Modeling Apartment Purchase Intention Using The Extended Theory Of Planned Behavior In Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Understanding the factors that influence apartment purchase intention is crucial for real estate companies. This research aimed to identify these factors and their impact on buyers' intentions. To achieve this, a quantitative approach using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed. To identify the relevant factors, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on a sample of 236 participants in first survey. After revising the questionnaire based on the EFA results, new data were collected from 304 samples in second survey for better result in CFA. The study, rooted in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), considered elements such as perceived physical quality and access to money. These factors, identified through a literature review, were incorporated to a sample size of 304 complete questionnaires. SPSS and SmartPLS 4 software facilitated data analysis. The findings indicated positive effects of independent variables (attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, perceived physical quality, and access to money) on apartment purchase intention. The moderation analysis revealed no significant moderating effect of access to money. This study contributes valuable insights by introducing two predictors, perceived physical quality and access to money, to the TPB model in the context of apartment purchases in Dhaka City, Bangladesh's real estate industry

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COST AND BENEFITS BETWEEN RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS: CAPITALIZING ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT FOR STRATEGIC OPTIMIZATION

This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of renewable and non-renewable energy projects, focusing on their economic, environmental, and operational dimensions. Through a mixed-method approach, including in-depth interviews with industry experts and policymakers, the research highlights the distinct challenges and benefits associated with each energy source. The findings reveal that while renewable energy projects require higher initial capital investments, they offer substantial long-term advantages, including significantly reduced operational costs and lower environmental impacts, making them increasingly attractive in the face of advancing technologies and growing regulatory pressures. In contrast, non-renewable energy projects, although benefiting from established infrastructure and lower upfront costs, are burdened by rising fuel prices, operational inefficiencies, and environmental liabilities. The study underscores the critical role of engineering management in optimizing project outcomes, demonstrating that innovative and adaptive management practices are essential for maximizing the value and sustainability of energy investments. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and investors as they make strategic decisions in an increasingly complex and shifting global energy landscape

OPTIMIZING HVAC EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY: A REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

This study presents a comprehensive review of strategies to optimize HVAC systems in commercial and industrial buildings, focusing on enhancing energy efficiency, system reliability, and environmental sustainability. HVAC systems are major energy consumers, contributing significantly to operational costs in large buildings. With increasing energy costs, regulatory pressures, and the push for sustainability, technological advancements and management strategies have emerged to improve HVAC performance. Following PRISMA guidelines, this review analyzed 58 high-quality peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023. Key findings show that energy management systems (EMS) can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%, while Building Management Systems (BMS) enhance system reliability through centralized control and predictive maintenance. The adoption of eco-friendly refrigerants and energy-efficient designs, such as heat recovery and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technologies, further lowers energy usage and environmental impact. Additionally, integrating renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal into HVAC systems can reduce energy consumption by as much as 40%. Green building certifications, such as LEED and BREEAM, drive the adoption of optimized HVAC technologies, delivering both environmental and financial benefits. This review underscores the crucial role of HVAC optimization in reducing energy consumption, lowering carbon footprints, and improving the operational performance of buildings, offering valuable insights for building managers, engineers, and policymakers

Frequency of nodal metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Moreover, within thyroid cancer, differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is the most common variety, with the incidence rising over the past decade. Often, most of the cases present with multicentric disease and presenting with lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. Nodal metastasis has prognostic importance, and it may guide surgeons regarding further management. Considering this scientific fact, the study was performed to see the frequency of lymph node metastasis in DTC among the patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of otolaryngology and head-neck surgery, Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, for 9 months after the acceptance of the protocol. A total of 50 patients (in all age groups) who attended the relevant department due to thyroid malignancies were approached and interviewed. Thorough history taking, physical examination, and relevant investigation were done and recorded into separate case record forms. Informed written consent was taken from each subject. Following collection, data were coded and inputted into statistical software. Data analysis was done with SPSS 21 according to the objective of the study. Data were presented in the form of tables, and charts. Results: Among the 50 patients, the mean age of the patients was 47.86±15.69 SD (years) with minimum and maximum ages of 14 and 78 years respectively. The male-female ratio was 1:4 (20% male vs 80% female). Papillary carcinoma was the most frequent (88%) followed by follicular (10%). Nodal metastasis was most common in the papillary variety, about 54.55% of cases, whereas 20% were present in the follicular variety. The majority of the patients underwent total thyroidectomy with neck dissection (90%) and the remaining cases were managed by lobectomy (10%). Conclusions: This study concluded that nodal metastasis was present in 54.55% of cases of papillary carcinoma.

Assessing socio-economic patterns and trends of livelihoods of fisher’s community of the Old Brahmaputra River: A case study in Jamalpur, Bangladesh

The current study was assessed the socio-economic patterns and trends of livelihoods of the Old Brahmaputra River fisher's community in the Jamalpur district from July 2021 to June 2022. The livelihood status was analyzed regarding age distribution, family size and composition, religion, marital status, education levels, living standards, diseases, healthcare, electricity, sanitation, drinking water facilities, fishing, and employment status. Most fishermen (45.76%) were 35-50 years old, with 91.53% were Muslim. The average family size for a fisher was medium, with 5-7 members. 33.9% were illiterate, 37.29% could only sign, 20.34% finished primary school, and 8.47% completed SSC. Most fishermen had tin roofs 59.32%, straw roofs 22.03%, semi-paka houses 11.87%, and paka houses 6.78%. Approximately 45.76% of fishers relied on village doctors, 33.9% on the Upazila Health Complex, 8.47% on Kobiraj, and 11.87% on MBBS doctors. Approximately 93.22% of fishermen's homes were equipped with electricity. Fishing was the main activity for more than 57.63% of the fishers. Fishermen have suggested specific management strategies to halt the trend of decreasing fish catches and increasing fish production. These include restricting the use of harmful gear, prohibiting the catching of juvenile fish, creating fish sanctuaries, and releasing fish fry

Evaluation of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies in porcine alveolar macrophages in response to LPS and LTA

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To obtain reliable quantitative real-time PCR data, normalization relative to stable housekeeping genes (HKGs) is required. However, in practice, expression levels of 'typical' housekeeping genes have been found to vary between tissues and under different experimental conditions. To date, validation studies of reference genes in pigs are relatively rare and have never been performed in porcine alveolar macrophages (AMs). In this study, expression stability of putative housekeeping genes were identified in the porcine AMs in response to the stimulation with two pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA). Three different algorithms (geNorm, Normfinder and BestKeeper) were applied to assess the stability of HKGs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mRNA expression stability of nine commonly used reference genes (<it>B2M, BLM, GAPDH, HPRT1, PPIA, RPL4, SDHA, TBP </it>and <it>YWHAZ</it>) was determined by qRT-PCR in AMs that were stimulated by LPS and LTA <it>in vitro</it>. mRNA expression levels of all genes were found to be affected by the type of stimulation and duration of the stimulation (<it>P </it>< 0.0001). geNorm software revealed that <it>SDHA, B2M </it>and <it>RPL4 </it>showed a high expression stability in the irrespective to the stimulation group, while <it>SDHA, YWHAZ </it>and <it>RPL4 </it>showed high stability in non-stimulated control group. In all cases, <it>GAPDH </it>showed the least stability in geNorm. NormFinder revealed that <it>SDHA </it>was the most stable gene in all the groups. Moreover, geNorm software suggested that the geometric mean of the three most stable genes would be the suitable combination for accurate normalization of gene expression study.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There was discrepancy in the ranking order of reference genes obtained by different analysing algorithms. In conclusion, the geometric mean of the <it>SDHA, YWHAZ </it>and <it>RPL4 </it>seemed to be the most appropriate combination of HKGs for accurate normalization of gene expression data in porcine AMs without knowing the type of bacterial pathogenic status of the animals.</p

Efficacy of per operative use of powdered vancomycin in reduction of early post-operative superficial surgical site infection in single level prolapsed lumber intervertebral disc surgery

Background: Decompression (fenestration and discectomy) of lumber disc herniation is one of the most common surgical procedures done by neurosurgeons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of per operative use of powdered vancomycin in reduction of early post-operative superficial surgical site infection in single level prolapsed lumber intervertebral disc surgery. Methods: This was a Quasi-experimental type of study carried out in the Department of Neurosurgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from October 2022 to September 2023. Results: In this study, the mean age was 42.2±10.5 years, ranging from 20 to 60 years. The highest incidence of prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc (PLID) was in the vancomycin group among patients aged 41-60, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1. Most PLID cases (59.4%) occurred at the L4/5 level. Out of 32 patients, only four (no vancomycin group) had an ESR above 75 mm/hr. On the 30th postoperative day, significantly increased CRP levels and signs of infection were observed. Among those with purulent discharge, 50% had Staphylococcus aureus, 25% had Staphylococcus epidermidis, and 25% showed no pathogen growth. Conclusions: In this study, we found that there is a significant effect of topical application of powdered vancomycin in addition to systemic antibiotic prophylaxis over the subcutaneous tissue following fenestration and discectomy in single level prolapsed lumber intervertebral disc and reduction in the incidence of superficial surgical site infection

Volumetric Properties of Binary Mixtures of 2-Ethoxyethanol and 2-Butoxyethanol with 1,4-Dioxane

Densities, r, of 2-Ethoxyethanol (EGMEE) + 1,4-Dioxane (DXN) and  2-Butoxyethanol (EGMBE) + 1,4-Dioxane (DXN) systems have been measured in the whole range of composition at an interval of 5 K ranging from 303.15 to 323.15 K. Excess molar volumes, , partial molar volumes, , thermal expansivities,a, and excess thermal expansivities, aE, have been estimated from the experimental values of ρ. All of the derived properties have been fitted to appropriate polynomials. Values of   and aE were fitted to the Redlich-Kister polynomial equation and their variations with composition and temperature have been discussed in terms of molecular interaction in the mixtures. Values of  and aE were all positive and were attributed due to specific interactions

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec