Md Mijanur Rahman

Oct 7, 2024 | nature.com | Shamima Akter |Md Mijanur Rahman |Thomas Rouyard |Sarmin Aktar |Raïssa Shiyghan Nsashiyi |Ryota Nakamura

This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD 42022311392) aimed to synthesize the effectiveness of all available population-level tobacco policies on smoking behaviour. Our search across 5 databases and leading organizational websites resulted in 9,925 records, with 476 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. In our narrative summary and both pairwise and network meta-analyses, we identified anti-smoking campaigns, health warnings and tax increases as the most effective tobacco policies for promoting smoking cessation. Flavour bans and free/discounted nicotine replacement therapy also showed statistically significant positive effects on quit rates. The network meta-analysis results further indicated that smoking bans, anti-tobacco campaigns and tax increases effectively reduced smoking prevalence. In addition, flavour bans significantly reduced e-cigarette consumption. Both the narrative summary and the meta-analyses revealed that smoking bans, tax increases and anti-tobacco campaigns were associated with reductions in tobacco consumption and sales. On the basis of the available evidence, anti-tobacco campaigns, smoking bans, health warnings and tax increases are probably the most effective policies for curbing smoking behaviour. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of population-level tobacco control policies, Akter et al. find that anti-tobacco campaigns, smoking bans, health warnings and tax increases are effective measures for curbing smoking behaviour.

Sep 19, 2024 | nature.com | Chunfang Wang |Md Mijanur Rahman |Abu Siddik |Zheng Wen |Farid Ahammad Sobhani

As global environmental challenges intensify, manufacturing firms face increasing pressure to innovate sustainably. Green innovation, characterized by the development of environmentally friendly products, processes, and technologies, has become essential for firms striving to remain competitive. This study aims to investigate the influence of key factors—green logistics, green finance, and green technology—on green innovation within manufacturing firms, while exploring the mediating role of green technology in these relationships. A multi-method approach was employed, combining partial least squares structural equation modeling, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, and necessity condition analysis. 447 responses were collected from manufacturing companies in Dhaka city, Bangladesh, using structured questionnaires. The analysis revealed that green logistics and green finance have a significant positive impact on green innovation, while the influence of the green work environment was found to be positive but statistically insignificant. Additionally, green technology was identified as a significant mediator in the relationships between green finance, green logistics, and green innovation. This study offers a comprehensive green innovation model while green technology is a mediator. Furthermore, this study advances the resource-based view theory by integrating green technology as a pivotal resource that enhances a firm's competitive advantage in sustainable markets. By adopting a multi-method approach, this research provides a rigorous examination of the research questions, offering a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interactions between green finance, green logistics, and green technology in driving innovation. Thus, this research has thought provoking implications to prioritize investments in green finance, logistics, and technology, manufacturing firms can enhance their competitiveness, improve operational efficiency, and meet evolving environmental regulations and consumer preferences.

May 7, 2024 | nature.com | Md Mijanur Rahman |Rob McConnell |Leo Stockfelt |George Ban-Weiss |Erika Garcia |Joseph Ko

Extreme heat and air pollution is associated with increased mortality. Recent evidence suggests the combined effects of both is greater than the effects of each individual exposure. Low neighborhood socioeconomic status (“socioeconomic burden”) has also been associated with increased exposure and vulnerability to both heat and air pollution. We investigated if neighborhood socioeconomic burden or the combination of socioeconomic and environmental exposures (“socioenvironmental burden”) modified the effect of combined exposure to extreme heat and particulate air pollution on mortality in California. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design to assess the impact of daily exposure to extreme particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and heat on cardiovascular, respiratory, and all-cause mortality in California 2014–2019. Daily average PM2.5 and maximum temperatures based on decedent’s residential census tract were dichotomized as extreme or not. Census tract-level socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden was assessed with the CalEnviroScreen (CES) score and a social deprivation index (SDI), and individual educational attainment was derived from death certificates. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate associations of heat and PM2.5 with mortality with a product term used to evaluate effect measure modification. During the study period 1,514,292 all-cause deaths could be assigned residential exposures. Extreme heat and air pollution alone and combined were associated with increased mortality, matching prior reports. Decedents in census tracts with higher socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden experienced more days with extreme PM2.5 exposure. However, we found no consistent effect measure modification by CES or SDI on combined or separate extreme heat and PM2.5 exposure on odds of total, cardiovascular or respiratory mortality. No effect measure modification was observed for individual education attainment. We did not find evidence that neighborhood socioenvironmental- or socioeconomic burden significantly influenced the individual or combined impact of extreme exposures to heat and PM2.5 on mortality in California.