Peridocity, Change Detection and Prediction in Microarrays

Three topics in the analysis of microarray genomic data are discussed and improved statistical methods are developed in each case. A statistical test with higher power is developed for detecting periodicity in microarray time series data. Periodicity in short series, with non-Fourier frequencies, is detected through a Pearson curve calibrated to the null distribution obtained by computer simulation. Unlike other traditional methods, this approach is applicable even in the presence of missing values or unequal time intervals. The usefulness of the new method is demonstrated on simulated series as well as actual microarray time series. The second topic develops a new method for detection of changes in DNA or gene copy number. Regions for DNA copy number aberrations in chromosomal material are detected using maximum overlapping discrete wavelet transform (MODWT). It is shown how repeated application of MODWT to a series can be used to confirm the presence of change points. Application to simulated as well as array CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) data confirms the excellent performance of this method. In the third topic, it is shown that an improved class predictor for tissue samples in microarray experiments is developed by incorporating nearest neighbour covariates (NNC). It is demonstrated that this method reduces the mis-classification errors in both simulated and actual microarray data

DIVIDEND PRACTICES IN LISTED BANKS OF BANGLADESH

Corporate dividend behaviour is looked upon in many ways by the experts in the area of financial literature. To examine the dividend practices in banking sector in Bangladesh, it is taken secondary data and the views of dividend policy makers’ covering the divergent aspects of dividend practices. The parametric test, non-parametric test and percentile are used for inferring the result. In the banking sector, the maximum payouts are in large size firm, earlier listed bank, low leveraged firm, high risk’s firm, medium PE ratio’s firm. The survey results reveal that the banks prefer both cash & stock dividend most but majority shareholders prefer stock. The most of the companies follow stable payout with increasing trend in dividend payment but no satisfactory research is done to justify the investors’ preference. The decision maker, investors and other stakeholders should follow these findings for taking decision

User acceptance studies for LED office lighting: light spectrum and correlated colour temperature

During the last decade, lighting technology based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has advanced rapidly and is paving the way for the application of LED lighting in offices. Two experiments were carried out to study user preference for different LED light spectra and correlated colour temperature (CCT), and to determine user acceptance for LED office lighting. In a lighting booth experiment, twenty one different LED spectral power distributions (SPDs) were realised considering colour quality scale (CQS) gamut area scale Qg, CQS Colour preference scale Qp, feeling of contrast index (FCI) along with the CIE colour rendering index (CRI) at the CCTs of 2700K, 4000K, and 6500K. The observers evaluated the lit scenes under different light spectra at 500 lux for different factors such as brightness, visual comfort, and pleasantness. The observers preferred the LED SPDs which had higher values of a reference-based metric (Qp) or higher values of an area-based metric (Qg). The chromaticity difference (Duv) values also influenced the user preference of the light spectra. The observer preferred the CCT of 4000K and 6500K to the CCT of 2700K at 500 lux. The findings of the lighting booth experiment were used as the base line for the office room experiment where six different LED SPDs were realised at the CCTs of 4000K and 6500K considering Qp, Qg, and FCI. The observers evaluated the lit environments under different SPDs for brightness, visual comfort, glare, and pleasantness of colour of light along with other lighting aspects at illuminance levels of 300 lux and 500 lux. At 4000K, the observers preferred the LED light spectra which had higher values of Qp and Qg to the fluorescent lamps in the office environment at 500 lux. The preferred LED SPDs had negative Duv values, whereas the fluorescent lamp had positive Duv values. The observers preferred the CCT of 4000K to 6500K, under which the observers felt more comfortable and found the colour of light more pleasant than under 6500K at 500 lux. It was also found that the lit environment should be able to provide good quality lighting for visibility and the observers should feel visually comfortable in that lit environment if the illuminance level is varied. The results indicate the need to develop LED light spectra for office lighting considering Qp and Qg with negative Duv values within the recommended limit. As the Duv values affected the observers' preferences, colour of white light should be characterised not only by CCT but also by Duv values

Customer Satisfaction of Super Stores in Bangladesh- An Explorative Study

The numbers of Super stores are increasing in Bangladesh to satisfy the demand of customers. The present study has been undertaken in order to identify the influencing factors of customer satisfaction by employing sophisticated multivariate technique- Varimax Rotated Factor Analytical Technique. The study has collected and used only primary data and consulted available literature for designing the questionnaire. The study has identified factors influencing the customer satisfaction of superstores in Bangladesh: Product factors, Store service factor, and Customer facilities factor. The study has suggested entrepreneurs of Super stores to consider these factors while designing their policies for superstores. Keywords: Superstore, Customer Satisfaction, Factor Analysis, Product Factors

A 65–year–old male with moderate anemia, low-grade fever and weight loss

This article has no abstract. The first 100 words appear below: A 65-year-old male hailing from Lolua, Tangail north bordering district of Dhaka, Bangladesh, reported to the Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology with the complaints of marked weight loss, generalized weakness, low-grade fever and anorexia. He was referred from Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh for bone marrow aspiration and examination. Before aspirating the bone marrow, a detailed history was taken which revealed that he had been suffering from the above mentioned symptoms for the last 10 months. During this time, he reported to the local physicians who investigated with routine laboratory tests such as complete blood count, peripheral blood fil

Performance of Nevada’s aggregates in alkali-aggregate reactivity of Portland cement concrete

Alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) is a form of distress that occurs in concrete and results in serviceability problems, cracks, spalling, and other deterioration mechanisms. There are two categories of AAR, namely, alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR). Alkali-silica reaction is one of the most recognized deleterious phenomena in concrete, and has been a major concern since its discovery in the 1940s. The reaction which occurs between reactive silica or silicates present in some aggregates and alkalis of Portland cement produces an alkali-silica gel that expands in the presence of moisture resulting in concrete cracks. ACR is also a chemical reaction between reactive carbonate rocks and the alkalis present within the cement paste. Alkali-carbonate reaction is not as well-spread as alkali-silica reaction. The aim of the research study was to (1) examine the extent of the reactivity (expansion) of the aggregates quarried from fourteen different sources in the Southern and Northern Nevada, (2) investigate the ASR-induced losses in the unconfined ultimate compressive strength and stiffness of the concrete cylinders made with the trial aggregates, and (3) apply various mitigation methodologies to suppress the excessive expansion of the reactive aggregates. The reactive aggregates were identified by conducting different accelerated laboratory testings; namely, ASTM C 1260, modified C 1293, and ASTM C 1105. Afterward, a number of mitigation techniques were employed to control the adverse effect of alkali-aggregate reactivity. The selected mitigation methodologies included the use of the (i) Class F fly ash as a partial replacement of Portland cement, (ii) lithium nitrate in the mixing water, and (iii) combined Class F fly ash and lithium nitrate. Four different dosages of Class F fly ash; namely, 15, 2 0, 25 and 30% by weight of cement replacement were considered. Up to six dosages of lithium nitrate resulting in the lithium-to-alkali molar ratio (Li/Na+K) of 0.59, 0.74, 0.89, 1.04, 1.18 and 1.33 were used to suppress the excessive expansion of the reactive aggregates. For the third mitigation technique, a constant amount of lithium nitrate with a Li/Na+K molar ratio of 0.74 was combined with two dosages of Class F fly ash (15% and 20% by weight of cement replacement) to alleviate the excess expansion of the reactive aggregates that could not be controlled by the utilization of lithium nitrate with a Li/(Na+K) molar ratio of higher than 0.74. The laboratory test results reveal that the ASR-induced expansions depend on the aggregate mineralogy, soak solution type and concentration, cement alkalis, and immersion age. The ASR classification of the trial aggregates based on the late-age failure criteria of the test specimens produces more reliable and consisted results when compared to those obtained from the early-age failure criteria. The study also shows that the loss in stiffness due to ASR is more severe than the loss in compressive strength at both early and late-immersion ages. The optimum dosages of Class F fly ash or lithium nitrate in suppressing ASR-induced excess expansions of the reactive aggregates at different immersion ages varies depending on the aggregate mineralogy, ASR-induced expansion of untreated mortar bars, and the physio-chemical compositions of pozzolan or admixture used. The combined use of standard lithium nitrate dose (lithium-to-alkali molar ratio of 0.74) and a moderate amount (15%) of Class F fly ash (with a CaO content of 7.4% or less) as a partial replacement of Portland cement by weight is sufficiently effective in arresting the excess ASR-induced expansions of the investigated reactive aggregates at all selected immersion ages

Replacement of incandescent lamps with energy efficient lamps in developed and developing countries

All over the world energy inefficient incandescent lamps are used in great numbers. Replacement of these inefficient lamps with energy efficient lamps can save energy and reduce energy bills for the consumers. This work discusses how much energy can be saved by replacing incandescent lamps used for task lighting with energy efficient lamps. This replacement results in cost savings and reduction of CO2 emission. The purpose of the work is to assess the feasibility of the energy efficient lamps compared to the existing incandescent lamps. The performance of the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) lamps has been measured mainly for task lighting and then compared with that of the incandescent lamps. The performance of 60 W incandescent lamps has been compared with the performance of CFLs of power 11 W to 15 W and LED lamps of power 4 W to 13 W. The performance of these different lamps has been demonstrated through measurements made for both developed and developing countries. The measurements show that it is possible to replace incandescent lamps used for task lighting with energy efficient CFL and LED lamps have shown very promising results and they have a bright future in lighting

Evaluating the long-term effect of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection on children: a prospective longitudinal birth cohort study in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of illness among neonates and young infants. In 2019, an estimated 33 million [95% CI: 21·6-50·3) RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infected (RSV-ALRI) episodes occurred worldwide in children younger than five years, and 101,400 of them died [1]. Children from all parts of the world suffer from RSV-associated illnesses. Nevertheless, those who are from the developing part of the world are disproportionately affected, as 93% of all RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infections (RSV-ALRI) and 99% of RSV-ALRI mortality occurs among children living in developing world countries. Evidence also suggests that children with RSV infection during early infancy are at increased risk for asthma and recurrent wheezing in subsequent years. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed the long-term impact of RSV infection in developing healthcare settings, and none of the previous studies focussed on neonates. This PhD thesis aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of RSV infection within 0-59 days of life in a resource-poor setting. RESEARCH PLAN: In this thesis study, I assessed the respiratory health of a cohort of children aged 6-8 years with known RSV infection exposure during 0-59 days of life to evaluate the association between RSV infection and recurrent wheezing and asthma. I evaluated whether RSV infection during the young infant period (0-59 days) affects lung functions and physical growth of the children. Finally, I evaluated the diagnostic value of the peripheral blood eosinophil level for the diagnosis of childhood asthma. METHODS: I enrolled study participants from a rural community in Bangladesh, a country in South Asia. Children of 6-8 years old with known RSV infection information during 0-59 days of life (RSV+'ve cohort) were enrolled at their household and followed for 12 months. In this study, I leveraged the findings of population-based surveillance on the aetiology of neonatal infection in South Asia (ANISA study), which identified the RSV infection cases in young infants in a rural community with an annual birth cohort of 10,000 neonates. The RSV infection cases were identified in the ANISA study through prospective community-based disease surveillance. Control children (RSV-'ve cohort) had no illness signs (i.e., asymptomatic) during 0-59 days of life. I followed the study participants for 12 months to collect health-related information. During the follow-up period, research assistants (RAs) visited the study participants three times; each visit was scheduled within six months intervals. RAs collected health-related data of the study participants from their respective caregivers using structured questionnaires. The lung function of the participants was assessed using spirometry at the outreach clinics. An open-air 6-minute running exercise test was performed to assess the exercise-related airway hyper-reactivity. The height and weight of the children were collected to monitor the growth of the participants. Capillary blood was collected to determine the blood eosinophil level. The primary outcome measure was "current asthma", which I defined as ≥3 episodes of wheezing in the past 12 months or ≥1 episode of wheezing with repeated cough during the night when the child did not have a cold or chest infection. Additional outcome measures included "asthma ever", "doctor-diagnosed asthma", "wheezing ever", "current wheezing", different lung function parameters (i.e., FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio), stunting, and underweight. RESULTS: I enrolled 534 children in this study; of these, 179 children had RSV infection within 0-59 days of life (RSV+'ve cohort), and the other 355 children were controls (RSV-'ve cohort) who were healthy during the same period of life without known RSV infection episode. The primary outcome of this study was “current asthma” at follow-up age (asthma at age 6-8 years) was 4.4%, [95% CI: (-)1.8-10.5] higher among the children in the RSV+'ve cohort [15.1%, 95% CI: 10.5-21.1] compared to those in the RSV-'ve cohort [10.7%, 95% CI: 7.8-14.3], but the difference was not statistically significant. Even though the "current asthma" prevalence was not statistically significantly higher among the children in the RSV+'ve cohort, all other asthma phenotypes that I investigated were significantly higher in this group compared to the controls. The prevalence of "asthma ever" was (significantly) 14% higher [95% CI: 5.8-22.3] among the RSV+'ve cohort children [36%, 95%: 29.0-43.1] compared to the RSV-'ve cohort [22%, 95% CI: 9.7-15.2]. There was also a significantly higher prevalence of "current wheezing" [10%, 95% CI: 2.5-17.3] among the children in RSV+'ve cohort [25.1%, 95% CI: 19.3-32.0] compared to those in the RSV-'ve cohort [15.2%, 95% CI: 11.8-19.4]. Parental asthma [Odds Ratio [OR) 2.15; 95% CI: 1.22-3.79] and household crowding index ≥3 [OR 1.83; 95% CI: 1.04-3.21] were found as the risk factors for "current asthma" among the study participants. In general, the different lung function parameters of the participants that were measured in this study were significantly lower than the expected values, but no significant differences were found between the children in RSV+'ve and RSV-'ve cohorts. Children in the RSV+'ve cohort had a mean Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) of 1.41 litres, 92% of the predicted mean, which was 1.29 litres for the children in the RSV-'ve cohort, 91% of the predicted mean. The mean Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) of the children in RSV+'ve cohort was 1.31 litres, 96% of the predicted mean, compared to 1.21 litres, 95% of the predicted mean for the children in the RSV-'ve. There was a high burden of stunting (29.2%) and underweight (40.3%) among the study population, but the differences were not statistically significant between the children in the RSV+'ve and RSV-'ve cohorts. About 71% of the participants had >300 eosinophils cells/µl blood without any notable difference between the RSV+'ve and RSV-'ve cohorts. Also, there was no significant difference in the blood eosinophil level among children with and without current asthma. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates the association of RSV infection during 0-59 days of life with an increased risk of subsequent asthma in childhood in rural Bangladesh. However, the strength of the association between RSV infection and asthma was not significant after 6-8 years of infection. Thus, RSV intervention would likely have little impact in controlling asthma in children, but the high prevalence of current wheezing, doctor-diagnosed asthma, asthma ever and wheezing ever, suggest that RSV-specific interventions may have a broader impact and should be evaluated using all these definitions to ensure that potential benefit can be captured. Additionally, understanding the possible interaction between RSV infection and genetic and environmental risk factors may help intervene in childhood asthma development. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of RSV-associated illness and asthma among children substantiates the continued research on the association between these two conditions. Future studies on the interactions between host, environment, and RSV infections in developing asthma phenotypes and establishing their causality could contribute to articulating a single intervention to control both RSV-associated illness and asthma, which has greater public health importance

The Impacts of Jute on Environment: An Analytical Review of Bangladesh

The worldwide awareness on environment is the reason for the opportunities of Jute, due to environment-friendly characteristics. The study is to evaluate the impacts of Jute production on environment in Bangladesh. It is taken the data of Production Area, of Jute for 19 years of Bangladesh. The jutes increase the fertility of land, preserve the ozone layer by absorbing CO2 and clean the air by emitting O2. The jute is used as vegetable, geo-textile, biogas, biodegradable products which have impact on the environment. The recommended issues are to use the scientific method of cultivation, to implement the law for using jute rather synthetic, to make jute policy, to enhance the application area of jute, to develop the awareness of Jute as environment friendly fibre, and to develop the research institutions etc. Keywords: Jute, Environment, CO2, O2, Fertilit