Common mental health problems are regarded as public health concerns and can contribute to risky behaviors such as suicide among university students in extreme cases. However, there is a lack of studies concerning such issues in Bangladesh. The present study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the prevalence and associated risk predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress among Bangladeshi university students. The sample comprised 590 undergraduates attending Jahangirnagar University (Dhaka, Bangladesh) who completed an offline survey including sociodemographic questions, behavioral variables, and the 21-item Bangla Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (BDASS-21). The prevalence of moderate to the extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress was 52.2%, 58.1%, and 24.9%, respectively. There were no significant gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress. Risk factors for depression included coming from a lower class family, being a cigarette smoker, and engaging in less physical exercise. Risk factors for anxiety and stress included being engaged in a relationship. The findings need to be further replicated among other Bangladeshi university students to help in the development of better intervention programs and appropriate support services targeting this vulnerable group including a focus of suicide prevention and awareness.

for their support in data collection and input.

The devastating outbreak of COVID-19 has spread all over the world and has become a global health concern. There is no specific therapeutics to encounter the COVID-19. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapy is an efficient strategy to control human viral infections employing post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) through neutralizing target complementary mRNA. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) encoded by the viral RdRp gene as a part of the replication-transcription complex can be adopted as an acceptable target for controlling SARS-CoV-2 mediated infection. Therefore, in the current study, accessible siRNA designing tools, including significant algorithms and parameters, were rationally used to design the candidate siRNAs against SARS-COV-2 encoded RdRp . The designed siRNA molecules possessed adequate nucleotide-based and other features for potent gene silencing. The targets of the designed siRNAs revealed no significant matches within the whole human genome, ruling out any possibilities for off-target silencing by the siRNAs. Characterization with different potential parameters of efficacy allowed selecting the finest siRNA among all the designed siRNA molecules. Further, validation assessment and target site accessibility prediction also rationalized the suitability of this siRNA molecule. Molecular docking study between the selected siRNA molecule and component of RNA interference (RNAi) pathway gave an excellent outcome. Molecular dynamics of two complexes: siRNA and argonaute complex, guide RNA, and target protein complex, have shown structural stability of these proteins. Therefore, the designed siRNA molecule might act as an effective therapeutic agent against the SARS-CoV-2 at the genome level and can prevent further outbreaks of COVID-19 in humans.

Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh) has been considered as a medicinal shrub and used as a medicinal plant in the remote areas of Bangladesh. A. paniculata leaf and stem extracts were prepared using the polar (i.e., water, and 70% ethanol) and nonpolar (i.e., hexane) solvents. The phytochemical contents, total phenol contents (TPC), antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity of all the extracts of A. paniculata leaf and stem were investigated. Both the gram-positive (i.e., Bacillus subtillis) and gram-negative (i.e., E. coli, and Salmonella typhi) strains of bacteria were used for the antibacterial activity assay of the sample extracts. The ethanolic stem extracts contained the maximum amount of TPC when compared to that of the leaf extracts. However, the aqueous stem extracts had the highest free radical scavenging activity in vitro. The extracts prepared from A. paniculata stem showed better antibacterial activity against all the strains of bacteria (i.e., E. coli, S. typhi, and B. subtillis) when compared to that of the leaf extracts. More specifically, the aqueous stem extract showed superior antibacterial effect against E. coli, and B. subtillis, and the zones of inhibition were 21 mm, and 29 mm in diameter, respectively. On the other hand, the ethanolic stem extract showed the maximum antibacterial activity against S. typhi and the zone of inhibition was 8.15 mm.The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value and IC 50 value for all the A. paniculata extracts were ~0.05 μg/μL, and ~1 μg/μL, respectively.