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Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) has a major impact on the learning adaptability of the learners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a drastic change in the learning methodology. The adaptability of learners from the various domains, levels and age has been a significant component of research in context to education. In this paper, the authors have proposed a machine learning and explainable AI based solution to identify critical learning parameters for students' adaptability level in online education. In this research the authors have employed various explainable AI (XAI) algorithms namely Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME), SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), FEature iMportance based eXplanable AI algorithm (FAMeX) for identifying the critical learning parameters to decide the adaptability level of a student. To test the efficacy of the solution, a dataset of students of several education levels of Bangladesh, collected from both online and offline surveys has been used. The results revealed are quite interesting, and counter intuitive.

Soft skills, absolute knowledge, various skills, positive attitudes, values, beliefs, and habit are vital for graduates' professional, social, and personal success. Many graduate and postgraduate students struggle to adapt their learning to their daily lives and work. Thus, Bangladeshi graduates face substantial unemployment. Knowing and practicing soft skills during school helps them meet workplace needs. Therefore, soft skills training must be included in the curriculum to help students use soft skills gleaned from English literature in real life. This study assesses the soft skills needed for employment by English graduates of tertiary colleges affiliated with Bangladesh's National University (NU). The study reviewed national and international government documents, published and unpublished studies, online resources, and researchers' experiences and observations. The outcomes were categorized thematically to determine the most essential soft skills for English graduates' employability. Finally, drawing from lessons learned from national and international perspectives, some policy gaps have been explored in Bangladesh, and some policy suggestions have been made to implement soft skills training in the curriculum of English language and literature courses at NU-affiliated colleges. The findings suggest studying instructional methodologies, classroom management, question sets, teacher preparation, assessment systems, soft skills instruction, mentorship, and counseling. After reviewing the literature, the researcher finds that English graduates need 49 sub-skills in twelve soft skills: communications, interpersonal, self-management, people management, collaboration, emotional intelligence, time management, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, leadership, and creativity. Upon evaluating the literature, the study found that while soft skills can be improved in the English curriculum, the instruction for implementation is unclear.

This study investigates the role of English literature in fostering essential soft skills necessary for employability in the context of Bangladesh's educational system. This paper employs qualitative methods, including interviews with faculty members and senior students from tertiary-level colleges affiliated with the National University. The thematic analysis reveals that English literature contributes significantly to the development of communication, interpersonal, self-management, collaboration, emotional intelligence, time management, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, leadership, and creativity skills among students. The findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse pedagogical approaches, such as constructivist teaching, literature circles, and experiential learning, to effectively nurture these skills. The study recommends prioritizing soft skills training within the curriculum to enhance graduates' employability in the face of evolving job market demands, particularly amidst the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Many students who are pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees are unable to effectively apply their learning to their daily lives and jobs. As a result, Bangladeshi graduates struggle with the country's high unemployment rate. As a result, it is essential to incorporate soft skills training into the curriculum to ensure how to put students' awareness of soft skills from English literature into practice in real-world situations. Twelve fundamental soft skills, including emotional intelligence, interpersonal, people management, self-management, collaboration, time management, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership, critical thinking, and creativity, were identified in addition to the identification of forty-nine subskills. To examine the median levels of awareness and practice of soft skills among English graduates, a paired sample t-test was utilized in this study. A regression and correlation analysis measured the relationship between soft skill awareness and practice. The study triangulated data using a students' survey (323), teachers' in-depth interviews (18), students' focus group discussion (9), and secondary literature. The results revealed that the awareness of soft skills among English graduates had a beneficial effect on their degree of practice. The results showed that by including soft skills training in the curriculum and establishing specific implementation instructions, the employability of English graduates would be maximized through awareness of soft skills. The results have significant implications for Bangladeshi educational policy and practice, and by improving graduates' employability, they help the country's economy thrive.

Educational institutions, especially the higher education institutions in Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Thailand, have had to stop face-to-face educational activities during the period of COVID-19 pandemic. Online classes have been the only alternative to carry on academic activities. Teachers were suddenly compelled to transition their teaching and learning methodology from a face-to-face to an online model. Employing a quantitative research method, this study identifies factors in teacher's effective transition for successful online teaching. A total of 68 teachers experienced in higher education in Bangladesh, Thailand, India and Indonesia were interviewed by a structured questionnaire. The instrument was scrutinized and approved by a panel of 5 expert educators in higher educational institutes in both Bangladesh and Thailand. The statistical analysis indicated that professional training, students' performance evaluation, cheating concerns in exam perceived by teachers, infrastructure difficulties, lack of students' technological knowhow and difficult online classroom management influenced success in online teaching. A set of inspectional recommendations has been made that might be utilized in policy making by the educational policy makers, institutional authorities and by the practising teachers for designing effective procedures of online teaching and learning.

This study explored the views of teachers' and English graduates' on the reflection of soft skills for employability in English literature. Also, the study discovers how soft skills can be embedded within classroom practice among English graduates. A qualitative study methodology and interpretive paradigm were used to make sense of the complicated social phenomenon of soft skills for graduate employability. The heads, teachers, and fourth-year English majors from nine tertiary colleges in the Bangladeshi districts of Pabna, Rajshahi, and Bogura have been purposefully chosen to participate. There were nine student FGDs and 18 teacher in-depth interviews from the English department. The study discloses that while soft skills are prevalent in English literature, they are not in a form that can be passed on. However, motivations and ideas connected to soft skills are widely present in English literature. The results point to several critical topics that should be further examined, including teaching strategies, classroom management, question settings, teacher preparation, assessment systems, soft skills instruction, mentorship, and counseling.

This study examined the soft skills for employability among English graduates in Bangladesh. It identified twelve fundamental soft skills, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Self-Management, People Management, Collaboration, Emotional Intelligence, Time Management, Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Creativity, and 49 Sub-skills. To triangulate the data, the study utilized a student survey (N = 323), in-depth interviews with teachers (N = 18), focus group discussions with students (N = 9), and secondary literature. The findings revealed that English graduates had a higher awareness of soft skills than their actual practice. The survey results showed a gap between soft skill awareness and practice, with participants ranking their overall skill level slightly above average. Emotional intelligence, leadership, people management, and interpersonal skills were rated the highest, while creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication received the lowest scores. The in-depth interviews and focus group discussions provided further insights into the soft skill experiences of English graduates. It was found that the large class sizes in NU colleges posed challenges for effective soft skills practices. However, self-directed learning was identified as an effective method for enhancing soft skill awareness and practice. Additionally, the English curriculum indirectly encouraged the development of emotional intelligence skills among literature and language students. Based on the findings, the study recommended incorporating soft skills training into the English curriculum and providing clear implementation guidelines. This would help boost the employability of English graduates in Bangladesh. The study's implications extend to educational policy and practice, providing valuable insights for improving graduates' employability and contributing to overall economic development in the country.

Purpose: Incorporating student voice to improve both academic and institutional performances is the contemporary innovative way to enhance and ensure quality in higher education. Higher education organizations are developing a culture and an encouraging environment for the students where they can express their opinions and be an integral part and partner of educational improvement process. The purpose of this paper is to explore students preferred learning and teaching methods for management education, to study current intended learning outcome and practiced teaching methods, to investigate prerequisites to implement students expected teaching methods in the college-level management education of National University. Design/methodology/approach: Nature of the study is exploratory and descriptive as well. Primary data were collected using focus group discussions, surveys conducted using structured and closed-ended questions and in-depth, face-to-face interviews employed to collect data from academic staff. Findings: The key findings include the need for bringing changes in teaching techniques at college-level management education. Furthermore, the study has explored challenging issues which can hinder changes in teaching techniques. Practical implications: The study pointed to the need of including student voice to keep improving teaching techniques that can satisfy students' learning needs continuously. Originality/value: The study adds the body of knowledge on incorporating student voice to improve the quality of higher education teaching techniques and in other services as well in Bangladesh.

Purpose: Bangladesh is a low-lying deltaic nation in South Asia, and as such, its agriculture is continually threatened by various natural disasters, including floods, drought and storms. Additionally, from March 2020 to the end of 2021, Bangladesh’s agricultural productivity encountered grave challenges of the pandemic COVID-19, just like the rest of the world. Therefore, the research was designed to examine how COVID-19 affected agricultural productivity from the perspective of farmers in southwest Bangladesh. Research Method: Face-to-face interviews, paired t-tests, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, multiple linear regression analyses, principal component analyses and cluster analyses were done. Findings: Significant variation was recorded in yield, production cost, gross income and net income between Covid-19 and non-Covid times. During COVID-19, farmers’ perception of crop production was positively correlated to experience, training and in-field extension service whereas market value positively impacted crop yield. During a pandemic, the respondents had the strongest concerns regarding 1) unavailability and the high price of seed, 2) limited transportation facilities and high fair and 3) unavailability of labor and high wages. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified 9 key variables out of 24 explaining the maximum variance of the study. Cluster analysis (CA) categorized all surveyed crops into three clades with cabbage, sweet gourd, eggplant and potato in clade-I being least affected, resulting in relatively higher economic return than others. Value: All things considered, the study’s findings provide insight to policymakers about how to maintain food security and the food supply chain in the event of a future pandemic or other catastrophic event by guaranteeing a steady supply of farming inputs and transportation facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris, is an emblematic animal for Bangladesh. Despite being the apex predator in the wild, their number is decreasing due to anthropogenic activities such as hunting, urbanization, expansion of agriculture and deforestation. By contrast, captive tigers are flourishing due to practical conservation efforts. Breeding within the small captive population can produce inbreeding depression and genetic bottlenecks, which may limit the success of conservation efforts. Despite past decades of research, a comprehensive database on genetic variation in the captive and wild Bengal tigers in Bangladesh still needs to be included. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the White Bengal tiger genome to create a resource for future studies to understand variation underlying important functional traits. Data description: Blood samples from Chattogram Zoo were collected for three white Bengal tigers. Genomic DNA for all collected samples were extracted using a commercial DNA extraction kit. Whole genome sequencing was performed using a DNBseq platform. We generated 77 Gb of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data for three white Bengal tigers (Average 11X coverage/sample). The data we generated will establish a paradigm for tiger research in Bangladesh by providing a genomic resource for future functional studies on the Bengal white tiger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile games can contribute to learning at greater success. In this paper, the authors have developed and evaluated a novel educational game, named FoodCalorie, to learn food calorie intake standard. The game is aimed to learn calorie values of various traditional foods of Bangladesh and the calorie intake standard that varies with age and gender. They are the first in this field to perform an empirical study on women in Bangladesh to see how game-based learning can contribute to learn food calories. They further analyze and report the impact of participants' age, professions, and smartphone proficiency levels on their learning experience and progression. The study also conforms the finding of existing studies that game-based learning can enhance the learning experience.

Thalassemia poses a major public health concern in Bangladesh with a high prevalence of carriers. However, there is a substantial knowledge gap regarding its epidemiology, clinical aspects, and treatment outcomes. Despite its high prevalence, there is a notable lack of awareness regarding thalassemia in the Bangladeshi population. The absence of precisely validated data impedes a comprehensive understanding of this disease. Premarital thalassemia screening is reportedly a successful strategy for countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran and has also been proposed for Bangladesh. Mandatory screening coupled with genetic counseling is promising for reducing the prevalence of thalassemia by identifying carriers and providing relevant health education. However, sociocultural barriers, challenges, financial constraints, and health risks associated with prenatal diagnosis and abortion could hinder the success of such programs. Positive outcomes from other countries underscore the effectiveness of such programs in reducing thalassemia incidence. The early identification of carriers and genetic counseling can significantly reduce the burden of thalassemia. Additionally, the strain on the healthcare system would be eased, and the quality of life of thalassemia patients would be improved. In conclusion, based on evidence mandatory premarital screening with genetic counseling could be an effective measure to reduce the prevalence of thalassemia in Bangladesh. Leveraging positive attitudes, adopting successful international models, and addressing existing challenges are crucial for the successful implementation of programs that contribute to the overall health and well-being of the country's population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Older adults residing in refugee settlements with unhealthy living environments, inadequate access to health care services, and limited psychosocial support are vulnerable to experience mental health problems jeopardizing their mental well-being. The present study aims to explore the mental well-being status and its socio-economic determinants among the older adults living in the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged ≥ 60 residing in five sub-camps within the Rohingya refugee camp of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted between November and December 2021. The 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used to assess mental well-being. A cumulated score was derived using the scale ranging from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating greater levels of mental well-being. A generalized linear regression model was used to examine the socio-economic factors associated with the mental well-being of older adults. A total of 864 older adults participated in the study having a mean mental well-being score of 45.4. Regression analysis revealed that the difference in the logs of mental well-being score was expected to be significantly lower among participants aged 70–79 years (β: − 1.661; 95% CI: − 2.750 to − 0.572; p = 0.003), aged ≥ 80 years (β: − 3.198; 95% CI: − 5.114 to − 1.282; p = 0.001), and those with any non-communicable chronic conditions (β: − 2.903; 95% CI: − 3.833 to − 1.974; p < 0.001) when compared to their counterparts. Conversely, the difference in the logs of mental well-being score was expected to be significantly higher among individuals with formal schooling (β: 3.370, 95% CI: 1.855 to 4.886, p < 0.001) and those having additional income besides aid (β: 1.629; 95% CI: 0.642 to 2.615; p = 0.001), compared to their respective counterparts. Our findings highlight the need to provide psychosocial assistance to older individuals, particularly those who live in large families, suffer from chronic diseases, and live in socio-economic deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public universities in Bangladesh arrange admission test to judge the students' merit before the enrollment. Academic results of previous examinations (SSC and HSC) are also considered in the admission procedure. There are some disputes regarding the importance of admission test besides the previous academic records. The universities emphasize on the admission test while the government authorities ponder it as a burden for the students. This study has made an attempt to examine the importance of admission test in selection procedure utilizing a particular year admission test database of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). Univariate and bivariate analyses along with regression models were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that students with higher score in both SSC and HSC examinations had higher possibility to be eligible for enrollment. However, a vital proportion of applicants with maximum GPA 5.00 in both examinations did not qualify in merit and waiting position. The results also show association and moderate positive correlation of admission test score with SSC and HSC results. Finally, regression analysis indicates that though the contributions of the SSC and HSC results on admission test scores are significant, the variation in admission test scores is not much explained by the previous records. Such findings recommend arranging admission test, besides academic qualification, to select the eligible applicants for enrollment in public universities.

This study investigates quantifiable and explicable changes in Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) within the context of a freshwater wetland, Hakaluki Haor, in Bangladesh. The haor is a vital RAMSAR site and Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), which needs to be monitored to investigate LULC change patterns for future management interventions. Leveraging Landsat satellite data, the Google Earth Engine Database, CART algorithm, ArcGIS 10.8 and the R programming language, this study analyses LULC dynamics from 2000 to 2023. It focuses explicitly on seasonal transitions between the rainy and dry seasons, unveiling substantial transformations in cumulative LULC change patterns over the study period. Noteworthy changes include an overall reduction (~51%) in Water Bodies. Concurrently, there is a significant increase (~353%) in Settlement areas. Moreover, vegetation substantially declines (71%), while Crop Land demonstrates varying coverage. These identified changes underscore the dynamic nature of LULC alterations and their potential implications for the environmental, hydrological, and agricultural aspects within the Hakaluki Haor region. The outcomes of this study aim to provide valuable insights to policymakers for formulating appropriate land-use strategies in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women in the fisher communities in coastal regions of Bangladesh are engaged in a wide range of fishery activities. However, there is limited evidence available on the occupational hazards and risks experienced by them. Method: The study was conducted among fishing colonies in Cox's Bazar and Chattogram districts in Bangladesh. This was a cross-sectional study blending qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component comprised five focus group discussions to understand the occupational context, hazards, and risks faced by the fisherwomen, informing the questionnaire design for the subsequent survey. The quantitative survey involved a sample of 207 women from fisher communities, gathering socio-demographic information, occupational hazards, risks, and health and safety practices. Findings: The study found a high occurrence of occupational hazards, health risks and limited availability of preventive measures among the women in fisher communities. Occupational hazards include physical safety hazards such as slippery surfaces and fish cutting instruments, and physical hazards like prolonged sun exposure and noise. Chemical hazards like pesticides and saltwater, ergonomic hazards such as prolonged uncomfortable posture and heavy lifting, and biological hazards including inadequate sanitation facilities were prevalent. The study also identified the potential occupational risks, and the outcomes resulting from the hazards, including injuries (87.44%), musculoskeletal conditions (69.08%), skin diseases/conditions (56.52%), eye complaints (33.82%), severe respiratory distress (24.15%) and high incidence of self-reported communicable diseases. Most women (78.26%) did not use personal protective equipment, and the majority (93.72%) lacked a workplace first aid kit. Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of occupational hazards and health risks, including injuries and diseases, among Bangladeshi women in fisher communities with insufficient safety measures. Collaboration among government, NGOs, development partners, fisheries stakeholders, and the community is imperative for targeted training, innovative procedures, ergonomic solutions, provision of protective equipment, and advocacy to enhance the well-being of these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abir, T.M.; Das, T., and Ferdous, F., 2024. Building community resilience and adaptation to climate change: Integrating disaster risk reduction in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(4), 792–802. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Building community resilience is very significant in reducing climate shocks and disaster risk. There is some insufficiency in community resiliency among coastal communities of Bangladesh, so they are still suffering from disastrous events like cyclones, floods, riverbank erosion, heavy rain, salinity, and tidal surges. So, this study critically examined the impacts of disasters on coastal communities and how they can build their resilience to reduce disaster risk. This study emphasizes the local adaptation strategies for risk reduction and the barriers faced by the local coastal community that hinder disaster resilience. The study was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023. A mixed-method research approach was utilized to assess the situation. In order to gauge the resilience of the community, the study focused on social, economic, infrastructure, and institutional dimensions based on different established climate disaster resilience indexes and frameworks. Key informant interview and face-to-face interview methods were used for data collection. Findings showed that the main barrier to sustainable adaptation and community resilience is the poor socioeconomic conditions of the community in the study area. Lower rates of quality education, limited livelihood opportunities, lack of other resources, and repeated disastrous events cause poor socioeconomic situations for those communities. The results show that the area is highly dependent on agriculture and fishing, so there needs to be special consideration given to disaster tolerance cultivation. In addition, the collaboration of locally grounded adaptation solutions and technological solutions should be emphasized for sustainable adaptation and will be necessary to ensure sustainable livelihoods. The study suggests that policymakers prioritize social and institutional support in building community resilience to reduce disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hinduism has profound religious beliefs and cultural connections with many plants employed in various religious rituals to worship gods and goddesses. Most of these plants are believed to have curative properties for many ailments. In view of the Hindu population decline in Bangladesh during the last decades, there is a need to gather ethnopharmacological data on these sacred plants. This study focuses on documenting the therapeutic uses of plants significant to Hindu practices in southwestern Bangladesh. Through free listing interviews with 28 Hindu participants, medico-religious data on plants were collected using open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires. Results revealed 56 plant species from 32 botanical families as religiously sacred, with Aegle marmelos being most culturally significant. The study identified 89 diseases treated by these plants, with Curcuma longa being the most cited species, followed by Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. It introduced two new ethnomedicinal plant species, Oxystelma esculentum and Reinwardtia indica, previously unreported in Bangladesh. Additionally, new medicinal uses were uncovered, highlighting the intricate relationship between culture, religion, and traditional medicinal knowledge within the Bangladeshi Hindu community. This study represents the first attempt to compile a comprehensive list of plants utilized in Hindu religious practices in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous use of fossil fuels has prompted scientists and researchers to convert to renewable sources for powering water pumps. By converting sunlight into electrical energy, the photovoltaic (PV) panels can drive the water pump or produce electricity through an inverter. Over the past few years, scientists have been working on developing more efficient solar-powered water pumps. A summary of existing research and development activities for developing a dependable and cost-effective solar irrigation system is described in this study. The paper outlines Bangladesh's present irrigation scenario, the problems associated with solar irrigation systems, and government policies and actions promoting solar irrigation. The main objectives and goals of the proposed project are to develop an efficient standalone hybrid solar PV–pyro-oil generator-based water pumping system for the Barind tract and off-grid remote areas. Moreover, the techno-econo-environmental feasibility of the proposed project has also been evaluated. The total life cycle cost and investment payback period of the 20-year project were found to be 14,377.32 dollars and 7.04 years, respectively. Moreover, the project's internal rate of return and CO2 reduction potential were found to be 21% and 197.1 tons, respectively. Therefore, the project is sustainable and feasible, which provides a guideline for researchers and investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of medical conditions that elevate the chances of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to determine the frequency and contributing risk factors of MetS in adults from Bangladesh. Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, 653 individuals (470 males and 183 females) were randomly selected to participate. Fasting blood samples were collected and analysed using standard methods to measure biochemical parameters. MetS was defined on the basis of NCEP‐ATP III guidelines, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with MetS. Results: The prevalence of MetS was 19.7% in the healthy control group, 70.2% in the hypertensive group and 46.8% in the diabetic group. Overall, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of MetS between males (45%) and females (45.9%). The participants who had both hypertension and diabetes had the highest prevalence of MetS at 77.3%. Both males and females showed an increased trend in the prevalence of MetS and its components as they aged, except for WC in males (p < 0.01 for all cases). The 46–55 age group in males had a higher prevalence of MetS (68%), whereas the >55 age group in females had a prevalence of 73.9%. The most common component of MetS was low levels of HDL‐C, which affected over 80% of the studied sample. According to the logistic regression analyses, age, BMI, hypertension and diabetes were significantly associated with MetS in both genders. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of MetS in Bangladeshi adults. Several factors are significantly associated with the risk of MetS. It is crucial to consider the varying prevalence rates of MetS by age and gender as well as its different components while providing health guidance and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Southeast Asia, treatment is recommended for all patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). Adherence to the first-line regimen, twelve weeks of miltefosine (MF), is low and ocular toxicity has been observed with this exposure period. We assessed the safety and efficacy of two shorter-course treatments: liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) alone and combined with MF. Methodology/Principal findings: An open-label, phase II, randomized, parallel-arm, non-comparative trial was conducted in patients with parasitologically confirmed PKDL, 6 to ≤60 years. Patients were assigned to 20 mg/kg LAmB (total dose, in five injections over 15 days) alone or combined with allometric MF (3 weeks). The primary endpoint was definitive cure at 12 months, defined as complete resolution of papular and nodular lesions and >80% re-pigmentation of macular lesions. Definitive cure at 24 months was a secondary efficacy endpoint. 118/126 patients completed the trial. Definitive cure at 12 months was observed in 29% (18/63) patients receiving LAmB and 30% (19/63) receiving LAmB/MF (mITT), increasing to 58% and 66%, respectively, at 24 months. Most lesions had resolved/improved at 12 and 24 months for patients receiving LAmB (90%, 83%) and LAmB/MF (85%, 88%) by qualitative assessment. One death, unrelated to study drugs, was reported; no study drug-related serious adverse events were observed. The most frequent adverse drug reactions were MF-related vomiting and nausea, and LAmB-related hypokalaemia and infusion reactions. Most adverse events were mild; no ocular adverse events occurred. Conclusions/Significance: Both regimens are suitably safe and efficacious alternatives to long-course MF for PKDL in South Asia. Trial registration: CTRI/2017/04/008421. Author summary: Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a skin rash which can appear after successful treatment of visceral leishmaniasis caused by the parasite Leishmania donovani. Although not life-threatening for the patient, this condition can be associated with social stigma, and the sandfly that transmits the disease can become infected after feeding on patients with PKDL lesions. Therefore, all patients are treated to control visceral leishmaniasis within the Southeast Asia kala-azar elimination initiative. It is difficult to justify the use of existing treatments in patients who are otherwise generally well, since they are prolonged, potentially toxic, and expensive. We designed a trial at two sites in India and one in Bangladesh to assess the efficacy and safety of two treatment options for patients with PKDL: 20 mg/kg liposomal amphotericin B in monotherapy and 20 mg/kg liposomal amphotericin B in combination with three weeks of miltefosine. These two regimens were found to have a similar efficacy to the current first line treatment, but with a much shorter treatment duration, which also reduces the risk of side-effects and makes them particularly useful in the current context of elimination in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of arsenic (As) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain poses a significant health concern in Bangladesh. To address this, we investigated the efficacy of various organic amendments and phytoremediation techniques in reducing As buildup in O. sativa. We evaluated the impact of five doses of biochar (BC; BC0.1: 0.1%, BC0.28: 0.28%, BC0.55: 0.55%, BC0.82: 0.82% and BC1.0: 1.0%, w/w), vermicompost (VC; VC1.0: 1.0%, VC1.8: 1.8%, VC3.0: 3.0%, VC4.2: 4.2% and VC5.0: 5.0%, w/w), and floating duckweed (DW; DW100: 100, DW160: 160, DW250: 250, DW340: 340 and DW400: 400 g m− 2) on O. sativa cultivated in As-contaminated soil. Employing a three-factor five-level central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM), we optimized the application rates of BC-VC-DW. Our findings revealed that As contamination in the soil negatively impacted O. sativa growth. However, the addition of BC, VC, and DW significantly enhanced plant morphological parameters, SPAD value, and grain yield per pot. Notably, a combination of moderate BC-DW and high VC (BC0.55VC5DW250) increased grain yield by 44.4% compared to the control (BC0VC0DW0). As contamination increased root, straw, and grain As levels, and oxidative stress in O. sativa leaves. However, treatment BC0.82VC4.2DW340 significantly reduced grain As (G-As) by 56%, leaf hydrogen peroxide by 71%, and malondialdehyde by 50% compared to the control. Lower doses of BC-VC-DW (BC0.28VC1.8DW160) increased antioxidant enzyme activities, while moderate to high doses resulted in a decline in these activities. Bioconcentration and translocation factors below 1 indicated limited As uptake and translocation in plant tissues. Through RSM optimization, we determined that optimal doses of BC (0.76%), VC (4.62%), and DW (290.0 g m− 2) could maximize grain yield (32.96 g pot− 1, 44% higher than control) and minimize G-As content (0.189 mg kg− 1, 54% lower than control). These findings underscore effective strategies for enhancing yield and reducing As accumulation in grains from contaminated areas, thereby ensuring agricultural productivity, human health, and long-term sustainability. Overall, our study contributes to safer food production and improved public health in As-affected regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depletion in non-renewable energy sources and a fast-growing population in Bangladesh are exacerbating the already existing energy scarcity, highlighting the need for an efficient and robust renewable-energy supply chain. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the most optimized renewable-energy supply chain based on natural resource availability and government policies of Bangladesh. In the present study, four renewable energy resources, including solar, biomass, wind and hydropower, are studied and nine subcriteria are defined under four primary criteria for each supply chain. Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) are multicriteria decision-making approaches used in this study to compare and choose the best renewable-energy supply chain. The relative significance of four supply-chain criteria for primary renewable energy in this study, namely energy procurement, production, operations and maintenance costs, and social and environmental impact, is gathered via a survey. The results of this research, supported by a comprehensive sensitivity analysis, indicate that hydropower is the best renewable-energy supply chain, followed by wind as a compromise solution, biomass and solar. The study also demonstrates that no energy source can satisfy all supply-chain criteria alone; each resource is better for a specific criterion—solar is better for procurement, hydropower is significant for production and wind is remarkable for operations and social impact. Therefore, to maximize output, renewable energy sources must be integrated. From Bangladesh's perspective, for the first time, by using TOPSIS and VIKOR together, this study offers significant insights to establish an efficient and sustainable renewable-energy supply chain for practitioners, academics and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of English literature in fostering essential soft skills necessary for employability in the context of Bangladesh's educational system. This paper employs qualitative methods, including interviews with faculty members and senior students from tertiary-level colleges affiliated with the National University. The thematic analysis reveals that English literature contributes significantly to the development of communication, interpersonal, self-management, collaboration, emotional intelligence, time management, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, leadership, and creativity skills among students. The findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse pedagogical approaches, such as constructivist teaching, literature circles, and experiential learning, to effectively nurture these skills. The study recommends prioritizing soft skills training within the curriculum to enhance graduates' employability in the face of evolving job market demands, particularly amidst the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many students who are pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees are unable to effectively apply their learning to their daily lives and jobs. As a result, Bangladeshi graduates struggle with the country's high unemployment rate. As a result, it is essential to incorporate soft skills training into the curriculum to ensure how to put students' awareness of soft skills from English literature into practice in real-world situations. Twelve fundamental soft skills, including emotional intelligence, interpersonal, people management, self-management, collaboration, time management, decisionmaking, problem-solving, leadership, critical thinking, and creativity, were identified in addition to the identification of forty-nine subskills. To examine the median levels of awareness and practice of soft skills among English graduates, a paired sample t-test was utilized in this study. A regression and correlation analysis measured the relationship between soft skill awareness and practice. The study triangulated data using a students' survey (323), teachers' in-depth interviews (18), students' focus group discussion (9), and secondary literature. The results revealed that the awareness of soft skills among English graduates had a beneficial effect on their degree of practice. The results showed that by including soft skills training in the curriculum and establishing specific implementation instructions, the employability of English graduates would be maximized through awareness of soft skills. The results have significant implications for Bangladeshi educational policy and practice, and by improving graduates' employability, they help the country's economy thrive. Keywords: Employability, Soft Skills, Impact, Awareness, Practice, English Graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 32% of the sample was zero dose(ZD) or under-immunized(UI) in selected geo-pockets. • The prevalence of ZD/UI were high in urban slums (59%) and ' haors ' (wetland) (32%) • Having proper health documents of child emerged as a key driver of ZD/UI. In the era of Gavi's 5.0 vision of "leaving no one behind with immunization", childhood routine vaccination in missed communities is considered as a priority concern. Despite having a success story at the national level, low uptake of immunization is still persistent in selected pocket areas of Bangladesh. However, prevalence and the associated factors of zero-dose (ZD) and under-immunization (UI) are still unknown at those geo-pockets of Bangladesh. Thus, the study aims to report and identify the factors associated with ZD and UI in selected geographical locations. This study used data from a Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) survey where 504 households from 18 clusters of four hard to reach (HTR) and one urban slum were included. Caregivers of children aged 4.5 to 23 months were interviewed. Three outcome variables- ZD, UI and ZD/UI were considered and several related attributes were considered as independent variables. Data were analyzed through bivariate analysis, binary logistic regression and dominance analysis. Overall, 32% of the children were either ZD (8%) or UI (26%) in the selected areas. The adjusted odds of ZD/UI for urban slum and haor (wetlands) areas were 5.62 and 3.61 respectively considering coastal areas as reference. However, distance of nearest EPI center, availability of EPI card, age of caregivers, education and occupation of mother and number of earning members in household were influential factors for ZD/UI. According to dominance analysis, availability of EPI card can explain the most of the variation of ZD/UI in this study. The study findings highlight the high prevalence ZD/UI in certain geo-pockets of the country. It provided a powerful insight of current situation and associated factors in regards to ZD/UI in the country which will help policy-makers and programme managers in designing programmes to reduce missed communities in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrhoea is a global health problem. More than a quarter of diarrhoeal deaths occur among children less than five years. Different literatures analyzed presentation and outcomes of less than five diarrhoeal children. The world has made remarkable progress in reducing child mortality. So, older children are growing in number. Our aim was to identify clinical differentials and variations of pathogens among younger (less than five) and older (five to nine years) diarrhoeal children. Method: Data were extracted from the diarrhoeal disease surveillance system (DDSS) of Dhaka Hospital (urban site) and Matlab Hospital (rural site) of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh for the period of January 2012 to December 2021. Out of 28,781 and 12,499 surveillance patients in Dhaka and Matlab Hospital, 614 (2.13%) and 278 (2.22%) children were five to nine—years of age, respectively. Among under five children, 2456 from Dhaka hospital and 1112 from Matlab hospital were selected randomly for analysis (four times of five to nine years age children, 1:4). Results: Vomiting, abdominal pain, and dehydrating diarrhoea were significantly higher in older children in comparison to children of less than five years age (p-value <0.05) after adjusting study site, gender, antibiotic use before hospitalization, diarrhoeal duration < 24 hours, intake of oral rehydration fluid at home, parental education, WASH practice and history of cough. Vibrio. cholerae, Salmonella, and Shigella were the common fecal pathogen observed among older children compared to under five after adjusting for age, gender and study site. Conclusion: Although percentage of admitted diarrhoeal children with five to nine years is less than under five years children but they presented with critical illness with different diarrhoeal pathogens. These observations may help clinicians to formulate better case management strategies for children of five to nine years that may reduce morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroencephalogram (EEG) has emerged as the most favorable source for recognizing brain disorders like epileptic seizure (ES) using deep learning (DL) methods. This study investigated the well-performed EEG-based ES detection method by decomposing EEG signals. Specifically, empirical mode decomposition (EMD) decomposes EEG signals into six intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Three distinct features, namely, fluctuation index, variance, and ellipse area of the second order difference plot (SODP), were extracted from each of the IMFs. The feature values from all EEG channels were arranged in two composite feature forms: a 1D (i.e., unidimensional) form and a 2D image-like form. For ES recognition, the convolutional neural network (CNN), the most prominent DL model for 2D input, was considered for the 2D feature form, and a 1D version of CNN was employed for the 1D feature form. The experiment was conducted on a benchmark CHB-MIT dataset as well as a dataset prepared from the EEG signals of ES patients from Prince Hospital Khulna (PHK), Bangladesh. The 2D feature-based CNN model outperformed the other 1D feature-based models, showing an accuracy of 99.78% for CHB-MIT and 95.26% for PHK. Furthermore, the cross-dataset evaluations also showed favorable outcomes. Therefore, the proposed method with 2D composite feature form can be a promising ES detection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in commensal bacteria poses a serious public health burden worldwide. Commensals can disseminate the resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria causing life-threatening infections. This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance pattern and molecular mechanism(s) of ciprofloxacin resistance in commensal E. coli from three major one health components (humans, animals and the environment) in Bangladesh. Samples were randomly collected from broiler chickens, broiler farm environments and hospitalized human patients from the same geographical area. Isolation and identification of E. coli were performed following standard bacteriological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed by disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Mutation at the quinolone-resistance determining region (QRDR) was analyzed by sequencing. Of 450 samples, a total of 287 (63.8%; 95% CI 59.2–68.1%) E. coli strains was isolated, where 240 (83.6%; 95% CI 78.9–87.5%) strains were phenotypically resistant to ciprofloxacin. The prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli in broiler chicken, broiler farm environments and hospitalized human patients are 77.6%, 88.8% and 89% respectively. In AST against nine antimicrobials, all the isolates were found to be multidrug-resistant (MDR). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin was ranged from 4 to >128mg/L. Point mutations were detected in several sites of QRDR, specifically at 83 and 87 amino acid positions in gyrA gene, and 56, 57, 78, 80 and 84 amino acid positions in parC gene. Mutations resulted in amino acid substitutions. Phylogenetic analysis of gyrA and parC gene sequences showed a close relationship between the strains isolated from different sources. This study demonstrates a high prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance in commensal E. coli in humans, animals and environment interface and their genealogically similarity poses an alarming public health consequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination has been an indispensable step in controlling the coronavirus disease pandemic. In early 2021, Bangladesh launched a mass vaccination campaign to boost the COVID-19 vaccination rate when doses were available and immunized millions in the country. Although deemed a success, disparities became conspicuous in vaccination coverage across population of different socioeconomic background. Methods: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the vaccination coverage for three doses and detect disparities in uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among rural population of hard-to-reach areas and urban individuals belonging to the high-risk group -defined in our study as individuals from elusive population such as floating population/street dwellers, transgender, addicts and disabled population. We conducted household survey (n = 12,298) and survey with high risk group of people (2,520). The collected primary data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Our findings show that coverage for the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination was high among respondents from both rural Hard-to-reach (HTR) (92.9%) and non-HTR (94.6%) areas. However, the coverage for subsequent doses was observed to reduce significantly, especially for third dose (52.2% and 56.4% for HTR and non-HTR, respectively). Conclusion: Vaccination coverage among urbanites of high-risk group was found to be critically low. Vaccine hesitancy was also found to be high among individuals of this group. It is essential that the individuals of urban high-risk group be prioritized. Individuals from this group could be provided incentives (transport for disabled, monetary incentive to transgenders; food and medicine for drug user and floating people) and vaccination centers could be established with flexible schedule (morning/afternoon/evening sessions) so that they receive vaccine at their convenient time. Community engagement can be used for both high-risk group and rural population to enhance the COVID-19 vaccination coverage and lower disparities in uptake of the vaccine doses nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel models with nested errors are widely used in poverty estimation. An important application in this context is estimating the distribution of poverty as defined by the distribution of income within a set of domains that cover the population of interest. Since unit-level values of income are usually heteroskedastic, the standard homoskedasticity assumptions implicit in popular multilevel models may not be appropriate and can lead to bias, particularly when used to estimate domain-specific income distributions. This article addresses this problem when the income values in the population of interest can be characterized by a two-level mixed linear model with independent and identically distributed domain effects and with independent but not identically distributed individual effects. Estimation of poverty indicators that are functionals of domain-level income distributions is also addressed, and a nonparametric bootstrap procedure is used to estimate mean squared errors and confidence intervals. The proposed methodology is compared with the well-known World Bank poverty mapping methodology for this situation, using model-based simulation experiments as well as an empirical study based on Bangladesh poverty data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclones, one of the most extreme and destructive meteorological incidents, cause extensive damage to lives and livelihoods worldwide. This study utilized remotely sensed data along with multi-criteria decision-making, geospatial techniques, and major cyclonic events Aila, Amphan, and Yaas to identify the changes in the vulnerability of cyclone-induced floods in the 19 community development blocks of Indian Sundarbans in the years 2009–2010, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022 (the post-cyclonic timespan). The Sundarbans are a distinctive bioclimatic region located in a characteristic geographical setting along the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts. In this area, several cyclonic storms had an impact between 2009 and 2022. Using the variables NDVI, MNDWI, NDMI, NDBI, BSI, and NDTI, Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, Thermal Infrared Sensor, Resourcesat LISS-III, and AWiFS data were primarily utilized to map the cyclonic flood-effective zones in the research area. The findings indicated that the coastline, which was most impacted by tropical storms, has significant physical susceptibility to floods, as determined by the AHP-weighted overlay analysis. Significant positive relationships (p < 0.05, n = 19 administrative units) were observed between mangrove damage, NDFI, and physical flood susceptibility indicators. Mangrove damage increased with an increase in the flood index, and vice versa. To mitigate the consequences and impacts of the vulnerability of cyclonic events, subsequent flood occurrences, and mangrove damage in the Sundarbans, a ground-level implementation of disaster management plans proposed by the associated state government, integrated measures of cyclone forecasting, mangrove plantation, coastal conservation, flood preparedness, mitigation, and management by the Sundarban Development Board are appreciably recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 shock resulted in a large number of people becoming newly poor in Bangladesh, for whom recovery was slow and difficult. In response, BRAC implemented a nationwide program – credit, business planning support, and mentoring – targeting the economic recovery of the new poor. This paper estimates its impact using a mixed method and finds that the program had a significant positive effect on employment, income, and assets, indicating a faster economic recovery of program participants. The learnings from this program can have major policy implications for future disaster responses targeting livelihood recovery, specifically during the time-sensitive transitory phase from relief to long-term development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Presbyopia, the leading cause of vision impairment globally, is common during working years. However, no trials have assessed presbyopia's impact on income. Methods: In April 2017, we conducted a census among 59 Bangladesh villages to identify persons aged 35 to 65 years with presbyopia (presenting distance vision > = 6/12 bilaterally and correctable inability to see 6/13 at 40 cm with both eyes), who never had owned glasses. Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive immediate free reading glasses (intervention) or glasses delivered 8 months later (control). Visual demand of different jobs was stratified into three levels. Outcomes were between-group differences in the 8 month change in: self-reported monthly income (primary) and Near Vision Related Quality of Life (NVRQOL, secondary). Results: Among 10,884 census participants, 3,655 (33.6%) met vision criteria and 863 (23.6%) comprised a sample enriched for near vision-intensive jobs, but 39 (4.52%) could not be reached. All participants allocated to intervention (n = 423, 51.3%) and control (n = 401, 48.7%) received the appropriate intervention, and follow-up was available for 93.4% and 96.8% respectively. Groups were similar at baseline in all characteristics: mean age was 47 years, 50% were male, 35% literate, and about half engaged in "most near vision-intensive" occupations. Glasses wear at 8-month follow-up was 88.3% and 7.81% in intervention and control respectively. At baseline, both the intervention and control groups had a self-reported median monthly income of US$35.3. At endline, the median income for the intervention group was US$47.1 compared with US$35.3 for control, a difference of 33.4%. Predictors of greater income increase in multivariate models included intervention group allocation (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.12, 1.88, P = 0.005), male sex (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.84, 3.16, P <0.001), and not engaging in income-producing work at baseline (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.69, 3.26, P<0.001). Conclusion: Provision of reading glasses increases income in near vision-intensive occupations, and may facilitate return to work for those currently unemployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of abdominal obesity in the South Asian population. Methods: The nationally representative surveys including adults aged 18–69 years from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka were used, and 26,758 adults were included in the study. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference >90 centimeter (cm) in men and >80 cm in women. Logistic regression was conducted to find out the associated factors of abdominal obesity. Results: The overall prevalence of abdominal obesity ranged from 30.1% in Nepal to 53.3% in Afghanistan. Increased age, female gender, and overweight/obesity increased the odds of abdominal obesity in all five South Asian countries. Never smoking and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake had lower odds of abdominal obesity in certain countries, e.g., Sri Lanka (never smoking), Afghanistan and Bangladesh (insufficient fruit and vegetable intake). Conclusions: The high burden of abdominal obesity is a public health problem in South Asian countries. Health promotion programs should target high risk groups (i.e., the elderly population, female gender, and overweight/obese) in order to prevent and control the rising burden of abdominal obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic systems poses a great threat, as these tiny particles contaminate water, harm marine life, and may eventually enter the food chain, endangering ecosystems and human health. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of MPs in surface-level water samples taken from Chattogram Coastal Area of the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. A total of 20 water samples were collected from four sea beaches, spanning the period from September to December 2023. A total of 452 MPs were enumerated from the collected water samples, with 29% observed in Kattoli Beach, 26% in Patenga Beach, 24% in Anowara Beach, and 21% in Banshkhali Beach. MPs ranging from 1-5mm in size were identified as the most prevalent in the study areas. Anowara Beach exhibited a dominant composition of fibers (53%), Banshkhali Beach was characterized by particles (55%), and Patenga Beach and Kattoli Beach displayed a high abundance of fragments (65% and 56%, respectively). The abundance of MPs at Kattoli Beach was significantly high (p<0.05) compared to other beaches. The pollution load index ranged from 1.25-1.49 with the highest index values at Kattoli Beach. The results from this study could be applied as a guide to efficient environmental management for the long-term health of the beaches by reducing the degree of MP load from the coastal and marine ecosystems of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is a major public health concern in Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and practices of community members in Dhaka regarding community engagement and social participation for dengue prevention. Methods: A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted in Dhaka City from May 2022 to December 2022. The respondents were randomly selected. The association between community participation and prevention practices was tested using the χ2 test. Results: The findings of this study indicate that the majority of participants (92%) believed that community effort would be relied upon in the event of a dengue outbreak. Environmental cleaning campaigns were the preferred approach, and religious leaders viewed them positively. This study also revealed significant variations in knowledge levels, with those involved in community efforts and mass gatherings demonstrating greater knowledge. This study sheds light on the demographic factors that influence dengue knowledge and provides valuable insights into the development of targeted public health interventions. Conclusion: The study revealed negative perceptions and limited participation in dengue prevention among participants, with the majority demonstrating a poor understanding of preventive measures. While some showed positive attitudes towards community engagement, significant disparities existed in participation, highlighting the need for targeted educational campaigns and enhanced community mobilization efforts. Moreover, the importance of multisectoral collaboration is emphasized, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts among health departments, NGOs, religious institutions, and community leaders to effectively combat dengue transmission. Recommendations include ongoing educational initiatives, targeted interventions to promote community involvement, and fostering collaboration across sectors to strengthen dengue prevention efforts and to safeguard public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor glycemic control and high diabetes and prediabetes incidence are influenced by socioeconomic disparity. Raising awareness and ensuring that people with prediabetes are receiving medication, maintaining their glycemic control, and getting the proper care they need despite their socioeconomic situation are crucial in the fight against diabetes. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic status, self-awareness, and risk factors associated with prediabetes in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 500 participants aged >18 years to evaluate and summarize their demographic data, socioeconomic status, and responses to various questionnaires about their conditions related to prediabetes and their awareness of this condition. Results: Analysis of factors revealed that 41% and 39% of the participants had first- and second-degree relatives with diabetes, respectively. Meanwhile, 36% of the participants maintain physical activities, 30% prefer sweetened beverages, and 29% have high blood pressure. The participants were aware of different statements related to diabetes, such as how lifestyle modification and awareness can help people with prediabetes. Conclusions: This study provided insights into the underlying factors related to prediabetes and enabled us to identify the prediabetes conditions unknown to people in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic has especially impacted the urban population in Bangladesh. Studies on COVID-19 have primarily focused on the patient’s perspective. It is important to understand the experience of family members who adopt caregiving roles, as the experience of COVID-19 also impacts, and is impacted by, household members. This study aimed to explore the challenges, preventative practices, health-seeking behaviour, and perspectives of navigating the health care system from the perspective of family members of persons who had recovered from COVID-19 during its initial outbreak in Bangladesh. Methods: Participants of this qualitative study were family members (n = 7) of persons who had recovered from COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted over telephone. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Analysis revealed three key themes: changes in everyday practices and choice of health care, challenges and constraints, and unexpected positive outcomes. All the themes had temporal dimension to them with four distinct phases: early stage of COVID-19, strict lockdown phase, COVID-19 diagnosis and illness period and post COVID-19 recovery. Conclusion: The importance of maintaining social contact for psychological wellbeing during critical times was evident in the study. Online communication and social media enabled participants to remain ‘socially connected’ which further supported their mental health. Increased attention to hygiene practices both before, during and subsequent to COVID-19 infections within families was reported. Physical distancing in case of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case was found logistically and socially impractical in a densely populated city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine on the ways in which a company's sustainability reporting (SR) differs depending on the types of ownership it has, notably director ownership (DO), institutional ownership (IO), and foreign ownership (FO). This paper uses a sample of 145 firm-year observations from 29 listed banks in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) of Bangladesh from 2016 to 2020 and regression analysis to test the relationship between different ownership structures and SR. The study also employed the generalized method of moments (GMM) to deal with the endogeneity issue. The findings show that investors have varying perspectives on SR disclosure activity. The findings show that two stockholding patterns, DO and FO, significantly impact SR disclosure in Bangladesh but that there is no significant association between IO and SR disclosure. In constructing SR, this paper depends on only the quantity of disclosure, not the quality, and is solely based on the published annual report. The study findings also provide a comprehensive overview of the SR practice of Bangladeshi banks, which may be helpful to regulators, policymakers, management, creditors, and other stakeholders in making investment and economic decisions. To encourage SR commitment, the government may need to keep an eye on the ownership structure and implement policies that encourage foreign investment. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to look at how ownership structure influence SR practices in the banking industry of Bangladesh over five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic childhood undernutrition, known as stunting, is an important population health problem with short- and long-term adverse outcomes. Bangladesh has made strides to reduce chronic childhood undernutrition, yet progress is falling short of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals targets. This study estimates trends in age-specific chronic childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh's 64 districts during 1997–2018, using underlying direct estimates extracted from seven Demographic and Health Surveys in the development of small area time-series models. These models combine cross-sectional, temporal, and spatial data to predict in all districts in both survey and non-survey years. Nationally, there has been a steep decline in stunting from about three in five to one in three children. However, our results highlight significant inequalities in chronic undernutrition, with several districts experiencing less pronounced declines. These differences are more nuanced at the district-by-age level, with only districts in more socio-economically advantaged areas of Bangladesh consistently reporting declines in stunting across all age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a developing country with an agricultural economy as a pillar, Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change, so the generation of high-resolution temperature maps is of great value for Bangladesh to achieve agricultural sustainable development. However, Bangladesh's weak economy and sparse meteorological stations make it difficult to obtain such maps. In this study, by mining internal features and links inside observed data, we developed an efficient data-driven downscaling technique to generate high spatial-resolution temperature distribution maps of Bangladesh directly from observed temperature data at 34 meteorological stations with irregular distribution. Based on these high-resolution historical temperature maps, we further explored a data-driven forecast technique to generate high-resolution temperature maps of Bangladesh for the period 2025–2035. Since the proposed techniques are very low-cost and fully mine internal links inside irregular-distributed observations, they can support relevant departments of Bangladesh to formulate policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Elevated liver enzyme levels are suggested to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have explored the relationship between liver enzymes and myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to evaluate the potential association of elevated liver enzymes with MI within a population group in Bangladesh. Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, 348 participants were enrolled, 189 with MI in the CVD group and 159 in the control group. Serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT and GGT) and other biochemical parameters were measured using standard methods. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to determine the associations between elevated liver enzymes and CVD. Result: In the CVD group, 51.6%, 30.9% and 67.7% of individuals had elevated serum AST, ALT and GGT levels, respectively. On the contrary, the control group had 17.0%, 15.1% and 35.2% of individuals with high serum AST, ALT and GGT levels, respectively. Overall, 71.8% of the subjects in the CVD group and 44.7% of the subjects in the control group had at least one or more elevated liver enzymes (p < 0.001). The mean level of all three liver enzymes was significantly higher in the CVD group than in the control group (p < 0.001). In both the CVD and control groups, males had higher levels of liver enzymes than females. In the regression models, the serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT showed a positive and independent association with the prevalence of CVD (p < 0.001). However, GGT showed the strongest association among the three enzymes. Conclusions: This study shows a high prevalence of liver enzyme abnormalities in individuals with CVD. Serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT were independently associated with the prevalence of CVD. This suggests that measuring liver enzyme levels could be a useful marker in predicting CVD at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid intensification of poultry production raises important concerns about the associated risks of zoonotic infections. Here, we introduce EPINEST (EPIdemic NEtwork Simulation in poultry Transportation systems): an agent-based modelling framework designed to simulate pathogen transmission within realistic poultry production and distribution networks. We provide example applications to broiler production in Bangladesh, but the modular structure of the model allows for easy parameterization to suit specific countries and system configurations. Moreover, the framework enables the replication of a wide range of eco-epidemiological scenarios by incorporating diverse pathogen life-history traits, modes of transmission and interactions between multiple strains and/or pathogens. EPINEST was developed in the context of an interdisciplinary multi-centre study conducted in Bangladesh, India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, and will facilitate the investigation of the spreading patterns of various health hazards such as avian influenza, Campylobacter, Salmonella and antimicrobial resistance in these countries. Furthermore, this modelling framework holds potential for broader application in veterinary epidemiology and One Health research, extending its relevance beyond poultry to encompass other livestock species and disease systems. Author summary: Poultry meat is important for improving nutrition in developing countries. However, the rapid growth of poultry production raises concerns about the risks of diseases that can be passed from animals to humans and cause outbreaks. To understand and manage these risks, we developed EPINEST, an agent-based modelling framework that allows investigating how diseases can spread within the networks of poultry farms, markets and their associated transportation systems. EPINEST can be adjusted to match the way in which poultry are raised and traded in specific countries. It considers different traits of pathogens, how they are transmitted, and how different strains or pathogen types can interact. While EPINEST was primarily developed to simulate the transmission of zoonotic pathogens (namely avian influenza, Campylobacter, Salmonella and other bacteria carrying resistance genes) in poultry populations in South and Southeast Asia, this modelling framework can also be useful for studying the transmission of other pathogens in other livestock species. EPINEST will help understand how poultry farming and trading shape pathogen spread, maintenance and evolution, and support decision-making to make poultry production safer and more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]