28 research outputs found
COVID-19 Prevention: Role of Activated Carbon
Recently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought the whole world into a pandemic condition, where the number of infected cases and deaths is exponentially high. A number of vaccines are available for this novel virus, but these are in the preliminary stage and are also not available to everyone. As the virus is very contagious, protection and prevention are the best way to survive and get rid of this disease. The virus affects the human body by entering through the nose, mouth, and eyes, so face protection with an appropriate mask is highly advisable. Combined masks made with activated carbon (AC) can effectively adsorb the virus because of its high surface area and broad functional groups. Such combined masks can also control coronavirus transmission by capturing harmful gases and smoke as they help in decreasing the spread of the viru
Analysis on Preparation, Application, and Recycling of Activated Carbon to Aid in COVID-19 Protection
Activated carbon (AC) is an extremely porous carbonaceous adsorptive substance which has a rigid carbon matrix with high surface area and broad functional groups. The structure is connected by chemical bonds; arranged irregularly, generating a highly porous arrangement of corners, crevices, claps, and cracks between the carbon layers. Activated carbons are produced high-temperature and chemical activation of waste biomass. The pores in the lattice network of activated carbon permit the removal of impurities from gaseous and liquid medium through adsorption. At present, the COVID-19 disease is the prime concern around the whole world because of its exponential infections and death rate. There is no medicine for this virus, and protection is the only remedy to survive from this contagious disease. Using a face mask is one of the best methods to get rid of COVID-19. The mask combined with activated carbon can be beneficial for adsorbing and disinfecting the virus as it is the versatile adsorbent for the elimination of the organic, inorganic, and pathogenic contaminants
Prevalence, Clinical Predictors, and Outcome of Hypocalcaemia in Severely-malnourished Underfive Children Admitted to an Urban Hospital in Bangladesh: A Case-Control Study
Hypocalcaemia is common in severely-malnourished children and is often
associated with fatal outcome. There is very limited information on the
clinical predicting factors of hypocalcaemia in hospitalized severely-
malnourished under-five children. Our objective was to evaluate the
prevalence, clinical predicting factors, and outcome of hypocalcaemia
in such children. In this case-control study, all severely-malnourished
under-five children (n=333) admitted to the Longer Stay Ward (LSW),
High Dependency Unit (HDU), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Dhaka
Hospital of icddr,b between April 2011 and April 2012, who also had
their total serum calcium estimated, were enrolled. Those who presented
with hypocalcaemia (serum calcium <2.12 mmol/L) constituted the
cases (n=87), and those admitted without hypocalcaemia (n=246)
constituted the control group in our analysis. The prevalence of
hypocalcaemia among severelymalnourished under-five children was 26%
(87/333). The fatality rate among cases was significantly higher than
that in the controls (17% vs 5%; p<0.001). Using logistic regression
analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, such as vomiting,
abdominal distension, and diastolic hypotension, we identified acute
watery diarrhoea (AWD) (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.08-4.43, p=0.030), convulsion
on admission (OR 21.86, 95% CI 2.57-185.86, p=0.005), and lethargy (OR
2.70, 95% CI 1.633-5.46, p=0.006) as independent predictors of
hypocalcaemia in severely-malnourished children. It is concluded,
severely-malnourished children presenting with hypocalcaemia have an
increased risk of death than those without hypocalcaemia. AWD,
convulsion, and lethargy assessed on admission to hospital are the
clinical predictors of hypocalcaemia in such children. Presence of
these features in hospitalized children with severe acute malnutrition
(SAM) should alert clinicians about the possibility of hypocalcaemia
and may help undertake potential preventive measures, such as calcium
supplementation, in addition to other aspects of management of such
children, especially in the resource-poor settings
Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Severely-malnourished or HIV-infected Children with Pneumonia: A Review
Presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) as acute pneumonia in
severely-malnourished and HIVpositive children has received very little
attention, although this is very important in the management of
pneumonia in children living in communities where TB is highly endemic.
Our aim was to identify confirmed TB in children with acute pneumonia
and HIV infection and/or severe acute malnutrition (SAM)
(weight-for-length/height or weight-for-age z score <-3 of the WHO
median, or presence of nutritional oedema). We conducted a literature
search, using PubMed and Web of Science in April 2013 for the period
from January 1974 through April 2013. We included only those studies
that reported confirmed TB identified by acid fast bacilli (AFB)
through smear microscopy, or by culture-positive specimens from
children with acute pneumonia and SAM and/or HIV infection. The
specimens were collected either from induced sputum (IS), or gastric
lavage (GL), or broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL), or percutaneous lung
aspirates (LA). Pneumonia was defined as the radiological evidence of
lobar or patchy consolidation and/or clinical evidence of severe/ very
severe pneumonia according to the WHO criteria of acute respiratory
infection. A total of 17 studies met our search criteria but 6 were
relevant for our review. Eleven studies were excluded as those did not
assess the HIV status of the children or specify the nutritional status
of the children with acute pneumonia and TB. We identified only 747
under-five children from the six relevant studies that determined a
tubercular aetiology of acute pneumonia in children with SAM and/or
positive HIV status. Three studies were reported from South Africa and
one each from the Gambia, Ethiopia, and Thailand where 610, 90, 35, and
12 children were enrolled and 64 (10%), 23 (26%), 5 (14%), and 1 (8%)
children were identified with active TB respectively, with a total of
93 (12%) children with active TB. Among 610 HIV-infected children in
three studies from South Africa and 137 SAM children from other
studies, 64 (10%) and 29 (21%) isolates of M. tuberculosis were
identified respectively. Children from South Africa were infected with
HIV without specification of their nutritional status whereas children
from other countries had SAM but without indication of their HIV
status. Our review of the existing data suggests that pulmonary
tuberculosis may be more common than it is generally suspected in
children with acute pneumonia and SAM, or HIV infection. Because of the
scarcity of data, there is an urgent need to investigate PTB as one of
the potential aetiologies of acute pneumonia in these children in a
carefully-conducted larger study, especially outside Africa
Conductive textiles for signal sensing and technical applications
Conductive textiles have found notable applications as electrodes and sensors capable of detecting biosignals like the electrocardiogram (ECG), electrogastrogram (EGG), electroencephalogram (EEG), and electromyogram (EMG), etc; other applications include electromagnetic shielding, supercapacitors, and soft robotics. There are several classes of materials that impart conductivity, including polymers, metals, and non-metals. The most significant materials are Polypyrrole (PPy), Polyaniline (PANI), Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), carbon, and metallic nanoparticles. The processes of making conductive textiles include various deposition methods, polymerization, coating, and printing. The parameters, such as conductivity and electromagnetic shielding, are prerequisites that set the benchmark for the performance of conductive textile materials. This review paper focuses on the raw materials that are used for conductive textiles, various approaches that impart conductivity, the fabrication of conductive materials, testing methods of electrical parameters, and key technical applications, challenges, and future potential
Prevalence and associated risk factors of general and abdominal obesity in rural and urban women in Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND:Obesity is a major public health concern worldwide including Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of general and abdominal obesity in rural and urban women in Bangladesh. METHODS:A total of 450 adult women aged ≥ 18 years were recruited from rural (n = 210) and urban (n = 240) areas of four administrative regions (Chattagram, Dhaka and Rajshahi and Sylhet) of Bangladesh. Both socio-demographic and anthropometric data were recorded in this study. WHO proposed cut-off values were used for the Asian population for defining general and abdominal obesity. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the risk factors of general and abdominal obesity for Bangladeshi women. RESULTS:Overall, the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was 28% and 49%, respectively. Urban women had a significantly higher prevalence of both general and abdominal obesity (30.9% and 58.6%, respectively) than in the rural women (26.6% and 38.1%, respectively) (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). As region comparison, the prevalence of general obesity was higher in the Dhaka region (39.3%) compared to the Chattragram (23.3%), Rajshahi (23.9%) and Sylhet (3.5%) regions. On the other hand, abdominal obesity was more frequent among participants in Sylhet (72.4%) and Dhaka regions (61.5%), compared to the Chattagram (27.4%) and Rajshahi (37.3%) regions. A wide variation has been observed on the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in the different age groups of the four regions. In regression analysis, a high socioeconomic status (ref: low socioeconomic level), low education level (ref: higher education), low physical activity (ref: adequate physical activity) and middle age (ref: ≥ 30 years of age) were significant risk factors for general and abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS:The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was higher among participants living in urban areas. Physical inactivity, middle age, high socioeconomic status and low education level were associated with the increased prevalence of general and abdominal obesity. Such a high prevalence of general and abdominal obesity is a health concern for Bangladeshi women; therefore, public awareness and effective health intervention strategies are needed to address these conditions
Psychological disorders among college going students: A post Covid-19 insight from Bangladesh
The COVID-19 pandemic has been found to result in adverse effects on both the physical and mental well-being of individuals. The adolescent population emerged as one of the most susceptible cohorts affected by the ongoing pandemic. They experienced significant adversity due to various mental health conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the present prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and internet addiction among college-going students in Bangladesh following the post-COVID period. The study involved a cohort of 7667 students. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the levels of depression, anxiety, and internet addiction among college-going adolescents. The assessment utilized the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scales. The data was analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Participants averaged 15.3 years old and 64.3 % female. 63 % of students fulfilled the criterion for internet addiction, 37 % did not, 75 % met depression criteria, 25 % did not, and 60 % met anxiety requirements. Girls were more depressed and anxious than boys. Boys were more internet-addicted than girls. Social media usage from COVID-19, daily exercise, online courses, and financial concerns throughout the pandemic affected participants' mental health. Still, the students were suffering from internet addiction, depression, and anxiety after COVID-19. Early identification and intervention may lessen these difficulties' influence on adolescents' academic and personal lives. Colleges may provide mental health services, encourage healthy lives, and educate on mental health
Effect of Tilt Angle on Pure Mixed Convection Flow in Trapezoidal Cavities Filled with Water-Al2O3 Nanofluid
The prevalence of general obesity, abdominal obesity, and hypertension and its related risk factors among young adult students in Bangladesh
Abstract Hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and related mortality worldwide. The presence of general and abdominal obesity in hypertensive individuals increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality. However, evidence on the burden of obesity and hypertension and associated factors are lacking or limited among young adult students in Bangladesh. This study measured the prevalence and factors associated with general and abdominal obesity and hypertension among university students in Bangladesh. In this study, a total of 1011 students (647 males and 364 females) were enrolled on nine public universities in eight divisional regions of Bangladesh. Data were collected on socio‐demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle in a questionnaire form. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of general obesity, abdominal obesity and hypertension with different factors. The prevalence of general obesity, abdominal obesity and hypertension was 8.3%, 20.7%, and 10.2%, respectively. The females had a higher prevalence of general obesity (8.8%) and abdominal obesity (26.3%) compared to the males (8.0% and 17.7%, respectively). However, a higher prevalence of hypertension was observed in males (12.2%) than in the female (6.1%) patients. In regression analysis, age showed a significant association with general obesity, whereas, age and female sex were significantly associated with abdominal obesity. The analysis also identified the male sex and high BMI as the increased risk factors for hypertension. Our study suggests a comprehensive screening program and campaigns to increase awareness about obesity and hypertension and its risk factors among young adults in Bangladesh
Predictors of Death in Under-Five Children with Sepsis Attending an Urban Diarrheal Treatment Centre in Bangladesh
SETTING: Special Care Ward (SCW) of the Dhaka Hospital of icddr,b, Bangladesh. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and laboratory predictors of death in under-five children with clinically defined sepsis presenting with diarrhea. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled all the diarrheal children (n = 151) aged 0 to 59 months with clinical sepsis admitted in the SCW during September’2007 through December’2007. Comparison was made between deaths (n = 23) and survivors (n = 128). Sepsis is defined as presence of inflammation [abnormal WBC count (>11 × 109/L or