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Currently, multi-antigenic vaccine use is the method of choice for the strategic control of ticks. Therefore, determining the efficacy of combined antigens is a promising avenue of research in the development of anti-tick vaccines. The antigen responsible for blood intake and reproduction has proven suitable as a vaccine antigen. It has been shown to silence Haemaphysalis longicornis salivary cystatin (HlSC-1) and subolesin by RNA interference. Adult unfed female ticks were injected with double-stranded RNA of (A) subolesin, (B) cystatin, (C) subolesin plus cystatin, and (D) injection buffer, then fed alongside normal unfed males up to spontaneous drop-down. The percentage of knockdowns was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Sixty-three percent and 53% knockdown rates were observed in subolesin and cystatin double-stranded RNA-injected ticks respectively, while 32 and 26% knockdown rates of subolesin and cystatin transcript were observed in subolesin plus cystatin double-stranded RNA-injected ticks. Subolesin and/or cystatin knockdown causes a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in tick engorgement, egg mass weight, and egg conversion ratio. Most importantly, combined silencing did not act synergistically, but caused a similarly significant (p < 0.05) reduction in tick engorgement, egg mass weight, and egg conversion ratio. Therefore, the elucidation of multiple antigens may be helpful in the future of vaccines.

Background/Objectives: The co-formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a growing strategy in biopharmaceutical development, particularly when it comes to improving solubility and bioavailability. This study explores a co-precipitation method to prepare co-formulated crystals of griseofulvin (GF) and dexamethasone (DXM), utilizing nanostructured, functionalized polylactic glycolic acid (nfPLGA) as a solubility enhancer. Methods: An antisolvent precipitation technique was employed to incorporate nfPLGA at a 3% concentration into the co-formulated GF and DXM, referred to as DXM-GF-nfPLGA. The dissolution performance of this formulation was compared to that of the pure drugs and the co-precipitated DXM-GF without nfPLGA. Results: Several characterization techniques, including electron microscopy (SEM), RAMAN, FTIR, TGA, and XRD, were used to analyze the nfPLGA incorporation and the co-precipitated co-formulations. The inclusion of nfPLGA significantly enhanced the dissolution and initial dissolution rate of both GF and DXM in the DXM-GF-nfPLGA formulation, achieving a maximum dissolution of 100%, which was not attained by the pure drugs or the DXM-GF formulation. The incorporation of nfPLGA also reduced the amount of time taken to reach 50% (T50) and 80% (T80) dissolution. T50 values decreased from 52 and 82 min (for pure DXM and GF) to 23 min for DXM-GF-nfPLGA, and the T80 improved to 50 min for DXM-GF-nfPLGA, significantly outpacing the pure compounds. Furthermore, incorporating nfPLGA into the crystal structures greatly accelerated the dissolution rates, with initial rates reaching 650.92 µg/min for DXM-GF-nfPLGA compared to 540.60 µg/min for DXM-GF, while pure GF and DXM showed lower rates. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that nfPLGA incorporation enhances dissolution performance by forming water channels within the API crystal via hydrogen-bonding interactions. This innovative nfPLGA incorporation method holds promise for developing hydrophobic co-formulations with faster solubility and dissolution rates.

The purpose of this research paper is to study the present status of e-commerce industry in Bangladesh and finding out comprehensive model based solution for the expansion of the sector spreading e-commerce all over the country. SWOT analysis has been conducted and business expansion model has been developed from the data generated from surveying to the reputed e-commerce business organizations and customers of e-commerce. Primary data has been collected from the top level management of e-commerce business organizations and e-commerce customers as interviewees while secondary data have been collected from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission reports, relevant literature etc. This study identifies that e-commerce intermediation and channel conflict are the great problems in case of e-commerce business expansion that increases the price level of the products and services but can not reach mass people outside the mega cities as Dhaka. That is why a value chain based business expansion model has been proposed to reach the mass people of Bangladesh for inclusive e-commerce through e-commerce agent. The study will provide insights to the policy makers to work with e-commerce business expansion in the process of digitization of Bangladesh.

This study reports an innovative approach for producing nanoplastics (NP) from various types of domestic waste plastics without the use of chemicals. The plastic materials used included water bottles, styrofoam plates, milk bottles, centrifuge tubes, to-go food boxes, and plastic bags, comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and Poly (Ethylene-co-Methacrylic Acid) (PEMA). The chemical composition of these plastics was confirmed using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, and they were found to have irregular shapes. The resulting NP particles ranged from 50 to 400 nm in size and demonstrated relative stability when suspended in water. To assess their impact, the study investigated the effects of these NP particulates on cell viability and the expression of genes involved in inflammation and oxidative stress using a macrophage cell line. The findings revealed that all types of NP reduced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Notably, PS, HDPE, and PP induced significant reductions in cell viability at lower concentrations, compared to PEMA and PET. Moreover, exposure to NP led to differential alterations in the expression of inflammatory genes in the macrophage cell line. Overall, this study presents a viable method for producing NP from waste materials that closely resemble real-world NP. Furthermore, the toxicity studies demonstrated distinct cellular responses based on the composition of the NP, shedding light on the potential environmental and health impacts of these particles.

Background Accurate and high-quality data are important for improving program effectiveness and informing policy. In 2009 Bangladesh’s health management information system (HMIS) adopted the District Health Information Software, Version 2 (DHIS2) to capture real-time health service utilization data. However, routinely collected data are being underused because of poor data quality and reporting. W e aimed to understand the facilitators and barriers to implementing DHIS2 as a way to retrieve meaningful and accurate data for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in two districts of Bangladesh from September 2017 to 2018. Data collection included key informant interviews ( n  = 11), in-depth interviews ( n  = 23), and focus group discussions ( n  = 2). The study participants were involved with DHIS2 implementation from the community level to the national level. The data were analyzed thematically. Results DHIS2 could improve the timeliness and completeness of data reporting over time. The reported facilitating factors were strong government commitment, extensive donor support, and positive attitudes toward technology among staff. Quality checks and feedback loops at multiple levels of data gathering points are helpful for minimizing data errors. Introducing a dashboard makes DHIS2 compatible to use as a monitoring tool. Barriers to effective DHIS2 implementation were lack of human resources, slow Internet connectivity, frequent changes to DHIS2 versions, and maintaining both manual and electronic system side-by-side. The data in DHIS2 remains incomplete because it does not capture data from private health facilities. Having two parallel HMIS reporting the same RMNCAH indicators threatens data quality and increases the reporting workload. Conclusion The overall insights from this study are expected to contribute to the development of effective strategies for successful DHIS2 implementation and building a responsive HMIS. Focused strategic direction is needed to sustain the achievements of digital data culture. Periodic refresher trainings, incentives for increased performance, and an automated single reporting system for multiple stakeholders could make the system more user-friendly. A national electronic health strategy and implementation framework can facilitate creating a culture of DHIS2 use for planning, setting priorities, and decision making among stakeholder groups.

The low solubility and slow dissolution of hydrophobic drugs is a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, we present the synthesis of surface-functionalized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles for incorporation into corticosteroid dexamethasone to improve its in vitro dissolution profile. The PLGA crystals were mixed with a strong acid mixture, and their microwave-assisted reaction led to a high degree of oxidation. The resulting nanostructured, functionalized PLGA (nfPLGA), was quite water-dispersible compared to the original PLGA, which was non-dispersible. SEM-EDS analysis showed 53% surface oxygen concentration in the nfPLGA compared to the original PLGA, which had only 25%. The nfPLGA was incorporated into dexamethasone (DXM) crystals via antisolvent precipitation. Based on SEM, RAMAN, XRD, TGA and DSC measurements, the nfPLGA-incorporated composites retained their original crystal structures and polymorphs. The solubility of DXM after nfPLGA incorporation (DXM–nfPLGA) increased from 6.21 mg/L to as high as 87.1 mg/L and formed a relatively stable suspension with a zeta potential of −44.3 mV. Octanol–water partitioning also showed a similar trend as the logP reduced from 1.96 for pure DXM to 0.24 for DXM–nfPLGA. In vitro dissolution testing showed 14.0 times higher aqueous dissolution of DXM–nfPLGA compared to pure DXM. The time for 50% (T50) and 80% (T80) of gastro medium dissolution decreased significantly for the nfPLGA composites; T50 reduced from 57.0 to 18.0 min and T80 reduced from unachievable to 35.0 min. Overall, the PLGA, which is an FDA-approved, bioabsorbable polymer, can be used to enhance the dissolution of hydrophobic pharmaceuticals and this can lead to higher efficacy and lower required dosage.

The study aims to develop several models for instigating full-fledged electronic money and to study prospects and challenges in the digitization process in the context of South Asian countries such as Bangladesh. Besides, the economic effect of full digitization of currency was analyzed considering its impact on vital economic indicators. Regression analysis, factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze data. The study suggests some models within the existing financial framework to support the process of instigating and implementing full-fledged electronic money in Bangladesh. The research defines a full-fledged e-money mechanism as a consumption-driven, production-oriented, creditworthy, cost-effective, prompt, technologically based inclusive payment system, as a prospect of full-fledged e-money. Besides, the requirement of an advanced technological infrastructure having secured and user-friendly software with high-speed internet services is identified as a major challenge to full-fledged e-money. The study also found out that a revolutionary change in GDP growth rate and inflation rate will occur through this mechanism.

The purpose of the study is to identify the main reasons of money laundering in Bangladesh among the twenty seven predicate offences of money laundering prescribed by Bangladesh Bank and position of Bangladesh among South Asian Countries regarding anti-money laundering practices. Besides, an anti-money laundering model has been developed to combat against money laundering as 14 percent bankers think that only existing know your customer form and transaction profile of banking sector are not enough to detect money laundering. To conduct the study, 91 bankers have been surveyed to take response through structured questionnaire regarding their opinion about the predicate offences of money laundering and sufficiency of existing KYC form of banking sector to detect money laundering. From the responses, factor analysis, test of hypothesis, correlation and regression analysis have been conducted using SPSS software. The study identifies that predicate offences of money laundering can be minimized mainly through scrutinizing the activities of local criminals with foreign network and strict anti-corruption measures through automation in National Board of Revenue, strict policy adoption of criminal detection and support from foreign experts. Besides, regression model shows that only six predicate offences of money laundering explains 87.2 percent of money laundering that should get more emphasize to combat against money laundering. From the comparative analysis, it has been found that Bangladesh in holding better position just after India among six South Asian Countries according to Basel AML Index score. This study provides a complete understanding of the position of Bangladesh in case of money laundering and anti-money laundering practices. The integration of four domains, i.e. AML model development, factor analysis, econometric analysis and comparative analysis of AML index will provide insights to managers and policy makers about the money laundering scenario in Bangladesh.

The purpose of the study is to identify the impact of some assumed dimensions as vital reasons for investment sluggishness in Bangladesh resulting stabilized GDP growth rate around 6 percent over last decade in spite of having some favorable microeconomic and macroeconomic indicators such as controlled inflation rate, huge foreign exchange reserve, export growth etc. The study is descriptive in nature where correlation, regression and trend analysis have been conducted from the data of primary and secondary sources. The result of the analysis shows that mainly five important dimensions of investment sluggishness named high lending interest rate, corruption in public and private organizations, political unrest, inadequate power generation and supply and infrastructure problem are significantly affecting investment sluggishness in Bangladesh resulting stabilized GDP growth rate. At the end of the research paper, some measures have been recommended to overcome the obstacles of investment growth.

Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella Typhi restricts typhoid treatment options, heightening concerns for pan-oral drug-resistant outbreaks. However, lack of long-term temporal surveillance data on AMR in countries with high burden like Bangladesh is scarce. Our study explores the AMR trends of Salmonella Typhi isolates from Bangladesh, drawing comparisons with antibiotic consumption to optimize antibiotic stewardship strategies for the country. The typhoid fever surveillance from 1999 to 2022 included two pediatric hospitals and three private clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Blood cultures were performed at treating physicians' discretion; cases were confirmed by microbiological, serological, and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined following CLSI guidelines. National antibiotic consumption data for cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin was obtained from IQVIA-MIDAS database for comparison. Over the 24 years of surveillance, we recorded 12,435 culture-confirmed typhoid cases and observed declining resistance to first-line drugs (amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole); multidrug resistance (MDR) decreased from 38% in 1999 to 17% in 2022. Cotrimoxazole consumption dropped from 0.8 to 0.1 Daily defined doses (DDD)/1000/day (1999-2020). Ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility persisted at >90% with unchanged consumption (1.1-1.3 DDD/1000/day, 2002-2020). Low ceftriaxone resistance (<1%) was observed, with slightly rising MIC (0.03 to 0.12 mg/L, 1999-2019). Azithromycin consumption increased (0.1 to 3.8 DDD/1000/day, 1999-2020), but resistance remained ≤4%. Our study highlights declining MDR amongst Salmonella Typhi in Bangladesh; first-line antimicrobials could be reintroduced as empirical treatment options for typhoid fever if MDR rates further drops below 5%. The analysis also provides baseline data for monitoring the impact of future interventions like typhoid conjugate vaccines on typhoid burden and associated AMR.