Characterization on Specific Wear Rate of Al Composite Reinforced with nano-Al2O3 Using Taguchi’s Technique

The aim of the investigation was to study and predict wear properties of nano Al2O3 reinforced Al composite fabricated by a two-step stir casting method. A pin-on-disc wear device was used to study the wear characteristics. An L9 Orthogonal array was selected as per Taguchi's method to analyze the results and ANOVA was used to examine the impact of applied force, sliding speed, and duration on specific wear rates with "smaller the better" as selection criteria. As per the investigation, applied load significantly influences the particular specific wear rate. Sliding duration is the second most important factor, whereas sliding speed is the factor that has the lowest impact on a given specific wear rate. We created a regression equation with R2 and adj R2 of 99.85% and 99.76% respectively that can estimate the specific wear rate of nano Al2O3 reinforced Al composite. An apple-to-apple comparison between experimental and projected values was built using two confirmation tests, and it revealed an inaccuracy of 2.1% and 6.6%, using a scanning electron microscope. The worn-out surface of the samples with the lowest and greatest specific wear rates was examined and identified with unique oxidation layers and cracks

MICROFINANCE-ECONOMIC GROWTH NEXUS: A CASE STUDY ON GRAMEEN BANK IN BANGLADESH

Microfinance is one of the fastest growing sectors in Bangladesh and in many parts of the world. Over the last few decades, this sector has been supportive in achieving various socio-economic goals in Bangladesh. The country has made remarkable progress in sectors like education and health, and most importantly it has contributed significantly in poverty alleviation. Although the microfinance mostly concentrates at the micro level, it has direct effect on the macro economy.  A forefront Microfinance provider like Grameen Bank has been playing a key role for the socio-economic wellbeing of the people living in the rural areas as well as for the economic development of rural economy. This study aims to investigate the long run dynamic relationship among its loan financing and clients’ deposit and economic growth in Bangladesh. By considering annual time-series data of these variables, a widely used cointegration test and Granger’s causality test have been applied to examine the long run relationship among these variables. The result shows that both financing and depositing aspects of Grameen Bank have positive effect on economic growth of Bangladesh in the long run. It is recommended that Grameen Bank should allow its operations without any external pressure for the sake of sound economic growth of the country.

Activity-Based Protein Profiling in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Reveals the Broad Reactivity of a Carmofur-Derived Probe

Activity-based protein profiling is a powerful chemoproteomic technique to detect active enzymes and identify targets and off-targets of drugs. Here, we report the use of carmofur- and activity-based probes to identify biologically relevant enzymes in the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Carmofur is an anti-neoplastic prodrug of 5-fluorouracil and also has antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. Carmofur probes were originally designed to target human acid ceramidase, a member of the NTN hydrolase family with an active-site cysteine nucleophile. Here, we first profiled the targets of a fluorescent carmofur probe in live S. aureus under biofilm-promoting conditions and in liquid culture, before proceeding to target identification by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Treatment with a carmofur-biotin probe led to enrichment of 20 enzymes from diverse families awaiting further characterization, including the NTN hydrolase-related IMP cyclohydrolase PurH. However, the probe preferentially labeled serine hydrolases, thus displaying a reactivity profile similar to that of carbamates. Our results suggest that the electrophilic N-carbamoyl-5-fluorouracil scaffold could potentially be optimized to achieve selectivity towards diverse enzyme families. The observed promiscuous reactivity profile suggests that the clinical use of carmofur presumably leads to inactivation of a number human and microbial enzymes, which could lead to side effects and/or contribute to therapeutic efficac

Prevalence and demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors of self-reported symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among ever-married women : evidence from nationally representative surveys in Bangladesh

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) symptoms (e.g., abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers) are a major public health concern in Bangladesh because the symptoms can indicate an STI and cause sexual and reproductive health complications in women of reproductive age. To our knowledge, no study examined the prevalence and risk factors of STI symptoms using a nationally representative sample. This study investigates the prevalence of STI symptoms among ever-married women in Bangladesh and the associations of STI symptoms with various demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors using the most recent available data (2007, 2011, and 2014) of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS). The BDHS employs a two stage stratified sampling technique. The analytic sample comprised 41,777 women of reproductive age (15–49 years). Outcome variables included STI symptoms: abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to find the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval to assess the associations of outcome measures with explanatory variables. The study found that the prevalence of abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers among ever-married women aged 15–49 years was 10% and 6%, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that for women aged 25–34 years, those who used contraceptives and married earlier had an increased likelihood of STI symptoms. Furthermore, women from the wealthiest wealth quintile and couple’s joint decision-making were less likely to have STI symptoms. Findings have implications for interventions efforts aiming to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh

A Comprehensive Review on Deep Learning Assisted Computer Vision Techniques for Smart Greenhouse Agriculture

With the escalating global challenges of food security and resource sustainability, innovative solutions like deep learning and computer vision are transforming agricultural practices by enabling data-driven decision-making. This paper provides a focused review of recent advancements in deep learning-enabled computer vision techniques tailored specifically for greenhouse environments. First, deep learning and computer vision fundamentals are briefly introduced. Over 100 studies from 2020 to date are then comprehensively reviewed in which these technologies were applied within greenhouses for growth monitoring, disease detection, yield estimation, and other tasks. The techniques, datasets, models, and overall performance results reported in the literature are analyzed. Tables and figures showcase real-world implementations and results synthesized from current research. Key challenges are also outlined related to aspects like model adaptability, lack of sufficient labeled greenhouse data, computational constraints, the need for multi-modal sensor fusion, and other areas needing further investigation. Future trends and prospects are discussed to provide guidance for researchers exploring computer vision in the niche greenhouse domain. By condensing prior work and elucidating the state-of-the-art, this timely review aims to promote continued progress in smart greenhouse agriculture. The focused analysis, specifically on greenhouse environments, fills a gap compared to previous agricultural surveys. Overall, this paper highlights the immense potential of computer vision and deep learning in driving the emergence of data-driven, smart greenhouse farming worldwide

Couple’s reports of household decision-making, unmet need for contraception, and unintended pregnancy in Bangladesh

Introduction: Previous researches emphasize the role of wife’s sole contribution in household decision-makings as predictor of family planning and reproductive health behaviors in many developing countries. These studies tend to overlook how couple’s joint decision-making may promote better reproductive health outcomes than any partner’s sole decision-makings which lack input or agreement from other partner in a marital relationship. Using married couple’s matched responses in decision-making questions; this study examines the association between couples’ concordant and discordant decision-makings, and wife’s unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy in Bangladesh. Methods: This study used couple’s dataset (n= 3336) of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 2007. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the likelihood of unmet need for contraception, and unintended pregnancy among married women of reproductive age. Findings: Study findings reveal that there are substantial levels of both concordance and discordance in responses to household decision-making items. Results from logistic regression analyses suggest that compared to couple’s joint decision making, husband-only or wife-only decision-making is associated with higher risk for women in having both unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy. Regression results also indicate that unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy are lower among women with lower parity, women from relatively richer households, and women heard family planning messages on television. Conclusion: As couple’s joint decision-making is significantly associated with better reproductive outcomes, policy makers may promote community based outreach programs, and communication campaigns for family planning focusing on egalitarian gender role approach

Couple’s reports of household decision-making, unmet need for contraception, and unintended pregnancy in Bangladesh

Introduction: Previous researches emphasize the role of wife’s sole contribution in household decision-makings as predictor of family planning and reproductive health behaviors in many developing countries. These studies tend to overlook how couple’s joint decision-making may promote better reproductive health outcomes than any partner’s sole decision-makings which lack input or agreement from other partner in a marital relationship. Using married couple’s matched responses in decision-making questions; this study examines the association between couples’ concordant and discordant decision-makings, and wife’s unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy in Bangladesh. Methods: This study used couple’s dataset (n= 3336) of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 2007. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the likelihood of unmet need for contraception, and unintended pregnancy among married women of reproductive age. Findings: Study findings reveal that there are substantial levels of both concordance and discordance in responses to household decision-making items. Results from logistic regression analyses suggest that compared to couple’s joint decision making, husband-only or wife-only decision-making is associated with higher risk for women in having both unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy. Regression results also indicate that unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy are lower among women with lower parity, women from relatively richer households, and women heard family planning messages on television. Conclusion: As couple’s joint decision-making is significantly associated with better reproductive outcomes, policy makers may promote community based outreach programs, and communication campaigns for family planning focusing on egalitarian gender role approach