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Reasonable use of agricultural machinery has an extraordinary potential for poverty alleviation by increasing land and labor productivity in Thailand, Vietnam, and even in Bangladesh. This study was conducted under a program entitled “Agriculture Mechanization, Agro-Processing, Value addition and Export Market Development in Thailand and Vietnam from 1–14 November, 20I9” from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh. In all three distinct nations, farming activities represent a significant area of activity and remains the biggest wellspring of agricultural business. About 10.5% of Thailand’s, 21.5% of Vietnam’s, and 14.23% of Bangladesh’s GDP come from agriculture. For sustainable development, it is essential to modernize agriculture through the mechanization of its operations, which is therefore inevitable in the studied countries. Thailand’s government started mechanization in 1891 with the import of steam-powered tractor and rotary hoes. Since then the country has witnessed several milestones in the course of mechanization development. The focal plain agro-ecological zone of the state is the maximum and almost fully modernized area. As of now, there are two methods of practicing farming apparatus use: as a proprietor and/or through custom renting provision which coincides with Vietnam and Bangladesh. Historically, mechanization patterns in Vietnam can been described by tillage machinery with associated implement equipment use preceding 1975. This was non-linear, followed by a decreasing trend during the 80s prior to recovery during the 90s, with significant disparities in implementation status across the areas. In 2018, the number of tillage implements and harvesters was boosted about 1.6 and 25.6 times, respectively compared with 2006. The percentage of machinery use in soil tillage operation is 80% of the whole territory of cultivable land in Vietnam, compared to about 90% in Bangladesh and 100% in Thailand. Mechanization in Bangladesh started before independence with the importation of 2-wheel tractors and irrigation pumps in the last part of the 1960s as part of ‘Green Revolution’ activities. To continue this momentum, the Bangladesh Government permitted the continuation of agricultural machinery importation after later autonomy. Machinery use in different agricultural activities has increased in recent years in the areas of irrigation, land preparation, intercultural operation, and threshing. Though its degree of advancement is by and large still quite low contrasted with other South Asian nations, it is noticeable that the most recent two decades, the pace of mechanization has increased rapidly with the increase of mechanical power use in farm activities. The use of farm machinery in rice cultivation has been the most amazing when contrasted with different crops in these three nations. A clear comparison has been given in the paper, which aims to help researchers and policymakers take necessary measures.

Rise of interior temperature during daytime for a fully locked and parked car is a problem that needs to be addressed. The main reason for this significant rise in interior temperature is the heat that is trapped inside because of the closed glass window and greenhouse effect. This situation is very uncomfortable to get into the car that is exposed to sunlight for a prolonged period especially for toddlers and pets. Several measures have been proposed and some of them implemented to counter this issue. An example would be leaving the windows partially open when the car is parked to let air flow. More modern approach includes installing an external ventilation unit like a blower to regulate the internal temperature. However, none of these solutions are reliable and beneficent and moreover at times leave serious security loopholes apart from other typical drawbacks like power inefficiency and high cost. As such, there was an immense requirement to come up with a ‘smart and reliable’ solution for this issue keeping in mind factors like cost, power efficiency, user friendliness and reliability. A smart system was thus developed which gave a comprehensive control over the cooling system of the vehicle from a remote area. Moreover, other customizable necessary features like window control, safety and security has also been included. The device has been tested successfully on a Perudua Kalisa. Results obtained from the experiment shows interior temperature of the car can be brought to a comfortable range of 27-28o C within 15 minutes by implementing this device.

The role of neuroleptics for terminal agitated delirium is controversial. We assessed the effect of three neuroleptic strategies on refractory agitation in patients with cancer with terminal delirium. In this single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial, patients with advanced cancer, aged at least 18 years, admitted to the palliative and supportive care unit at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA), with refractory agitation, despite low-dose haloperidol, were randomly assigned to receive intravenous haloperidol dose escalation at 2 mg every 4 h, neuroleptic rotation with chlorpromazine at 25 mg every 4 h, or combined haloperidol at 1 mg and chlorpromazine at 12·5 mg every 4 h, until death or discharge. Rescue doses identical to the scheduled doses were administered at inception, and then hourly as needed. Permuted block randomisation (block size six; 1:1:1) was done, stratified by baseline Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) scores. Research staff, clinicians, patients, and caregivers were masked to group assignment. The primary outcome was change in RASS score from time 0 to 24 h. Comparisons among group were done by modified intention-to-treat analysis. This completed study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03021486. Between July 5, 2017, and July 1, 2019, 998 patients were screened for eligibility, with 68 being enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment; 45 received the masked study interventions (escalation n=15, rotation n=16, combination n=14). RASS score decreased significantly within 30 min and remained low at 24 h in the escalation group (n=10, mean RASS score change between 0 h and 24 h −3·6 [95% CI −5·0 to −2·2]), rotation group (n=11, −3·3 [–4·4 to −2·2]), and combination group (n=10, −3·0 [–4·6 to −1·4]), with no difference among groups (p=0·71). The most common serious toxicity was hypotension (escalation n=6 [40%], rotation n=5 [31%], combination n=3 [21%]); there were no treatment-related deaths. Our data provide preliminary evidence that the three strategies of neuroleptics might reduce agitation in patients with terminal agitation. These findings are in the context of the single-centre design, small sample size, and lack of a placebo-only group. National Institute of Nursing Research.

Polypharmacy presents an increasing therapeutic challenge for physicians managing patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the specific medication count threshold that defines polypharmacy in this population. The objective of this review is to establish a unified definition of polypharmacy in the CKD population by examining the diverse definitions used in previously published studies. A comprehensive search was conducted in relevant databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane, and disease-specific databases) from 2000 to May 2022 to identify studies with polypharmacy threshold definitions in patients with CKD. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review, and their methodologic quality was assessed. Following the screening of the search results, duplicate records and studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed, resulting in a total of 18 studies included in this review. Among these, 61.1% specified the polypharmacy definition to be a threshold of ≥5 medications. In addition, 22.2% specified a high polypharmacy definition at a threshold of ≥10 medications. However, none of the studies reported on the dichotomy between kidney-related and non-kidney-related polypharmacy. This review indicates that a numerical threshold of ≥5 medications is commonly used to define polypharmacy in patients with CKD. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether a kidney-related polypharmacy definition or a high polypharmacy definition would better identify patients with CKD at risk for polypharmacy-related complications. [Display omitted]

Introduction Malaria remains a major public health issue in Southeast Asia, with Plasmodium knowlesi ( P. knowlesi ) emerging as a growing threat. Despite intensified prevention and control efforts, populations in this region remain highly vulnerable to this zoonotic disease, driven by the complex interactions between primates, mosquitoes, and humans. This study aims to explore understanding of the factors affecting communities vulnerable to P. knowlesi malaria and their preventive behaviours, tailored to the local context. Methodology A group of participants with substantial expertise and experience in malaria programme implementation and field operations were assembled. Utilizing the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a validated and systematic approach for facilitating group discussions aimed at consensus, we identified the essential points to prioritize factors affecting at-risk communities and their malaria prevention behaviours. NGT were conducted through virtual platforms in October 2024, achieving consensus when 80% of the experts concurred on specific ideas. Final rankings were established based on descending acceptance percentages. Result Of the 21 items presented for voting, 20 were retained for final ranking, demonstrating a strong panel consensus on key factors influencing malaria risk and prevention behaviours. The voting response rate was 100%, and consensus was achieved in a single NGT round. The 20 selected items, endorsed by the expert panel, were categorized into four overarching themes: environmental risks, human-related risks, policy and organizational factors, and vector-related risks. Conclusion These findings provide a valuable foundation for refining malaria prevention strategies. Future research can leverage this consensus to deepen the understanding of malaria-prevention behaviours and enhance P. knowlesi malaria programs tailored to at-risk communities.

Introduction Malaria continues to pose a considerable public health challenge in Southeast Asia, necessitating control efforts that consider region-specific vulnerabilities. Although global risk factors are well-documented, the interplay of social determinants of health in shaping malaria vulnerability within SEA populations is less thoroughly explored. Objective This scoping review aims to determine elements influencing vulnerabilities towards malaria in SEA populations. In addition, this study seeks to explore how various social determinants of health contribute to the increased malaria vulnerabilities in this region. Method This review adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from October to November 2024, focusing on peer-reviewed, open-access quantitative studies published from 2014 to 2024. Studies that addressed the risk or vulnerability of malaria in SEA populations were included. Multiple reviewers independently conducted screening, data charting, and thematic synthesis. Result Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing various malaria-endemic settings in SEA, including cross-border regions and migrant populations. The findings were synthesized using a social determinants of health lens, resulting in five thematic domains: biological influences, demographic and socioeconomic parameters, built and lived environments, behaviour and practices, and access to healthcare services and information. Conclusion The vulnerability of SEA population to malaria is multifaceted and deeply entrenched in a web of complex, interrelated factors. Effective control requires region-specific, multi-sectoral strategies that address these vulnerabilities through targeted interventions, strengthened health systems, and equitable public health policies.

In this study, compacted hematite (Fe2O3) preforms were made and sintered at various temperatures, such as 1250 °C and 1300 °C, using both conventional and microwave sintering methods. The density, porosity, microhardness, cold crushing strength, microphotographs, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the sintered preforms were used to evaluate the performance of the two sintering methods. It was found that microwave sintered preforms possessed lesser porosity and higher density than conventionally sintered preforms owing to uniform heating of the powdered ore in microwave sintering method. Furthermore, it was also observed that microwave sintered preforms exhibited relatively higher cold crushing strength and hardness than conventionally sintered preforms. Thus, the overall results revealed that microwave sintering yielded better properties considered in the present study.

This paper reviews various emerging alternative SCMs derived from minerals and biomass sources, industrial byproducts, and underutilized waste streams. The paper compiles and evaluates physicochemical properties, reaction mechanisms in cementitious systems, resource availability, supply chain dynamics, technology readiness, the impact on concrete performance, and environmental and cost factors for each candidate SCM. Specifically, the review examines wood ash from bioenergy plants, volcanic and sedimentary natural pozzolans, and construction and demolition waste. This includes recycled concrete fines, asphalt plants’ rock dust (baghouse fines), aggregate production fines, and post-consumer waste, particularly municipal solid waste incinerator ash and wastewater sludge ash. Additionally, the paper explores innovative additives such as cellulose and chitin nanomaterials and calcium–silicate–hydrate nanoseeds to address challenges of slower strength development and rheological changes. The key contribution of this review is a multifactor framework for assessing alternative SCMs, emphasizing availability, supply chain, market readiness, and environmental performance, combined with an engineering performance review.

We evaluate the performance of a large ensemble of Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) over South America for a recent past reference period and examine their projections of twenty-first century precipitation and temperature changes. The future changes are computed for two time slices (2040–2059 and 2080–2099) relative to the reference period (1995–2014) under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs, SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5). The CMIP6 GCMs successfully capture the main climate characteristics across South America. However, they exhibit varying skill in the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation and temperature at the sub-regional scale, particularly over high latitudes and altitudes. Future precipitation exhibits a decrease over the east of the northern Andes in tropical South America and the southern Andes in Chile and Amazonia, and an increase over southeastern South America and the northern Andes—a result generally consistent with earlier CMIP (3 and 5) projections. However, most of these changes remain within the range of variability of the reference period. In contrast, temperature increases are robust in terms of magnitude even under the SSP1–2.6. Future changes mostly progress monotonically from the weakest to the strongest forcing scenario, and from the mid-century to late-century projection period. There is an increase in the seasonality of the intra-annual precipitation distribution, as the wetter part of the year contributes relatively more to the annual total. Furthermore, an increasingly heavy-tailed precipitation distribution and a rightward shifted temperature distribution provide strong indications of a more intense hydrological cycle as greenhouse gas emissions increase. The relative distance of an individual GCM from the ensemble mean does not substantially vary across different scenarios. We found no clear systematic linkage between model spread about the mean in the reference period and the magnitude of simulated sub-regional climate change in the future period. Overall, these results could be useful for regional climate change impact assessments across South America.

Recent advancements in medical dosimetry have significantly improved the precision and effectiveness of radiation therapy by accurately quantifying absorbed doses from ionizing radiation. In the past, conventional one-dimensional and two-dimensional dosimeters were commonly used, but recent years have seen a surge in interest in 3D dosimeters for complex radiation therapies. This review aims to elucidate the applications of 3D polymer gel dosimeters in radiation therapies, covering diverse radiation and energy fields. Utilizing an extensive search strategy across various electronic databases, the review synthesizes insights from recent studies on polymer gel dosimeters, exploring their properties and applications in ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. Furthermore, the review investigates the consideration of Monte Carlo simulations in modeling dosimeter applications in radiation therapy, examining specific parameters affecting dosimeter performance. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of available data over the past decade, shedding light on the medical applications of 3D polymer gel dosimeters and their potential limitations. Finally, the review discusses challenges in widespread implementation and future directions, emphasizing the need for further research on novel gel dosimeters and the incorporation of nanoparticles to enhance sensitivity and functionality in medical dosimetry.