Design and uses of green areas in urban environments on the basis of evaluations of people’s experience

In the era of rapid urbanization, we are facing a lot of challenges to maintain the natural balance of our living environment. Green space plays a vital role in keeping this natural balance; It is an essential element in urban planning. Thus, providing sustainable and effective green areas for users in an urban area is challenging for planners. This study investigates urban green spaces' design and how residents experience and use their nearby green areas; investigating the residents' experiences because they are the primary users and successful effective planning mainly depends on the users. Specifically, it explores the gap between planning and local needs (that has not been taken into consideration). The result can be used as a background for further development for planning strategy. To do this study, I have chosen the green areas of Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm. This area has been designed and developed to achieve certain specific 'environmental goals' laid down during its planning, and the main objective of this study is to investigate the overall operational goals and performance of green spaces of this area. For the research, a questionnaire survey has been done ( online survey and by post).To examine residents' experiences within the green areas ( five specific green areas ) "Meerci™" method has been applied. The results help to understand the green spaces' present condition and the lack of planning management for the green area. These findings help to provide a further guideline to develop the green areas of Hammarby Sjöstad, which will work as a green space strategic plan

Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soil Properties and the Growth, Yield and Quality of Tomato in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Field trials were conducted on tomato for yield and quality of fruits using different types of organic and inorganic fertilizers at the horticulture farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh. Fertilizer treatments were tested on two varieties of tomato ca. Roma VF and BARI 15. The fertilization treatments were T1, vermicompost (12 t/ha); T2, compost (10 t/ha); T3, integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS) or mixed fertilizers (organic 2/3 part and inorganic 1/3 part); T4, inorganic fertilizers; and a control (T5). Results showed growth and yield (20.8 t/ha) in tomato were higher in the IPNS treatment. A higher number of fruits per plant (73.7) and plant height (73.5 cm) were obtained from mixed fertilizers (organic 2/3 + inorganic 1/3) or IPNS (integrated plant nutrient system) in Roma VF than other treatments. Fruit yield and diameter were found statistically significant. No significant difference was observed in the quality (total soluble solids) of tomato fruits in both varieties’ response to the treatments. The electrical conductivity and pH of the soil were improved by the application of organic manure

Potential Impacts of Industrialization on Coastal Fresh Groundwater Resources in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is overly dependent on groundwater and the demand in the near future is expected to increase, as the country is experiencing rapid development and industrial growth. This study assesses the prospect and sustainability of groundwater in Mirsharai Upazila, Chattogram, where a large industrial area, namely ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN)’, is taking shape. The physical aquifer system was characterized and groundwater quality was mapped. There is one thick aquifer in the northernmost part of the upazila, which splits into three separate aquifers in the south. Water quality indexing suggests that the deep (>130 m) groundwater throughout upazila is good (n = 5) to excellent (n = 18), while the shallow groundwater is mostly poor to unsuitable for both drinking and irrigation purposes. Because of the close proximity to the sea and the presence of thick clays above the deep freshwater aquifer in the BSMSN area, heavy industrial abstraction poses a threat to the lateral intrusion of seawater and land subsidence. Even a small subsidence in the project area at only a couple of meters above sea level would jeopardize the entire project. This study recommends limiting the use of the deep fresh groundwater for the current population of the upazila

Machine Learning-Based Screening Solution for COVID-19 Cases Investigation: Socio-Demographic and Behavioral Factors Analysis and COVID-19 Detection

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented global crisis, releasing a wave of illness, mortality, and economic disarray of unparalleled proportions. Numerous societal and behavioral aspects have conspired to fuel the rampant spread of COVID-19 across the globe. These factors encompass densely populated areas, adherence to mask-wearing protocols, inadequate awareness levels, and various behavioral and social practices. Despite the extensive research surrounding COVID-19 detection, an unfortunate dearth of studies has emerged to meticulously evaluate the intricate interplay between socio-demographic and behavioral factors and the likelihood of COVID-19 infection. Thus, a comprehensive online-based cross-sectional survey was methodically orchestrated, amassing data from a substantial sample size of 500 respondents. The precisely designed survey questionnaire encompassed various variables encompassing socio-demographics, behaviors, and social factors. The Bivariate Pearson’s Chi-square association test was deftly employed to unravel the complex associations between the explanatory variables and COVID-19 infection. The feature importance approach was also introduced to discern the utmost critical features underpinning this infectious predicament. Four distinct Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, specifically Decision Tree, Random Forest, CatBoost, and XGBoost, were employed to accurately predict COVID-19 infection based on a comprehensive analysis of socio-demographic and behavioral factors. The performance of these models was rigorously assessed using a range of evaluation metrics, including accuracy, recall, precision, ROC-AUC score, and F1 score. Pearson’s Chi-square test revealed a statistically significant association between vaccination status and COVID-19 infection. The use of sanitizer and masks, the timing of infection, and the interval between the first and second vaccine doses were significantly correlated with the likelihood of contracting the COVID-19 virus. Among the ML models tested, the XGBoost classifier demonstrated the highest classification accuracy, achieving an impressive 97.6%. These findings provide valuable insights for individuals, communities, and policymakers to implement targeted strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ethnopharmacological Inspections of Organic Extract of Oroxylum indicum in Rat Models: A Promising Natural Gift

The stem bark of Oroxylum indicum (O. indicum) was aimed at testing for anti-inflammatory, antiulcerative, antihyperglycemic, and antidyslipidemic activities. Liver enzyme concentration (SGPT, SGOT) had also been assessed. After being extracted in organic solvent, 3 distinct doses, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg b.w. (p.o.), were used. For edema formation 0.1 ml carrageenan at a dose of 1% w/v was injected into paw of left hind. It showed a fall of edemas 37.50%, 48.34%, and 55.83% while used doses were 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg b.w. (p.o.) individually. The EtOH extract of O. indicum (50%) and its fractions PET, CLF, EtOAc, and nBUT were studied against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage. Only PET and n-BuOH exhibited the highest percentage of protection and were 96% and 99%, respectively, persuaded by ethanol. In OGTT glibenclamide revealed reduction of glucose level to 7.55 ± 0.22 mmol/L from 10.57 ± 0.32 mmol/L after 30 minutes. Antihyperglycemic activities were assessed for 8- and 12-week duration in diabetic rats. Glibenclamide reduced glucose level from 33.50±0.31 to 7.90±0.19 mmol/L in 12 weeks. In 12 and 8 weeks, combination therapy lowered blood glucose level to a normal extent by 79% and 61% individually. In antidyslipidemic activities after 12-week treatment, it revealed simvastatin; MEOI (400 mg/kg b.w.) and combination of both reduced TC level by 44%, 28%, and 48% consequently followed by TG and LDL. In 8-week treatment, HDL levels were increased by 34%, 13%, and 36%, and in 12 weeks increased by 36%, 8%, and 38% consequently. Liver enzyme concentration after 12 weeks of treatment with glibenclamide, 400 mg/kg b.w. (p.o.) of MEOI and combination of both, exhibited the fact that concentration of SGPT showed downturn by 43.23%, 8.01%, and 54.86% and SGOT by 42.40%, 5.31%, and 44.85%. This study remarked that O. indicum has anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antidiabetic, and antidyslipidemic potentials but has no ameliorative effect on liver enzyme

Undiagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcome in patients with acute MI and no COVID-19 symptoms

Objective We aimed to determine the prevalence and outcome of occult infection with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in patients presenting with myocardial infarction (MI) without COVID-19 symptoms.Methods We conducted an observational study from 28 June to 11 August 2020, enrolling patients admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, with ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) or non-ST-segment elevation MI who did not meet WHO criteria for suspected COVID-19. Samples were collected by nasopharyngeal swab to test for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. We followed up patients at 3 months (13 weeks) postadmission to record adverse cardiovascular outcomes: all-cause death, new MI, heart failure and new percutaneous coronary intervention or stent thrombosis. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results We enrolled 280 patients with MI, 79% male, mean age 54.5±11.8 years, 140 of whom were diagnosed with STEMI. We found 36 (13%) to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 1 with influenza. There was no significant difference between mortality rate observed among SARS-CoV-2 infected patients compared with non-infected (5 (14%) vs 26 (11%); p=0.564). A numerically shorter median time to a recurrent cardiovascular event was recorded among SARS-CoV-2 infected compared with non-infected patients (21 days, IQR: 8–46 vs 27 days, IQR: 7–44; p=0.378).Conclusion We found a substantial rate of occult SARS-CoV-2 infection in the studied cohort, suggesting SARS-CoV-2 may precipitate MI. Asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 admitted with MI may contribute to disease transmission and warrants widespread testing of hospital admissions

Exploring the role of natural bioactive molecules in genitourinary cancers: how far has research progressed?

Abstract The primary approaches to treat cancerous diseases include drug treatment, surgical procedures, biotherapy, and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has been the primary treatment for cancer for a long time, but its main drawback is that it kills cancerous cells along with healthy ones, leading to deadly adverse health effects. However, genitourinary cancer has become a concern in recent years as it is more common in middle-aged people. So, researchers are trying to find possible therapeutic options from natural small molecules due to the many drawbacks associated with chemotherapy and other radiation-based therapies. Plenty of research was conducted regarding genitourinary cancer to determine the promising role of natural small molecules. So, this review focused on natural small molecules along with their potential therapeutic targets in the case of genitourinary cancers such as prostate cancer, renal cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and so on. Also, this review states some ongoing or completed clinical evidence in this regard