The Millennium University

Background: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in burn wounds is becoming a difficult issue worldwide. The recent emergence of meropenem-resistant MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious threat to public health. The activity of the MDR efflux pump is a key mechanism contributing to meropenem resistance. Objective: The study aims to detect efflux pump phenotypically and genotypically in meropenem-resistant MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa among burn wound patients. Methods: A total of 120 laboratory isolates of Pseudomonas species from burn wounds were collected from the patients of National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Dhaka. The automated VITEK® 2 Compact system in the department of microbiology and immunology at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) was used to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and identification of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa were conducted by using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique. Out of 120 laboratory isolates of Pseudomonas species; Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounted for the majority of these isolates (109, 90.8%), followed by Pseudomonas fluorescens (6, 5%) and Pseudomonas putida (5, 4.17%). Among 109 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 92 (84.4%) were multidrug resistant (MDR). Among 92 MDR cases, 78 (84.8%) were meropenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Finally, 78 meropenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa among all MDR were selected as study subjects. Efflux pump that causes meropenem resistance was identified both phenotypically and genotypically. Ethidium bromide cartwheel (EtBr-CW) approach was used for phenotypic identification and efflux pump genes (MexAB-OprM) detection by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for genotypic identification of efflux pump. Result: Out of 109 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isoates, majority (92, 84.4%) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were multidrug-resistant (MDR) where majority (78, 84.8%) showed resistance to meropenem. Among meropenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (78); efflux pump was detected both genotypically and phenotypically in 52 (66.7%) cases and only genotypically in 05 (6.4%) cases. Therefore, in 57 (73.1%) cases efflux pump was detected genotypically through detection of efflux pump gene. Among the different efflux pump gene; Mex A gene was found in 52 cases, Mex B gene in 57 cases, Opr M gene in 19 cases, both Mex A and Mex B gene in 51 cases and Mex A, Mex B, Opr M gene together in 19 cases. Conclusion: The majority of pseudomonas aeruginosa were multidrug resistant (MDR) and showed resistant to meropenem. Efflux pump genes (MexA, MexB, OprM) were found in good number of the patients. Bangladesh Medical Res Counc Bull 2025;51(3): 131-138

Background: Long-COVID symptoms may develop following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and mimic various endocrine dysfunctions. Hormonal assessment during and after COVID may be necessary to distinguish between these conditions. This study evaluated hormone status during active infection and after three to six months post-COVID-19 infection. Methods: This prospective study initially included ninety-one noncritically ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection (18-65 years, m/f: 37/54). The participants were reassessed three to six months after their hospitalization.Eight patients died during their hospital stay, and we were able to collect follow-up data for only fifteen [age (years): 47.3±13.3, m/f: 6/9] out of eighty-three survived patients. Thyroid (TSH, FT4, and FT3), adrenal (basal cortisol and ACTH), and sex-steroid (total testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) axes were evaluated and compared with laboratory cut-offs at diagnosis and three to six months later. All the hormones were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Results: At baseline, six participants (40.0%) had normal values for all the studied hormones, five (33.3%) exhibited one abnormality, and four (26.7%) displayed two abnormalities. After three months of COVID-19 infection, four had normal values (26.7%), six (40.0%) had one abnormality, three (20.0%) had two, and two (13.3%) had three abnormalities in the studied hormone status. Conclusion: Endocrine dysfunctions are not uncommon during short-term follow-up after COVID-19, and hormonal evaluations may be necessary, particularly for symptomatic patients. Bangladesh J Medicine 2025; 36(3): 136-141

BackgroundVaccine acceptance among People Living with HIV (PLWH) is crucial for managing and mitigating the spread of infectious diseases, including Mpox. This systematic review and meta-analysis assess the rate of vaccine acceptance for Mpox among PLWH and identify factors influencing these rates.MethodsWe searched major databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to 30 August 2024 for observational studies involving PLWH that reported on mpox vaccine acceptance rates. A random-effects model was employed for the meta-analysis, utilizing R software version 4.4. Heterogeneity among the studies was quantified using the I² statistic, and the methodological quality of each study was assessed using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.ResultsOut of 1,123 articles identified, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria and included 7,248 participants. The pooled estimate of the Mpox vaccine acceptance rate was 61.1% (95% CI: 44.2-75.7%), with high heterogeneity (I² = 99%). Additionally, a pooled vaccine hesitancy prevalence was 13.2%, (95% CI: 2.4-48.6%), reflecting substantial variability and had high heterogeneity (I² = 98%).ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis reveal moderate Mpox vaccine acceptance and considerable hesitancy among PLWH. To further increase vaccine uptake and address any remaining hesitancy in this at-risk population, targeted public health strategies and ongoing research are necessary. Strengthening vaccine acceptance is critical to safeguarding PLWH against emerging infectious diseases such as Mpox.Clinical Trial NumberNot applicable.

Over the years, business model innovation (BMI) has attained incredible connotation in the arena of research vis-à-vis the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developed and developing countries. Hence, this paper aims to gauge the influence of BMI on the performance of SMEs in Yantai, China. The three dynamics, i.e., value creation innovation (VCI), value proposition innovation (VPI), and value capture innovation (VaCI), for measuring BMI were used to develop the conceptual framework. Using convenience sampling, a total of 211 questionnaires were administered and 180 questionnaires were found valid from 85 SMEs. Preliminary investigations were performed to ensure that normality, linearity, multicollinearity, and homoscedasticity assumptions were not violated. Three control measures were tested using multiple regressions to realise if they could predict the dependent variable, the performance of SMEs. The result depicts that VaCI has a significant influence on the performance of SMEs.

The study aims to identify the effect of corporate governance factors on financial institution performance in Bangladesh. This study employs annual data for 20 financial institutions, including banks, NBFIs, and insurance companies, data is collected from 2011 to 2022. Here, three corporate governance indicators are utilized – board size, board independence, and director’s ownership. The performance of the financial institutions is measured using return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net asset value (NAV). Apart from the corporate governance variables, three company-specific factors, i.e., firm age, financial leverage, and firm size, are used as the control variables. Panel data analysis is conducted through the dynamic Feasible Generalize Least Square (FGLS) method, and the robustness is performed using the random effect model. The results show that corporate governance parameter such as board size has a significant positive influence on financial institution performance in Bangladesh, where board independence and director ownership do not have a significant influence on the performance of financial institutions. Thus, the performance of financial institutions increases when board size increases. This indicates that board members are actively engaged in strategic decision-making and ensure the rights of all stakeholders, which helps improve financial institutions’ overall performance. Therefore, financial institutions may increase their board size to the maximum level to ensure better corporate governance practices in the organizations, which ultimately increases performance.

This study investigates the impact of five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (risk-taking, proactiveness, innovativeness, aggressiveness, and autonomy), an independent variable, on SMEs’ organizational performance in Bangladesh. The study surveyed 237 SMEs’ owners (out of 300, with a response rate of 79%) in Gazipur district, Bangladesh. Cronbach’s alpha (α) value of 0.70 was used to examine the reliability of the constructs in this study. Drawing from earlier research, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was constructed to assess the links between entrepreneurial orientation and SMEs’ organizational performance. The dependent variable in this study was SMEs’ organizational performance, which was based on business growth, change in number of employees, profitability, and sales growth. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS with a 95% confidence interval. The results suggest that all five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation positively affect the organizational performance of SMEs in Bangladesh. It is evident that proactiveness (β-value = 0.330) has the greatest effect on SMEs’ organizational performance, and competitive aggressiveness has the least effect (β-value = 0.230). The independent variables explain a significant proportion of the variability observed in SMEs’ organizational performance (R2 = 57.4%). The research outcomes offer valuable implications for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics. AcknowledgmentThe authors acknowledge the Accounting Research Institute (ARI)-HICoE.

This study’s objective is to examine the impact of employee innovativeness, readiness to change, employee creativity, and learning capability on the financial performance of private banks in Bangladesh. The study involved 334 bank employees from three prominent private banks in Bangladesh. Those banks were selected with better ratings by the central bank and have several branches across the country. First, branch managers were contacted about this study and collected employee emails from each branch information desk. Then, email invitations were sent to each employee of the selected bank branches. This study involved branch managers, senior officers, officers, and junior bank executives. Past studies also considered senior and junior bank officers as they directly contribute to a bank’s performance. The study utilized a methodical questionnaire to assess the three independent variables: employee innovativeness, readiness to change, and learning capability. The dependent variable in this study was financial performance, which was assessed through key financial indicators such as profitability and sales growth over three years. SPSS was utilized to conduct hypothesis testing by considering 95% confidence interval. Correlation results show that all three independent variables were significantly correlated with the bank’s financial performance. The study’s regression results suggest that bank employees’ readiness to change (β value = 0.393) significantly impacts the bank’s financial performance, followed by employee innovativeness (β value = 0.338). On the other hand, employees’ learning capability (β value = 0.202) has the least significant impact on financial performance. Moreover, three independent variables explain 42.9% variance in bank financial performance.

The Shariah-compliant (Sukuk) bond has been recently introduced in Muslim countries. Sukuk is getting popular among the Muslim population because of its non-interest feature. Thus, this study explores the impact of attitude toward the Sukuk bond, Muslim people’s religiosity, and their subjective norms on the purchase intention of the Sukuk bond in a Muslim developing country: Bangladesh. The study involved 412 individuals who were current customers of Islamic financial products at different financial institutions in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study used a convenience sampling technique. The study used a survey questionnaire to assess the three independent variables: attitude, religiosity, and subjective norms. The dependent variable was the purchase intention of the Sukuk bond. The statistical software package, SPSS version 29.0, was utilized to test the hypotheses considering a 95% confidence interval. The findings indicate that three independent variables significantly correlated with the dependent variable. The highest correlation was found between subjective norms (r = 0.644) and purchase intention. The regression results suggest that attitude, religiosity, and subjective norms statistically impact the individuals’ purchase intention of the Sukuk bond in Bangladesh. It also shows that consumers’ attitude (β = 0.386) has a greater impact on their purchase intention. Also, consumers’ subjective norms (β = 0.302) have the second highest influence on purchase intention. These variables explain a significant proportion of the variability observed in purchase intention. Also, the t-test shows that male individuals have higher purchase intentions than females.

The influence of reduced voltage on the service life of an induction motor is considered in this article. An algorithm for calculating the rate of thermal wear of induction motor insulation under reduced supply voltage depending on the load and the mechanical characteristics of the working machine has been developed. It determines the change in the rate of thermal wear under alternating external effects on the motor (supply voltage and load) and allows forecasting its service life under these conditions. The dependency graphs of the rate of insulation thermal wear on the motor load for various levels of supply voltage and various mechanical characteristics of working machines are provided in the work. It was determined that the rate of thermal wear of the induction motor insulation increases significantly when the voltage is reduced compared to its nominal value with nominal load on the motor. The authors propose to consider this fact for resource-saving control of the motor. The paper presents the results of experimental verification of the obtained rule for “Asynchronous Interelectro” (AI) series electric motors that confirm its accuracy. Based on the obtained correlation, the rule of voltage regulation in energy-saving operation mode has been derived. The proposed rule takes into account the thermal impact on the electric motor running in energy-saving mode and enables saving its resource, which, in turn, results in extending its service life. The research does not consider additional effects on the electric motor except the thermal one.