The presence of toxic heavy metals such as As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn in nationally representative samples of highly consumed fruits and vegetables was determined by inductively coupled ...plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Their concentrations exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) set by FAO/WHO for Pb in mango and Cd in tomato among the analyzed fruits and vegetables. Pb content in mango was found to be six times higher than the safe limit at production level. Health risks associated with the intake of these metals were evaluated in terms of estimated daily intake (EDI), and carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks by target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). EDI values of all the metals were found to be below the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI). The THQs of all metals were <1, suggesting no health hazards for adult population. However, total THQs of Mn and Cu were >1 through consumption of all vegetables, indicating significant health risks. HI was found to be <1 (0.825) for consumption of fruits; however, it was >1 (3.727) for vegetable consumption, suggesting adverse health effects from vegetable consumption only. The total carcinogenic risk (CR) of As was below the threshold level (10−6) and 9.82E-05 for Pb, suggesting no potential CR from As consumption, but indicating the risk of Pb-induced carcinogenesis. The findings of this study reveal the health risks associated with the consumption of heavy metals through the intake of selected fruits and vegetables in adult population of Bangladesh.
•Sample collected from 30 different agro-ecological zones for the first time in Bangladesh.•Lead content in Mango was six times higher than Maximum Allowable Concentration level at production level.•Inhabitants were exposed to slight carcinogenic risk from Lead.•Health risks (Hazard Index) from vegetable was higher while fruits were found safe for consumption.
The study aimed to assess the level of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni) and associated health implications through commonly consumed rice cultivars of Bangladesh ...available in Capital city, Dhaka. The range of As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni in rice grains were 0.04-0.35, 0.01-0.15, 0.01-1.18, 10.74-34.35, 1.98-13.42, 0.18-1.43, 2.51-22.08, and 0.21-5.96 mg/kg fresh weight (FW), respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) identified substantial anthropogenic activities to be responsible for these elements in rice grains. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of the elements was below the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) level. The hazard index (HI) was above the threshold level, stating non-carcinogenic health hazards from consuming these rice cultivars. The mean target cancer risk (TCR) of As and Pb exceeded the USEPA acceptable level (10-6), revealing carcinogenic health risks from the rice grains.
The study aimed to estimate the dietary intake of vitamin A and its major food sources among rural pregnant women from the southwest region of Bangladesh. A multi-stage random cluster sampling method ...was used to select the respondents (N = 1012). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data, and statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS 20.0. The mean age of the respondents was 23.27 ± 5.23 years, and the majority were in their second (48%) and third trimester (49%). The mean dietary intake of vitamin A was 392 ± 566 μg Retinol Activity Equivalent (RAE)/day (51% of Recommended Dietary Allowance). The contribution of β-carotene (plant source) and retinol (animal source) in vitamin A intake was about 60% and 40%, respectively. The major β-carotene contributing food groups were vegetables (dark and light) and tubers, and food items were colocasia, potato, beans, brinjal, and ripe tomatoes. On the other hand, the major retinol-contributing food groups were fish, eggs, and milk, and food items were small fish, Rui (carp) fish, and cow’s milk. It was also observed that the consumption of food items from β-carotene and retinol-contributing food groups did not differ significantly among the three groups of respondents, but the variations in the amount of the different food items consumed were significant. Dietary vitamin A intake is low among pregnant women in the South-West region of Bangladesh. Hence, they are at a greater risk of adverse materno-fetal health outcomes associated with vitamin A deficiency.
•The paper presents a new transformer-less step-up switched-capacitor topology that utilizes twelve switches to create nine different voltage levels.•The salient features of the proposed topology are ...the least switching components, zero leakage current, boosting capability, and reduced voltage stresses.•The capacitors possess inherent self-balancing properties, eliminating the requirement for an extra circuit to achieve capacitor self-balancing.•The theoretical concept and feasibility of the proposed topology have been verified through simulations and experimental results.
The paper introduces a new transformer-less step-up switched capacitor topology that utilizes twelve switches to create nine different voltage levels. The salient features of the proposed topology are the least switching components, zero leakage current, boosting capability and reduced voltage stresses. Furthermore, the capacitors possess inherent self-balancing properties, eliminating the requirement for an extra circuit to achieve capacitor self-balancing. The paper provides concise explanations of the operational principle, modulation scheme, and loss analysis. A brief comparative analysis of the existing topologies demonstrates the advantages and superiority of the proposed approach. Additionally, the theoretical concept and feasibility of the new topology are verified through simulations and experimental results. Without a filter, the THD at the output voltage and current of the proposed inverter has been measured at 16.48 % and 0.88 %, respectively.
The present study aims to comprehensively analyse trends in complementary feeding indicators (Introduction of solid, semi-solid, and soft foods at 6-8 months (INTRO), Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), ...Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD)) among children aged 6-23 months in Bangladesh. The study used data from four rounds (2007, 2011, 2014, and 2017-2018) of nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHSs). The Cochran-Armitage test was performed to capture the trends in complementary feeding practices and intake from specific food groups. BDHSs are periodically conducted cross-sectional surveys in all seven administrative divisions of Bangladesh. The present analysis was performed among 8116 children (1563 in 2007, 2137 in 2011, 2249 in 2014, and 2167 in 2017-2018) aged 6-23 months. Overall, a decreasing trend was observed in all the complementary feeding indicators except INTRO from 2007 to 2014, but a substantial increase in MDD, MMF and MAD was noted in 2017-2018. A statistically significant reduction in consumption from different food groups such as legumes and nuts (
< 0.001), dairy products (
= 0.001), vitamin-A-rich fruits or vegetables (
< 0.001), and other fruits and vegetables (
< 0.001) was also observed. However, a positive trend was noted in the consumption of grains/roots/tubers (
= 0.027), and meat/fish/egg (
< 0.001). After experiencing a significant decreasing trend during 2007-2014, the recent BDHS indicates improvements in all complementary feeding indicators among young children in Bangladesh, which calls for integrated, multisectoral, and multicomponent interventions to sustain this progress.
The electricity market (EM) plays a dynamic part in the economics of the electrical power system. An electricity market is a marketplace where buyers and sellers interact with each other. Buyers want ...to buy the electricity at the lowest price and seller wants to sell the electricity at the maximum price. In this process, the location of the generating unit in the transmission network (TN) from the transmission point of view plays an important role that maximizing the Distributed Generation (DG) owners' economic benefit is carried out in the electricity market. In this paper, the authors have identified the location of DG based on locational marginal price (LMP) in order to improve the social welfare and voltage profile. LMP implies the price to buy and sell power at various positions within wholesale electricity markets. After finding LMP on each bus, the DG will be placed at the bus where LMP is highest. Stochastic-based radial basis function (SRBF) has been used for achieving the optimal placement of DG in the TN. SRBF algorithm predicts and endeavours to find precise solutions for minimisation problems. The results of the proposed method have been validated on 6 and 14 bus transmission systems.
Combined heat and power (CHP) systems are gaining popularity due to their capacity to enhance the electrical system's economics and sustainability. In recent years, energy analysis has received a lot ...of attention as a means to enhance the efficiency of CHPs. CHP systems are capable of producing both electrical energy and heat with high efficiency. Traditional power generation is now inadequate to meet the world's ever-increasing electrical consumption. Unfortunately, when power is produced near load centers, CHP has shown to be a viable alternative solution. This paper represents the complete assessment of optimum sizing and placement of CHP through the systematic procedure. It contains the definition of CHP & its types, modeling, and problem formulation with technical and economic benefits of CHP and distributed generation (DG) and optimization algorithms. The study aims to classify systematically and statistically and analyze the recent research methodologies on optimal placement of CHP approaches published from 2010 to 2021.
In many electric systems worldwide the penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) at the distribution levels is increasing. This penetration brings in different challenges for electricity ...system management; however if the flexibility of those DER is well managed opportunities arise for coordination. At high voltage levels under responsibility of the system operator, trading mechanisms like contracts for ancillary services and balancing markets provide opportunities for economic efficient supply of system flexibility services 16.
Elbow dislocations are common injuries in both the adult and pediatric populations. These injuries include simple dislocation with no associated fracture and more complex injuries with bony and ...ligamentous involvement. Simple dislocations are generally stable after reduction and managed with early mobilization. Complex dislocations are very unstable and operative intervention is usually necessary. Complication risks are greater and outcomes are less optimal with complex dislocations. A thorough knowledge of anatomy and understanding of the osseous and soft tissue mechanics is essential for proper management of these injuries.
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