Harnessing Business Analytics For Market Competitiveness: Discovering Pathways To Growth

Business analytics is becoming an essential tool for firms looking to boost market competitiveness and spur growth in a more competitive corporate environment. This study examines how analytics are essential for guiding strategic choices and enhancing operational effectiveness. The significance of the study stems from its capacity to provide light on how companies might use data to their advantage competitively. The main goals of this study are finding the critical elements that affect the effective application of business analytics, investigate how analytics support organizational development, and address the difficulties that businesses encounter in this pursuit. The study seeks to offer a thorough framework that combines theoretical viewpoints with real-world business analytics applications. The gap between the availability of advanced analytics technologies and how well firms use them is the main issue this study attempts to address. The collection includes pertinent case studies and opinions from analytics professionals and leaders in the field. The main conclusions show that to benefit from business analytics fully, real-time data use, technology improvements, and strategic alliances are essential. However, there are still major obstacles to adoption, such as large upfront investment costs and a lack of a data-driven culture. Focusing on particular businesses and possible biases in self-reported data are two of the weaknesses of the study. The theoretical ramifications point to the necessity of more research into frameworks that incorporate analytics into corporate strategy. The results provide useful suggestions for companies looking to improve their analytical skills and gain a competitive edge. Businesses can improve their position for long-term growth in a changing market by comprehending and addressing these trends

Innovations in Sustainable Textile Production: Impacts on the U.S. Fashion Industry

The effects of sustainable textile production breakthroughs on the American fashion industry are examined in this study. As consumer demand for ethical standards and environmental concerns increase, sustainable solutions are becoming increasingly necessary in the textile manufacturing sector. Analyzing how creative textile production techniques can support the fashion industry's economic and environmental sustainability is the goal of this study. The main goal of this study is to assess the efficacy of numerous sustainable textile breakthroughs, such as alternative materials, technological advancements, and circular economy practices. The study investigates how companies may negotiate this challenging environment while remaining competitive, addressing the major issue of striking a balance between sustainability and financial limitations. To gather secondary data from documentary analysis and scholarly literature about sustainable textiles, a qualitative research methodology has been used. The main conclusions of the study were that the use of alternative materials greatly lessens the impact on the environment, that technology integration increases productivity, and that waste reduction is encouraged by the circular economy. Potential biases in the research that is currently available and a dearth of empirical data on consumer behavior about sustainable textiles are among the limitations, though. To promote sustainable innovations in the fashion sector, stakeholders must work together, according to the implications of the research, which stretch across theory and practice. The industry can achieve a more sustainable future that satisfies changing customer wants and environmental imperatives by removing financial obstacles and raising consumer awareness

Side effects and perceptions among young adults in Bangladesh following COVID-19 vaccination: a single center study

Background and objectives: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to a global pandemic with severe health, economic, and social impacts. Vaccination has emerged as a crucial mitigation strategy. Despite the pivotal role of COVID-19 vaccines in controlling the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy remains a significant concern globally, particularly among young adults. This study aimed to explore the side effects and perceptions of the young adults in Bangladesh following COVID-19 vaccination. Materials and methods: The study, conducted in April 2021 among 325 young Bangladeshi adults who received two doses of Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccine against SAR-CoV-2. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire covering demographics, health history, post-vaccination adverse events, and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccine. A symptom scoring system, based on the interquartile range (IQR), was used to categorize the severity of the side effects. Data analysis utilized SPSS version 26.0, with appropriate tests for significance. Result: Total 325 participants (male - 64.6%, female - 68.9%) were enrolled. The mean age was 22 ± 1.6 years. Social media (43·1%) was the primary source of information about COVID-19. Vaccine related side effects were experienced by 40.9% and 47.1% participants following 1st and 2nd dose of vaccination respectively. Side effects were more prevalent after the second dose of vaccine, particularly in females (31·3% vs. 8·2%, p<0·001). Common side effects included fatigue (41·6%), injection site pain/swelling (36·7%) and headache (32·6%). In over 50% of participants, symptoms appeared within 8 hours following both doses. Symptoms resolved by taking rest at home in majority of participants. Participants with comorbidity reported significantly higher rate of side effects after the first dose (61.8% vs. 37·3%, p <0.05). Despite side effects, 69·8% felt reassured post-vaccination, 63·7% believed in its long-term safety, and 98·8% recommended vaccination to others. Conclusion: The Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine was well-tolerated among young adults in Bangladesh. Though higher side effects after the second dose were observed in female participants, yet most maintained a positive perception, underscoring its acceptability and recommended vaccination to others. July 2024; Vol. 18(2):011. DOI:https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.18.023 *Correspondence: Md. Faizul Ahasan, Department of Pharmacology, Ibrahim Medical College, 1/A Ibrahim Sarani, Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. Email: [email protected]

Identification of frequently consumed commercially prepared ready-to-eat foods and beverages in Bangladesh

Ready-to-eat processed foods and beverages are eaten without further cooking or processing. These are generally energy-dense and contain a high amount of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. The consumption pattern of these foods varies regionally, seasonally, and agewise. The present study aims to identify commercially prepared ready-to-eat processed foods and beverages frequently consumed by different age groups in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh during the month of Ramadan and the non-Ramadan period. In this cross-sectional study, 948 individuals from 480 households in all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh were interviewed during the month of Ramadan and the Non- Ramadan period. We identified puffed rice, peyaju, chanachur, chips, unbranded ice cream to be the overall highly consumed foods, consumed by 46.3, 40.1, 39.6 38.0, and 33.1 percent respondents, respectively. Consumption of foods other than puffed rice was significantly different across the age groups (p&lt;0.05). A significantly higher number of respondents consumed puffed rice, deep-fried foods (peyaju, beguni, jilapi), and branded ice cream during Ramadan as compared to the non-Ramadan period (p&lt;0.05). It was also found that the overall consumption rate of packaged items was higher among the urban population as compared to the respondent living in rural areas. When the foods were scored according to their consumption rate stratified by age, fasting, and regions, puffed rice, chips, chanachur, unbranded ice cream, peyaju were found to be top foods. Considering frequent intake of processed foods their nutrient composition should be analyzed to know their healthiness.&#x0D; Bioresearch Commu. 7(2): 1019-1030, 2021 (June)</jats:p

Digital auscultation as a novel childhood pneumonia diagnostic tool for community clinics in Sylhet, Bangladesh:protocol for a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: The WHO’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) algorithm for diagnosis of child pneumonia relies on counting respiratory rate and observing respiratory distress to diagnose childhood pneumonia. IMCI case defination for pneumonia performs with high sensitivity but low specificity, leading to overdiagnosis of child pneumonia and unnecessary antibiotic use. Including lung auscultation in IMCI could improve specificity of pneumonia diagnosis. Our objectives are: (1) assess lung sound recording quality by primary healthcare workers (HCWs) from under-5 children with the Feelix Smart Stethoscope and (2) determine the reliability and performance of recorded lung sound interpretations by an automated algorithm compared with reference paediatrician interpretations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In a cross-sectional design, community HCWs will record lung sounds of ~1000 under-5-year-old children with suspected pneumonia at first-level facilities in Zakiganj subdistrict, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Enrolled children will be evaluated for pneumonia, including oxygen saturation, and have their lung sounds recorded by the Feelix Smart stethoscope at four sequential chest locations: two back and two front positions. A novel sound-filtering algorithm will be applied to recordings to address ambient noise and optimise recording quality. Recorded sounds will be assessed against a predefined quality threshold. A trained paediatric listening panel will classify recordings into one of the following categories: normal, crackles, wheeze, crackles and wheeze or uninterpretable. All sound files will be classified into the same categories by the automated algorithm and compared with panel classifications. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, of the automated algorithm will be assessed considering the panel’s final interpretation as gold standard. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the National Research Ethics Committee of Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Bangladesh (registration number: 09630012018) and Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development Medical Research Ethics Committee, Edinburgh, UK (REC Reference: 18-HV-051). Dissemination will be through conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and stakeholder engagement meetings in Bangladesh. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03959956

A study protocol for community use of digital auscultation to improve diagnosis of paediatric pneumonia in Bangladesh

AbstractIntroductionThe World Health Organisation’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) algorithm relies on counting respiratory rate and observing respiratory distress to diagnose childhood pneumonia. IMCI performs with high sensitivity but low specificity, leading to over-diagnosis of child pneumonia and unnecessary antibiotic use. Including lung auscultation in IMCI could improve pneumonia diagnosis. Our objectives are: (i) assess lung sound recording quality by primary health care workers (HCWs) from under-five children with the Feelix Smart Stethoscope; and (ii) determine the reliability and performance of recorded lung sound interpretations by an automated algorithm compared to reference paediatrician interpretations.Methods and analysisIn a cross-sectional design, Community HCWs will record lung sounds of ∼1,000 under-five-year-old children with suspected pneumonia at first-level facilities in Zakiganj sub-district, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Enrolled children will be evaluated for pneumonia, including oxygen saturation, and have their lung sounds recorded by the Feelix Smart stethoscope at four sequential chest locations: two back and two front positions. A novel sound-filtering algorithm will be applied to recordings to address ambient noise and optimize recording quality. Recorded sounds will be assessed against a pre-defined quality threshold. A trained paediatric listening panel will classify recordings into one of the following categories: normal, crackle, wheeze, crackle and wheeze, or uninterpretable. All sound files will be classified into the same categories by the automated algorithm and compared with panel classifications.ConclusionsLung auscultation and reliable interpretation of lung sounds of children are usually not feasible in first-level facilities in Bangladesh and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Incorporating automated lung sound classification within the current IMCI pneumonia diagnostic algorithm may improve childhood pneumonia diagnostic accuracy at LMIC first-level facilities.Ethics and disseminationEthical review has been obtained in Bangladesh (BMRC Registration Number: 09630012018) and in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (REC Reference: 18-HV-051). Dissemination will be through conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and stakeholder engagement meetings in Bangladesh.Trial registration numberNCT03959956Article summayStrengths and limitations of this studyEvaluating the quality of lung sound recordings in a first-level facility where auscultation is usually unavailable and challenging to obtain due to a typically crowded and noisy environment and providers may not get enough time to calm the child due to time pressure from a high-volume patient.This study will assess the feasibility of recording lung sounds by front line community health workers who do not usually use conventional stethoscopes during clinical care.Two standardised paediatricians masked to the child’s clinical status will independently classify the recorded lung sounds, and a third masked and independent paediatrician will arbitrate any discrepancies.A machine-learning algorithm developed by Johns Hopkins and Sonavi Labs will detect abnormal lung sounds and be compared with classifications by human listeners/paediatricians.The study will not have chest radiography findings of enrolled children, which is considered by many a gold standard for pneumonia diagnosis, as chest radiography is not available at this level of the health system in Bangladesh. Instead, this study will measure the peripheral oxyhaemoglobin saturation and evaluate clinical examination findings, including respiratory danger signs data.</jats:sec

Digital auscultation as a novel childhood pneumonia diagnostic tool for community clinics in Sylhet, Bangladesh: protocol for a cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe WHO’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) algorithm for diagnosis of child pneumonia relies on counting respiratory rate and observing respiratory distress to diagnose childhood pneumonia. IMCI case defination for pneumonia performs with high sensitivity but low specificity, leading to overdiagnosis of child pneumonia and unnecessary antibiotic use. Including lung auscultation in IMCI could improve specificity of pneumonia diagnosis. Our objectives are: (1) assess lung sound recording quality by primary healthcare workers (HCWs) from under-5 children with the Feelix Smart Stethoscope and (2) determine the reliability and performance of recorded lung sound interpretations by an automated algorithm compared with reference paediatrician interpretations.Methods and analysisIn a cross-sectional design, community HCWs will record lung sounds of ~1000 under-5-year-old children with suspected pneumonia at first-level facilities in Zakiganj subdistrict, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Enrolled children will be evaluated for pneumonia, including oxygen saturation, and have their lung sounds recorded by the Feelix Smart stethoscope at four sequential chest locations: two back and two front positions. A novel sound-filtering algorithm will be applied to recordings to address ambient noise and optimise recording quality. Recorded sounds will be assessed against a predefined quality threshold. A trained paediatric listening panel will classify recordings into one of the following categories: normal, crackles, wheeze, crackles and wheeze or uninterpretable. All sound files will be classified into the same categories by the automated algorithm and compared with panel classifications. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, of the automated algorithm will be assessed considering the panel’s final interpretation as gold standard.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by the National Research Ethics Committee of Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Bangladesh (registration number: 09630012018) and Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development Medical Research Ethics Committee, Edinburgh, UK (REC Reference: 18-HV-051). Dissemination will be through conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and stakeholder engagement meetings in Bangladesh.Trial registration numberNCT03959956.</jats:sec