47 research outputs found

    Underestimating Dengue: A Qualitative Study of Risk Perception in Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Get PDF
    Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is endemic in Bangladesh. This qualitative case study, drawing on interviews and focus groups, examines a low SES ward, seeking to deepen the exploration of community perceptions of dengue risk and its embeddedness with the socioeconomic and political context in Dhaka. The analysis identifies six overarching themes connected with the underestimation of dengue risk. The underestimation of risk becomes apparent in a reduced concern for dengue and dengue vector control, even despite a notable recent epidemic in 2000 and the ongoing circulation of dengue virus in the population

    Incremental Discovery of Prominent Situational Facts

    Full text link
    We study the novel problem of finding new, prominent situational facts, which are emerging statements about objects that stand out within certain contexts. Many such facts are newsworthy---e.g., an athlete's outstanding performance in a game, or a viral video's impressive popularity. Effective and efficient identification of these facts assists journalists in reporting, one of the main goals of computational journalism. Technically, we consider an ever-growing table of objects with dimension and measure attributes. A situational fact is a "contextual" skyline tuple that stands out against historical tuples in a context, specified by a conjunctive constraint involving dimension attributes, when a set of measure attributes are compared. New tuples are constantly added to the table, reflecting events happening in the real world. Our goal is to discover constraint-measure pairs that qualify a new tuple as a contextual skyline tuple, and discover them quickly before the event becomes yesterday's news. A brute-force approach requires exhaustive comparison with every tuple, under every constraint, and in every measure subspace. We design algorithms in response to these challenges using three corresponding ideas---tuple reduction, constraint pruning, and sharing computation across measure subspaces. We also adopt a simple prominence measure to rank the discovered facts when they are numerous. Experiments over two real datasets validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our techniques

    The comparison among Prime Bank and other enlisted banks’ management practice of upholding provision against financial aspects

    Get PDF
    This internship report is submitted in a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration,2013.Cataloged from PDF version of Internship report.Includes bibliographical references (page 75).The banking sector of Bangladesh compared to its economic size is moderately bigger than many other economies of equal level of development and per capita income. There are forty-seven commercial banks operating in this small economy. Although over the last thirty years, the country achieved noticeable success regarding the access to banking services, in 1972 population per branch was 57,700 and in the year of 2010, it was 20,162 per branch. The statistics indicates that getting banking services is not a significant problem for the country. So from the above condition we can conclude that Prime Bank as well as the other entire fourteen listed bank in Bangladesh are not maintaining the consistency in terms of provision collection. All over the operating years from 2007 to 2011 the ratio is fluctuating and inconsistent. So from this calculation we can assume that the other entire listed bank in DSE and also other non listed bank are not following the consistency in maintaining the provision in their operation life. That means here for the entire banks Discretionary Accruals are using in the financial reports. So we can assume that all the banks in our country do not maintain the consistent provision that is threatened news for our economic well being because it may leads to bankruptcy. Discretionary accruals are the result of earning management. Managers find it more flexible and attractive for the opportunity of getting incentives in the short run but it has a bad impact in the long run for the whole company and its stakeholders. So all the banks should maintain consistency in keeping provision and also look after the use of discretionary accruals in the financial reports they provide to the users. This report helps to explore my knowledge in this banking area that help me to understand more about the discretionary accruals and the necessity of the maintaining provision by the banks that will leads to a healthy financial position as a student of BBS.Afroza Sultana RipaB. Business Administratio

    Effect of rice residue on weed suppression and yield performance of boro rice

    Get PDF
    The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from December 2017 through May 2018 to study the effect of rice residue on weed suppression and yield of boro rice. The experiment consisted of four different rice residue treatments such as no rice residue, 2.5, 5 and 7.5t ha-1rice residue, and five different herbicidal treatments such as no herbicide (H0), 25% of the recommended dose (RD), 50% RD, 75% RD and 100% of RD. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Seven weed species belonging to five families infested the experimental plots. Weed density and weed dry weight were significantly affected by incorporation of rice residue and herbicidal treatment. The maximum weed growth was noticed with no rice residue incorporation and application of no herbicide. The minimum weed density and dry weight were found in incorporation of 5 t rice residue ha-1 and application of 100% of RD of herbicide treatment. Rice residue exerted significant effect on yield and yield contributing characters like plant height, number of total tillers hill-1, number of effective tillers hill-1 and grain yield. The highest grain yield (4.89 t ha-1) was recorded with the incorporation of 2.5 t ha-1 rice residue which was statistically identical with5 and 7.5 t ha-1 rice residues. The grain yield (5.70 t ha-1) produced by 75% of RD of herbicide was the highest among the other herbicidal treatments. The highest number of effective tillers hill-1 (12.80), 1000-grain weight (21.07), grain yield (5.87 t ha-1) and straw yield (7.21 t ha-1) were observed with the incorporation of 5 t rice residue ha-1 and 75% of the RD of herbicide treatment. Results of this study indicate that rice residue showed potentiality to inhibit the growth of weed and exerted significant effect on the yield of boro rice. Rice residue @ 5 t ha-1 with application of herbicide of 75% RD might be suggested to use for effective weed management and better grain yield of boro rice

    The effects of exergaming interventions on cognition and physical activity of institutionalized older adults: A systematic review

    Get PDF
    Objective: Physical activity has a powerful protective effect on older adults’ cognition and emotional well-being. For older adults living in long-term care, however, there are limited opportunities for engaging in physical activities, and therefore they are at high-risk of experiencing the consequences of continuous physical inactivity. Older adults with mild cognitive impairments (CI) or dementia experience more inactivity, are more socially withdrawn, and are at a significantly higher risk of decline. Exergames have been posed as a promising way to improve motivation to exercise for institutionalized older adults with dementia, with associated benefits to their cognition, well-being, social engagement, and physical capabilities, however the effects of exergaming on this vulnerable and complex population is unclear. This review aims to explore the current evidence and research gaps in these effects of exergaming interventions for this population. Method Four databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Compendex), were systematically searched. Quantitative studies examining cognitive, emotional, motivational, social and physical effects of exergaming interventions for older adults with dementia or CI living in long-term care were eligible for inclusion. The search included exergaming interventions and all institutionalized older adults. Thorough screening identified studies that had institutionalized older adults with mild CI or dementia. Result: The search yielded 206 citations; of those, 3 met inclusion criteria. The study designs, outcome measures and interventions varied greatly. Two studies looked at physical effects of exergaming suggested balance and motor function could be improved. Two of the three studies reported a significant pre/post-test improvement to motor function but gait did not improve in both thesestudies. When looking at cognitive benefits of exergames, studies provided indication that participants improved their alertness, concentration and memory capabilities. In one of the three studies though, there were no increase in memory capabilities. The studies were of very low to low quality. Furthermore, the studies showed that playing these games did not result in any adverse events, or exacerbate responsive behaviours while the participants were playing. There was no subgroup analysis done in any of the three studies. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence that currently available exergames benefit cognition and motor capabilities of institutionalized older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. More robust research looking at the effects of exergames on cognition and motor function is needed. Additional development of exergames tailored to the needs and interests of this population is also required

    Dietary Fermented Rice Bran Is an Effective Modulator of Ulcerative Colitis in Experimental Animal

    Get PDF
    Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disorder with colon and rectum, characterized by recurring bloody diarrhea due to microbial dysfunction and some autoimmune response. Scientists have linked microbial disruption in the gut to several chronic conditions such as UC and other types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Surprisingly, our gastrointestinal tract contains more than 100 trillion microbial cells. Some microbes in the gut microbiome are friendly bacteria that can help to treat UC by influencing metabolism, nutrition, immune function, and more in the gut. The conventional medical treatment of UC relies on the use of amino-salicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, glucocorticoids, and antibiotics. Multiple new mechanisms in the treatment of UC are being developed and many are showing promising results in ulcerative colitis. Still need scientific evidence to support the role of gut microbiota in the etiology of UC. The dietary fermented rice bran (DFRB) may include the active potential for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The DFRB may attenuate intestinal inflammation by regulating gut permeability for cellular infiltration and maintenance of luminal safety with favorable efficacy in UC. In this chapter, we discussed and summarized the insight mechanism of DFRB’s modulatory activities for the management or treatment of ulcerative colitis

    Clinicopathological Spectrum and Treatment Outcome of Clinically Suspected Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis: An Analysis of 35 Cases in a Tertiary Care Center, Bangladesh

    Get PDF
    Background and Aim: Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is characterized by a rapid decline in the renal function and urinary abnormalities. There is limited information on epidemiological factors and clinical and histopathological patterns of RPGN from developing countries. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the etiology, clinical features, histopathological patterns, and treatment outcomes of patients with clinically suspected RPGN. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Pediatric Nephrology Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University from January 2014 to January 2019. Patients with clinically suspected RPGN that underwent renal biopsy were enrolled in this study. Results: Thirty-five patients were recruited in this study. Macroscopic hematuria, edema, hypertension, uremia, and oliguria were common clinical presentations. Diffuse proliferative GN (28.5%) and crescentic GN (22.8%) were the most common histological diagnoses in this study. Immune mediated GN (62%) followed by idiopathic GN (25%) were found to be the most frequent cause of crescentic GN. Renal replacement therapy was required in 45% of the cases and 11.4% of the patients developed end-stage renal disease.Conclusion: Renal histology is an integral part of the investigation of patients with suspected RPGN for both diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Diffuse proliferative GN was the most common histopathological diagnosis in patients with clinical RPGN in our population. Preservation of renal function depends on early intervention and detection of RPGN in pediatric patients.Keywords: Nephritis; Glomerulonephritis; ESRD; End-Stage Kidney Disease; Child.

    Citrulline and kynurenine to tryptophan ratio : potential EED (environmental enteric dysfunction) biomarkers in acute watery diarrhea among children in Bangladesh

    Get PDF
    Two emerging biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) include plasma citrulline (CIT), and the kynurenine (KYN): tryptophan (TRP)/ (KT) ratio. We sought to investigate the plasma concentration of CIT and KT ratio among the children having dehydrating diarrhea and examine associations between concentrations of CIT and KT ratio with concurrent factors. For this analysis, we used cross-sectional data from a total of 102, 6–36 months old male children who suffered from non-cholera acute watery diarrhea and had some dehydration admitted to an urban diarrheal hospital, in Bangladesh. CIT, TRP, and KYN concentrations were determined at enrollment from plasma samples using ELIZA. At enrollment, the mean plasma CIT concentration was 864.48 ± 388.55 µmol/L. The mean plasma kynurenine, tryptophan concentrations, and the KT ratio (× 1000) were 6.93 ± 3.08 µmol/L, 33.44 ± 16.39 µmol/L, and 12.12 ± 18.10, respectively. With increasing child age, KYN concentration decreased (coefficient: − 0.26; 95%CI: − 0.49, − 0.04; p = 0.021); with increasing lymphocyte count, CIT concentration decreased (coef.: − 0.01; 95% CI: − 0.02,0.001, p = 0.004); the wasted child had decreased KT ratio (coef.: − 0.6; 95% CI: − 1.18, − 0.02; p = 0.042) after adjusting for potential covariates. The CIT concentration was associated with blood neutrophils (coef.: 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03; p < 0.001), lymphocytes (coef.: − 0.02; 95% CI: − 0.03, − 0.02; p < 0.001) and monocyte (coef.: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.11; p = 0.021); KYN concentration was negatively associated with basophil (coef.: − 0.62; 95% CI: − 1.23, − 0.01; p = 0.048) after adjusting for age. In addition, total stool output (gm) increased (coef.: 793.84; 95% CI: 187.16, 1400.52; p = 0.011) and also increased duration of hospital stay (hour) (coef.: 22.89; 95% CI: 10.24, 35.54; p = 0.001) with increasing CIT concentration. The morphological changes associated with EED may increase the risk of enteric infection and diarrheal disease among children. Further research is critically needed to better understand the complex mechanisms by which EED biomarkers may impact susceptibility to dehydrating diarrhea in children.publishedVersionPeer reviewe
    corecore