Nickel-based electrocatalysts have emerged as important alternatives to precious metal catalysts for alkaline water electrolysis because of their abundance, relatively low cost, electrical conductivity, and compatibility with alkaline operating environments. Considerable progress has been achieved through alloying, phase engineering, nanostructuring, defect generation, heterointerface construction, and electrode–substrate integration, particularly in Ni–Co, Ni–Mo, nickel sulfide, nickel phosphide, nickel oxide, and nickel hydroxide. However, reported improvements in electrocatalytic activity do not necessarily translate into efficient and durable hydrogen production under practical operating conditions. This review critically examines the relationship between Ni-based catalyst composition, structure, electrochemical reconstruction, catalytic activity, and long-term stability in alkaline water electrolysis. Attention is given to the dynamic transformation of Ni-containing surfaces during operation, the influence of Fe, Co, and Mo incorporation, structural and interfacial engineering, and the effects of catalyst architecture on mass transport and gas-bubble management. This critical review further evaluates the limitations of conventional low-current-density catalyst screening. It emphasizes high-current-density performance, full-cell voltage, Faradaic efficiency, electrode integrity, and long-term durability as more meaningful indicators of practical performance. Finally, it discusses the challenges associated with operating-state characterization, standardized testing, dynamic operation, scalable electrode fabrication, and translation from laboratory electrodes to practical electrolyzers. By connecting catalyst design with electrode engineering and electrolyzer-level performance, this review provides a framework for developing Ni-based electrodes capable of combining high activity, structural stability, and sustained hydrogen production under industrially relevant alkaline electrolysis conditions.

Background: Caesarean section rates continue to rise worldwide, and emergency caesarean delivery is typically undertaken to avert serious maternal or fetal complications. The spectrum of indications leading to emergency caesarean section varies across countries and institutions, and local data from Bangladeshi tertiary hospitals remain limited. This study aimed to determine the common indications for emergency caesarean section among women managed at Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kurmitola General Hospital, from July 2019 to December 2019. One hundred women with a singleton pregnancy beyond 28 weeks who underwent emergency caesarean section were enrolled by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a pre-tested, observation-based questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: The highest proportion of mothers (62%) were aged 21-25 years, with a mean age of 24.63±5.31 years. Forty-three percent were primigravida, and 54% had a gestational age of 37 weeks or more. Among fetal indications, fetal distress was the leading cause (22%), followed by severe intrauterine growth restriction (5%) and cord prolapse (1%). Among maternal indications, obstructed labour or failure to progress accounted for 21% of cases, malpresentation and pregnancy-induced hypertension each accounted for 13%, antepartum haemorrhage for 11%, previous caesarean section with scar tenderness for 9%, failed induction for 7%, and primary dysfunctional labour and cephalopelvic disproportion each for 4%. Conclusion: Fetal distress was the single most important indication for emergency caesarean section, while obstructed labour, pregnancy-induced hypertension and antepartum haemorrhage represented the principal maternal indications at this tertiary care center.

Background: Diagnostic delay is an important barrier to timely management of gynaecological malignancies and may result from patient-, provider-, and health-system-related factors. Identifying referral patterns and stages of delay may help improve timely diagnosis. Objective: To assess the patterns of referral and diagnostic delay among women with newly diagnosed gynaecological malignancies attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from January 2026 to June 2026 among 150 women with newly diagnosed, histopathologically confirmed gynaecological malignancies attending the Department of Gynaecological Oncology, National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital, Dhaka. Sociodemographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, initial healthcare contact, referral source, number of healthcare visits, diagnostic investigations, and reasons for delay were recorded. Diagnostic intervals were assessed from symptom onset to first healthcare contact, referral, specialist consultation, and histopathological confirmation. Results: The mean age of participants was 48.5 ± 13.8 years. Cervical cancer was the most common malignancy (52.0%), followed by ovarian (21.3%) and endometrial cancer (16.0%). Private clinics/hospitals were the most common initial healthcare facility (32.0%), while government hospitals were the leading referral source (31.3%). The mean overall diagnostic interval was 95.6 ± 48.3 days, and 39.3% of participants had an interval exceeding 90 days. Lack of awareness (36.0%), financial constraints (31.3%), delayed referral (27.3%), and repeated consultations (25.3%) were the major reported contributors to delay. Conclusion: A considerable diagnostic interval was observed, with delays occurring at multiple stages of the healthcare pathway. Strengthening awareness, referral systems, and timely diagnostic services may facilitate earlier diagnosis.

Background: Preeclampsia remains a leading cause of severe maternal morbidity worldwide and its early- and late-onset phenotypes are increasingly recognised as differing in severity and complication profile. This study aimed to compare the pattern of severe maternal morbidity between women with early-onset preeclampsia (EOP) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOP) and to contrast these outcomes with normotensive pregnancies. Methods: A hospital-based case control study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka, over six months (March to August 2019). One hundred women with preeclampsia (50 EOP and 50 LOP) and 50 normotensive controls were enrolled consecutively. Structured interview, clinical examination and review of laboratory records were used to document severe maternal complications, including HELLP syndrome, acute kidney injury (AKI) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Data were analysed using SPSS, with the chi-square or Fisher exact test applied as appropriate and p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Baseline maternal age, height and weight were comparable between EOP and LOP groups (p>0.05). DIC occurred in 5 (10.0%) women with LOP versus none with EOP (p=0.056) and AKI occurred in 1 (2.0%) LOP case versus none in EOP. No maternal deaths occurred. Compared with controls, HELLP syndrome (10.0% vs 0%, p=0.016) and AKI (8.0% vs 0%, p=0.034) were significantly more frequent among women with EOP, while DIC was significantly more frequent among women with LOP than controls (10.0% vs 0%, p=0.022). Conclusion: Severe maternal morbidity differs qualitatively between early- and late-onset preeclampsia, with EOP more strongly associated with HELLP syndrome and acute kidney injury and LOP more strongly associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, when each phenotype is compared with normotensive pregnancy.

Background: Maternal hyperglycaemia is the central pathophysiological driver of adverse perinatal outcome in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), yet the comparative magnitude of risk between well-controlled and poorly controlled disease remains under-documented in South Asian tertiary-care settings. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the level of glycaemic control and perinatal outcome among women with GDM. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 100 women with GDM managed at a tertiary hospital in Dhaka between March and August 2017. Patients were classified as well-controlled (HbA1c <6.5, n=58) or poorly controlled (HbA1c ≥6.5, n=42) and perinatal outcomes were compared between the two groups using the chi-square test in SPSS version 20, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Low birth weight (<2.5 kg) and macrosomia (>4.0 kg) were each roughly twice as frequent among poorly controlled mothers (66.67%) as among well-controlled mothers (33.33%), whereas birth weight in the 3.1–3.5 kg range predominated in the well-controlled group (72.00% versus 28.00%). Postnatal maternal complications, including postpartum haemorrhage, wound infection and urinary tract infection, were markedly concentrated among poorly controlled patients (p=0.001). Neonatal morbidity, encompassing hypoglycaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, respiratory distress syndrome, birth asphyxia and prematurity, was substantially higher among poorly controlled cases (p=0.001) and all six perinatal deaths recorded in the cohort (6%) occurred exclusively among poorly controlled patients. Conclusion: Glycaemic control status was strongly and significantly associated with neonatal morbidity, postnatal maternal complications and perinatal mortality in GDM, confirming strict glycaemic control as the principal modifiable determinant of favourable perinatal outcome.

Uterotibb is a traditional Unani polyherbal formulation used in women’s healthcare. Despite its longstanding traditional use, systematic evidence regarding its phytochemical composition and biological activities remains limited. The current study aimed to characterize the phytochemical constituents of Uterotibb and evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of its aqueous and ethanolic extracts to provide scientific support for its traditional use. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were subjected to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for phytochemical profiling. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging assays, while antimicrobial activity was assessed against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. IC₅₀ values and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. GC–MS identified phenolic derivatives, lipophilic phenolics, fatty acid esters including hexadecanoic acid, terpenoids, aromatic compounds, quinone-related structures, and phytosterols. The ethanolic extract showed 95.7 ± 0.91% scavenging potential at 1.1 mg/mL concentration, where IC₅₀ values of 0.68 mg/mL for DPPH and 1.07 mg/mL for ABTS. The aqueous extract showed 86.86 ± 0.30% scavenging at 1.1 mg/mL concentration, with IC₅₀ values of 0.821 and 1.133 mg/mL for DPPH and ABTS respectively. Both extracts exhibited an MIC of 1 mg/mL against all tested Microorganisms. The ethanolic extract lowest IC₅₀ values against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were 0.38 and 0.52 mg/mL, respectively, compared with1.62 and 2.15mg/mL for the aqueous extract against tested bacterial strains. The findings support the traditional use of Uterotibb and highlight its potential as a source of bioactive phytochemicals warranting further pharmacological investigation.

Background: Adenomyosis is an estrogen-dependent uterine disorder commonly associated with heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea, uterine enlargement and anemia. In perimenopausal women, hormonal treatment is often preferred to preserve the uterus and avoid surgery. However, real-world evidence on treatment outcomes in this age group remains limited, particularly in Bangladeshi clinical settings. This study evaluated clinical outcomes, satisfaction and tolerability of hormonal therapy. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mugda Medical College & Hospital, from June 2023 to July 2024. A total of 150 women aged 40–52 years with ultrasonography-confirmed adenomyosis received LNG-IUS, dienogest, or GnRH agonists and had a six-month follow-up. Clinical, hematological, satisfaction and adverse-effect data were extracted from records. McNemar’s test was used for paired outcomes, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: At six months, menorrhagia decreased from 92.0% to 4.0%, severe pelvic pain/dysmenorrhea from 78.7% to 12.0%, uteromegaly from 49.3% to 14.7% and anaemia from 69.3% to 17.3% (all p<0.001). Amenorrhea was achieved by 58.7% of participants, while 86.7% were satisfied or highly satisfied with treatment. Irregular spotting/breakthrough bleeding was the most frequent adverse effect (29.3%), followed by weight gain (17.3%). Overall, adverse effects were manageable. Conclusion: Hormonal therapy was associated with six-month improvement in bleeding, pain, uterine enlargement and anemia, with high treatment satisfaction and tolerable adverse effects. These findings support hormonal therapy as a uterus-conserving option for symptomatic adenomyosis in perimenopausal women.

Since Blum-Kulka (1986) proposed the “Explicitation Hypothesis”, explicitation and implicitation have received widespread attention and become important topics in translation, achieving significant development. This study is based on previous theories and uses the corpus analysis software AntConc to construct a corpus comprising three English translations of Kong Yiji. It analyzes and compares the characteristics of its explicit and implicit strategies, providing some support for the “Explicitation Hypothesis” and providing some reference for literary translation practice and appreciation.

Large-scale infrastructure projects contribute to economic development, connectivity, energy security, and social welfare. However, they can also generate substantial environmental and social impacts. This study examines how environmental and social sustainability are incorporated into large-scale infrastructure decision-making through a multiple-case study analysis of three major projects: the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Rail in Indonesia, the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil, and the Adani Carmichael Mine in Australia. The cases represent different infrastructure contexts and reveal recurring tensions between economic development objectives, environmental protection, community interests, and long-term sustainability. Through cross-case analysis, the study identifies common challenges including the prioritisation of economic and strategic objectives, limitations in stakeholder participation, ecological impacts, and inadequate consideration of long-term social and environmental consequences. The findings indicate that regulatory compliance and conventional project appraisal do not necessarily ensure sustainable or socially legitimate infrastructure outcomes. The study therefore highlights the need to embed environmental and social considerations throughout infrastructure planning, assessment, approval, and governance. It proposes strengthened stakeholder participation, sustainability and ethical assessments, adaptive decision-making, climate-impact accounting, and biodiversity and social safeguards as key governance measures. The study concludes that sustainable infrastructure requires decision-making approaches that move beyond project delivery and procedural compliance towards integrated environmental and social sustainability.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major public health issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is simple and affordable, but a positive result cannot confirm cervical precancerous lesions, requiring further diagnostics. This study compared colposcopy and cytology among VIA-positive women, using histopathology as the standard. Aim of this study: To compare the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and overall diagnostic accuracy of colposcopy and Pap smear for detecting cervical pre-invasive lesions in VIA-positive women. Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (SSMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from July 14, 2019, to January 15, 2020. It included 150 VIA-positive women selected by purposive sampling. Participants underwent Pap smear, colposcopy with 3% acetic acid, Lugol’s iodine, and Swede Score. Colposcopy-guided biopsy was performed when needed, with histopathology as the reference. Diagnostic performance was measured by sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy. Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.4 ± 11.5 years. Pap smear detected epithelial abnormalities in 69 (46.0%) women, whereas colposcopy identified suspected premalignant lesions in 58 (38.6%). Histopathology confirmed premalignant lesions in 51 (34.0%) women. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of Pap smear were 78.4%, 70.7%, 58.0%, 86.4%, and 73.3%, respectively. For colposcopy, the corresponding values were 94.1%, 89.9%, 82.8%, 96.7%, and 91.3%. Conclusion: Colposcopy outperformed conventional cytology in VIA-positive women, showing higher sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy. It can help evaluate women with positive VIA, but histopathology is still essential for a definitive diagnosis.

This study examined how the external sector affects the performance of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria from 1981 and 2023. The investigator used data on how much the manufacturing sector contributes to the country's total economic output, the exchange rate, foreign direct investments, the country's debt to other countries, how open the country is to international trade, official development aid, and money sent back by people living abroad – migrant remittances inflow. All these data came from reports by Nigeria’s central bank and the World Bank's World Development Indicators. The study used a specific method called Autoregressive Distributed Lag Bounds testing to analyze the data. The results showed that there is a long-term link between the different factors studied. In the long run, the exchange rate and trade openness have a negative and strong effect on manufacturing sector performance. On the other hand, foreign direct investments, the country's external debt, development aid from other countries, and money sent back by migrants all have a positive and strong effect on the manufacturing sector. In the short term, foreign direct investments, development aid, and migrant remittances inflow have a negative and strong effect on manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the exchange rate, external debt, and trade openness have a positive and strong effect in the short term. Based on these results, the study concluded that opening up the economy, managing the exchange rate carefully, using external debt and aid in a productive way, and effectively using remittances inflow can help improve the performance of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria. The study also suggested that the government should create a clear policy that balances openness with building local capabilities and ensures that external resources are used well for developing manufacturing sector in Nigeria.

The purpose of this study was to examine methods used to document and protect indigenous health knowledge among traditional medical health practitioners (TMHPs) in Kenya and to strengthen its sustainable management. The objectives were to: determine methods used by TMHPs to protect and document traditional indigenous health knowledge; assess the effectiveness of existing protocols in protecting and documenting traditional health knowledge; examine challenges faced by TMHPs in protecting and documenting traditional health knowledge and suggest effective strategies for protecting and documenting traditional health knowledge. Guided by the SECI model and Social Exchange Theory, this qualitative case study involved 30 traditional medical registered practitioners and 7 key informants. Data was collected through interviews and observations and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that documentation is largely informal, oral and practitioner-controlled, while protection relies on secrecy and restricted sharing within trusted networks due to fears of exploitation and loss of ownership. Documentation remained largely informal, oral, and practitioner-controlled, while protection relied on secrecy, custodianship, and restricted sharing owing to concerns about misuse, loss of ownership and livelihood security. Existing documentation and protection mechanisms were perceived as ineffective because formal documentation and protection systems remained poorly aligned with indigenous practices and were weakly implemented. The study concludes that the protection of indigenous health knowledge is severely hindered by this systemic misalignment between formal frameworks and traditional practices. To address these gaps, the study recommends developing hybrid documentation systems that integrate formal protection mechanisms with indigenous knowledge structures to ensure both preservation and livelihood security.

Background: Extremes of weight could have an effect on the mother and her newborn. Obesity is no longer a problem of only Caucasian women, as it is also now a public health concern in women of African descent. Maternal underweight appears to also affect pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effect of overweight and obesity on maternal and perinatal outcomes. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study among women who delivered at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria, from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. Results: The mean age of the women was 30.7 years (standard deviation 5.1). Most of the low-birth-weight babies were born to overweight women, and the relationship was statistically significant (p = < 0.001). Among the eight neonates who died, seven were born to normal-weight and overweight mothers. Many of the neonates admitted into SCBU were born to overweight mothers, and the test of association was statistically significant (p = < 0.001). A significantly large proportion of those who had complications during the antenatal and postpartum period were obese women (p = 0.053). Conclusion: The odds of low birth weight were significantly higher among overweight mothers compared to mothers who had healthy weight. Obese women were significantly more likely to have antenatal and postpartum complications relative to normal healthy weight women.

Social wasps select nesting environments that must simultaneously support attachment, brood protection, colony growth and access to resources. This study compares documented nest-site use and nest architecture of the paper wasp Polistes flavus and the Oriental hornet Vespa orientalis in four localities of District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: Lund Khwar, Katlang, Shergarh and Takht Bhai. Field observations combined non-destructive photographic documentation with selective colony collection after gentle smoking, followed by laboratory examination of nests and specimens. The source manuscript reports 16 colonies; however, the supplied row-level field table contains 16 individually documented colonies, eight per species, and quantitative frequencies in this revision are therefore calculated from those 16 records. Polistes flavus was recorded primarily on trees (6/8 colonies), with the remaining colonies on buildings (2/8), whereas Vespa orientalis occurred mainly in underground cavities (4/8) and buildings (3/8), with one colony on a tree. Correspondingly, six of eight P. flavus records were coded as natural sites, while six of eight V. orientalis records were coded as man-made. The reported lower-bound colony counts were substantially higher for V. orientalis (median 215; range 150-350) than for P. flavus (median 45; range 25-90), although these values are approximate because the field log used '+' notation. Nest architecture also differed: P. flavus was described as producing open, non-enveloped, usually single-comb nests 9-20 cm long, while V. orientalis produced larger, enveloped, multi-comb nests 20-30 cm long. Both species used paper-like material and hexagonal brood cells. The observations support clear species-level differences in documented nest-site use and architecture, However, habitat preference could not be confirmed because the availability of alternative nesting substrates was not assessed. Future studies should evaluate nest-site availability, microclimate, nest dimensions, and seasonal occupancy.

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is the most important disorder of the pentose phosphate pathway in erythrocyte metabolism resulting in decreased activity of the enzyme. G-6-PD deficiency has been reported to be common in populations living in malaria endemic areas. Certain drugs that are used in the treatment of malaria and other conditions are known to induce hemolysis in G-6-PD deficient individuals. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in individuals with malaria infection. One hundred subjects were recruited in the study with 50 individuals positive for malaria infection as test subjects and 50 negatives for malaria infection serving as controls. A G-6-PD deficiency prevalence of 14% was found in the study, 86% of the G-6-PD deficient individuals were from the control group while 14% were from the malaria positive group. A significant difference (p≤0.01) in G-6-PD deficiency was found between the malaria group and the control group. Among the G-6-PD deficient individuals 93% were males. There was a significant (p≤0.05) difference in Packed Cell Volume and hemoglobin levels between the G-6-PD deficient group and the G-6-PD normal group. The lower prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency among the malaria group compared to the control group validates studies linking G-6-PD deficiency with malaria. Also, the higher prevalence seen in control group and males, suggests that gender plays an important role in this enzyme deficiency hence the need for G-6-PD screening in our community given the overuse of agents that may predispose a G-6-PD deficient individual to oxidative stress which could cause some hematological complications such as hemolytic anemia.