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This study aims to observe the associated risk factors of lower back pain and the factors that increase the pain severity. So, the main objective of this research is to identify the factors which may cause the lower back pain and the causal effect on the pain severity and respective treatment. This study also tries to determine the demographical characteristics of the low back pain patients and determine the inter relationship of psychological health, work stress and treatment effect with the pain disability index. In this cross-sectional study, 200 patients with lower back pain were interviewed who were taking treatments from the physiotherapy department at the Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A quantitative research model has been performed to observe the relationship between different causes of low back pain effects on the patients. Different statistical analysis including structural equation modeling have been performed to observe their pain severity and treatment effect. The study found 64% (128) of the total participants as male and 36% (72) as female among 200 patients of low back pain. The study also observed the highest portion of the patients belong to the age group 39 to 45 years (21.5%). On the basis of BMI, obese weight respondents were 26.5% (53), overweight respondents were 37% (74), normal weight respondents were 33% (66), and underweight respondents were only 3.5% (7). Here, sex, body mass index (BMI), living place and educational status have significant association with pain disability index (PDI). On the other hand, smoking tendency of patients has insignificant relationship (p>0.05) with pain disability index (PDI). The path coefficients of the structural equation model identified that all the null hypotheses of no significant relationship have been rejected for 5% level of significance. The hypothesis of psychological health is positively related to pain severity of a patient has an acceptable strength (β = 0.745, p<0.001) and a positive direction. Another hypothesis (Psychological health is positively related to the treatment of a patient) shows an acceptable strength (β = 0.401, p <0.001) and a positive direction. Work stress is also found to be positively related to pain severity of a patient with an acceptable strength (β = 0.544, p < 0.001) and a positive direction. The hypothesis (Work stress is positively related to the treatment of a patient) has an acceptable strength (β = 0.322, p< 0.05) and a positive direction. The hypothesis (pain severity is positively related to the treatment of patients) shows an acceptable strength (β = 0.801, p < 0.001) and a positive direction. The research found out the psychological health situation and work stress of patients are significantly related with pain severity with acceptable strength. Also, Pain severity is significantly associated with treatment scheme intensity.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is a member of the GPCR family and a key mediator of the rapid, nongenomic actions of estrogens as membrane estrogen receptors. In this study, we established a procedure for the expression and purification of recombinant human membrane estrogen receptor (hGPER) protein via the expression system using the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris . By optimizing codon usage, we successfully expressed hGPER at a level that can be purified by column chromatography. The recombinant protein was purified via three chromatography steps. Purified hGPER showed specific estrogen-binding activity (Kd = 9.9 nM and Bmax = 1.76 nM) in a radiolabeled steroid-binding assay. We subsequently established a homogeneous assay for hGPER ligands by conjugating semiconductor nanoparticles known as graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to hGPER. GQDs coupled with hGPER (GQD-hGPER) caused a decrease in fluorescence at 520 nm from E2-BSA-FITC, which was activated by 370 nm light upon the addition of free estradiol to the reaction mixture. Fluorescence was decreased by the administration of hGPER ligands but not by steroids that do not interact with hGPER. Thus, we successfully established a ligand-binding assay for hGPER that is suitable for screening potential compounds. hGPER is a promising candidate for drug discovery for nongenomic estrogen-stimulating effects. The homogeneous assay established in this study will be usable for that purpose.

Fruit flies belonging to Tephritidae family are highly destructive agricultural pests, posing a significant threat to various fruits and vegetables grown in Bangladesh. A comprehensive year-round survey was conducted at Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) campus located in the central region of Bangladesh. Three types of male lures (methyl eugenol, cue-lure and zingerone) were used to detect and assess the diversity of pest fruit fly species. A total of seventeen species of Tephritidae fruit flies were detected in this survey. The Bactrocera carambolae fruit fly has been discovered for the first time in our survey area, indicating spread of its range towards the north-west region from its previous detection sites (Chattogram and Sylhet Divisions) in Bangladesh. Among the detected pest species, we identified six abundant species: Bactrocera dorsalis , Zeugodacus cucurbitae , Zeugodacus tau , Bactrocera rubigina , Bactrocera zonata , and Dacus longicornis . The most abundant species was the polyphagous fruit pest B. dorsalis , comprising 76.83% of the total captured flies. The species Z. cucurbitae was the second most abundant, representing 13.82% of the total trapped flies. The fitted curve to survey data using Gaussian mixture model revealed the existence of overlapped subgroups in the temporal population distribution of B. dorsalis and Z. cucurbitae . In addition, our statistical analysis of the six abundant Tephritidae fruit fly species revealed correlation of population dynamics with several factors including temperature, rainfall, humidity, photoperiod, and fruiting time of host plant species in the selected area.

Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) mosquito is a vector responsible for increasing global public health concerns due to its rapid geographical spread and increasing vectorial capacity. Understanding the breeding behavior of Ae. aegypti is crucial to control this vector and thereby limiting the spread of diseases. To study this mosquito breeding in the laboratories and ovitraps, different types of lining-papers, surrounding inner surface of a container along with different types of added infusions, are used. Lining-papers serve as surfaces for oviposition and infusions provide the essential environment for nurturing. The types of oviposition surfaces and infusions used in laboratory rearing facilities or ovitraps influence oviposition preference, changing the breeding behavior of Ae. aegypti gravid mosquitoes. This study presents a comparative study on oviposition preferences for six different types of lining-papers and six different types of infusions in a bioassay cage. ANOVA analysis shows a significant effect on oviposition preference of different types of lining-papers that served as oviposition surfaces. The highest oviposition activity was observed for the ‘ agri seed germination paper-75 ’ lining-paper when normal tap water infusion was used. Likewise, statistical analysis shows that when a ‘ plain printing offset paper 80 GSM ’ lining-paper was used, a highly statistically significant effect on oviposition preference is observed for different types of infusions used in the oviposition cups.

BackgroundPlasma technology is an emerging sector in agriculture. The effect of low-frequency glow discharge (LFGD) plasma at medium pressure (10 torr) on maize morpho-physiological and agronomical behavior was investigated in the current studies. The LFGD plasma act as a secondary messenger to improve maize production. This cutting-edge plasma technology can be used in agriculture to boost agronomic possibilities.Materials and methodsMaize seeds were treated with LFGD Ar + Air gas plasma for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, and 120 s. The gas ratio of Ar + Air was 1:99. Plasma was produced with a high voltage (1–6 kV) and low (3–5 kHz) frequency power supply across the electrodes. The internal pressure was maintained at ~ 10 torrs with a vacuum pump in the plasma chamber. Inside the plasma production chamber, the gas flow rate was maintained at 1 L/min.ResultsEffect of LFGD Ar + Air plasma on seed germination, and growth parameters including, shoot length, root length, fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, and chlorophyll were measured and in comparison with the control the parameter scores increased by 4.89%, 3.18%, 1.77%, 5.53%, 1.90%, 5.16%, 1.90%, 1.98%, respectively. The SEM image of the seeds surface demonstrated remarkable changes caused by plasma treatment. In roots, APX and SOD activities improved by only 0.022% and 0.64%, whereas, in shoots their activities showed a 0.014% and 0.25% increment compared to control. Further, H2O2, soluble protein, and sugar content increased by 0.12%, 0.33%, 2.50% and 1.15%, 1.41%, 2.99%, 1.16% in shoots and roots, respectively, while NO showed no significant changes in plants. Interestingly, notable improvement were found in nutritional properties (protein 0.32%, fat 0.96%, fiber 0.22%, ash 0.31%, grain iron 1.77%, shoots iron 7.61%, and manganese 6.25%), while the moisture content was reduced by 0.93% which might be useful in prolonged seed storage and the long life viability of the seeds. However, zinc (Zn) content in maize seedlings from plasma-treated seeds showed no significant change.ConclusionThe present study revealed that LFGD Ar + Air gas plasma is associated with the elevation of ROS in leaves and roots, which in turn improves the seed germination rate, agronomic traits, growth, enzymatic activity, and nutritional supplement in maize.

Background Stroke is one of the major causes of death and disability both globally and in Bangladesh. Lifestyle traits are already known as a major indicator of healthy living and they might have relationships with post-stroke outcomes. This study aimed to examine how various lifestyle factors; including physical activity, dietary habits, smoking, alcohol use, and sleep quality affect the psychological health like depression, anxiety and functional recovery of ischemic stroke survivors in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to June 2024, involving 1052 ischemic stroke patients from different areas of Bangladesh. Data were collected through interviews and standardized tools like the Barthel Index for activities of daily living, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 for psychological assessment. Results The majority of 1052 ischemic stroke patients were male (68%) and older than 50 (69.5%). Notable comorbidity rates (hypertension, 77.9%; diabetes, 58.4%; heart disease, 54%) were also observed. Dietary pattern included increased fast food (57.1%) and fish (56.2%) consumption and less fruit (51.8%) intake. The majority were addicted to smoking (56.6%) and smokeless tobacco (59.1%). Patients 53 years and above showed higher odds of decreased functional independence (OR = 0.64). While obese patients were observed to have increased anxiety risk (OR = 3.30) and decreased functional independence (OR = 1.34). Patients who performed physical exercise before stroke showed higher odds of improved physical function (OR = 1.35). The habit of extra salt consumption among patients showed depressive symptoms (OR = 1.34). In addition, patients who had adequate sleep (≥ 8 h) were observed to have fewer depressive symptoms (OR = 0.29). Patients who were light smokers (OR = 0.68) were observed to have less chance of developing depressive symptoms than heavy smokers. Nevertheless, smokeless tobacco consumption habit increased chances of anxiety (OR = 3.34) and depressive (OR = 1.43) symptoms. Conclusion Stroke patients with anxiety, depression and poor functional outcome show specific lifestyle traits. Further study should focus on improving the psychological and functional outcome through structured patient education system and lifestyle modifications.

A simple and low-cost solution casting method has been used to obtain carbon nanotube (CNT)-incorporated natural rubber (NR) composites. It is observed from the FESEM that CNTs are dispersed uniformly in the NR matrices, which is confirmed by the XRD and FTIR studies. TG–DTA study showed that the weight loss, calculated from the three-step degradation of NR, is minimum for the composite with 1.0 wt% of CNTs, which confirmed that thermal stability of the composites is increased, and degradation of the composites is delayed. With the increase in CNTs in the NR matrix, current density through the samples increases from 2.49 to 7.63 Am −2 , which is due to the formation of continuous conductive networks and hopping conduction throughout the samples. The dielectric constant becomes almost double and the value of activation energy decreases from 0.259 to 0.226 eV with the increase in wt% of CNTs in the NR matrices. The tensile strength increases up to 0.46 ± 0.02 MPa, which is more than three times higher compared to that of NR (0.13 ± 0.03 MPa). Eventually, these NR nanocomposites may have major contribution in flexible and stretchable electronics such as in aerospace sectors, robotic arms, sensors, nonmetallic flexible capacitors and many more.

Paqr9 is a gene encoding membrane progestin receptor e (mPRe), the fifth subtype of the five mPR subtypes, and is currently classified a member of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family, which consists of 11 genes. To elucidate the physiological functions of the mPR subtypes, we established gene knockout (KO) fish via genome editing of seven paqr genes in zebrafish and analyzed their phenotypes. The null-mutant strain of paqr9 (paqr9 ) that we established in this study presented reduced chorion elevation and a high percentage of abnormal embryos. Embryos exhibit various kinds of abnormal morphology, which are thought to be caused by insufficient elevation of the chorion. Immunohistochemical staining of ovaries with an anti-Paqr9 antibody revealed that Paqr9 was expressed in the periplasm of oocytes and the surface of chorion in the wild type, whereas signals were absent in paqr9 zebrafish. In histological sections, the periplasmic connection between the oocyte plasma membrane and chorion was absent in paqr9 oocytes. The number of cortical alveoli (CA) that are responsible for chorion elevation was significantly reduced in paqr9 zebrafish. SEM revealed that fiber-supported knob-like structures (KSs) on the chorion were absent in paqr9 zebrafish. These results indicate that Paqr9 is required for the preparation of CA during oogenesis. Insufficient formation of the chorion resulted in the abnormal development of embryos.

To complete meiosis II, cyclin B is degraded in a short period by the inactivation of M-phase promoting factor (MPF). Previously, we showed that the destruction of cyclin B was initiated by the ubiquitin-independent proteolytic activity of the 26 S proteasome through an initial cut in the N-terminus of cyclin (at K57 in the case of goldfish cyclin B). We hypothesized that this cut allows cyclin to be ubiquitinated for further destruction by the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway, which leads to MPF inactivation. In this study, we aimed to identify the ubiquitination site for further degradation. The destruction of cyclin B point mutants in which lysine residues in a lysine-rich stretch following the cut site of cyclin B had been mutated was analyzed. All the lysine point mutants except K57R (a point mutant in which K57 was substituted with arginine) were susceptible to proteolytic cleavage by the 26 S proteasome. However, the degradation of the K77R and K7677R mutants in Xenopus egg extracts was significantly slower than the degradation of other mutants, and a 42 kDa truncated form of cyclin B was detected during the onset of the degradation of these mutants. The truncated form of recombinant cyclin B, an N-terminal truncated cyclin BΔ57 produced as cut by the 26 S proteasome, was not further cleaved by the 26 S proteasome but rather degraded in Xenopus egg extracts. The injection of the K57R, K77R and K7677R cyclin B proteins stopped cleavage in Xenopus embryos. From the results of a series of experiments, we concluded that cyclin B degradation involves a two-step mechanism initiated by initial ubiquitin-independent cleavage by the 26 S proteasome at lysine 57 followed by its ubiquitin-dependent destruction by the 26 S proteasome following ubiquitination at lysine 77.