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Background: Fractures of the distal tibia have historically proved difficult to treat. The distal tibia is less deeply covered by muscle and has a poorer blood supply. Therefore, problems are possible during the surgical treatment. We hope to evaluate the outcomes of LCP with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) for the fixation of distal tibial fractures. Materials and Methods: A Multicentered based quasi-experimental prospective study was performed in 250 Beded District Hospital, Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, from January 2020 to December 2022. A Total Twenty-one patients were prospectively analyzed. Included were AO types 43A, 43B, and 43C. There were 21 patients (14 men and 7 women, with a mean age of 51). Results: The Mean time to union duration was 11 months (range, 3-35). There was a high perceived result for 17 fractures. The union of one patient was delayed. Nonunion, in one case, necessitated revision surgery, but the fracture healed with a satisfactory good functional outcome. Two patients had minor infections at the wound's surface, but their fractures subsequently healed. Conclusion: The MIPO procedure for the distal tibia has proven effective and offers many benefits over more traditional approaches. Stiffness and contracture can be avoided by early mobility without the potential of subsequent displacement.

Background: Advanced age is associated with the physiologic process of aging and decreased functional reserve of organs. These patients are often frail and have several comorbid conditions. The physiological changes in the aging cardiovascular system affect the arterial and venous vasculature, myocardium, and autonomic nervous system, making the older person more prone to cardiovascular instability. In addition to the physiological changes, the cardiovascular status of the older person tends to be compromised by associated pathological conditions that are more common with increasing age. This study aimed to analyze cardiovascular challenges in geriatric anesthesia after induction of GA. Material Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the Department of Anesthesia, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study was carried out from April 2016 to September 2016. A total of 60 subjects were selected as per inclusion criteria. Subjects were divided into 2 groups to compare the parameters among the non-elderly and elderly respondents, Group A (age ≤60 years) and Group B (age >60 years). Statistical analysis of the results was obtained by using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS-17) software. Results: In this study, 30 (50%) patients belonged to group A with ≤60 years of age and 30 (50%) patients belonged to group B with >60 years of age. Among the respondents 20 were male and 10 were female in group A, and 23 were male and 7 were female in group B. Regarding pre-existing cardiovascular co-morbid conditions, most patients (5, 16.67%) suffered from hypertension, followed by atherosclerosis (2, 6.67%) and 1 patient (3.33%) had cardiac arrhythmias in group A. Most of the patients (7, 23.33%) suffered from hypertension followed by congestive heart failure (6, 20.0%), 5 patients (16.67%) had atherosclerosis, 5 patients (16.67%) had coronary artery disease, 4 patients (13.33%) went through cardiac arrhythmias and the rest 3 (10.0%) patients suffered from aortic stenosis. The mean difference of SBP between the groups 20 minutes before and after induction of general anesthesia showed a statistically significant difference at 5,10,15 and 20th-minute follow-ups. (P=

This study aims to evaluate, critically and rigorously the weak-form market efficiency and forecasting power of technical analysis in different industries in the London Stock Exchange. Weekly data were collected from the FTSE-all share index, FTSE-350 general industrial index and twenty companies of four different industries, for the period between 1997 and 2017. Bai-Perron’s multiple breaks test was applied to diagnose plain data period for the purpose of forecasting. The statistical inference was made from the application of the runs test, variance ratio tests, Ljung-Box’s test and ADF-unit root test that the market is not weak-form efficient and stock prices are predictable. This study extends the current literature by considering the existence of weak-form inefficiency in different industrial sectors. The findings do not support for weak-form efficiency over the periods tested from the application of the ARIMA and GARCH (1, 1) models and double and triple exponential smoothing techniques

Background: Balance anesthesia as an alternative to general anesthesia because it is a less expensive, simpler procedure that is beneficial to our developing countries. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of balanced anesthesia vs general anesthesia for upper abdominal surgery. Method: This comparative study was carried out at tertiary medical hospital from June 22021 to June 2022. Where After obtaining written informed consent, a total 200 patients of ASA grading I & II selected for abdominal surgery randomly. These patients are divided two groups either by balanced anesthesia, n=100 or by general anesthesia, n=100. The patients were visited on the day before surgery for pre anesthetic cheek up. Results: During the study, majority were belonging to 41-50 years age group, 65%.In balanced anesthesia, ASA grading I and II both case 50% were noted followed by total anesthesia duration was 50 minutes – 110Minutes, operation time was 40 minutes – 100 minutes, 6-10 days was hospital duration. Whereas in general anesthesia group, ASA grading I was 75% and 25% II were noted followed by total anesthesia duration was 60 minutes – 130 Minutes, operation time was 50 minutes – 130 minutes, 8-12 days was hospital duration.In balanced anesthesia was less and delayed than general anesthesia. Respiratory pattern and consciousness not satisfactory 10% patient of general anesthesia. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, patients' consciousness and pain management capacity are better in patients undergoing upper abdominal procedures under balanced anesthesia than in patients undergoing general anesthesia in the post-operative manner.

Background: The spinal anesthesia in a lower segment cesarean section continues to provide a challenge to the anesthetist in the form of either severe hypotension caused by a big bupivacaine dose or insufficient appropriate anesthesia level conditions caused by a little bupivacaine dose. Objective: In this study our main goal is to evaluate the efficacy of low dose of 0.5% Bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia during lower segment cesarean section. Method: This cross sectional comparative study was carried out at tertiary medical College from January 2021 to January 2021. Where a total of 100 pregnant women were included in the study? Patients, who agreed to the study, were randomized divided into two groups: Group A patients who received an intrathecal injection of 3 mL of bupivacaine 0.5%, n=50 and Group B patients who received an intrathecal injection of 2.5 mL of bupivacaine 0.5%, n=50. The method of randomization was by coin tossing. Results: During the study, majority were belonging to 26-33 years age group, 60% and 70% were multiparous. The satisfactory surgical sensory level was achieved in all cases in both groups with the following distribution. However, Only 19% cases in Group A were indicated to have ephedrine, whereas 89% in Group B were indicated to support their blood pressure with ephedrine. There were no differences between the two groups regarding the fluid intake (894 ± 126mL) in Group A versus 720 ± 212 mL in Group C with P > 0.05). Neonatal Apgar score was 9 in the first 1 min and increased to 10 at 5 min. In addition, group A nausea and vomiting cases seen in 19% cases whereas in group B it was 23%. Conclusion: We can say that, unlike low dose, a large dose of hyperbaric bupivacaine in the spinal anesthetic for a lower segment cesarean section will result in excellent surgical circumstances with little hypotension. Further study is needed for better outcome.

Background: In Bangladesh, severe preeclamptic toxemia and eclampsia are life-threatening conditions in pregnancy that are the leading cause of perinatal maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Objective: in this study our main aim is to evaluate the efficacy of the Spinal Anesthesia during Emergency Cesarean Section for Severe Preeclampsia and Eclampsia Patients. Method: This cross sectional study was carried out at tertiary medical hospital from January 2021 to January 2022. Total 200 cases of severe PET (n=110) and eclampsia (n=100) patients were selected by subarachnoid block for emergency LUCS. Each patient was given magsulph as prophylactic or maintenance dose and judiciously preloaded by crystalloid fluid. Results: Most of the patients belong to 31-40 years age group, 52% and 95.8% cases were multigravida. In severe PET group, intraoperative hypotension was observed in 32% cases and postoperative period hypotension was observed in 8% cases. Whereas preeclampsia group, intraoperative hypotension was observed in 31% cases and postoperative period hypotension was observed in 9% cases. In addition,maternal morbidity where acute renal failure seen in 5%, syndrome 7%, DIC 7%, abruptio placentae 12%, pulmonary edema 4%, septicemia 13%, PPH 10% and postpartum eclampsia 15%.In severe PET group, 21% cases transferred to eclampsia ward, followed by 9% shifted to ICU, 1% case was expired. Whereas, in preeclampsia group 20% cases transferred to eclampsia ward, followed by 8% shifted to ICU, 2% case was expired. In eclamptic group 7% cases were transferred to NCU, whereas 8% had PET. Neonatal mortality was observed in 3% cases. p value was found 0.000 which is very highly significant. Conclusion: With close monitoring of perioperative events, spinal anesthesia may be used as a safe alternative technique to GA or epidural in severe preeclampsia and eclampsia, even in cases of altered consciousness or restlessness in the presence of an expert and skilled anesthesiologist, reducing perioperative maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality

Background: The impact of anesthesia-based pain services has not been assessed in an efficient method. Anesthesia-based pain services are facilitating developments in the quality of care of surgical patients. Developed and directing institution-wide perioperative analgesia programs that include interdisciplinary collaborations. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate postoperative pain management is improved by anesthesia-based pain management. Methods: This prospective single center study utilized a standardized approach to evaluate the quality of pain care provided to patients who were and who were not cared for by an anesthesia-based pain service. A total of 50 patients were evaluated using a standardized survey that consisted of a medical record review and a patient interview. Patients who received pain service care reported significantly lower pain intensity scores; had lower levels of pain in the postoperative period; had a lower incidence of pruritus, sedation, and nausea; and experienced significantly less pain than expected. Data was expressed as mean with standard deviation (Mean±SD). Collected Data were statically analyzed applying chi-square test using SPSS-24. P value of

This study aimed to estimate arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) content in tubewell water (n = 58) in primary educational institutions and subsequently assess the health risks to school-going children. Results described that the As concentration ranged between 0.002 and 0.994 mg L−1 with an average value of 0.044 mg L−1; which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline value of 0.01 mg L−1. Similarly, the Fe content varied from 0.05 to 10 mg L−1 averaging to 2.84 mg L−1. Samples of 55.17% contained a greater As concentration than 0.01 mg L−1 and 18.97% greater than Bangladesh drinking water quality (BDWQ) standard of 0.05 mg L−1, respectively. Meanwhile, 75.86% of samples contained a higher Fe concentration than the maximum Bangladesh permissible limit of 1 mg L−1. Health risk assessment indicated that girls are more vulnerable than boys are. The average hazard quotients (HQs) for As intake through drinking water were 6.01 ± 17.85 and 7.41 ± 22.03 for boys and girls, respectively, implying non-carcinogenic health risks to both genders. The HQs for Fe intake were less than threshold value of 1 indicating no health issues may arise from Fe intake alone. However, consumption of As and Fe may trigger health risks to students as indicated by the hazard index (HI), which was higher than 1. The average cancer risk (CR) values for both boys (0.0027 ± 0.008) and girls (0.0033 ± 0.0099) exceeded the threshold limit of 10–6–10–4, suggesting a possibility of lifetime cancer risks to the school-going children. Consequently, school authorities should find alternative ways to ensure safe drinking water for school-going children to avoid possible cancer and non-cancer health risks through consumption of As-poisoning water.

Water pollution by contaminants such as toxic metals and dyes is now a major concern due to their high toxicity and persistence in the environment. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the use of micro/nanomaterials to treat and purify water in various industries. In this study, Bijoypur clay was modified with ethyldiamine and incorporated into an okra fiber (Abelmoschus esculentus) micro-cellulose crystal (MCC) to produce a composite that could absorb copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and dyes like basic yellow (II) from industrial wastewater. Composites were prepared using different percentages of MCC and clay. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to determine the concentrations of Cu and Ni whereas a UV–Visible spectrophotometer measured the absorbance of basic yellow (II). The synthesized composites were extensively characterized using a range of techniques including thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results show that both the MCC and clay could absorb Cu, Ni, and basic yellow (II) from the contaminated wastewater. The MCC and clay composite showed the maximum efficiency of metals removal, which was up to 95% (24 mg/g) for Cu at pH 6, 20 min contact time, 2 g/L adsorbent dose, and 100% (31 mg/g) for Ni at pH 8, 60 min contact time, and 2 g/L adsorbent dose, respectively, at the initial concentration of 50 mg/L. The maximum dye uptake capacity of 85% (19 mg/g) was observed by the MCC and clay composite under optimized conditions at the initial concentration of 50 mg/L, pH 8, 30 min contact time, and 1 g/L adsorbent dose compared to the pure clay, which had an efficiency up to 26% for Cu and 24% for dye removal. All of the results indicate that incorporating clay into MCC increases the absorption capacity of contaminants from wastewater, which could be more effective for environmental applications compared to untreated cellulose.

Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has an unpredicted effect on global society. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of COVID-19 on rural people’s access to health care in Northern Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based design was used. Data were collected from four different districts in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions using the multistage sampling technique. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. SPSS version 25 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Among 639 respondents, 59.5% were female, and 40.5% were male. The mean age was 34.3 years (SD ±10). The family income ceiling was reduced to -15.6% for incomes between $10,000 and $20,000, and -12.7% for incomes between $20,000 and $30,000. Because 38.2% of respondents’ income was reduced during COVID-19, they now fall into the income category of ≤10,000 Bangladeshi Taka. Due to a lack of transportation, 41.7% of respondents never sought medical attention. During the COVID-19 period, respondents reported physical illness (24.4%), severe stress problems/mental illness (39.2%), and either injuries or urgent health problems (3.8%).The percentage of respondents who did not seek medical attention because they were afraid of becoming infected with COVID-19 was 30.3%. The majority of respondents, 67.3% (n=188), stated that they were unable to locate any maternal and child health care institutions. Conclusion and Implications for Translation: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant disruption in the delivery of essential health services.To address future COVID-19 outbreaks and similar pandemics, the government and private sector must work together, as well as global collaboration. Copyright © 2023 Rahman, et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Background: Anesthesia is quite remarkable and attenuation of pressor response is one of the most keenly researched subjects in the field of anaesthesiology, the reason being the non-availability of a ‘procedure/drug of choice’ for the same. Patients with arterial hypertension generally exhibit excessive pressor response to stress such as laryngoscopy, intubation, surgical incision and extubation, which can lead to arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia and cerebrovascular accidents. Exchange extubation with LMA Supreme can be used to overcome or blunt the excessive pressor response following extubation. Objective: To compare the hemodynamic changes during traditional awake extubation and extubation using LMA supreme in controlled hypertensive patients. Methods: The prospective study was carried out in the department of Anaesthesiology, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, Gazipur, Bangladesh from January to December-2021. Fifty (50) patients were randomized by permuted blocks into two groups. After complete pre- anesthetic check-up and investigations. Controlled hypertensive patients with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grade II, between the age of 17 and 65 years, undergoing elective, non-oral surgery were included in the group. Hemodynamic stress response between traditional awake extubation of the endotracheal tube (ETT) and that following exchange extubation of ETT by using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA Supreme) in terms of Post Extubation Heart Rate (H.R), Systolic Blood Pressure (S.B.P), Diastolic Blood Pressure (D.B.P), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), to determine whether this method is easy to perform, the amount of experience needed to perform the exchange well and to calculate the time delay in extubation caused by adopting this method. Results: There was highly significant increase in pulse rate in Group A (ETT Group) as compare to LMA SupremeTM group, which was statistically significant till 15min. of extubation. Statistically ...........

The Jamalganj coalfield with the coal deposits of the Permian Gondwana Group in the halfgraben basin was discovered in Joypurhat District, Northwestern Bangladesh, sometime in 1962. Individual coalbed thickness ranges from 0.60 m to 42 m and seams were encountered between the depth ranges of 640 m and 1158 m. Since mining has not yet begun due to the greater depth of the coal seams, several researchers have proposed a Coalbed Methane (CBM) exploration in this region. This research focuses on the permeability of the Jamalganj coal derived from the in-situ Injection Falloff Test (IFT), which is an important reservoir parameter and one of the key factors in CBM exploration and Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). In addition to that, the relationship of temperature and skin factor with permeability is one of the key findings of this research, permeability obtained from the IFT ranges from 2.57 to 121.16 mD while the skin factor ranges from - 6.11 to 50.85 and a higher temperature gradient as of about 4°C per 100 m depths was observed. The study shows that temperature has an inverse relationship with the permeability that decreases with depth and temperature increases, which is analogous with the other CBM producing reservoirs around the world. The negative skin factor denotes flow enhancement near the wellbore and a well-stimulated reservoir, and the positive skin factor indicates increased flow resistance near the wellbore, which reduces permeability. The permeability data suggest that the analyzed coal seams of the Jamalganj Coalfield are suitable for unconventional gas production by either CBM or UCG development. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Centennial Special Volume June 2022: 103-112

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity and adds significantly financial burden to patient and their family on healthcare. The incidence of gastric cancer continues to increase in Bangladesh; therefore there is unmet need of promising treatment modalities. Objective: To investigate the survival of patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery with epidural combined with general anesthesia (EGA) and general anesthesia alone (GA). Methods: A retrospectively observation study was carried out at the Dept. of Anesthesia, National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH), Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh from June 2021 March 2022. 451 patients with gastric cancer who were scheduled for radical resection. Propensity score matching was performed at a 1:1 ratio between GA (n=75) and EGA (n=75) to reduce selection bias. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors significantly correlated with recurrence and/or metastasis and prognosis. The 3-year overall survival rates of patients receiving EGA and GA alone were compared. Results: After the propensity scores were matched, there were 75 patients who underwent EGA and 75 patients who underwent GA. For the entire population, reconstruction type, pN stage, and complications were significantly correlated with prognosis based on multivariate analyses. For patients with a recurrence and/or metastasis, lymphadenectomy and pN stage were shown to be independent prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. Conclusions: In summary, patients might benefit from EGA as a result of better analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, fewer postoperative complications, higher safety, and a lower rate of metastasis and recurrence is conducive to postoperative recovery in patients with gastric cancer.

The prevalence of heavy metals in frequently consumed vegetables constitutes a considerable public health hazard. This study aims to determine the quantity of heavy metals in widely consumed watercress (WC), alligator weed (AW), red amaranth (RA), spinach (SP), cauliflower (CF), and eggplant (EP) cultivated in industrial areas (e.g., Narsingdi district) of Bangladesh to assess the potential health hazards. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) served to determine the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in vegetable samples (n = 72). The contents of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni were found in most of the analyzed vegetables, whereas 79.17%, 44.44%, and 1.39% samples exceeded the FAO/WHO maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for Pb, Cd, and Ni, respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of single heavy metal was below the corresponding maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI). The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values of Cd in all samples exceeded the threshold limit (ILCR 10

Hatiya is the second largest island of Bangladesh and is situated near the Meghna River estuary in the central coastal zone of Bangladesh. This island hosts a few scenic beaches with a huge deposit of mineral sands. Representative mineral sand samples from various beaches of this island were collected during the year 2019, and analyzed for different mineralogical contents using state-of-the-art techniques, such as WD-XRF, XRD, SEM and EDX. This study determined various mineralogical contents, such as SiO2 (73.58%), micas (40.30%), Al2O3 (12.13%), TiO2 (0.56%), MgO (1.31%), Fe2O3 (4.71%), K2O (3.1%), Na2O (1.92%), CaO (3.16%), some earth metals, and heavy minerals, such as ilmenite (14.77%), garnet (11.02%), rutile (14.94%), magnetite (15.26%), and zircon (13.63%), were identified in the analyzed samples. It is suggested that the studied sand can be utilized as a raw material in the glass industry, due to its high SiO2 content. The approximate prices of heavy and light minerals, such as garnet (USD 75–USD 210/mt), ilmenite (USD 110/mt), magnetite (USD 84/mt), rutile (USD 840/mt), zircon (USD 1050/mt) and micas (USD 109/mt), some oxides such as K2O (USD 350–400/mt), CaO (USD 350–450/mt), Al2O3 (USD 1000-USD 1300/mt), TiO2 (USD 4000–4500/mt), and Fe2O3 (USD 650–1500/mt), and some other heavy metals (Rb, Th, Ba, V, Cr, Cs, Ni and Co), indicates a great economic value of the sand of the Hatiya Island beaches. This study recommends that Hatiya Island’s minerals should be mined responsibly and used effectively, to enhance the nation’s economy.

Safe drinking water is directly linked to good human health. An excessive amount of manganese (Mn) in drinking water supplies causes people show symptoms of neurotoxicity. In this study, the level of Mn in potable water sourced from tube wells located in 9 (nine) districts of Bangladesh was monitored. In total 170 (one hundred and seventy) water samples were collected and Mn was quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The levels of Mn found in the tube well water samples of Sirajganj, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Magura, Faridpur, Jashore, Satkhira, and Khulna were 0.37–1.86, 0.10–4.11, 0.30–0.76, 0.26–0.94, 0.01–0.18, 0.21–1.78, 0.08–1.23, 0.05–0.27 and 0.01–2.11 mg/L, respectively. Results revealed that Mn level was beyond the highest contaminated levels of 0.1 mg/L and 0.4 mg/L, which are recommended by Bangladesh Drinking Standard (BDS) and World Health Organization (WHO), respectively. The maximum Mn contaminated level reached up to 4.11 mg/L (mean: 0.53 mg/L). The Mn level in tube well water exceeded 51.1% and 75.9% set by the recommended value of WHO and BDS, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated hazard quotient (HQ) value for Mn was observed to be greater than unity, indicating both children and adults risked potential non-carcinogenic health issues. The water supply authorities should take steps to provide Mn-free drinking water for communities.

Bangladesh (a low-income country) has a significant number of people dependent on alms for daily survival. These people, who we address as extremely impoverished people (EIP) are deprived of even basic healthcare. Their extreme levels of poverty, coupled with low literacy skills, and complete lack of access to technology means that they are unaware of existing low-cost/free healthcare services (as arranged by local hospitals) available for EIPs. In this paper, we address this gap by means of a carefully-crafted solution, Dakter Bari (a term in Bengali that translates to "Doctor's Home'' in English), that is contextually tailored to enable healthcare access to impoverished people. Extracting critical insights from our field study with (N=70) EIPs, we create a pathway for availing lower-cost healthcare solutions using intermediaries for information dissemination. These intermediaries are small businesses that impoverished people visit often. We also conduct field studies with (N=71) intermediary partners and (N=10) hospitals to identify challenges and realities of such intermediary-based solutions. Based on our findings, we design, iteratively develop, deploy, and user-test our system in real cases and collect feedback from related stakeholders. Preliminary analysis on usage of our system (deployed at intermediaries) revealed 255 healthcare requests made by EIPs via our system in six months. We connect our finding to the broader interests of CSCW around contextualized intermediation, inclusive healthcare, and sustainability of deployed systems.

Antimony (Sb) is increasingly being recognized as an important contaminant due to its various industrial applications and mining operations. Environmental remediation approaches for Sb are still lacking, as is the understanding of Sb environmental chemistry. In this study, biosolid biochar (BSBC) was produced and utilized to remove antimonate (Sb(V)) from aqueous solution. Zirconium (Zr), Zirconium-iron (Zr–Fe) and Fe–O coated BSBC were synthesized for enhancing Sb(V) sorption capacities of BSBC. The combined results of specific surface area, FTIR, SEM–EDS, TEM–EDS, and XPS confirmed that Zr and/or Zr–Fe were successfully coated onto BSBC. The effects of reaction time, pH, initial Sb(V) concentration, adsorbate doses, ionic strength, temperature, and the influence of major competitive co-existing anions and cations on the adsorption of Sb(V) were investigated. The maximum sorption capacity of Zr–O, Zr–Fe, Zr–FeCl3, Fe–O, and FeCl3 coated BSBC were 66.67, 98.04, 85.47, 39.68, and 31.54 mg/g respectively under acidic conditions. The XPS results revealed redox transformation of Sb(V) species to Sb(III) occurred under oxic conditions, demonstrating the biochar’s ability to behave as an electron shuttle during sorption. The sorption study suggests that Zr–O and Zr–O–Fe coated BSBC could perform as favourable adsorbents for mitigating Sb(V) contaminated waters.

This study reports the strain-dependent efficiency of the InGaN-based multi-junction solar cell (MJSC) for the first time. The route of strain in MJSC is identified to be the results of dissimilar lattice constants between layers of sub-cell grown epitaxially with bandgap stepping. Utilising multi-layered strain model, the state of strain and its magnitude is evaluated for three types of MJSC structures referred to as MJSC-1, MJSC-2, and MJSC-3. It is found that the MJSC position-dependent strain is strongly dependent on the sub-cell thickness as well as on the number of sub-cells. Employing the MJSC position-dependent strain in combination with deformation potentials, strain-induced energy bandgap is calculated when imposed under tensile strain condition. Finally, the strain-dependent efficiencies of different MJSC structures are estimated and obtained to be lower with that of reported with strain effects over sighted. The loss of efficiency is identified to be due to the open circuit voltage which decreases under tensile strain condition. Among the MJSC structures studied here, MJSC-3 with 7-layers is less efficient and its efficiency decreases up to 3.01% when strain effect is taken into consideration.

Rock dust disposal is a concern in a hard rock mining site which results from blasting operation during mining. Significant amount of rock dust is generated during mining which causes dusting problem as well. In this work, Rock dust was used with red clay to produce ceramic tiles. XRF analysis revealed the existence of more than 60 wt.% SiO2 in red clay and more than 50 wt.% SiO2 in rock dust. Pressed ceramic bodies having different amount (10–30 wt.%) of rock dust were sintered at 1050 °C, 1100 °C and 1150 °C. Different properties were measured for ceramics samples such as water absorption, porosity, mechanical strength, linear shrinkage and bulk density. Lowering of porosity (1.88–10.17%) and water absorption (1.1–6.03%) were found with 10–30 wt.% rock dust addition. Above 50 MPa of compressive strength was found, which is satisfactory for producing ceramic tiles. Microstructures of ceramics samples studied by FESEM provided effective information on structure-property relationships. Maximum quantities of rock dust waste were utilized, in reducing environmental pollution and establishing it as a raw material for ceramics industries.

For all living organisms on the planet Earth, safe drinking water is essential. Throughout the world, millions of people such as those in Bangladesh utilize ground water sources like deep tubewells or shallow tubewells as sources for safe drinking water. In this study, drinking water supplies for people in rural communities are investigated in one arsenic-contaminated area, Narail Sadar, Bangladesh, for the purpose of ensuring safe potable water. Trace metals, namely arsenic, iron, manganese, cadmium, zinc and lead in the water of deep (n = 22) and shallow (n = 27) tubewells, were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer following APHA standard analytical methods. The examined parameters of water samples regarding the deep tubewell were found to have the following ranges: arsenic 2–145 µg/L; iron 80–6710 µg/L; manganese 8–80 µg/L; cadmium 1–8 µg/L; zinc 3–433 µg/L; and lead below the detection limit of 6 µg/L. In the shallow tubewell, the statistics were: arsenic 2–321 µg/L; iron 110–8670 µg/L; manganese 8–620 µg/L; cadmium 2–9 µg/L; zinc 3–81 µg/L; and lead below the detection limit of 6 µg/L. Drinking water quality of Narail Sadar does not satisfy the guidelines published by the World Health Organization or the government standards in Bangladesh. Deep tubewell water is comparatively less contaminated by arsenic and other trace metals than the shallow tubewell water, a finding based on the hazard quotient, carcinogenic risk and water quality index. Regular consumption of arsenic-contaminated water may accelerate chronic arsenic-related toxicity and subsequently endanger people’s health.

Drought is a stochastic climatic phenomenon that has detrimental and widespread effects that spread throughout the local community, the global economy, and ecological environments. Consideration of wet and dry periods' calculations through various drought indices has extensive consequences for better understanding and monitoring drought intensities over considering periods. As a high chance of implausibility could occur in predicting drought events, trend detection during wet and dry periods could play a vital role in assessing future events and providing a necessary equitable understanding of the events' variability. Although these event trend lines are statistically independent, they could be found to have a significant correlation in time lags. With the help of historical meteorological data (1980–2018) over Bangladesh, three drought monitoring indices were used to monitor wet and dry periods in this study, including SPI, PNPI, and ZSI. Besides, to detect the trend of wet and dry periods in time series, the Mann-Kendall nonparametric test has been used. The results reveal that, through the Mann-Kendall test, the trend of wet and dry periods was negative in the majority of total stations. A total of eight stations among thirty selected stations showing increasing and decreasing trends were significant at the 95% confidence level, respectively. Serial correlation was used for better understanding and detecting non-randomness in rainfall data and drought indices, and it was found that rainfall and drought indices were dependent on small serial correlation lags. Moreover, a significant correlation was found on lag-1 coefficient values, which justified the preceding claim. The Theil-Sen slope estimator remarkably captured the changes in trend lines.