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Louhajang River, Bangladesh, which crosses Tangail as a densely industrialized and urbanized city, supplies water for different purposes. This study reports the levels of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and some toxic heavy metals in 40 water samples collected during the summer and winter seasons from Louhajang River. The winter season reported higher levels of the examined parameters than the summer season with significant variation ( p < 0.05) for all parameters, with the exception of Cd. The metal contents were assessed against local and international standards for drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life purposes where different trends were observed. The heavy metal evaluation index and the ecological risk index reported low to moderate risks. The spatial distribution of metal contents assigned hot spots in some sites along the riverbed. The health risk assessment for three population categories, i.e., adult male, adult female, and children, was examined. Cr and Cd recorded hazard index > 1 in all cases, indicating possible non-cancer risk. The total carcinogenic risk values during both seasons were > 1.0 × 10 −6 , indicating possible cancer risk. The adopted collection of different approaches (comparison against standard levels of toxicants, statistical analysis, spatial distribution, and health risk assessment) successfully demonstrates a whole picture of the environmental status of Louhajang River, Bangladesh.

Metal(oid)s contamination in agricultural soils can create adverse environmental conditions and pose human health risks. The present study was conducted to assess metal(oid)s contents, source identification, and ecological and health risks due to metal(oid)s contamination in BISIC industrial region soils of Tangail district Bangladesh. The mean ± SD of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were 8.67 ± 8.27 mg/kg, 13.76 ± 18.13 mg/kg, 23.46 ± 23.62 mg/kg, 4.93 ± 2.87 mg/kg, 1.56 ± 1.70 mg/kg, and 16.63 ± 9.32 mg/kg, respectively. The positive matrix factorization model identified lead-acid battery sources (49.53%), industrial sources (33.66%), and agricultural practices (16.63%) as potential sources of studied metal(oid)s. Contamination factor value of Cd (1.65) in the study area soils showed moderate contamination, whereas Nemerow-integrated pollution index (1.95) indicated slightly soil pollution and potential ecological risk (179.67) showed considerable risks. The HI value for adult male, female, and children due to ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact was higher than 1, assuming severe non-cancer health risks. Total cancer risk value of Cr (1.14E-02) Ni (7.24E-04), As (2.33E-03), and Cd (3.09E-04) for adult male; Cr (1.23E-02), Ni (7.81E-04), As (2.51E-03), and Cd (3.32E-04) for adult female, whereas Cr (5.32E-02), Ni (3.38E-03), As (1.09E-02), Cd (1.44E-03), and Pb (1.00E-04) for children were exceeded the highest acceptable limit (1.0E-04) indicating possible cancer risks. The present study will help environmental engineers and policymakers to control metal pollution in agricultural soils based on applicable and reasonable evaluation methods.

Indexical assessment coupled with a self-organizing map (SOM) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) modeling of toxic metal(loid)s in sediment and water of the aquatic environment provides valuable information from the environmental management perspective. However, in northwest Bangladesh, indexical and modeling assessments of toxic metal(loid)s in surface water and sediment are still rare. Toxic metal(loid)s were measured in sediment and surface water from an urban polluted river (Ichamati) in northwest Bangladesh using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to assess distribution, pollution levels, sources, and potential environmental risks to the aquatic environment. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of metal(loid)s in water are as follows: Fe (871) > Mn (382) > Cr (72.4) > Zn (34.2) > Co (20.8) > Pb (17.6) > Ni (16.7) > Ag (14.9) > As (9.0) > Cu (5.63) > Cd (2.65), while in sediment, the concentration follows the order, Fe (18,725) > Mn (551) > Zn (213) > Cu (47.6) > Cr (30.2) > Ni (24.2) > Pb (23.8) > Co (9.61) > As (8.23) > Cd (0.80) > Ag (0.60). All metal concentrations were within standard guideline values except for Cr and Pb for water and Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and As for sediment. The outcomes of eco-environmental indices, including contamination and enrichment factors and geo-accumulation index, differed spatially, indicating that most of the sediment sites were moderately to highly polluted by Cd, Zn, and As. Cd and Zn content can trigger ecological risks. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model recognized three probable sources of sediment, i.e., natural source (49.39%), industrial pollution (19.72%), and agricultural source (30.92%), and three possible sources of water, i.e., geogenic source (45.41%), industrial pollution (22.88%), and industrial point source (31.72%), respectively. SOM analysis identified four spatial patterns, e.g., Fe–Mn-Ag, Cd–Cu, Cr-Pb-As-Ni, and Zn–Co in water and three patterns, e.g., Mn-Co–Ni-Cr, Cd-Cu-Pb–Zn, and As-Fe-Ag in sediment. The spatial distribution of entropy water quality index values shows that the southwestern area possesses “poor” quality water. Overall, the levels of metal(loid) pollution in the investigated river surpassed a critical threshold, which might have serious consequences for the river’s aquatic biota and human health in the long run.

The presence of highly poisonous arsenic (As) elements in food concerns humans and animals. In Bangladesh, arsenic-contaminated groundwater is frequently utilized for agricultural irrigation. This is a significant source of arsenic pollution in the human food chain. For the first time, we investigated the presence of total arsenic in various foodstuffs obtained from 30 distinct agricultural eco-zones of Bangladesh to understand human exposure to arsenic through the food chain in Bangladesh. The greatest and lowest As concentrations were reported in fish among the examined dietary items (0.55 mg/kg, fw) and fruit (0.0068 mg/kg, fw), respectively. The results show that arsenic consumption from daily diet and food with drinking water was estimated to be 0.0352 mg/day for rural residents and 0.2002 mg/day for urban residents, respectively. The highest target hazard quotients (THQ) of arsenic in the fish samples surpassed the allowable limit (> 1), proving that fish are the primary dietary items influencing the possible danger to health. However, the target cancer risk (TR) from nutritional arsenic consumption was likewise higher than tolerable. A value of 10 −4 indicates that Bangladeshi people are continuously exposed to arsenic, which has carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic dangers. Overall, our results highlight that people in Bangladesh are exposed to hazardous levels of arsenic throughout the food chain, which should be addressed to ensure the country’s food safety.

Background Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL, OMIM #611105) is a genetic disease of the central nervous system characterized by lower limb spasticity, cerebellar ataxia and involvement of the dorsal column. The disease is caused by mutations in the DARS2 gene but has never been reported in sub-Saharan Africa so far. Case presentation Two siblings, aged 18 years and 15 years, from a consanguineous family presented with pyramidal signs and symptoms since infancy and developmental delay. Whole exome sequencing of the proband identified two compound heterozygous variants (NM_018122.4:c.1762C > G and c.563G > A) in DARS2 . Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of the mutations and their segregation in trans in both patients and in their elder sister (aged 20 years), who showed only brisk reflexes and mild lower limb spasticity. Surprisingly, in contrast to her subtle clinical presentation, the elder sister had abnormal MRI features and serum lactate levels comparable to her ill sisters. Conclusion This report illustrates intra-familial phenotypic variation in LBSL and provides an example of a marked dissociation between the clinical and radiological phenotypes of the disease. This may have implications for the detection of mutation carriers in LBSL.

 Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is a critical diagnostic tool used in emergency and intensive care settings to assess a patient's acid-base balance, ventilation, and oxygenation. Despite its importance, ABG interpretation remains challenging for junior doctors, particularly when dealing with complex cases involving mixed respiratory and metabolic disturbances. This clinical audit was conducted to evaluate the baseline competency of junior doctors in ABG interpretation and to measure the impact of targeted educational interventions.  Aim: This study aims to evaluate the baseline knowledge of junior doctors in ABG interpretation and to assess the impact of targeted educational interventions on improving their interpretation skills.  A prospective, two-cycle clinical audit was conducted at Dongola Teaching Hospital in Northern Sudan, involving 110 questionnaires, 55 in each cycle. The first cycle served as a baseline assessment using structured clinical scenarios based on American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines. After identifying deficiencies, educational interventions were implemented over a two-week period. These included focused lectures, visual posters, and small-group case discussions. The second cycle reassessed the same parameters using a revised version of the questionnaire to reduce recall bias. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, and statistical significance was evaluated using the chi-square test with p < 0.05 considered significant.  Results: Significant improvements were observed in most key areas of ABG interpretation. The ability to assess compensation improved from 23 (42%) to 40 (72%) (p = 0.002), identifying respiratory vs. metabolic origin increased from 37 (68%) to 50 (90%) (p = 0.005), and detection of mixed acid-base disorders rose from 30 (54%) to 43 (78%) (p = 0.015). The calculation of anion gap improved from 35 (64%) to 47 (86%) (p = 0.009), and basic interpretation of pH disturbances increased from 41 (74%) to 48 (88%) (p = 0.15). Although some gains were not statistically significant, all areas demonstrated clinical relevance and educational benefit.  The findings demonstrate that structured educational interventions can significantly enhance ABG interpretation skills among junior doctors, particularly in resource-limited settings. This audit supports the integration of focused, practical ABG training into routine junior doctor education and highlights the importance of ongoing assessment through audit cycles. Wider adoption of such strategies may contribute to improved diagnostic accuracy, timely interventions, and better patient outcomes.