Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a critical component of delivering safe, effective and high-quality healthcare services, and eliminating avoidable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in ...health facilities, predominantly in population-dense settings such as Bangladesh.
Our study aimed to assess the effect of an integrated intervention package in improving the IPC level of the health facilities in Bangladesh.
We conducted a pre-post intervention study in six district hospitals (DHs) and 13 Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) in the six districts of Bangladesh. Baseline and endline assessments were conducted between March and December 2021 using the adapted World Health Organization Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (WHO-IPCAF) tool. The IPCAF score, ranging from 0–800, was calculated by adding the scores of eight components, and the IPC promotion and practice level was categorized as Inadequate (0–200), Basic (201–400), Intermediate (401–600) and Advanced (601–800). The integrated intervention package including IPC committee formation, healthcare provider training, logistics provision, necessary guidelines distribution, triage/flu corners establishment, and infrastructure development was implemented in all facilities.
The average IPCAF score across all the facilities showed a significant increase from 16% (95% CI: 11.5–20.65%) to 54% (95% CI: 51.4–57.1%). Overall, the IPCAF score increased by 34 percentage points (P<0.001) in DHs and 40 percentage points (P<0.001) in UHCs. Following the intervention, 12 (three DHs, nine UHCs) of 19 facilities progressed from inadequate to intermediate, and another three DHs upgraded from basic to intermediate in terms of IPC level.
The integrated intervention package improved IPCAF score in all facilities.
Abstract
Unconventional superconductors often feature competing orders, small superfluid density, and nodal electronic pairing. While unusual superconductivity has been proposed in the kagome metals
...A
V
3
Sb
5
, key spectroscopic evidence has remained elusive. Here we utilize pressure-tuned and ultra-low temperature muon spin spectroscopy to uncover the unconventional nature of superconductivity in RbV
3
Sb
5
and KV
3
Sb
5
. At ambient pressure, we observed time-reversal symmetry breaking charge order below
$${T}_{{{\rm{1}}}^{*}\simeq$$
T
1
*
≃
110 K in RbV
3
Sb
5
with an additional transition at
$${T}_{{{\rm{2}}}^{*}\simeq$$
T
2
*
≃
50 K. Remarkably, the superconducting state displays a nodal energy gap and a reduced superfluid density, which can be attributed to the competition with the charge order. Upon applying pressure, the charge-order transitions are suppressed, the superfluid density increases, and the superconducting state progressively evolves from nodal to nodeless. Once optimal superconductivity is achieved, we find a superconducting pairing state that is not only fully gapped, but also spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry. Our results point to unprecedented tunable nodal kagome superconductivity competing with time-reversal symmetry-breaking charge order and offer unique insights into the nature of the pairing state.
The authors introduced waste plastic pyrolysis oil (WPPO) as an alternative fuel characterized in detail and compared with conventional diesel. High density polyethylene, HDPE, was pyrolyzed in a ...self-designed stainless steel laboratory reactor to produce useful fuel products. HDPE waste was completely pyrolyzed at 330–490°C for 2-3 hours to obtain solid residue, liquid fuel oil, and flammable gaseous hydrocarbon products. Comparison of the fuel properties to the petrodiesel fuel standards ASTM D 975 and EN 590 revealed that the synthetic product was within all specifications. Notably, the fuel properties included a kinematic viscosity (40°C) of 1.98 cSt, density of 0.75 gm/cc, sulphur content of 0.25 (wt%), and carbon residue of 0.5 (wt%), and high calorific value represented significant enhancements over those of conventional petroleum diesel fuel.
•This work emphasizes on modelling of TMDC material, WS2, as a potential window layer material for CIGS solar cell. So far none has reported on proposed new CIGS/WS2 structure.•This research ...identifies the impact of interface defect state on the photovoltaic parameters of CIGS/WS2 solar cell and evaluates the tolerance of defect by numerical simulation.•This research paves the way for WS2 thin film as a potential window layer material for CIGS solar cells.
Device modelling of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cell with tungsten di-suphide (WS2) as a window layer has been carried out in order to achieve higher conversion efficiency. Conversion efficiency for all band-gap energies of CIGS were calculated based on proposed new CIGS/WS2 structure. Numerical modelling tools were used to investigate the effects conduction band offset and interface defect state on the photovoltaic parameters of CIGS/WS2 solar cell. The model predicts the density of defect tolerance in the interface is 1 × 1011 cm3. Based on optimization, the highest efficiency of 26.4% has been achieved for CIGS/WS2 solar cell with Eg(CIGS) = 1.4 eV (Voc = 1.026 V, Jsc = 29.57 mA/cm2 and FF = 86.96%) which is better than that of CIGS (23.4%) solar cell. The simulation further identifies that proposed CIGS/WS2 structure is less temperature sensitive compared to conventional Si solar cell. This research paves the way for WS2 thin film as a potential window layer material for CIGS solar cells.
Last few decades, viruses are a real menace to human safety. Therefore, the rapid identification of viruses should be one of the best ways to prevent an outbreak and important implications for ...medical healthcare. The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus which belongs to the single-stranded, positive-strand RNA viruses. The pandemic dimension spread of COVID-19 poses a severe threat to the health and lives of seven billion people worldwide. There is a growing urgency worldwide to establish a point-of-care device for the rapid detection of COVID-19 to prevent subsequent secondary spread. Therefore, the need for sensitive, selective, and rapid diagnostic devices plays a vital role in selecting appropriate treatments and to prevent the epidemics. During the last decade, electrochemical biosensors have emerged as reliable analytical devices and represent a new promising tool for the detection of different pathogenic viruses. This review summarizes the state of the art of different virus detection with currently available electrochemical detection methods. Moreover, this review discusses different fabrication techniques, detection principles, and applications of various virus biosensors. Future research also looks at the use of electrochemical biosensors regarding a potential detection kit for the rapid identification of the COVID-19.
•Electrochemical biosensing platform helps to early diagnosis of pathogenic viruses.•Different electrochemical transduction system strategies are explained.•We covered more than 125 recent research articles on virus biosensors.•The advantages of each biosensor for COVID-19 detection are highlighted.•The advantages, drawbacks, and future perspectives of biosensors are discussed.
High salt consumption is an important risk factor of elevated blood pressure. In Bangladesh about 20 million people are at high risk of hypertension due to climate change induced saline intrusion in ...water. The objective of this study is to assess beliefs, perceptions, and practices associated with salt consumption in coastal Bangladesh.
The study was conducted in Chakaria, Bangladesh between April-June 2011. It was a cross sectional mixed method study. For the qualitative study 6 focus group discussions, 8 key informant interviews, 60 free listing exercises, 20 ranking exercises and 10 observations were conducted. 400 adults were randomly selected for quantitative survey. For analysis we used SPSS for quantitative data, and Anthropac and Nvivo for qualitative data.
Salt was described as an essential component of food with strong cultural and religious roots. People described both health benefits and risks related to salt intake. The overall risk perception regarding excessive salt consumption was low and respondents believed that the cooking process can render the salt harmless. Respondents were aware that salt is added in many foods even if they do not taste salty but did not recognize that salt can occur naturally in both foods and water.
In the study community people had low awareness of the risks associated with excess salt consumption and salt reduction strategies were not high in their agenda. The easy access to and low cost of salt as well as unrecognised presence of salt in drinking water has created an environment conducive to excess salt consumption. It is important to design general messages related to salt reduction and test tailored strategies especially for those at high risk of hypertension.
•Emerging trend of the adsorption processes of dyes has been emphasized.•Various physici-chemical properties of adsorbent towards dye removal were critically assessed.•The limitations and research ...dimensions to develop adsorbents were highlighted.
The synthetic dyes and chemicals used in industries produce a tremendous amount of contaminated water. Most of the poisonous dyes generated from different textileindustries are released directly to the environment. As a consequence, the discharge of wastewater from a large number of textile industries without prior treatment leads to significant negative impacts on human health. The utilization of efficient and inexpensive nano-adsorbent may reduce the adverse impacts of dyes in the environment due to their unique properties. To alleviate these issues, attention has been paid to develop efficient adsorbents for the removal of undesirable species from wastewater. Efficient and selective removal of dyes is gaining importance to reduce the environmental problems. Comparison of degradation efficiencyfor different catalysts could be a holistic approach that should be taken under consideration owing to search a suitable adsorbent. An in-depth evaluation of extensive variety of advanced adsorbents reported in literature for dye degradation has been furnished. In addition to underscoring the physico-chemical properties of different adsorbents, this review also endorses the mechanisms and efficiencies within the adsorption process. The challenges of dye degradation process are focused to reduce the adverse impacts of dyes in the environment. The critical assessment of next generation adsorbents would presumably be promoted the clean and affordable water purification process in practice.
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This work demonstrates a simple and inexpensive electrochemical biosensing pathway for selective and sensitive recognition of 17β-estradiol (E2) in environmental and food samples. The biosensing ...system is based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C
3
N
4
) and a conductive polymer 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The proposed biosensor shows the ability to detect E2 in attomolar levels within a wide linear logarithm concentration range of 1 × 10
−6
to 1 × 10
−18
mol L
−1
with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.9 × 10
−19
mol L
−1
. The selectivity of the developed biosensor was confirmed by conducting the DPV of similarly structured hormones and naturally occurring substances. The proposed biosensor is highly stable and applicable to detect E2 in the presence of spiked food and environmental samples with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 95.1 to 104.8%. So, the designed electrochemical biosensor might be an effective alternative tool for the detection of E2 and other endogenous substances to attain food safety.
This work demonstrates a simple and inexpensive electrochemical biosensing pathway for selective and sensitive recognition of 17β-estradiol (E2) in environmental and food samples.
Effects of black gram (vigna mungo L.cv. Barimash 3) seed treatments with 400 torr dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) air plasma on seed surface morphology, seed germination, seedling growth and ...antioxidant enzyme activities in the roots, shoots and leaves were investigated. The plasma discharge voltage, frequency, electrode spacing, gas temperature and power were 5kV, 4.5kHz, 60mm, 310K and 45W, respectively. The seeds were treated for the duration ranging from 20 to 180 s. Seed germination rate, seedling growth, total chlorophyll content, total soluble protein and sugar concentrations in the seedlings grown from the treated seeds were found to increase 13.67%, 37.13%, 37.26%,53.60% and 51.71%, respectively, with respect to control. This study reveals that the DBD air plasma was involved in the enhancement of nitrogen complex in the seed coat of black gram which upregulated the protein through nitrogen conversion that was ultimately responsible for the increased seed germination and seedling growth of black gram.
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