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This study introduces the application of parallel arrangement of multiple axial springs in a nonlinear macromodel to capture the in-plane rotational behavior and predict shared axial forces between column and wall of an infilled frame under rotation. In addition, multiple failure mode of both boundary frame and infill can be simulated using the developed macromodel. A systematic arrangement of two types of elements, each with one shear spring and one axial spring, is used to replace the masonry infill panels in the numerical modeling of infilled frames. The constitutive models of the axial and shear springs are derived using the geometric properties of the infilled frame and the results of simple material tests such as tension tests of rebar and compression tests of masonry prisms and concrete cylinders. A brief summary of the experimental study and numerical simulation of a 1/2.5-scale 2-story 2-bay unreinforced brick masonry infilled frame specimen (the BF + MIW specimen) is presented, focusing on the behavior of existing vulnerable buildings in developing countries (e.g., Bangladesh). A distinct type of failure mode was observed in the BF + MIW specimen: snap-through shear failure of the column on the lateral loading side with simultaneous sliding at the beam-wall interface. The developed macromodel considers this failure mode. Another reinforced concrete frame specimen with unreinforced concrete block masonry infill is analyzed using the macromodel. Analysis results effectively approximate the overall behavior of the infilled frames and predict axial forces on columns under rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a critical component of delivering safe, effective and high-quality healthcare services, and eliminating avoidable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in health facilities, predominantly in population-dense settings such as Bangladesh., Aim: Our study aimed to assess the effect of an integrated intervention package in improving the IPC level of the health facilities in Bangladesh., Methods: We conducted a pre-post intervention study in six district hospitals (DHs) and 13 Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) in the six districts of Bangladesh. Baseline and endline assessments were conducted between March and December 2021 using the adapted World Health Organization Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (WHO-IPCAF) tool. The IPCAF score, ranging from 0-800, was calculated by adding the scores of eight components, and the IPC promotion and practice level was categorized as Inadequate (0-200), Basic (201-400), Intermediate (401-600) and Advanced (601-800). The integrated intervention package including IPC committee formation, healthcare provider training, logistics provision, necessary guidelines distribution, triage/flu corners establishment, and infrastructure development was implemented in all facilities., Results: The average IPCAF score across all the facilities showed a significant increase from 16% (95% CI: 11.5-20.65%) to 54% (95% CI: 51.4-57.1%). Overall, the IPCAF score increased by 34 percentage points (P<0.001) in DHs and 40 percentage points (P<0.001) in UHCs. Following the intervention, 12 (three DHs, nine UHCs) of 19 facilities progressed from inadequate to intermediate, and another three DHs upgraded from basic to intermediate in terms of IPC level., Conclusion: The integrated intervention package improved IPCAF score in all facilities., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Iron stores in the body exist primarily in the form of ferritin. Small amounts of ferritin secreted into the plasma and plasma ferritin is positively correlated with the size of the total body iron stores. The present study conducted to determine the iron status using the serum ferritin level among healthy Bangladeshi blood donors. The present cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2011 to June 2012. Blood donor signed informed consent and has satisfactory pre-donation health assessment and satisfactory post-donation blood test results were included in the study. Full blood counts were performed within 4 hours of collection using an automated haematology analyzer. Serum ferritin was measured using a validated enzyme immunoassay. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 (SPPS Incorporation, Chicago, IL, USA). P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Total 100 blood donors were included in the study, among them 88 were male and 12 were female. Mean±SD of the age of the respondents was 26.8±5.9 years with a range of 19 to 45 years. Mean±SD of heamoglobin level (gm/dl) and total count of Red Blood Cell (million/cmm) were 14.1±1.4 and 5.1±0.4 respectively. Mean±SD of serum ferritin level (ng/ml) was 96.4±69.0ng/ml with a range of 4.1ng/ml to 298.7ng/ml. Among the respondents 9.0% had depleted iron store, 7.0 reduced iron store and 84.0% had normal iron store. Among the respondents 5.0% had iron deficiency anaemia in term of serum ferritin level. Statistically significant difference of serum ferritin level observed between male and female and donors with and without history of previous blood donation. Among the healthy blood donors of Bangladesh abnormal serum ferritin is highly prevalent among blood donors specially among female. Monitoring of iron stores by serum ferritin seems justified in order to identify those with depleted iron stores who will benefit from iron supplementation.