Factors influencing the perception of stress among patients with chronic illnesses

The present study examined the influence of age, gender, education and monthly income on perceived stress of type-2 diabetes and coronary heart disease patients. The study was conducted on 100 chronic patients (50 diabetic and 50 coronary heart disease) selected randomly from six hospitals and clinics of Rajshahi city in Bangladesh. The age range of sample was 35 to 65 years (M=53.03, SD=8.597). All of the participants were out-patients. Perceived Stress Questionnaire (Keya, 2006) was used to assess the stress level. The t- test analyses revealed that female patients perceive high level of stress than male patients. Results of the analysis of variance revealed that the main effect of education on perceived stress was statistically significant, illiterate patients perceived high level of stress compare to primary, secondary, higher secondary and graduate group. Regression analysis revealed that demographic variables (age, gender and monthly income) explained 26.8 percent of the variance that highlighting contributions to patients’ perceived stress. The findings conclude that gender, monthly income and level of education have significant effects on patients’ perceived stress

Simulation of Traffic Flow Model with Traffic Controller Boundary

This paper considers a fluid dynamic traffic flow model appended with a closure linear velocity-density relationship which provides a first order hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) and is treated as an initial boundary value problem (IBVP). We consider the boundary value in such a way that one side of highway treat like there is a traffic controller at that point. We present the analytic solution of the traffic flow model as a Cauchy problem. A numerical simulation of the traffic flow model (IBVP) is performed based on a finite difference scheme for the model with two sided boundary conditions and a suitable numerical scheme for this is the Lax-Friedrichs scheme. Solution figure from our scheme indicates a desired result that amplitude and frequency of cars density and velocity reduces as time grows. Also at traffic controller point, velocity and density values change as desired manner. In further, we also want to introduce anisotropic behavior of cars(to get more realistic picture) which has not been considered here. Doi: 10.12777/ijse.5.1.25-30 [How to cite this article: Sultana, N., Parvin, M. , Sarker, R., Andallah, L.S. (2013). Simulation of Traffic Flow Model with Traffic Controller Boundary. International Journal of Science and Engineering, 5(1),25-30. Doi: 10.12777/ijse.5.1.25-30

Prevalence of co-morbid depression in out-patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh

Background Little is known about the prevalence of depression in people with diabetes in Bangladesh. This study examined the prevalence and factors associated with depression in out-patients with Type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. Methods In this cross-sectional study a random sample of 483 diabetes out-patients from three diabetes clinics in Bangladesh was invited to participate. Of them 417 patients took part. Depressive symptoms were measured using previously developed and culturally standardized Bengali and Sylheti versions of the World HealthOrganization-5 Well Being Index (WHO-5) and the Patient Health Questionairre-9 (PHQ-9) with predefined cut-off scores. Data was collected using two different modes; e.g. standard assisted collection and audio questionnaire methods. Associations between depression and patient characteristics were explored using regression analysis. Results The prevalence depressive symptoms was 34% (PHQ-9 score ≥ 5) and 36% (WHO-5 score < 52) with audio questionnaire delivery method. The prevalence rates were similar regardless of the type (PHQ-9 vs. WHO-5) and language (Sylheti vs. Bengali) of the questionnaires, and methods of delivery (standard assisted vs. audio methods). The significant predictors of depressive symptoms using either the PHQ-9 or WHO-5 questionnaires were; age, income, gender, treatment intensity, and co-morbid cardiovascular disease. Further, depression was strongly associated with poor glycaemic control and number of co-morbid conditions. Conclusions This study demonstrated that depression prevalence is common in out-patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. In a setting where recognition, screening and treatment levels remain low, health care providers need to focus their efforts on diagnosing, referring and effectively treating this important disease in order to improve service delivery

Natural language processing based advanced method of unnecessary video detection

In this study we have described the process of identifying unnecessary video using an advanced combined method of natural language processing and machine learning. The system also includes a framework that contains analytics databases and which helps to find statistical accuracy and can detect, accept or reject unnecessary and unethical video content. In our video detection system, we extract text data from video content in two steps, first from video to MPEG-1 audio layer 3 (MP3) and then from MP3 to WAV format. We have used the text part of natural language processing to analyze and prepare the data set. We use both Naive Bayes and logistic regression classification algorithms in this detection system to determine the best accuracy for our system. In our research, our video MP4 data has converted to plain text data using the python advance library function. This brief study discusses the identification of unauthorized, unsocial, unnecessary, unfinished, and malicious videos when using oral video record data. By analyzing our data sets through this advanced model, we can decide which videos should be accepted or rejected for the further actions

Increasing production diversity and diet quality through agriculture, gender, and nutrition linkages: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh

A growing body of evidence indicates that agricultural development programs can potentially improve production diversity and diet quality of poor rural households; however, less is known about which aspects of program design are effective in diverse contexts and feasible to implement at scale. We address this issue through an evaluation of the Agriculture, Gender, and Nutrition Linkages (ANGeL) project. ANGeL is a randomized controlled trial testing what combination of trainings focused on agricultural production, nutrition behavior change communication, and gender sensitization were most effective in improving production diversity and diet quality among rural farm households in Bangladesh. We find that trainings focused on agriculture improved production diversity in terms of greater production of fruits and vegetables grown on the homestead, eggs, dairy, and fish; adding trainings on nutrition and gender did not significantly change these impacts. Trainings focused on both agriculture and nutrition showed the largest impacts on diet quality, with evidence indicating that households in this arm also significantly increased consumption out of homestead production for fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy, and fish. Findings indicate that agricultural training that promotes production of diverse, high-value, nutrient-rich foods can increase production diversity, and this can improve diet quality, but diet quality impacts are larger when agricultural training is combined with nutrition training. Relative to treatments combining agriculture and nutrition training, we find no significant impact of adding the gender sensitization on our measures of production diversity or diet quality

A comprehensive situation assessment of injection practices in primary health care hospitals in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding injection practices is crucial for evidence-based development of intervention initiatives. This study explored the extent of injection use and injection safety practices in primary care hospitals in Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The methods used were - a retrospective audit of prescriptions (n = 4320), focus group discussions (six with 43 participants), in-depth interviews (n = 38) with a range service providers, and systematic observation of the activities of injection providers (n = 120), waste handlers (n = 48) and hospital facilities (n = 24). Quantitative and qualitative data were assessed with statistical and thematic analysis, respectively, and then combined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As many as 78% of our study sample (n = 4230) received an injection. The most commonly prescribed injections (n = 3354) including antibiotics (78.3%), IV fluids (38.6%), analgesics/pain killers (29.4%), vitamins (26.7%), and anti-histamines (18.5%). Further, 43.7% (n = 1145) of the prescribed antibiotics (n = 2626) were given to treat diarrhea and 42.3% (n = 600) of IV fluids (n = 1295) were used to manage general weakness conditions. Nearly one-third (29.8%; n = 36/120) of injection providers reported needle-stick injuries in the last 6 months with highest incidences in Rajshahi division followed by Dhaka division. Disposal of injection needles, syringes and other materials was not done properly in 83.5% (n = 20/24) of the facilities. Health providers' safety concerns were not addressed properly; only 23% (n = 28/120) of the health providers and 4.2% (n = 2/48) of the waste handlers were fully immunized against Hepatitis B virus. Moreover, 73% (n = 87/120) of the injection providers and 90% (n = 43/48) of the waste handlers were not trained in injection safety practices and infection prevention. Qualitative data further confirmed that both providers and patients preferred injections, believing that they provide quick relief. The doctors' perceived injection use as their prescribing norm that enabled them to prove their professional credibility and to remain popular in a competitive health care market. Additionally, persistent pressure from hospital administration to use up injections before their expiry dates also influenced doctors to prescribe injections regardless of actual indications.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>As far as the patients and providers' safety is concerned, this study demonstrated a need for further research exploring the dynamics of injection use and safety in Bangladesh. In a context where a high level of injection use and unsafe practices were reported, immediate prevention initiatives need to be operated through continued intervention efforts and health providers' training in primary care hospitals in Bangladesh.</p

Evaluation of Leea rubra Leaf Extract for Oxidative Damage Protection and Antitumor and Antimicrobial Potential

Background. The leaves of Leea rubra contain an abundance of phenolic constituents and have medicinal uses as antipyretic and diaphoretic agents and are also used in the treatment of stomach ache, rheumatism, arthritis etc. In spite of the traditional uses, data on the scientific evaluation of the plant are not sufficient. So, the present study was designed to evaluate the protective role of the extract against oxidative damage to DNA and human erythrocytes as well as antitumor and antibacterial activities against some resistant bacteria. Methods. The protective activity of the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of the extract was investigated by evaluating the inhibition of oxidative damage of pUC19 plasmid DNA as well as hemolysis and lipid peroxidation damage to human erythrocytes induced by 2,2′-azobis-2-amidinopropane (AAPH). Antitumor activity was assessed by evaluating the percentage inhibition of cell growth, morphological changes of Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells, and hematological parameters. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the disc diffusion method against different resistant microorganisms. Results. EAF effectively inhibited AAPH-induced oxidative damage to DNA because it can inhibit the transformation of the supercoiled form of plasmid DNA to open circular and further linear form. The oxidative hemolysis caused by AAPH in human erythrocytes was inhibited by EAF extract in a time-dependent manner, and the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly reduced, which indicates the prevention of lipid peroxidation. In antitumor assay, 76% growth of inhibition of EAC was observed compared with the control mice (p<0.05) at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against two pathogenic resistant microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and the highest antimicrobial activity was observed against Pseudomonas spp. Conclusion. EAF may have great importance in preventing oxidative damage to DNA, erythrocytes, and other cellular components as well as can be a good candidate in cancer chemotherapy and treating infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Satisfaction prediction of online education in COVID-19 situation using data mining techniques: Bangladesh perspective

This research focuses on the education-based online learning platform. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, online education is gaining global popularity. It has shown how successful it is in investigating the quality of online education at the COVID-19 pandemic situation by 799 students from different academic institutions, schools, colleges, and universities. A Google web form has been utilized as the data gathering mechanism for this survey. This paper perused the prediction of online education through data mining and machine learning approaches in an online program. The data was collected through online questionnaires. To predict online education's satisfaction rate, four different types of classifiers are used e.g., logistic regression classifiers, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, naive Bayes classifiers. The key purpose of this research is to find out an answer to a question which is, "are the student's satisfied with starting the new online teaching system, or will it be an ambivalent effect for students in the future?"

GERIATRIC HEALTH PROBLEMS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY OF BANGLADESH

This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in some rural communities of Sreepur Thana during the month of April 2007. The study population included those aged 50 years or more and residing in the study areas. A total of 226 respondents were selected purposively and were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The objective of this study was to assess their socio economic condition and identify their health problems. The mean age of the respondents was found to be 62 years. Mean family size and monthly family income was estimated to be 5.31 and Taka 5857.52 respectively. More than half (64.2%) of the respondents were illiterate. Fifty eight percent of them were unemployed and 67.3% were found to be dependent on their family members. Most of them (65.5%) were found to be suffering from joint pains. Some cardio-respiratory problems like palpitation, dyspnea and chest pain was found to be significantly higher among the female respondents (p<0.03). ECG was done on 22 of them. Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 22.7% and ischemic heart disease in 27.27% of them. Systolic hypertension was significantly higher in the females (p<0.01). Majority of the respondents (64.5%) were found to have a normal fasting blood sugar level. Symptoms of prostatic enlargement like frequency, urgency, hesitation and post void dribbling of urine was respectively found to be present among 15.9, 62.8, 10.7 and 24.8% of the male respondents. In 11.4% of the female respondents, urinary dribbling was found. The mean age of menopause was estimated to be 48.46 years. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2007; 1(2): 17-2

Nutritional status, hypertension, proteinuria and glycosuria amongst the women of rural Bangladesh

Methods and materials – A rural community was purposively selected in Sreepur thana of which four villages were selected randomly. The total population of all age groups was 14,165 and the eligible reproductive aged females were 3,820 based on age between 15 and 45 years. Sample size was estimated at 573 (15%) of the eligible participants depending on the availability of time and logistic support. The study design was to use a questionnaire related to age, education, family income, housing and sanitation. Height (ht), weight (wt) and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Urine protein was estimated. Clinical examinations noted the presence of anemia, jaundice, edema, ring-worm, scabies, goiter, xerophthalmia and gum bleeding. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated to determine their obesity or wasting. Results – Overall, 501 volunteered and the response rate was 87.4%. Of these participants, 30.3% were illiterate. Almost all of them had supply of tube-well water and 68% had sanitary latrines. Their mean (±SD) age was 30.2 (±2.9)y, wt was 46 (±8.5)kg, ht was 149 (±5)cm and BMI was 20.5 (±3.5). The poor women had significantly lower BMI than the rich [20.0 (2.93) vs. 21.2 (4.1), (p<0.05)]. Their mean (±SD) systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 116 (±17) and 73 (±12) mmHg, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension, proteinuria and glycosuria were 16.6, 10.4 and 2.6%, respectively. The frequencies of proteinuria and ring-worm were significantly higher among the poor than among the rich social class (both cases p<0.05). Regarding nutritional deficiency, about half of the rural women (52%) had some form of signs relating to Vit-A deficiency and 65% had signs of Vit-B complex deficiency either in the form of glossitis or of angular stomatitis or both. Conclusions – Despite time and logistic constraint, the study revealed that most of the rural women had a poor nutritional status (80% had BMI<23.0). The prevalence of hypertension and glycosuria were also not negligible. Vitamin deficiency disorders (xerophthalmia), gum-bleeding, angular stomatitis were also very high among them. The study also revealed that the poor social class had a significantly lower BMI, higher proteinuria and higher skin problems than their rich counterparts. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2008; 2(1): 21-2