Online gaming and its effect on academic performance of Bangladeshi university students: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Due to the availability of more sophisticated cell phones with top-notch gaming functions, the present generation is more active. The available literature indicates that adolescents experience a variety of psychological issues, like low self-control brought on by an addiction to mobile games. Because of this, the aim of this study is to control the prevalence of, and factors that contribute to, online gaming addiction and its effects on academic performance in Bangladeshi university students. Methods: Convenient sampling was adopted to collect primary data from 399 Bangladeshi university students utilizing a prestructured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, the χ 2 test, binary logistic regression, and multinomial logistic regression were also used to accomplish the study's objective. Results: According to this study, 62.7% of students play online games over 30 h every week. The findings also show that male students are more inclined than female students to show signs of addiction. Also, regular online gaming can result in long-term problems, and that factor including age, internet access, educational background, and frequency of play can influence the likelihood of these problems. The findings shows that a lower cumulative grade point average (CGPA), less physical activity, and less study time are associated with playing online games for at least 30 h per week. Moreover, the study found that playing online games, playing for long time, and skipping class can all have an adverse effect on a student's academic performance. Conclusions: The authors recommend that the authorities set up a good entertainment environment and take into account the findings of this article to discourage students from playing online games. Furthermore, encouragement of extracurricular activities such as sports or other pursuits is also essential in assisting Bangladeshi students in overcoming their addiction to mobile games.

The Complex of p-Tyr42 RhoA and p-p65/RelA in Response to LPS Regulates the Expression of Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1.

Inflammation plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, primarily mediated by NF-κB. RhoA GTPases are instrumental in regulating the activation of NF-κB. Specifically, the phosphorylation of Tyrosine 42 on RhoA ensures the activation of NF-κB by directly activating the IKKß associated with IKKγ (NEMO). This study aimed to uncover the molecular mechanism through which p-Tyrosine 42 RhoA, in conjunction with NF-κB, promotes tumorigenesis. Notably, we observed that p-Tyrosine 42 RhoA co-immunoprecipitated with the p-Ser 536 p65/RelA subunit in NF-κB in response to LPS. Moreover, both p-Tyrosine 42 RhoA and p-p65/RelA translocated to the nucleus, where they formed a protein complex associated with the promoter of phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and regulated the expression of PGK1. In addition, p-p65/RelA and p-Tyr42 RhoA co-immunoprecipitated with p300 histone acetyltransferase. Intriguingly, PGK1 exhibited an interaction with ß-catenin, PKM1 and PKM2. Of particular interest, si-PGK1 led to a reduction in the levels of ß-catenin and phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase A1 (p-PDHA1). We also found that PGK1 phosphorylated ß-catenin at the Thr551 and Ser552 residues. These findings discovered that PGK1 may play a role in transcriptional regulation, alongside other transcription factors.

Socioeconomic and demographic risk factors of autism spectrum disorder among children and adolescents in Bangladesh: Evidence from a cross-sectional study in 2022.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the assorted uneven conditions of the human brain that lead to developmental disabilities. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the substantial risk factors of ASD among children in Bangladesh. The data were collected using convenience sampling through a questionnaire filled up by the trained interviewers. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were applied as bivariate analysis, and generalized beta regression was performed to determine the significant risk factors of autism spectrum disorder. The odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were the measuring parameters of the risk factors of ASD. The result revealed that later birth order children have more risk of ASD (OR = 1.13, CI: 1.014-1.264, p = 0.027) compared to the children whose birth order is first. Premature birth of the child (OR: 0.87, CI: 0.76-1.00, p = 0.05) and father's age (OR: 0.86, CI: 0.76-0.97, p = 0.020) substantially affects ASD. The maternal history of specific illness (diabetes, thyroiditis, and hypertension) during pregnancy also significantly affect ASD (OR: 1.34, CI: 1.14-1.61, p = 0.002). The results of this study would assist policymakers in taking necessary steps to reduce the incidence of this disorder by targeting the potential risk factors.

Influencing factors associated with maternal delivery at home in urban areas: a cross-sectional analysis of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018 data.

BACKGROUND: The associated factors and patterns of giving birth in home settings of rural areas have been extensively studied in Bangladeshi literature. However, urban areas still need to be explored, particularly with recent data. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the influential determinants of delivery at home in urban areas of Bangladesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 1699 urban-dwelling women who had given birth within the previous 60 months of the survey and lived in urban areas were used. The secondary data were extracted from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were applied along with the association among selected variables were examined by the Chi-square test. RESULTS: Findings depict that 36.49% of women who lived in urban areas of Bangladesh delivered at home, whereas, 63.51% delivered at different govt. and private health care facilities. Women who lived in Chittagong [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.11, 95% CI 1.24-3.60], Barisal [AOR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.16-3.64] and Sylhet [AOR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.08-3.43] divisions have more likelihood to deliver at home (36.85%). Urban women following Christian religion [AOR = 10.71, 95% CI 1.32-86.68] have higher odds of delivering child at home (0.47%). Urban women having three or more children before her latest delivery (22.37%) and who are employed (29.37%) have more likelihood to deliver at home. However, women aged between 25 and 34 years (43.50%), who have higher education (25.90%), play the role of household head (9.06%), have parity of more than two births (2.24%), and read daily newspapers (68.69%) had a lower chance of delivery at home. Furthermore, women from wealthier families (89.12%) and more antenatal care (ANC) visits (94.93%) were less likely to have a delivery at home. CONCLUSION: Despite significant progress in women and reproductive health in Bangladesh, the proportion of delivery in the home in urban areas is alarming and should be emphasized more. The authors believe the identified factors will help design interventions and policy development on this issue.

Lipopolysaccharide Stimulates A549 Cell Migration through p-Tyr 42 RhoA and Phospholipase D1 Activity.

Cell migration is a crucial contributor to metastasis, a critical process associated with the mortality of cancer patients. The initiation of metastasis is triggered by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), along with the changes in the expression of EMT marker proteins. Inflammation plays a significant role in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a typical inflammatory agent, promoted the generation of superoxide through the activation of p-Tyr42 RhoA, Rho-dependent kinase 2 (ROCK2), and the phosphorylation of p47phox. In addition, p-Tyr42 RhoA activated phospholipase D1 (PLD1), with PLD1 and phosphatidic acid (PA) being involved in superoxide production. PA also regulated the expression of EMT proteins. Consequently, we have identified MHY9 (Myosin IIA, NMIIA) as a PA-binding protein in response to LPS. MYH9 also contributed to cell migration and the alteration in the expression of EMT marker proteins. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed the formation of a complex involving p-Tyr42 RhoA, PLD1, and MYH9. These proteins were found to be distributed in both the cytosol and nucleus. In addition, we have found that p-Tyr42 RhoA PLD1 and MYH9 associate with the ZEB1 promoter. The suppression of ZEB1 mRNA levels was achieved through the knockdown of RhoA, PLD1, and MYH9 using si-RNAs. Taken together, we propose that p-Tyr42 RhoA and PLD1, responsible for producing PA, and PA-bound MYH9 are involved in the regulation of ZEB1 expression, thereby promoting cell migration.

Multiple functions of pyruvate kinase M2 in various cell types.

Glucose metabolism is a mechanism by which energy is produced in form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by mitochondria and precursor metabolites are supplied to enable the ultimate enrichment of mature metabolites in the cell. Recently, glycolytic enzymes have been shown to have unconventional but important functions. Among these enzymes, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays several roles including having conventional metabolic enzyme activity, and also being a transcriptional regulator and a protein kinase. Compared with the closely related PKM1, PKM2 is highly expressed in cancer cells and embryos, whereas PKM1 is dominant in mature, differentiated cells. Posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation and acetylation of PKM2 change its cellular functions. In particular, PKM2 can translocate to the nucleus, where it regulates the transcription of many target genes. It is notable that PKM2 also acts as a protein kinase to phosphorylate several substrate proteins. Besides cancer cells and embryonic cells, astrocytes also highly express PKM2, which is crucial for lactate production via expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), while mature neurons predominantly express PKM1. The lactate produced in cancer cells promotes tumor progress and that in astrocytes can be supplied to neurons and may act as a major source for neuronal ATP energy production. Thereby, we propose that PKM2 along with its different posttranslational modifications has specific purposes for a variety of cell types, performing unique functions.

Effectiveness of social and behavioral change communication intervention to promote the use of 7.1% chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care in hard-to-reach rural Bangladesh: A mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Developing countries account for 99.0% of the 2.7 million neonatal deaths occurring worldwide each year. Umbilical cord infection contributes greatly to this predicament, but evidence shows that 7.1% chlorhexidine solution (CHX) can substantially reduce the risk of infection. To address this challenge, this study aimed to determine the effect of a social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) intervention on promoting the use of WHO recommended CHX as well as on improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of rural communities regarding umbilical cord care in hard-to-reach areas of Bangladesh. METHODS: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted in two unions of Jamalpur district during 2017-2019 among 748 pregnant women in their third trimester. The SBCC intervention was implemented through town-hall meetings (n = 3), community meetings (n = 30), and door-to-door meetings (n = 22 223) in Dangdhora union, which served as the intervention group, while Hativanga union was kept as a real-time comparator group. Qualitative data were collected from a total of 200 respondents, where 100 participants were chosen from both intervention and control groups. Statistical analysis was carried out in R and outcomes with P values less than 0.05 at 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were presented. RESULTS: Following SBCC intervention, significant (P < 0.001) improvements were observed in the intervention group with regards to the primary objective: CHX use increased from 1.07% to 57.80%, while CHX use decreased from 1.6% to 0.0% in the control group. Meaningful improvements were also observed in relation to knowledge (29.0% to 43.0%), attitude (53.0% to 90.0%), and practices (25.0% to 70.0%) of rural communities regarding cord care. Marked improvements were also observed in the intervention group related to understanding causes of cord infections; importance of cord cleanliness; use of antiseptic and other preventive measures; care-seeking behavior; and ensuring hygienic childbirth. CONCLUSIONS: This pioneer study revealed that SBCC interventions led to an increase in CHX use and improved the knowledge, attitude and practices of Bangladeshi communities regarding cord care and cord infection. This indicates that SBCC intervention is indeed an effective and feasible method for reducing infant mortality rates in hard-to-reach populations and achieving SDG goal 3.2.

RhoA GTPase phosphorylated at tyrosine 42 by src kinase binds to ß-catenin and contributes transcriptional regulation of vimentin upon Wnt3A.

In the Wnt canonical pathway, Wnt3A has been known to stabilize ß-catenin. In the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway, Wnt is known to activate Rho GTPases. The correlation between canonical and non-canonical pathways by Wnt signaling, however, has not been well elucidated. Here, we identified that Wnt3A promoted superoxide generation, leading to Tyr42 phosphorylation of RhoA through activations of c-Src and Rho-dependent coiled coil kinase 2 (ROCK2) and phosphorylation of p47phox, a component of NADPH oxidase. Wnt3A also induced accumulation of ß-catenin along with activations of RhoA and ROCK1. Concurrently, ROCK1 was able to phosphorylate GSK-3ß at Ser9, which phosphorylated Src at Ser51 and Ser492 residues, leading to Src inactivation through dephosphorylation of Tyr416 during the late period of Wnt3A treatment. Meanwhile, p-Tyr42 RhoA bound to ß-catenin via the N-terminal domain of ß-catenin, thereby leading to the nuclear translocation of p-Tyr42 RhoA/ß-catenin complex. Notably, p-Tyr42 RhoA as well as ß-catenin was associated with the promoter of Vim, leading to increased expression of vimentin. In addition, stomach cancer patients harboring higher expressed p-Tyr42 Rho levels revealed the much poorer survival probability. Therefore, we propose that p-Tyr42 RhoA is crucial for transcriptional regulation of specific target genes in the nucleus by binding to their promoters and involved in tumorigenesis.

Numerical Investigation of the Effects of Coke on Transport Properties in an Oxidative Fuel Cell Reformer.

Experimental investigations on the technical viability of solid oxide fuel cells to replace internal combustion engines in automobiles have increased in recent years. However, the performance and stability of catalysts in the presence of carbon is key for the commercial success of fuel cell reformers. In this paper, finite element method was used to study the effect of coke deposition on heat and mass transfer during the catalytic partial oxidation of ethanol in a packed bed reactor. The properties of Ni/Al2O3 catalyst bed were investigated after being subjected to several hours of carbon buildup. Bed permeability, porosity, and temperature distribution were significantly affected after just 1500 s of reaction time. It was observed that void fraction and permeability became nonuniform across the bed. These two parameters decreased with axial position, and the difference became more pronounced with time. A decrease in bed porosity reduced the bed temperature due to an increase in effective thermal conductivity and ethanol conversion and hydrogen selectivity decreased as a result. Thus, it was concluded that heat transfer becomes a limiting factor in reforming reactions in the presence of carbon. Production distribution before deactivation was also studied, and it was observed that a maximum ethanol conversion of 100% was achieved at 600 °C and a C/O ratio of 1.0. Finally, results from the reactions were compared to that of a different study to validate the reaction mechanism and similar results were found in the literature.

Knowledge and beliefs of the city dwellers regarding dengue transmission and their relationship with prevention practices in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to explore knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of dengue fever among Dhaka city dwellers and the potential associated factors. Study design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the city dwellers in Dhaka north and south city corporations using a standardized questionnaire from November to December 2019. Methods: Households were selected by purposive sampling and interviewed face to face by the trained interviewers. The association between education and occupation with the dengue practice was tested using the chi-square test statistic. Results: Around 96% of respondents claimed that they heard about Dengue, and 80% of them correctly identified its causes. Nearly half of the people did not know the breeding season and ecology of dengue vector mosquitoes. Though the city dwellers were well-known about Dengue's burden, they were reluctant to take preventive measures to get rid of this disease. More than 70% of people mentioned that every family member regularly sleeps under a bed net. Moreover, we found a significant relationship between the education level (p<0.05), as well as the occupation of the respondents (p<0.05) with the practice to prevent and control Dengue. We did not find any information, education, and communication (IEC) activities in the city during our survey. Conclusion: Many people didn't know the specific preventive measures to minimize potential exposure to Dengue. This lack of knowledge is likely due to inadequate coverage with IEC activities. So, IEC intervention programs may need to start soon in highly dengue-endemic cities to reduce the burden.