When bitcoin (BTC), the first pioneering cryptocurrency was released in 2009, it was considered an apolitical currency. Besides, the possible effect of BTC and other cryptocurrencies on either ...financial markets or transactions has been widely discussed. However, the environmental effects of cryptocurrency demand have been ignored. Here, this study examines the nexus between cryptocurrencies and environmental degradation by employing standard and asymmetric causality methods. The Toda-Yamamoto and bootstrap-augmented Toda-Yamamoto test results reveal Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) excluding Ripple (XRP) have causal effects on environmental degradation. The Fourier-augmented Toda-Yamamoto test results show causal effects running from Bitcoin and Ripple to environmental degradation, whereas no causal effect runs from Ethereum to environmental degradation. The asymmetric causality shows causal effects from the positive shock of Bitcoin demand, negative shocks of Ripple and Ethereum demands to positive shocks of environmental degradation. Further discussions and policy implications are provided in the relevant sections of this study.
Carotenoids are potent antioxidants, but they are highly unstable and susceptible during processing and storage. Encapsulation technologies protect against degradation and are capable of releasing ...individual or combination of bioactive substances during processing as well as development of various functional food products. Moreover, encapsulating agents can be used to increase the stability of carotenoids and form a barrier between the core and wall materials. Suitable encapsulating agents, temperature, and drying methods are the most important factors for the encapsulation process. In this report, we reviewed the current status of encapsulation of carotenoids from different fruits, vegetables, spices, seaweeds, microorganisms, and synthetic sources using various types of encapsulating agents through spray drying and freeze drying. We also focused on the degradation kinetics and various factors that affect the stability and bioavailability of encapsulated carotenoids during their processing and storage.
With the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases soaring worldwide and limited vaccine availability for the general population in most countries, the monoclonal antibody (mAb) remains a ...viable therapeutic option to treat COVID-19 disease and its complications, especially in the elderly individuals. More than 50 monoclonal antibody-related clinical trials are being conducted in different countries around the world, with few of them nearing the completion of the third and fourth phase clinical trial. In view of recent emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of casirivimab and imdevimab, it is of importance that mAbs, already used to treat diseases such as Ebola and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, are discussed in scientific communities. This brief review discusses the mechanism of action and updates to clinical trials of different monoclonal antibodies used to treat COVID-19, with special attention paid to SARS-CoV-2 immune response in host cells, target viral structures, and justification of developing mAbs following the approval and administration of potential effective vaccine among vulnerable populations in different countries.
•There are more than 50 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 at different stages of development•Most of the mAb's are directed against spike-protein of the virus•mAbs would provide viable therapeutic options for immune compromised and vaccine refractory individuals.•More researches are needed to reduce costs and complexities associated with development of mAbs against viral infections
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•Sulfur-doped flower-shaped ZnO microparticles can serve as chemosensing platforms for gas-phase ethanolamine.•Sulfur atoms introduced into ZnO lattice form reactive oxygen species ...better and facilitate the detection of ethanolamine.•The materials are synthesized by a facile synthetic route, involving hydrolysis, precipitation and calcination.•S-doped ZnO exhibits very high sensitivity, selectivity, and fast response and recovery times for detection of ethanolamine.•S-doped ZnO shows very high detection performances to various concentrations of EA at different temperatures.
The chronic and prolonged exposure to ethanolamine (EA), which is widely used in various commercial and industrial applications, can compromise human health and cause even death. Thus, sensors that can rapidly and efficiently detect EA in air, especially where EA is widely produced or used, is of paramount importance. Herein, we report the synthesis of sulfur-doped, flower-shaped ZnO (SFZO) microparticles that can serve as highly sensitive sensors for the detection of gas-phase EA. The materials are synthesized by a facile synthetic route, involving hydrolysis, precipitation and calcination. The composition, morphology and structure of the materials are characterized by various analytical techniques. The results show that, while the sulfur atoms introduced by substituting some of the oxygen atoms of ZnO do not change the morphology of the ZnO particles, they slightly affect the crystal structure, such as lattice parameters and cell volume, of ZnO, as also confirmed by DFT calculation. More importantly, the sulfur dopant atoms in ZnO create interstitial lattice defects and vacancies that can absorb O2 and form reactive oxygen species on the material better, thereby facilitating the reaction between oxygen and EA. As a result, SFZO-based sensor exhibits a very high sensitivity to EA, with a detection limit of up to 89 ppb and about four times higher sensitivity than its undoped counterpart (FZO-based sensor). SFZO-based sensor also shows a high selectivity to EA, a fast response time (1 s) and a fast recovery time (40 s) to various concentrations of gas phase EA at various temperatures. Additionally, the sensor exhibits a linear detection response with respect to the concentration of EA vapor in a wide concentration range, a property that is highly desirable in gas sensors.
Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers among the Bangladeshi women. Coping helps these patients to adjust with this life-changing disease. Each individual has unique and different coping ...mechanism. But we know a little regarding their coping strategies. This study aims to explore the different coping strategies adopted by the women with metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer attending the palliative care unit and their relationship with the common mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
This cross-sectional study was conducted among 95 patients with metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer attending the Department of Palliative Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh from April 2021 to September 2021. Data was collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire adapted from Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HADS), Brief COPE inventory and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance scale. Pearson correlation test was used to find the relationships between various domains of coping strategies and psychological variables. Correlation matrix was done to observe the internal correlation among different coping strategies. Kruskal-Wallis H test was done to find the relationship between different coping strategies and ECOG performance status.
The mean age of the respondents was 48.9 ± 9.9 years. Most of them were married (94.7%), Muslim (92.6%) and homemakers (82.1%). Commonly used coping strategies by the patients were: acceptance (median 10; IQR 10), religion (median 9; IQR 8-10) and instrumental support (median 9; IQR 6-10). Significantly strong positive correlation was found between emotional and instrumental support (R = 0.7; p = 0.01), planning, acceptance and active coping (R = 0.7; p = 0.01); behavioral disengagement, self distraction and denial (R = 0.5; p = 0.01). Significantly fair negative correlation was observed between active coping and depression (R = -0.4, p <0.001). Patients with better performance status on ECOG scale (Grade 0-2) leaned more on the positive coping strategies like instrumental support, emotional support, positive reframing and venting.
Different coping strategies, especially positive coping helps the patients to adapt with their disease over time. All women suffering from breast cancer should be routinely screened and assessed for psychological distress and ensure early intervention and management to promote a better quality of life.
The microbiota of the nasopharyngeal tract (NT) play a role in host immunity against respiratory infectious diseases. However, scant information is available on interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with the ...nasopharyngeal microbiome. This study characterizes the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human nasopharyngeal microbiomes and their relevant metabolic functions. Twenty-two (n = 22) nasopharyngeal swab samples (including COVID-19 patients = 8, recovered humans = 7, and healthy people = 7) were collected, and underwent to RNAseq-based metagenomic investigation. Our RNAseq data mapped to 2281 bacterial species (including 1477, 919 and 676 in healthy, COVID-19 and recovered metagenomes, respectively) indicating a distinct microbiome dysbiosis. The COVID-19 and recovered samples included 67% and 77% opportunistic bacterial species, respectively compared to healthy controls. Notably, 79% commensal bacterial species found in healthy controls were not detected in COVID-19 and recovered people. Similar dysbiosis was also found in viral and archaeal fraction of the nasopharyngeal microbiomes. We also detected several altered metabolic pathways and functional genes in the progression and pathophysiology of COVID-19. The nasopharyngeal microbiome dysbiosis and their genomic features determined by our RNAseq analyses shed light on early interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with the nasopharyngeal resident microbiota that might be helpful for developing microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics for this novel pandemic disease.
•We investigate the environmental sustainability of bitcoin.•Specifically, we examine the financial determinants of bitcoin energy consumption and carbon footprint.•We use novel methods to examine ...steady-state effects, cumulative response, and counterfactual shocks of bitcoin trade volume on bitcoin energy consumption and carbon footprint.•We find that bitcoin trade volume is positively related to both energy consumption and carbon footprint in the long run.•A dynamic shock in trade volume increases bitcoin energy consumption and carbon footprint by almost 50%.
The environmental sustainability of bitcoin is making waves in the empirical literature, yet, no study has thus far examined the financial determinants of bitcoin energy consumption and carbon footprint. Here, we use novel estimation methods comprising dynamic ARDL simulations and general-to-specific VAR to examine steady-state effects, cumulative impulse-response, and counterfactual shocks of bitcoin trade volume on bitcoin energy and carbon footprint to ensure genuine causal inferences. We observed an increase in bitcoin trade volume spur both carbon and energy footprint by 24% in the long-run, whereas a dynamic shock in trade volume escalates bitcoin energy and carbon footprint by 46.54%.
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•ZnO elliptic microspheres were self-assembled from nanowires by solvothermal route.•Nanowires-composed ZnO has the wool ball-like morphology and 3D network structures.•The length of ...nano-wires/-bars is controlled effectively by adjusting amount of alkali.•The wool ball-like ZnO exhibits excellent sensing properties of acetone detection.•The wool ball-like ZnO is suitably served as sensor material for detection of volatile gases.
3D elliptical ZnO microspheres self-assembled from 1D nanowires were synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. Their morphology and structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and N2 adsorption-desorption techniques, and the gas-sensing properties were investigated. The results indicate that as-synthesized elliptical wool ball-like ZnO can be controlled by adjusting alkali concentrations and it exhibits enhanced sensitivity and high selectivity to acetone. Notably, the response to 10 and 100 ppm reached 14 and 36 respectively, which are 4 and 1.5 times as much as that of the nanorods-composed ZnO, implying wool ball-like ZnO microstructures can be served as sensor material for acetone detection.
To evaluate the persistence and factors associated with sleep disturbances among COVID‐19 patients with a history of sleep disturbances 2 months after discharge from the hospital. A total of 400 ...patients admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital during July and August were diagnosed as suffering from sleep disturbances during their hospital stay using a standardized scale. They were followed up 2 months later through telephone, and a total of 322 participants were interviewed (excluding 63 nonresponders and five deceased) regarding the persistence of disturbances in sleep through a structured questionnaire. Patient demographic, clinical, and epidemiological data including history regarding in‐hospital sleep disturbance were retrieved from hospital treatment sheets. Results revealed, 35% of study participants (n = 113) were still experiencing symptoms of sleep disturbances during the interview by telephone. Age (p = 0.015), diabetes mellitus (relative risk RR: 1.21; confidence interval CI: 1.02–1.42, p = 0.022), on admission SPO2 (p = 0.009), C‐reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.025), serum ferritin (p = 0.014), and d‐dimer (p = 0.030) were independently associated with sleep disturbances among participants (p < 0.05). Binary and fitting logistic regression through repeated K folds cross‐validation revealed 1.65 (CI: 1.02–2.66), 1.07 (CI: 1.01–1.14), and 1.07 (CI: 1.00–1.15) times higher odds of persistence of sleep disturbances among patients with diabetes mellitus, increased neutrophil, and lymphocyte percentages, respectively. Findings of this study need to be validated and patients should be further followed up with more in‐depth studies conducted 6 or 12 months after initial infection, possibly with the help of higher sample size and in‐person interview.
With a fragile healthcare system, Bangladesh, much like other countries in South East Asia, struggled during the early days of COVID‐19 pandemic. In following months several encouraging initiatives ...were undertaken including nationwide lockdown, maintaining social distancing and setting up COVID‐19 dedicated laboratories and hospitals. Despite fear of an escalation in COVID‐19 transmission during the winter months like their European counterparts, fortunately infection rates subsided and Bangladesh came out largely unharmed. But the next phase of COVID‐19 pandemic management that includes viral transmission suppression and conduction of nationwide immunization program require several urgent steps from government of Bangladesh (GoB) and relevant stakeholders. This qualitative research piece discussed about issues including an urgent need to enhance critical care facilities around the country, especially in peripheral districts; ramping up COVID‐19 testing at existing laboratories in view of diagnosing each case, and ensuring vaccines for the vulnerable populations in the country. Furthermore, the researchers shed light on other issues including a need to reinforce a struggling healthcare workforce, encouraging people to take vaccine, proper maintenance of social distancing regulations, routine epidemiological surveillance, management of environment and biomedical waste and undertaking a holistic approach to combat the pandemic and its environmental and financial consequences.
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