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This research aimed to evaluate the effects of different potting media and pot sizes on yield and quality attributes (TSS%, Vitamin C, pH) of cherry tomato in the winter season under field conditions. Cherry tomato was cultivated in four different size pots by using four types of potting media. Plastic pots ranged in capacity (2L, 6L, 10L and 14L). Each treated pot was filled with air dried field loamy soil without fertilizer (control) and organic fertilizers, namely, cow dung (1:1), poultry litter (1:1) and vermicompost (1:1) which were used as treatments. In total, 16 treatment combinations were arranged in a randomized complete block design. The highest total number of fruits and fruit yield per plant of cherry tomato was obtained from the plants raised in pots with cow dung mixture soil (1:1). Organic fertilizers in pot soil significantly affected the TSS% and pH value of ripened fruits. The pot size affected the total fruit yield per plant significantly, and the best yield was 2.2 times higher than that of plants in the smallest pots. The highest total number of fruits per plant (108.75), fruit yield per plant (504.25g) and yield per hectare (20.17t) was obtained from plants in 14L size pots by using cow dung mixture soil (1:1). It was concluded that the 14L pot and cow dung mixture soil (1:1) were the best treatments for the cultivation of cherry tomato in homestead gardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Ensuring standard education through internationalization since it is a big concern in academic institutions all over the globe. The goal is to equip and introduce students and educators to the world’s innovations through globalization at the tertiary level of education and improve & ensure quality education for students and upgrade educators’ quality. Methodology. An evaluative and expository study is conducted on Daffodil International University (DIU), regarding its mission and vision toward internationalization, its collaborations, initiatives, condition of the education quality, and analysis of the mobility data in the last few years. A quantitative overview and analysis of the key performance indicators of the internationalization of DIU are applied. This study is on understanding the IoHE in the Bangladeshi context, based on experience, analysis of student/faculty mobility, and national reports from different regions. Participation in European programs or other supranational programs in education, research and capacity building, and partnerships is indicated. Findings. This study presented the effectiveness of the Internationalization of Higher Education (IoHE) considering the growth of developed countries in respect of ensuring quality education. This research established that Bangladesh is not far behind to cope with or follow the international trend, and some Bangladeshi universities are already involved with mobility programs for their undergraduate-level students, especially DIU, Bangladesh. It resulted in finding that internationalization through mobility programs facilitates the branding and reputation of HEIs as well. Originality. In comparison to the traditional education system, the approach used in the research showed that the academic staff gets acquainted with modern teaching techniques, international standard course contents/syllabus including OBTL, and research methodologies for innovation reinforced their educational and research potential, which be proven to be important components of the overall development of students and academics, giving them awareness and helping them adopt alternative, multifaceted approaches to teaching-learning. Practical value. The result of the research can be institutionalized by policymakers, educators, and academics to create an impact on the students and to develop institutional value in the global market. Given strategies and innovative ideas can play a vital role in enhancing the quality of higher education, facilitating scholars, and improving the quality of research in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study provide the baseline information on the temporal (monthly) variations of condition through multiple functions (allometric, KA; Fulton's, KF; relative, KR) and prey-predator status through relative weight (WR) for Eutropiichthys vacha (Hamilton, 1822) from the Ganges River, northwestern Bangladesh over one year. The smallest individuals were 6.5 and 6.2 cm in TL, whereas the largest were 19.9 and 20.6 cm in TL for males and females, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the length frequency distribution, LFDs (p = 0.8152) for both sexes. KF was significantly correlated with TL for both sexes (p < 0.001) and KF was treated as the best condition factor therefore, well-being of E. vachaa. There was no significant correlation among TL vs KA, TL vs KR and TL vs WR for males and females, respectively. But BW showed highly significant correlations with all condition factors, i.e., BW vs KA; BW vs KF; BW vs KR, and BW vs WR (p < 0.001) for both sexes. Additionally, WR revealed no significant dissimilarities from 100 for males (p = 0.432) unlike females (p = 0.023), based on Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, suggesting that habitat was more suitable for males than females for food availability relative to predator presence. Moreover, this study assessed for the first time the effect of temperature and rainfall on monthly KF for E. vacha in the Ganges River. The Pearson correlation test found no significant relation between temperature and KF (r = 0.2226, p = 0.4868 for males; r = 0.2172, p = 0.4977 for females), but significant correlations were found between rainfall and KF (r = 0.6357, p = 0.0263 for males and r = 0.6983, p = 0.0115 for females). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium doped Ni–Zn ferrites having the nominal composition Ni 0. 6 Zn 0. 4 − x Ca x Fe 2 O 4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) are prepared via the conventional ceramic method at 1 2 5 0 ∘ C for 3 h to study their physical, electrical and dielectric properties at high frequencies which have extended their applications. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) have been used to characterize the microstructure and surface morphology of the prepared composition. XRD patterns reveal the formation of pure spinel phase ferrites whereas SEM micrographs display nonhomogeneous grains of polyhedral shape. The studies disclose that with increasing Ca content in spinel, the lattice parameter of the Ni–Zn ferrite increases and at the same time the grain boundary also increases. As a result of the increased boundary, the large grains could be trapped pores inside the grains which have affected the density, resistivity and dielectric constant of the sample. The DC electrical resistivity of the prepared sample decreases with the increase of Ca content. Also, the resistivity decreases with increasing the temperature. This increase in the conductivity with temperature must be regarded mainly as due to the thermally activated mobility of charge carriers, but not to a thermally activated creation of these carriers. The dielectric constant decreases with the increasing frequency following the Verway-de-Boer hopping mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, an ultrasensitive enzymatic electrochemical L-glutamate sensor was successfully developed and characterized using carboxyl terminated reduce graphene oxide (Crbxl-RGO) and Pt nanoparticles as a supporting and catalyzing medium. Crbxl-RGO was drop casted on the Au substrate and Pt nanoparticles were electrodeposited on Crbxl-RGO/Au modified substrate. L-Glutamate dehydrogenase-chitosan (GLDH-chit) composite was immobilized on the sensing area using EDC/NHS bonding material treatment. The physical characteristic of the sensor matrix was monitored through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and analytical characterization was analyzed by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under optimized condition the sensor showed sensitivity of 973 ± 4 μA/mMcm2, wide linear range 0.004-0.9 mM and limit of detection 0.1 μM that indicates promising approach for detecting L-glutamate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solvothermal technique with extra treatment was performed to synthesize high quality chemically modified graphene (CG). An environmentally friendly reducing agent, glucose, was used to obtain biocompatible chemically modified graphene. After acidic treatment of glucose treated chemically modified graphene (GCG), contamination free CG sheet was produced. CG suspension was cast on the surface of the plain biosensor surface and nylon filter paper. Pt nanoparticles (PtNP) were deposited on the CG decorated surface by cyclic voltammogram technique. Chitosan - glucose oxidase (chit-GOx) composite and nafion were then integrated by dropped casting technique on the CG/PtNP modified surface. This as-prepared biosensor showed high electrochemical activity for the detection of glucose in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. It exhibited excellent analytical properties including a short response time (4 s), high sensitivity (69.44 μA/mMcm-2), and wide detection range (0.002-12 mM) for glucose sensing. The repeatability, reproducibility, interference phenomena and the stability of the developed sensors were also investigated. The CG based electrode was also evaluated for use as a dry electrode for ECG signal monitoring. The performance of the dry electrode was excellent in comparison to the conventional wet electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra-sensitive electrochemical immunosensor was successfully developed to accurately detect prostate specific antigen. To improve the performance of immunosensor, it was fabricated by using hybrid nano-structured electrodes of high performance chemically functionalized reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) followed by covalently immobilized monoclonal anti-PSA antibody. We optimized the immunosensor, under different conditions using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. We obtained a low detection limit of 3 pg mL-1 and wide linear range from 6 pg mL-1 to 30 ng mL-1, good reproducibility, selectivity, and stability. Finally, human serum samples were analyzed. The obtained recovery range was from 97% to 110% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.88%. Thus, the developed immunosensor can provide a great potential in clinical and diagnostic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to fabricate high-crystalline nanoporous zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films by a modified thermal evaporation system. First, zinc thin films have been deposited on bare glass substrate by the modified thermal evaporation system with pressure of 0.05mbar, source-substrate distance of 3cm and source temperature 700C. Then, high-crystalline ZnO thin film is obtained by annealing at 500C for 2h in atmosphere. The prepared ZnO films are characterized with various deposition times of 10min and 20min. The structural property was investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The optical bandgap and absorbance/transmittance of these films are examined by ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometer. The surface morphological property has been observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). ZnO films have showed uniform nanoporous surface with high-crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure. The ZnO films prepared with 20min has excitation absorption-edge at 369nm, which is blueshifted with respect to the bulk absorption-edge appearing at 380nm. The gap energy of ZnO film is decreased from 3.14eV to 3.09eV with increase of the deposition time, which can enhance the excitation of ZnO films by the near visible light, and is suitable for the application of photocatalyst of waste water cleaning and polluted air purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the experiment was to find out the best combination and efficiency the productivity of garlic for intercropping at different planting densities with brinjal. The treatment combinations were brinjal 100% + garlic 70%, brinjal 100% + garlic 60%, brinjal 100% + garlic 50%, brinjal 100% + garlic 40%, brinjal 100% + garlic 30% with sole crop of brinjal. A randomized complete block design replicated three times was used. Different intercropping combinations were evaluated by performed on basis of several intercropping indices such as land equivalent ratio (LER), competitive ratio (CR), monetary advantages index (MAI), replacement value of intercrops (RVI) and economics performance. The monetary return of intercropping of garlic with brinjal with different planting ratio was significantly higher as compared to sole cropping of brinjal. The highest brinjal equivalent yield (91.65 t ha-1), gross return (Tk.1374800 ha-1), gross margin (Tk.1003426 ha-1), BCR (3.70) and LER (2.65) were in intercropping of brinjal 100% + garlic 70% compared to other intercropping combination and sole cropping of brinjal. Brinjal 100% + garlic 60% showed same BCR in intercropping. The study also revealed that brinjal 100% + garlic 70% intercropping system exhibited higher MAI (Tk. 855950 ha-1) and replacement value of intercropping (5.34) compared to the other planting ratio and the sole crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To analyze our recent experiences at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) with the management of vascular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). Methods: Retrospective review identified 51 patients (age range 23 to 67 years) with vascular TOS, among them 47 patients with arterial type TOS underwent surgical treatment from January 2012 to December 2015. Evaluation included clinical assessment plus duplex ultrasonography and contrast arteriography and outcome of treatment. Results: In 44 (94%) patients, surgery was successful in relieving the ischemic symptoms. Major amputations could be avoided in 21 of the 28 patients presenting with gangrene. Recurrent thrombo-embolism of the distal arterial tree was found in 5 patients requiring repeat embolectomy. At one year follow-up, 73% of the patients remained free from ischemic upper limb symptoms. Conclusions: Though relatively uncommon, arterial TOS is a potentially limb threatening condition. Early detection of the anatomical abnormality with its surgical correction is required to avoid major complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper discusses the impact of chemicals used in fruits as ripening agent on fruit quality and consumers' health. Chemicals and plants hormones are also being used in harvested fruits at the time of marketing in Bangladesh. Chemicals like acetylene, ethylene etc. are used for ripening immature fruits and thus promote their cosmetic quality. Sometimes fruit sellers ripen immature fruits artificially to meet the high demand and make high profit. During transportation, the naturally ripened fruits may become over ripen and inedible. Many fruit wholesalers make fruits ripen with calcium carbide and also treat those with formalin to protect against microbial attack and thus minimize financial loss. The fruits ripened with calcium carbide may develop uniform attractive surface color, but poor in flavor and the inside may remain unripe. Use of chemicals accelerates ripening, but affects the nutritional quality of fruits. Most of these chemicals are harmful for human health. It is necessary to build awareness among fruit producers, traders and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of chemically modified reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) embedded with platinum and palladium nanoparticles (PtPdNPs) decorated hybrid electrode for enzymatic glucose sensing are reported. CRGO was developed by chemically treatment of exfoliate graphite oxide and heat treatment of CRGO film, and bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were co-deposited electrochemically on the surface of CRGO modified electrode without using any surfactant. The as-prepared hybrid electrode exhibited high electrocatalytic activities toward oxidation of hydrogen peroxide, to which it had a wide linear response range from 0.5 to 8 mM (R² = 0.9%) and high sensitivity of 437.06 µ A/mMcm². Furthermore, glucose oxidase with chitosan composites was cast by a simple casting method on the surface of the CRGO/PdPtNPs hybrid electrode. The as-prepared modified electrode showed good amperometrie response to glucose in the linear range from 0.5 mM to 8 mM with a sensitivity of 27.48 µ A/mMcm². To increase the selectivity and stability of the biosensor, nation coating was adsorbed on the surface of the CRGO/PdPtNPs/Ch-GOx modified electrode. The as-prepared biosensor showed good amperometrie response to glucose in the linear range from 0.5 mM to 11 mM with a sensitivity of 11.81 µ A/mMcm², low detection limit of 0.003 mM (signal to noise ratio is 3), and a short response time of 3 s. Moreover, the effect of interference materials and the stability of the sensor were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, BARI, Thakurgaon, Bangladesh during 2009-10 to observe the sowing date effect on flowering and fruiting of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes. Three sowing dates viz. October 1, 15 and 30 were considered as factor A and tomato varieties viz. BARI Tomato-2, BARI Tomato-3, BARI Tomato-4, BARI Tomato-9 and BARI Hybrid Tomato-4 were considered as factor B. The experiment was laid out in RCBD (factorial) with three replications. Early flowering (52.40 days) as well as early fruit harvesting (119.13 days) was observed in October 1 sowing whereas, sowing on October 30 resulted in delayed flowering (71.73 days) and fruit harvesting (140.67 days). Number of fruits per plant was also maximum (27.40) in October 1 sowing and minimum (13.73) in October 30 sowing. Seed sowing of October 1 was found better in respect of yield (74.75 t/ha) compared to October 15 (58.55 t/ha) and October 30 (24.60 t/ha) sowing. Among the genotypes, BARI Tomato-2 produced the highest (68.12 t/ha) marketable yield followed by BARI Tomato-9 (56.16 t/ha) and BARI Tomato-3 while, BARI Tomato-4 produced lowest (36.91 t/ha). With regards to combined effect of variety and sowing date, BARI Tomato-2 gave highest yield (97.21 t/ha) when sown on October 1st followed by BARI Tomato-9 (89.56 t/ha) on same sowing date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer matrix composites, reinforced with various types of particles are being widely used to reduce the overall weight of structures because of their good combination of various properties such as high strength to weight ratio, good fatigue properties, corrosion resistance, etc. However, most of the polymeric materials are not bio-degradable. As a result, demands of natural fiber reinforced composites are increasing day by day. Considering this, initiative was taken to develop wood saw dust particles reinforced polymer (unsaturated polyester) matrix composites with varying proportions (5 and 10% by weight [w/w]) of various wood saw dust particles. The developed composites were characterized by means of Tensile Test, fractography of the broken tensile test samples and water absorption test. Experimental results exhibited that addition of wood particles decreases the tensile strength of the composites and that, for higher strength wood, the degradation of the tensile strength of the composites is minimized. Addition of wood particles increases the water absorption of the composites. Water absorption of both pure polyester and wood particle reinforced composites has been found to increase with increase in time. However, the overall water absorption behaviors of the composites are dependent on the density of the wood used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is recognized in approximately 8% of the population. Its manifestations may be neurologic or vascular or both, depending on the component of the neurovascular bundle predominantly compressed. The diagnosis is suspected from the clinical picture and investigations. Treatment is initially conservative but persistence of significant symptoms, which occurs in approximately 5% of patients with diagnosed TOS, is an indication for cervical rib and or first rib resection.1 We report the case of a young woman having a left sided cervical rib. She had presented with clinical features of both neurogenic and arterial TOS. Surgical resection of the cervical rib was performed uneventfully through a supraclavicular approach which resulted in complete relief of her symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel glucose biosensor was developed based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on reduced graphene oxide incorporated with electrochemically deposited platinum and palladium nanoparticles (PtPdNPs). Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was more hybridized by chemical and heat treatment. Bimetallic nanoparticles were deposited electrochemically on the RGO surface for potential application of the PdPt alloy in biosensor preparation. The as-prepared hybrid electrode exhibited high electrocatalytic activities toward H2O2, with a wide linear response range from 0.5 to 8 mM ( R2=0.997) and high sensitivity of 814×10−6 A/mMcm2. Furthermore, glucose oxidase with active material was integrated by a simple casting method on the RGO/PdPtNPs surface. The as-prepared biosensor showed good amperometric response to glucose in the linear range from 2 mM to 12 mM, with a sensitivity of 24×10−6 A/mMcm2, a low detection limit of 0.001 mM, and a short response time (5 s). Moreover, the effect of interference materials, reproducibility and the stability of the sensor were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline TiO2 films were deposited on SnO2:F (FTO) coated glass substrate by the facing-target sputtering technique. Ruthenium complex-based dye was used to sensitize TiO2 films and carbon paste coated on FTO glass was used as a counterelectrode. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) performance was investigated with various sputtering Ar/O2 gas-flow ratios of 8:2, 7:3, and 6:4. The structure of TiO2 films has shown a penniform columnar structure and the morphology has the clear dependence on the gas-flow ratio. The DSC with TiO2 electrode deposited at 7:3 gas-flow ratio exhibits the highest photocurrent (4.74 mA/cm2), maximum photoelectric-conversion efficiency (1.38%), and incident photon-to-current efficiency (58.9%) at 520 nm. Moreover, this DSC shows a longer lifetime which implies low recombination rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent WO3/TiO2 bilayered thin films were deposited on glass substrates by facing target sputtering technique with different amounts of WO3 exposed surface (0%, 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100%) to study the separate role of WO3 and TiO2 in the photocatalytic activity of the composite system. The crystallographic and optical properties of WO3 and the TiO2 layers were investigated in detail. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the measurement of decomposition of methanol in gas phase under visible light irradiation with very little ultraviolet content. The rate of decomposition of gaseous methanol largely depends on the ratio of WO3/TiO2 exposed surface. The decomposition efficiency of WO3/TiO2 films increased with an increase in TiO2 exposed surface and the sample with 70% TiO2 exposed area showed the highest efficiency. The surface morphology of all the layers was investigated by the measurement of field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope. The variation in photocatalytic activity has been tried to be explained on the basis of methanol-photodecomposition mechanism and the intrinsic properties of WO3 and TiO2 semiconductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the fabrication of undoped and Al-doped ZnO nanowall structures on ordinary glass substrate by low cost spray pyrolysis technique at low deposition temperature of 350 °C. Structural, surface, optical, and photocatalytic studies of these nanostructures have been performed. Surface study confirms the nanowall structure of the fabricated ZnO. Structural study reveals that the fabricated ZnO nanostructures are polycrystalline in nature and crystallinity of the samples depends on the Al doping concentration. Band gap of the ZnO nanostructure has been determined from the transmission spectra. For undoped ZnO, the band gap was obtained 3.27 eV and the band gap decreases up to 3.06 eV with the increase in Al doping concentration up to 4%. Photocatalytic decomposition of methanol has been studied and found that the fabricated ZnO nanowalls can successfully decomposes methanol under UV-visible light irradiation without any surface treatment, and improvement in the photocatalytic activity was obtained after Al doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent titanium oxide (TiO2) photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide substrate by a sol-gel dip coating technique with acetic acid as an acid catalyst, where crystallinity can be achieved at a relatively low annealing temperature. Repetitive dip coating and drying, with two intermediate annealing, has made this technique easier to prepare TiO2 thin film with desired thickness within a short period of time. The TiO2 photoelectrodes were annealed at various temperatures to study the effect of annealing temperature on the photovoltaic property of the DSCs. The structure of the TiO2 films, prepared at various annealing temperatures, shows different crystallinities. Good crystallinity has been observed for 300 °C annealing temperature and it improved with increasing annealing temperature. The surface morphology, investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope measurements, revealed that with the increase in annealing temperature, the surface of TiO2 photoelectrode showed more porous structure with higher roughness. The DSCs with TiO2 photoelectrode, annealed at 300 °C, showed the best photovoltaic characteristics among the three samples of investigation. Measurement of optical properties and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency indicated the maximum dye incorporation in TiO2 electrode, deposited at 300 °C. The solar cell efficiency and fill factor of this above mentioned sample are 0.96% and 46.3%, respectively. The results indicate a strong correlation between the microstructure, dye absorption, and photovoltaic property of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the porous zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on SnO2:F coated glass substrate by sol-gel technique with zinc acetate as precursor, ethanol as solvent, and diethanolamine as chelating agent. Two sets of ZnO films with equal number of coatings and the same film thicknesses were deposited with various zinc acetate concentrations. The surface morphology of the porous ZnO film strongly depends on the zinc acetate concentration. It was also revealed from the optical study that the dye absorption increases with an increase in the zinc acetate concentration. The ZnO film with 1.0 mol/l zinc acetate concentration has shown the best porous structure and maximum rms roughness value (187 nm). The maximum photoelectric conversion efficiencies, 0.64% and 0.8%, were achieved for ZnO films with 1.0 mol/l of zinc acetate concentration in both sets of samples: equal number of coatings and the same film thicknesses, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes were successfully deposited on SnO2:F coated glass substrate by sol-gel technique with different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations. Low cost chlorophyllin based dye was used along with carbon paste on SnO2:F glass as a counterelectrode. All the TiO2 electrodes show good crystallinity. The x-ray diffraction result indicates that the TiO2 thin film without PEG has more compact structure with high density of crystallite. For TiO2 film with the same number of coatings, introduction of PEG induces porous structure with less number of crystallites. The amount of dye incorporation was found to be highly dependent on the microstructure of electrodes, as apparent from optical measurements. The result shows that the photoelectric conversion efficiency increases with PEG concentration, but the fill factor decreases monotonically. The variation of photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cells with different TiO2 electrodes prepared with various PEG concentrations is discussed with the analysis of different microstructures of the TiO2 photoelectrodes and the corresponding dye incorporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, CdS layer in CdS–TiO2 bilayer films was fabricated by two different chemical bath deposition techniques: one with an ammonium complex as complexing agent and the other with sodium citrate as a substitute for the ammonium complex. The TiO2 upper layer was deposited by dc magnetron sputtering technique for both the CdS underlayers. The effect of postdeposition vacuum annealing was studied for both samples. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the decomposition of methanol in gas phase under ultraviolet-visible irradiation. The CdS thin films, prepared by both techniques, show a highly oriented hexagonal structure. The optical transmission edge of the CdS thin films deposited by the ammonia-free technique is in lower wavelength than that of the other technique. For both techniques, vacuum annealing extends the absorption edge to higher wavelength, but this effect is more pronounced for the ammonia-content technique. The decomposition efficiency of the as-deposited CdS–TiO2 thin film prepared by the ammonia-free technique is much higher than the as-deposited CdS–TiO2 prepared by ammonia-content technique. In case of the ammonia-content technique, high-vacuum annealing improves the photocatalytic activity but it has minimal influence in the other technique. The surface morphology of all the CdS thin films was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy in order to find out the possible inherent reason that leads to a huge difference in the photocatalytic decomposition activity of CdS–TiO2 thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent TiO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates by a sol-gel dip coating technique, where crystallinity can be achieved at a relatively low annealing temperature. In this sol-gel preparation technique, acetic acid was used as a catalyst. Repetitive dip coating and drying, with a single annealing has made this technique easier to prepare TiO2 thin film with desired thickness within a short period of time. The crystallographic and optical properties of TiO2 films were investigated in detail. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the measurement of decomposition of methanol under UV-visible irradiation. The rate of decomposition of gaseous methyl alcohol depends on the structures and surface properties of the TiO2 films. The structure of the TiO2 films, prepared at various annealing temperatures, shows different crystallinities. Although crystallinity has been observed for 300 °C annealing temperature, it improved with increasing annealing temperature. The average transmittances of the TiO2 films slightly decrease with the increase of the annealing temperature in the range of 900–380 nm. The optical transmission edge of the TiO2 films, annealed at different annealing temperatures shifts toward higher wavelength with higher annealing temperature. All the as-deposited TiO2 films successfully photocatalyzed methanol to CO2 and H2O, measured by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The decomposition efficiency of TiO2 films increased with decrease of annealing temperature. The surface morphology of all the samples was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements. The higher photocatalytic activity of the sample prepared at lower annealing temperature was explained by the effect of more porous structure with smaller grains and open surface morphology of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes were successfully deposited on SnO2:F coated glass substrate by facing target reactive sputtering technique with different substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 400 °C. Low cost chlorophylline based dye was used along with carbon paste on SnO2:F glass as a counterelectrode. All the TiO2 electrodes show good crystallinity. It has been observed that increase of substrate temperature not only alters the ratio of anatase and rutile phase but it also markedly changes the crystal orientation. The amount of dye incorporation was found to be highly dependent on the microstructure of electrodes, as apparent from optical measurements. The dye-sensitized solar cells, comprised of TiO2 photoelectrode, deposited at substrate temperature of 200 °C, show maximum photoelectric conversion efficiency; however, further enhancement of sputtering temperature drastically reduces the efficiency. The variation of photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cells with TiO2 electrodes deposited at different substrate temperatures is discussed with the analysis of different microstructures of the TiO2 photoelectrodes and the corresponding dye incorporation. Moreover, all the dye-sensitized solar cells of this present investigation exhibit reasonably good fill factor value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice farming is practised on 75% of the arable area in Bangladesh and is crucial to the ability of the country to feed its growing population and to enhance the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers. Currently, there are concerns about the sustainability of intensive production systems that are based on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. This paper describes recent field research conducted by PROSHIKA, a non-government organization promoting ecological farming, and its collaborative partners at two locations in Bangladesh. Ecological farming is compared with conventional rice farming systems with regard to the effect on soil properties and arthropod communities. In 1997, soils were analysed for macro and micronutrients, organic matter content and physical properties. At each location, soil balk densities were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in fields under ecological farming than in those under conventional management. Fields under ecological farming had higher levels of exchangeable calcium than conventional fields and at one location, Koitta, the cation exchange capacity was also greater. At Koitta, soil organic matter fractions were greater in ecological than in conventional fields. Arthropod densities were low at both locations in the 1999 bore season. Ecological fields at Koitta supported more arthropods than the conventional fields, whereas at Gabtoli the arthropod load in ecological and conventional fields was similar. The relative abundance of plant-feeding insects and natural enemies was similar in ecological and conventional sites at each location. There was no consistent significant difference between the mean grain yields in the conventional fields and in the ecological fields. Taking into account the environmental and health benefits of ecological farming, there is considerable potential to maximize the use of organic material and to reduce unnecessary pesticide usage in rice production to Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The middle aortic syndrome (MAS) is rare (about 0.5-2% of all the cases of aortic coarctation) vascular disorder characterized by severe narrowing in the descending thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, or both. It can be congenital or acquired due to several conditions. MAS may present clinically as uncontrolled hypertension, abdominal angina or lower limb claudication. Surgical treatment is effective in controlling symptom and improves life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to the article "Reactive Sputtering of Plasmonic Pt/ZnO Films for Decomposition of Gas-Phase Methanol under Visible Light is presented.

While at present many crossbred cattle are available throughout Bangladesh, there are few original varieties of cattle localized in some areas of the country. They also have better performance compared to other available indigenous breeds. Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) is thought to be the only recognized breed of Bangladeshi origin. An attempt has been made in this study to identify the prevalence of parasitic diseases in Red Chittagong cattle kept in different areas of Chittagong. The study showed that crossbred cattle and the RCC animals were infected at similar level by parasitic infestations. However, in the absence of proper management, RC cattle were generally resistant to some parasitic infections which were common in indigenous/crossbred cattle. It was also notable that in some areas the parasite prevalence was very low, indicating possible geographic factors responsible for parasite survival. A number of blood protozoan infections were also less prevalent in RC cattle than crossbred animals as found in most areas. This study is the first of its type to understand the prevalence of parasitic diseases in RCC breed of cattle which is thought to be the only indigenous cattle breed available in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have created two isogenic iPSC lines from fibroblasts of a healthy male donor of European ancestry. The cell lines express common pluripotency markers, are free of chromosomal aberrations and are able to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. These iPSC are now a resource for genome editing with the aim of creating models of genetic disorders without having to depend on patient cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Bjoern Nowack reports financial support was provided by SensID GmbH. Bjoern Nowack reports a relationship with SensID GmbH that includes: employment and equity or stocks. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The novelty of this work is to fabricate the Nanosticks (NSs) like CdS sensitizer on the surface of TiO₂ electrode by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method with a very high vacuum annealed at 350 °C for 30 min. Whereas, nanocrystalline TiO₂ electrodes have been prepared on FTO (SnO₂: F) glass by a spin-coating method with high purity (99.99%, Degussa P25) TiO₂ powder. The surface of the CdS layer has been covered by NSs like structures which are confirmed by the scanning electron microscope image. The 100 nm of platinum-coated FTO substrate and polysulfide-based electrolyte are used to assemble the Grätzel Solar cell (GSC). The performance of solar cell (SC) based on NSs like CdS has been compared with the nanoparticles (NPs) based CdS sensitized SC, where CdS NPs has synthesized by CBD without any post-annealing. The efficiency of NSs like CdS sensitized SC exhibits 2.44%, which is 2 folds of the efficiency of the CdS NPs sensitized SC. The NSs like CdS sensitized SC shows the highest photocurrent 20.24 mA/cm² compared to CdS NPs based SC.