would increase to US$ 146.93 million in 2022. Human resources (41.1%) and medicines and investigations/ supplies (38.0%) were the major two cost components. Unit costs were highest for treating extensively drug-resistant TB at US$ 7,422.4 in 2016. Between 2018-2022, NTP would incur US$ 536.8 million, which is US$ 235.18 million higher than the current allocation for NTP.ConclusionOur results indicated a funding gap associated with the NTP in each of the years between 2018-2022. Policy planners should advocate for additional funding to ensure smooth delivery of TB services in the upcoming years. The cost estimates of TB services can also be used for planning and budgeting for delivering TB services in similar country contexts.

Objectives To examine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with tobacco smoking in the Gambia.Design A nationwide cross-sectional study.Setting The Gambia.Participants The study participants were both women and men aged between 15 and 49 years old. We included 16,066 men and women in our final analysis.Data analysis We analysed data from the Gambia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 2019–2020. DHS collected nationally stratified data from local government areas and rural–urban areas. The outcome variable was the prevalence of tobacco smoking. Descriptive analysis, prevalence and logistic regression methods were used to analyse data to identify the potential determinants of tobacco smoking.Results The response rate was 93%. The prevalence of current tobacco smoking was 9.92% in the Gambia in 2019–2020, of which, 81% of the consumers smoked tobacco daily. Men (19.3%) smoked tobacco much higher than women (0.65%) (p

The first COVID-19 case in Bangladesh was detected on March 8, 2020. Since then, efforts are being made across the country to raise awareness among the population for preventing the spread of this virus. We aimed to examine the urban slum dwellers' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards COVID-19 transmission-prevention. A phone-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in five slums of Dhaka City. Total 476 adult slum dwellers were interviewed between October 31 to December 1, 2020 using a pre-tested questionnaire. During an interview, information was collected on participants' demographic characteristics and KAP items towards COVID-19. We used quartiles for categorization of knowledge and practice score where the first quartile represents poor, the second and third quartiles represent average while the fourth quartile represents good. Attitude score was standardized using z-score and identified as positive and negative attitude. Multiple linear regression models were used separately to identify the socioeconomic predictors of the KAP scores. The results showed that 25% of the respondents had good knowledge and 25% had poor knowledge, 48% had a positive attitude and 52% had a negative attitude, and 21% maintained good practice and 33% maintained poor practice towards COVID-19 transmission-prevention. About 75% respondents relied on television for COVID-19 related information. Regression results showed that knowledge and attitude scores were significantly higher if respondents had primary or secondary and above level of education compared to the uneducated group. Female respondents maintained significantly good practice compared to their male counterparts (β = 6.841; p

Introduction Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In 2015, over 1.13 billion individuals worldwide had hypertension. Globally, it results in 10.8 million deaths every year. Around half of the individuals do not continue treatment with medicine to control blood pressure. Physical activity, a non-pharmacological option of treatment, reduces blood pressure. We aim in this research to examine the effect of leisure-time physical activity in controlling blood pressure.Methods and analysis We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to conduct this study. We will perform a systematic search in Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Physical Education Index (ProQuest) and CENTRAL (the Cochrane Library). Both experimental and observational studies will be included. The study population would be people with hypertension. Two reviewers will perform screening of the articles, bias assessment and data extraction independently. We will use the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools to assess the risk of bias. We will conduct a meta-analysis if it is applicable.Ethics and dissemination The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant scientific seminars and conferences. Ethical approval is not applicable.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021260751.

BackgroundThe world has been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, a dire public health crisis, since December 2019. Preventive and control measures have been adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To date, the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 across Bangladesh have been poorly understood. Therefore, it is important to assess people’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward the disease and suggest appropriate strategies to combat COVID-19 effectively. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the KAP of Bangladeshi people toward COVID-19 and to identify their determinants. MethodsWe conducted a country-wide cross-sectional telephonic survey from May 7 to 29, 2020. A purposive sampling method was applied, and adult Bangladeshi citizens who have mobile phones were approached to participate in the survey. Interviews were conducted based on verbal consent. Multiple logistic regression analyses and several tests were performed to identify the factors associated with KAP related to COVID-19. ResultsA total of 492 of 576 Bangladeshi adults aged 18 years and above completed the interview, with a response rate of 85.4% (492/576). Of the 492 participants, 321 (65.2%) were male, and 304 (61.8%) lived in a rural area. Mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 10.56 (SD 2.86), 1.24 (SD 0.83), and 3.17 (SD 1.5), respectively. Among the 492 respondents, 273 (55.5%) had poor knowledge, and 251 (49%) expressed a negative attitude; 192 out of 359 respondents (53.5%) had poor practices toward COVID-19. Mean scores of knowledge, attitudes, and practices differed significantly across various demographic and socioeconomic groups. Rural residents had lower mean scores of knowledge (mean 9.8, SD 3.1, P

BACKGROUND: Women in Myanmar are not considered decision makers in the community and the physical and psychological effect of violence makes them more vulnerable. There is a strong negative reaction, usually violent, to any economic activity generated by women among poorer and middle-class families in Myanmar because a woman's income is not considered necessary for basic survival. OBJECTIVE: Explore the relationship between domestic violence on the decision-making power of married women in Myanmar. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: National, both urban and rural areas of Myanmar. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 were used in this analysis. In that survey, married women aged between 15 to 49 years were selected for interview using a multistage cluster sampling technique. The dependent variables were domestic violence and the decision-making power of women. Independent variables were age of the respondents, educational level, place of residence, employment status, number of children younger than 5 years of age and wealth index. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Domestic violence and decision-making power of women. SAMPLE SIZE: 7870 currently married women. RESULTS: About 50% respondents were 35 to 49 years of age and the mean (SD) age was 35 (8.4) years. Women's place of residence and employment status had a significant impact on decision-making power whereas age group and decision-making power of women had a relationship with domestic violence. CONCLUSION: Giving women decision making power will be indispensable for the achievement of sustainable development goals. Government and other stakeholders should emphasize this to eliminate violence against women. LIMITATIONS: Use of secondary data analysis of cross-sectional study design and cross-sectional studies are not suitable design to assess this causality. Secondly the self-reported data on violence may be subject to recall bias. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Twenty vegetable amaranth genotypes were evaluated for total antioxidant capacity, antioxidant leaf pigments, vitamins, and selection of suitable genotypes for extraction of juice in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Vegetable amaranth was rich in chlorophyll, β-cyanins, β-xanthins, betalains, carotene, ascorbic acid and total antioxidant. The genotypes VA14, VA16, VA18, VA15, and VA20 could be selected as amaranth vegtable varieties with high yields and abundance antioxidant leaf pigments and vitamins to produce juice. The genotypes VA13 and VA19 had above-average foliage yield and high antioxidant profiles while the genotypes VA2, VA3, VA9, VA11, VA12, and VA17 had a high antioxidant profiles and below-average foliage yield. These genotypes could be used as a donor parent for integration of potential high antioxidant profiles genes into other genotypes. The correlation study revealed a strong positive association among all the antioxidant leaf pigments, total antioxidant capacity and foliage yield. Selection based on total antioxidant capacity, antioxidant leaf pigments could economically viable to improve the yield potential of vegetable amaranth genotypes. Total carotene and ascorbic acid exhibited insignificant genotypic correlation with all the traits except total antioxidant capacity. This indicates that selection for antioxidant vitamins might be possible without compromising yield loss.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the City of New York, United States, are particularly vulnerable to frequent extreme weather events, including storm surges, high-intensity rainfall, and sea level rise, and are also affected by the cascade of these events. The complex structural configuration of WWTPs requires very fine-scale flood risk assessment, which current research has not pursued. We propose a robust technique to quantify the risk of inundations for the fourteen WWPTs through an automated sub-basin creation tool; 889 sub-basins were generated and merged with high-resolution building footprint data to create a comprehensive database for flood inundation analysis. The inundation depths and extents for the WWTPs and flood-prone regions were identified from hydrodynamic modeling of storm surge and sea level rise. The economic damage due to flooding for the WWTPs was also quantified using the HAZUS-MH model. Results indicated that the storm surges from various categories of hurricanes have the dominant impacts on flood depths around WWTPs, followed by high-intensity rainfall. Sea level rise was shown to have a relatively minor impact on flood depths. Results from economic damage analysis showed that the WWTPs are subjected to damage ranging from USD 60,000 to 720,000, depending on the size of the WWTP and the extremity of storm surge. The method of analyzing the inundation status of the research object through the sub-basin enables more accurate data to be obtained when calculating the runoff. It allows for a clearer view of the inundation status of the WWTPs when combined with the actual buildings. Using this database, predicting flood conditions of any extreme event or a cascade of extreme events can be conducted quickly and accurately.

Subsurface temperature is a critical indicator for the identification of the risk associated with subsurface fire hazards in landfills. Most operational landfills in the United States (US) have experienced exothermic reactions in their subsurface. The subsurface landfill area is composed of various gases generated from chemical reactions inside the landfills. Federal laws in the US mandate the monitoring of gases in landfills to prevent hazardous events such as landfill fire breakouts. There are insufficient investigations conducted to identify the causes of landfill fire hazards. The objective of this research is to develop a methodological approach to this issue. In this study, the relationship was investigated between the subsurface elevated temperature (SET) and soil gases (i.e., methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and oxygen) with the greatest influence in landfills. The significance level of the effect of soil gases on the SET was assessed using a decision tree approach. A naïve Bayes technique for conditional probability was implemented to investigate how different gas combinations can affect different temperature ranges with respect to the safe and unsafe states of these gases. The results indicate that methane and carbon dioxide gases are strongly associated with SETs. Among sixteen possible gas combinations, three were identified as the most probable predictors of SETs. A three-step risk assessment framework is proposed to identify the risk of landfill fire incidents. The key findings of this research could be beneficial to landfill authorities and better ensure the safety of the community health and environment.

Subsurface fires and smoldering events at landfills can present serious health hazards and threats to the environment. These fires are much more costly and difficult to extinguish than open fires at the landfill surface. The initiation of a subsurface fire may go unnoticed for a long period of time and undetected fires may spread over a large area. Unfortunately, not all landfill operators keep or publish heat elevation data and many landfills are not equipped with a landfill gas extraction system to control subsurface temperatures generated from the chemical reactions within. The timely and cost-effective identification of subsurface fires is an important and pressing issue. In this work, we describe a method for using satellite thermal infrared imagery at a moderate spatial resolution to identify the locations of subsurface fires and monitor their migration within landfills. The focus of this study was the Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill in Bridgeton, MO, USA where a subsurface fire was first identified in 2010 and continues to burn today. Observations from Landsat satellites over the last seventeen years were examined for surface temperature anomalies (or hot spots) that may be associated with subsurface fires. The results showed that the locations of hot spots identified in satellite imagery match the known locations of the subsurface fires. Changes in the hot-spot locations with time, as determined by in situ measurements, correspond to the spreading routes of the subsurface fires. These results indicate that the proposed approach based on satellite observations can be used as a tool for the identification of landfill subsurface fires by landfill owners/operators to monitor landfills and minimize the expenses associated with extinguishing landfill fires.

Forty three vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) genotypes selected from different eco-geographic regions of Bangladesh were evaluated during 3 years (2012-2014) for genetic variability, heritability and genetic association among mineral elements and quality and agronomic traits in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications. The analysis showed that vegetable amaranth is a rich source of K, Ca, Mg, proteins and dietary fibre with average values among the 43 genotypes (1.014%, 2.476%, 2.984, 1.258% and 7.81%, respectively). Six genotypes (VA13, VA14, VA16, VA18, VA26, VA27) showed a biological yield >2000 g/m2 and high mineral, protein and dietary fibre contents; eleven genotypes had high amount of minerals, protein and dietary fibre with above average biological yield; nine genotypes had below average biological yield but were rich in minerals, protein and dietary fibre. Biological yield exhibited a strong positive correlation with leaf area, shoot weight, shoot/root weight and stem base diameter. Insignificant genotypic correlation was observed among mineral, quality and agronomic traits, except K vs. Mg, protein vs. dietary fibre and stem base diameter vs. Ca. Some of these genotypes can be used for improvement of vegetable amaranth regarding mineral, protein and dietary fibre content without compromising yield loss.

Low‐light object detection is needed for ensuring security, enabling surveillance, and enhancing safety in diverse applications, including autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, and search and rescue operations. A comprehensive study on low‐light object detection is presented using state‐of‐the‐art you only look once (YOLO) models, including YOLOv3, YOLOv5, YOLOv6, and YOLOv8, aiming to enhance detection performance under challenging low‐light conditions. The ExDark dataset is a dataset that consists of adequate low‐light images, modified to simulate realistic low‐light scenarios, and employed for evaluation. The deep learning algorithm optimises YOLO's architecture for low‐light detection by adapting the network structure and training strategies while preserving the algorithm's integrity. The experimental results show that YOLOv8 consistently outperforms baseline models, achieving significant improvements in accuracy and robustness in low‐light scenarios. The deep learning algorithm that acquired the best score, YOLOv8s, had a mean average precision score of 0.5513. This work contributes to the field of low‐light object detection, offering promising solutions for real‐world applications like nighttime surveillance and autonomous navigation in low‐light conditions, addressing the growing demand for advanced low‐light object detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied dispersion of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in the Kretschmann geometry (prism/Ag/dye-doped polymer) in weak, intermediate, and ultra-strong exciton–plasmon coupling regimes. The dispersion curves obtained in the reflection experiment were in good agreement with the simple model predictions at small concentrations of dye (Rhodamine 590, Rh590) in the polymer (Poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA). At the same time, highly unusual multi-segment "staircase-like" dispersion curves were observed at extra-large dye concentrations, also in agreement with the simple theoretical model predicting large, small, and negative group velocities featured by different polariton branches. In a separate experiment, we measured angular dependent emission of Rh590 dye and obtained the dispersion curves consisting of two branches, one nearly resembling the SPP dispersion found in reflection and the second one almost horizontal. The results of our study pave the road to unparalleled fundamental science and future applications of weak and strong light—matter interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied reflection spectra of dye-doped and undoped polymers deposited onto Ag and Au substrates and found anomalous dips in the UV spectral range. On top of Ag substrates, the λ ∼ 375 nm dips were observed in undoped PMMA, PVP, and PS polymers as well as PMMA doped with Rh590 and HITC laser dyes. In silver-based samples, the spectral positions of the observed reflection dips were close to singularities in the refractive indexes of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagating at the interface between Ag and polymer. The latter singularities can tentatively explain the λ ∼ 375 nm reflection dips, if the scattering of Ag and polymeric films is large enough to launch SPP without any prism or grating. The dips observed in reflection of Rh590:PMMA and HITC:PMMA on top of Au, were more pronounced than those on Ag, broader, shifted to shorter wavelengths, and their spectral positions had large standard deviations. Furthermore, no anomalous dips in gold-based samples were observed in the reflection spectra of undoped PMMA, PVP, and PS polymers, and a modest singularity in the SPP refractive index, predicted theoretically at λ ∼ 500 nm, cannot explain the dips in the UV reflection spectra observed experimentally. It appears likely that the origin of the reflection dips on top of Au substrates is different from that on top of Ag substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational safety and health (OSH) related agencies have a plethora of injury data available; however, modern data visualization and user-friendly dissemination tools are lacking in this field. This work has created a geospatial platform using geographic information systems (GIS) combined with big data analytics for the southeastern region of United States. Severe injury reports were collected and visualized through state-of-the-art spatial statistics including spatial clustering, heat maps, and hotspots to identify the most vulnerable regions due to various injury types from a safety vantage point. A special focus was also given to the construction industry, considering the hazardous nature of the industry. Statistically significant spatial clustering was observed within the study region, with Moran's I index of 0.49. Hotspots for severe injuries were also identified with approximately 99% confidence level using Getis Ord Gi* statistics. Results indicated statistically significant high-risk zones particularly around city areas with spatial injury rates (SIR) up to approximately 2.84 per county. Analysis also showed increased number of severe injuries during summer months, with approximately 1,000 injuries during the month of June and July. The construction industry accounted for 20% of all injuries, with "caught-in/between" being the highest amongst the four primary causes of severe injuries, commonly known as the "fatal four." Finally, a web-based application was created to disseminate the results. Big data mining coupled with geospatial technology in OSH management can offer decision makers up-to-date and highly geospatial information for severe injuries that can be integrated in developing a comprehensive occupational safety surveillance plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, sea level rise, and storm surge events are now significant factors threatening critical water and wastewater infrastructure. Extreme storm events have increased the need for the preparation required to face the challenges of climate change. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy impacted 13 wastewater treatment facilities in New York City alone, causing millions of dollars in damage. Sandy was only a tropical storm, with a wind speed of 22.35 ms−1 (50 mi/h), when it made landfall in New York; however, it caused havoc because it combined with other local cascading events. The storm damage was caused by cascading synergistic events, including storm surge, sea level rise, and rain, rather than a singular decisive event of factor. The disaster left behind by Superstorm Sandy alone magnifies the dire need to understand the damage scenarios and consequences, and to identify resiliency plans and mitigation strategies that take into account a multitude of parameters that contributed to the intensified and devastating impacts. This work formulated the critical factors into a new concept introduced here as total water level (TWL). Using hydrodynamic models, the flood depths and elevations were calculated for various return periods and hurricane categories for coastal and riverine flooding, considering TWL to demonstrate the role of cascading events. The results show the compound effect of extreme storm events as hurricane surge combines forces with sea level rise and rainfall events; it translated into an additional 2.74–4.26 m of flooding in two studied locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsurface fires and smoldering events at landfills can present serious health hazards and threats to the environment. These fires are much more costly and difficult to extinguish than open fires at the landfill surface. The initiation of a subsurface fire may go unnoticed for a long period of time and undetected fires may spread over a large area. Unfortunately, not all landfill operators keep or publish heat elevation data and many landfills are not equipped with a landfill gas extraction system to control subsurface temperatures generated from the chemical reactions within. The timely and cost-effective identification of subsurface fires is an important and pressing issue. In this work, we describe a method for using satellite thermal infrared imagery at a moderate spatial resolution to identify the locations of subsurface fires and monitor their migration within landfills. The focus of this study was the Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill in Bridgeton, MO, USA where a subsurface fire was first identified in 2010 and continues to burn today. Observations from Landsat satellites over the last seventeen years were examined for surface temperature anomalies (or hot spots) that may be associated with subsurface fires. The results showed that the locations of hot spots identified in satellite imagery match the known locations of the subsurface fires. Changes in the hot-spot locations with time, as determined by in situ measurements, correspond to the spreading routes of the subsurface fires. These results indicate that the proposed approach based on satellite observations can be used as a tool for the identification of landfill subsurface fires by landfill owners/operators to monitor landfills and minimize the expenses associated with extinguishing landfill fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This research was designed to understand the effects of landfill soil gases on the events of subsurface landfill fires or elevated temperature which is experienced by many landfills during their operational and post-operational period. A framework proposed in this article can assist landfill authorities in controlling or preventing such hazardous incidents related to subsurface elevated thermal conditions. Subsurface temperature is a critical indicator for the identification of the risk associated with subsurface fire hazards in landfills. Most operational landfills in the United States (US) have experienced exothermic reactions in their subsurface. The subsurface landfill area is composed of various gases generated from chemical reactions inside the landfills. Federal laws in the US mandate the monitoring of gases in landfills to prevent hazardous events such as landfill fire breakouts. There are insufficient investigations conducted to identify the causes of landfill fire hazards. The objective of this research is to develop a methodological approach to this issue. In this study, the relationship was investigated between the subsurface elevated temperature (SET) and soil gases (i.e., methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and oxygen) with the greatest influence in landfills. The significance level of the effect of soil gases on the SET was assessed using a decision tree approach. A naïve Bayes technique for conditional probability was implemented to investigate how different gas combinations can affect different temperature ranges with respect to the safe and unsafe states of these gases. The results indicate that methane and carbon dioxide gases are strongly associated with SETs. Among sixteen possible gas combinations, three were identified as the most probable predictors of SETs. A three-step risk assessment framework is proposed to identify the risk of landfill fire incidents. The key findings of this research could be beneficial to landfill authorities and better ensure the safety of the community health and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Low‐light object detection is needed for ensuring security, enabling surveillance, and enhancing safety in diverse applications, including autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, and search and rescue operations. A comprehensive study on low‐light object detection is presented using state‐of‐the‐art you only look once (YOLO) models, including YOLOv3, YOLOv5, YOLOv6, and YOLOv8, aiming to enhance detection performance under challenging low‐light conditions. The ExDark dataset is a dataset that consists of adequate low‐light images, modified to simulate realistic low‐light scenarios, and employed for evaluation. The deep learning algorithm optimises YOLO's architecture for low‐light detection by adapting the network structure and training strategies while preserving the algorithm's integrity. The experimental results show that YOLOv8 consistently outperforms baseline models, achieving significant improvements in accuracy and robustness in low‐light scenarios. The deep learning algorithm that acquired the best score, YOLOv8s, had a mean average precision score of 0.5513. This work contributes to the field of low‐light object detection, offering promising solutions for real‐world applications like nighttime surveillance and autonomous navigation in low‐light conditions, addressing the growing demand for advanced low‐light object detection.

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an important biennial root vegetable crop in Bangladesh. But Baby carrot having the higher nutritional status is a new crop of Bangladesh. Different germplasms of baby carrots have strong interaction with plastic mulches for growth, yield and quality. The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh from the period of October 2023 to February 2024 to study the effects of plastic mulches on growth, yield and quality of baby carrot germplasm. The experiment consisted of five baby carrot germplasms namely G1 (PI L1408), G2 (Nantes 5), G3 (261650), G4 (PI 1408) and G5 (Upper cut) and five coloured plastic mulches viz., T0 (control), T1 (black), T2 (silver), T3 (blue) and T4 (red). The two-factor experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Significant variations were observed due to interaction between germplasms and plastic mulches on all the growth, yield and quality parameters studied. At harvest, maximum root length (29.07 cm) was obtained from PI L1408 with black plastic mulch, maximum root diameter (4.19 cm), root weight (174.45 g), yield (27.06 t/ha), marketable yield (26.81 t/ha) were obtained from Nantes 5 with black plastic mulch, maximum branched root (11.60%) was recorded from PI 262650 with control and maximum leaf weight (65.63 g) was found from Nantes 5 with blue plastic mulch. On the contrary, minimum root length (15.74 cm) was recorded from Upper cut with red plastic mulch, minimum root diameter (2.06 cm), root weight (40.43 g), yield (12.36 t/ha), marketable yield (12.25 t/ha) were obtained from PI 1408 with control and maximum leaf weight (24.07 g) from PI 1408 with blue plastic mulch treatment. Therefore, interaction between Nantes 5 with black plastic mulch was found to be better in respect of growth, yield and quality of baby carrots. [Fundam Appl Agric 2024; 9(3.000): 168-179]

Abstract In this paper, a new metamaterial absorber (MMA) is presented that exhibits peak absorptions at 3.26 GHz, 11.6 GHz, and 17.13 GHz within S, X, and Ku bands. The unit cell of the proposed MMA is constructed on an FR4 substrate having an electrical dimension of 0.144λ × 0.144λ, where wavelength, λ is calculated at the lowest absorption frequency. The unique structural design of the unit cell consists of two concentric copper rings with which dumbbell-shaped structures are attached. The rotating symmetrical structural design of this MMA provides around 93.8%, 96.47%, and 99.95% peak absorptance in the mentioned frequencies, which is invariable with the change of incident angle as well as polarization angle. The metamaterial properties of the proposed absorber are studied along with the surface current analysis. The MMA shows single negative behaviour and it also exhibits high-quality factors (Q factor) of 21.73, 41.42, and 51.90 at maximum absorptance frequencies. The MMA is analysed by it's equivalent circuit to understand the resonance phenomenon, which is verified through simulation in Advanced Design Systems (ADS) software. The testing is done on the developed prototype of the proposed MMA. Measurement results are in close proximity to the simulation results. Due to its high Q factor, high EMR, and insensitivity to polarization and angle of incidence, it can be utilized as a part of miniaturized microwave device. In addition, the proposed MMA can exhibit high sensing performance and flexibility to differentiate different oils in S, X, and Ku bands.

An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during the period of November 2021 to February 2022. The experiment consisted of two factors, such as factor A: three varieties of broccoli i.e. V1: Early You, V2: Barbara, V3: Green Crown and factor B: four levels of micronutrients i.e. T0: control, T1: Boron @ 3 kg/ha, T2: Zinc @ 2 kg/ha, T3: Boron + Zinc @ (3+2) kg/ha. The two-factor experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Variety and micronutrients influenced significantly on most of the parameters under the study. In case of variety, the highest curd yield (13.35 t/ha) was found from V3 (Green Crown) and the lowest curd yield (11.12 t/ha) was found from V1 (Early You). V2 (Barbara) showed higher dry matter content of broccoli curd, which is 15.72%. On the other hand, V¬1 (Early You) showed lower dry matter content, which is 13.34%. For micronutrients, T3 (Boron +Zinc @3+2 kg/ha) performed the highest in respect of curd yield (19.37 t/ha) and the lowest (6.32 t/ha) was from T0 (control). T3 (Boron+Zinc @3+2kg/ha) showed higher dry matter content (13.01%), whereas T0 (control) showed the least (11.02%). For combined treatment, the highest curd yield (21.61t/ha) was obtained from V3T3 (Green Crown and Boron +Zinc @ 3+2 kg/ha micronutrient dose) and the lowest curd yield (5.23 t/ha) from V0T0 (Early You and control). V2T3 (Boron+ Zinc @3+2 kg/ha with Barbara variety) produced the highest dry matter content of curd, which is 17.34%. On the other hand, the lowest dry matter content of broccoli curd is provided by V1T0 (Early You variety with control) treatment combination which is 12.49%. Therefore, it can be concluded that V3 (Green Crown) along with Boron+Zinc @ 3+2 kg/ha and V2 (Barbara) along with Boron+Zinc @ 3+2 kg/ha were found to be the best in respect of yield and dry matter content of broccoli, respectively, compared to other treatments. [Fundam Appl Agric 2023; 8(4.000): 649-654]

Paddy is the most important agricultural crop product in Bangladesh since it is widely used in daily life as a main meal intake. Currently, traditional manual harvesting process is widely used to harvest paddy grains in Bangladesh. However, manual harvesting is laborious, time-consuming, and costly. Utilization of modern machineries such as combined paddy harvester machines can increase grain productivity while reducing significantly the number of labour-hours. Combine rice harvesters possess traditional diesel engine that burns gasoline fuels i.e. diesel. The overriding concern of this diesel oil combustion is the production of greenhouse gases that adversely affect the environment. In addition, reports suggest that oil reserve might be depleted to zero in next 40 years. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review on the paddy grain production statistics, the pros and cons of traditional rice crop harvesting processes, and the historical development of mechanization in the agricultural sectors of Bangladesh. It also presents a novel design route to convert commercial diesel-driven combine paddy harvester machine to solar energy-operated combine rice harvester machine with its required accessories. In particular, a new design concept with a remarkable cost estimation process of solar-powered harvesters is proposed. A field study has been conducted in Sonagazi Upazilla under Feni district of Bangladesh to evaluate the potential use of the proposed solar-powered harvester machine. Our study suggests that solar-driven rice harvester is a promising concept in the paddy crop harvesting process and it will reduce the overall costs for short and long-term uses compared to estimated costs of commercial diesel-driven harvesters. To combat the scarcity of gasoline in the future, it is an obvious choice to bring a paradigm shift in solar energy harvesting and its utilization in the agricultural sectors of Bangladesh. It is expected that the proposed solar-driven rice harvester concepts with their in-depth analysis (including costs) would be able to draw attention to business entrepreneurs and investors who will be excited to initiate a program to manufacture solar-powered rice harvester machines in practice.

Abstract High blood pressure is a major risk factor for premature death. Leisure-time physical activities have been recommended to control hypertension. Studies examining how leisure-time physical activity affects blood pressure have found mixed results. We aimed to conduct a systematic review examining the effect of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on lowering blood pressure among adults living with hypertension. We searched studies in Embase, Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Physical Education Index, Scopus and CENTRAL (the Cochrane Library). The primary outcome variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). This systematic review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021260751). We included 17 studies out of 12,046 screened articles in this review. Moderate-intensity LTPA (all types) reduced SBP compared to the non-intervention control group (MD −5.35 mm Hg, 95% CI −8.06 to −2.65, nine trials, n = 531, low certainty of the evidence). Mean DBP was reduced by −4.76 mm Hg (95% CI −8.35 to −1.17, nine trials, n = 531, low certainty of the evidence) in all types of LTPA (moderate intensity) group compared to the non-intervention control group. Leisure-time walking reduced mean SBP by −8.36 mmHg, 95% CI −13.39 to −3.32, three trials, n = 128, low certainty of the evidence). Walking during leisure time reduced −5.03 mmHg mean DBP, 95% CI −8.23 to −1.84, three trials, n = 128, low certainty of the evidence). Performing physical activity during free time probably reduces SBP and DBP (low certainty of the evidence) among adults with hypertension.

Abstract Hilsha fish (Tenualosa ilisha) is one of Bangladesh's biggest economic and nutritious fish. Governments and planners are contemplating rewarding fishermen who conserve this precious resource. The government is economically helping fishermen to limit fishing Hilsha for 2 months in order to promote it from immature (Jatka) to mature Hilsha. No study has predicted the amount of economic incentive for fishermen in Bangladesh. This study estimates fishermen's willingness to accept (WTA) conserving Hilsha fishes and the associated problems that they encounter during the banning period. To achieve these goals, 255 fishermen from Chandpur were randomly sampled for collecting cross‐section data. This study uses a dichotomous contingent valuation using a logit model for WTA decision factors and problem facing index (PFI) to assess fishermen's hardships during the banning period. Findings reveal that WTA decisions are influenced by bidding amount, household distance from the nearest market, fishermen's educational status, previous awareness of Hilsha conservation, credit access, household size, training received, and fishing experience. The PFI shows that respondents' main issues during the fish‐catching prohibition are the lack of nutritional food, alternative jobs, clothing, credit, and livelihood capital. The mean per month WTA is found to be BDT 13,372, which should be implemented to minimize trade‐offs during banning and sustain Hilsha resources with support to and from fishermen. Policies such as technical training for alternative earning occupations, increased credit with low prerequisites, effective family planning, and Hilsha conservation awareness might help improve the livelihoods of the fishing community and sustain this valuable resource.

This paper provides a metamaterial for microwave absorbers relying on asymmetric square split rings with a partial E shape in the centre-based resonator. The wideband frequency range shows its sensing capabilities in identifying various oil samples. The optimized MTM unit cell has electrical dimensions of 0.122λο × 0.122λο, where is λο the predicted wavelength at 3.64 GHz resonance frequency, for a total size of 10 × 10 mm2. The FR-4 dielectric substrate, 1.6 mm in thickness, produces the unit cell. The MTM has a maximum absorption peak of 91.46 % at 3.64 GHz, 99.72 % at 5.99 GHz, 96.89 % at 7.47 GHz, and 98.45 % at 10.01 GHz. This MMA has four absorption peaks, making it suitable for use in the triple band (S, C, and X). The centre split gaps and partial E shapes increase unit cell absorption, and the defective CSRR back layer structure improves the transmission coefficient. High absorption is influenced by the central split gaps and an appropriate electric field and magnetic field optimized in the centre ring when the structure is in an Orthogonal orientation. The research used a frequency domain solver operating between 2 and 12 GHz. The scattering characteristics (coefficient of transmission) of the relevant unit cell's equivalent circuit were confirmed using ADS software and the CST result. At frequencies between 3 and 5 GHz, the proposed asymmetric unit cell functions as a double negative (DNG) metamaterial absorber due to its negative permeability and permittivity. Since oil samples have different dielectric constants, the resonance frequency and Q factor are likewise different. Here, we receive a spectrum of frequencies that can be adjusted for use in sensing. The data showed that the suggested sensor is sensitive enough to pick up a variety of oils. The proposed sensor is useful for various applications, from liquid detection to microfluidic sensing and beyond, due to its cheap cost, high sensitivity, high-quality factor, and high electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

Background: Soybean is one of the major oil seed crops in Bangladesh. Combine application of Rhizobium inoculation and phosphorus fertilizer could be an important factor to get maximum yield and quality of soybean. Objective: To evaluate the effect of Bradyrhizobium inoculum and levels of phosphorus on yield and quality of soybean varieties. Methodology: The experiment evaluated three factors namely, varieties, Bradyrhizobium inoculum and phosphorus levels. The three varieties were: i) Binasoybean-1 ii) Binasoybean-2 and iii) BARI Soybean-6. Bradyrhizobium inoculum levels were: i) control (no inoculum), ii) 50% of recommended dose (RD) (25 g kg-1 seed) iii) 100% of RD (50 g kg-1 seed). The phosphorus levels were: i) control (no phosphorus) ii) 50% of RD (18 kg ha-1), iii) 100% of RD (36 kg ha-1). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were recorded on yield, yield contributing characters and quality parameters of seeds. Results: Binasoybean-1 performed superiorly in terms of all the yield and yield contributing characters. Application of 100% of RD of Bradyrhizobium inoculum and application of 100% of RD of phosphorus also showed superior performance. Considering the interaction effect, the findings of the study indicate that Binasoybean-1 responded well to the application of 100% of RD of phosphorus and 100% of RD of Bradyrhizobium and gave maximum seed yield. The highest protein content (39.21%) was found in Binasoybean-2, 50% of RD of phosphorus with no Bradyrhizobium inoculum and the highest oil content was found (19.33%) in Binasoybean-2, no phosphorus and 50% of RD of Bradyrhizobium inoculum. Implication: Binasoybean-1 with the application of 100% of RD of phosphorus and 100% of RD of Bradyrhizobium might be recommended to obtain higher yield soybean in Bangladesh. Conclusion: From this study it may be concluded that recommended dose of phosphorus and Bradyrhizobium is beneficial for a higher yield of Binasoybean-1.

Introduction:Psychological stress from the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can potentially aggravate the course of several stress-sensitive skin and hair diseases. This study aimed to determine the potential association of COVID-19 stress with hair diseases, such as telogen effluvium (TE), alopecia areata (AA), and seborrheic dermatitis (SD), among medical students in Bangladesh.MethodsThis online-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 medical students of Bangladesh using a self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic information, status of hair diseases (i.e., TE, AA, and SD), COVID-19 fear scale, impact of event scale specific for COVID-19 (IES-COVID-19), and COVID-19 student stress questionnaire (CSSQ) scale, to determine pandemic-related stress. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the association.ResultsOverall prevalence of TE, AA, and SD was 61.1, 24.7, and 57.7%, respectively, with female predominance in case of TE and male predominance in case of AA and SD. More than half of the participants had COVID-19-related fear and traumatic stress symptoms. In the multiple logistic regression model, smoking [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.93, 95% CI 1.29–6.65 for AA and aOR 4.19, 95% CI 1.83–9.56 for TE], COVID-19-related fear (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.01–2.89 for AA and aOR 2.620, 95% CI 1.25–5.48 for TE), and COVID-19-related traumatic stress symptoms (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.08–3.13 for AA, aOR 2.61, 95% CI 1.19–5.68 for TE, and aOR 1.92, 95% CI 1.14–3.25 for SD) were the risk factors of hair fall disorders.ConclusionOur study showed that a large number of medical students experienced TE, AA, and SD during the pandemic era. COVID-19-related stress and fear potentially have an association with these diseases.

A lot of variations in vegetable amaranth germplasm have been observed in Bangladesh. It has been used as a cheap source of antioxidants, nutrients, protein, and dietary fiber. But no efforts had not been taken to know the status of antioxidant content, polyphenol, flavonoid, antioxidant vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, nutritional and agronomic traits. In this study, Forty-three vegetable amaranth genotypes were evaluated to determine the status of total antioxidant content, polyphenol, flavonoid, antioxidant vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, nutritional and agronomic traits and the magnitude of genetic diversity based on the contribution of those traits for meaningful grouping and proper utilization in future breeding program. The experiment was carried out in an open experimental field at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Multivariate (Principal component and cluster) analysis was done using numerical taxonomic techniques of Sneath, & Sokal. Four principal components contributed 98.61% of the variation. Biological yield and total antioxidant content was strongly associated with their related all agronomic traits. Total flavonoid content had a higher contribution to total antioxidant capacity compared to vitamin and mineral antioxidants. Contribution of antioxidant profile and agronomic traits was the highest in diversity of vegetable amaranth. Both high and low yielding genotypes had a high antioxidant profile. Therefore, high yielding genotypes (From cluster VI) could be used directly as high antioxidant profile varieties and low yielding genotypes as a source of donor parents in hybridization program. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into six clusters. The diverse genotypes in different clusters were identified. Genotypes with desirable genes of one cluster hybridized with promising genotypes of other diverge clusters could facilitate the accumulation of favorable genes in hybrids. Abbreviations: PCA: principal component analysis; PC: principal component; dw: dry weight; TFC: total flavonoid content; TAC: total antioxidant capacity; TPC: total polyphenol content; K: potassium; Ca: calcium; Mg: magnesium; Fe: iron; Mn: manganese; Cu: copper; Zn: zinc