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The adsorption method using waste bagasse has been examined to remove 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) from aqueous solutions at room temperature. The adsorption of 2-chlorophenol by bagasse carbon could be studied in batches by changing the contact time, operating temperature, pH of the solution, initial concentration, adsorbent dose, and particle size. It took three hours to reach equilibrium. The Langmuir model correctly predicted the adsorption equilibrium data for 2-chlorophenol-sorbent systems in the concentration range that was examined. When the pH was lower, getting rid of 2-CP from surfaces was easier. Studies of desorption show that chemisorption is an important part of the adsorption process. J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 48(1-2): 83-95, June-December 2022

Background: The life expectancy of human is increasing worldwide, and the elderly population represents a large group throughout the world and also in Bangladesh. Globally it is a challenge to overcome elderly comorbidities, and now it is also a challenge that how our elder people can lead a good health and we can use that elderly population as a partner of our socio-economic development. The objectives were to find out the most common comorbidities in elderly population in our society and to give more emphasis for prevention and better management of those comorbid conditions and allow them to lead a healthy living. Methods: This prospective observational study was done in a General Hospital in Faridpur of Bangladesh from October 2019 to December 2020 for a period of one year and three month. Patients of age 60 years and above were selected randomly of all sexes and races. All the information was recorded in fixed protocol. Results: The study was included total 1043 elderly patients, among this male patients were 34.49% and female patients were 65.51%. Most of them presented with single disease in 53.30%. Others presented with two, three and four or more comorbidities (27.99%, 13.32%, and 5.36% respectively). Most common comorbidities were Hypertension (HTN) in 35.37%, Diabetes mellitus (DM) in 28.37%, obstructed airway diseases in 26.84%, Osteoarthritis in 19.94%, Ischemic Heart Diseases (IHD) in 18.88%, Osteoporosis 7.47% and cerebrovascular diseases 4.60%. Conclusion: A large proportion of the population, especially those aged 60, is affected by multicomorbidities. The comorbidities found most of them are preventable. Bangladesh J Medicine 2022; 33: 269-273

Aims: The main aim of this study was to find out the suitable variety having the export potentiality. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with the two replications in each location. Place of the Study: The study was conducted in ten different agroecological environments across the country, namely Bogura, Jashore, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Patuakhali, Faridpur, Debiganj, Madaripur, Thakurgaon and Rangpur district of Bangladesh during November 2020 to March 2021. Methodology: Sixty-two released potato varieties and exotic materials were used as planting materials for the experiment. Whole seed tubers of 28–40 mm were planted in the last week of November with a spacing of 60 cm between the rows and 20 cm between the plants. The crops were harvested at full maturity during March. Tuber yield was determined by adding the weights of marketable and unmarketable tubers from the net plot area and converting them to tons per hectare. After that, the tubers were graded in different grades and the dry matter of the potato was analyzed. Results: Considering the results, the location Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Debiganj and Bogura are the most suitable place for export variety cultivation in Bangladesh. The potato variety and genotypes 13.7, BARI Alu-12, BARI Alu-61, BARI Alu-68, BARI Alu-73 and Innovator were found promising for export for their yield, tuber size and dry matter content. Conclusion: The variety having good yield, bigger size and high dry matter could be selected for export from Bangladesh and the better-performed regions can be utilized for export quality potato production in Bangladesh.

The demand for sludge worms, Tubifex tubifex is increasing with the growth of aquaculture as low-cost live feed in hatcheries and ornamental fish nurseries. The study was conducted to determine the optimal culture medium for T. tubifex worm’s production and to find out the inclusion effects of worms as feed on ornamental fish rearing. Three media-based treatments (T-1: mustard oil cake 20%, wheat bran 10%, soybean meal 10%, rice bran 20%, cow-dung 20%, sand 10%, fish pond mud 10%; T-2: mustard oil cake 10%, wheat bran 10%, soybean meal 10%, rice bran 10%, straw 5%, fish scale, stomach and fin 25%, cow-dung 20%, fish pond mud 10% and T-3: cow-dung 75%, sand 15%, fish pond mud 10%) with three replications of each were used to culture the worms for 100 days in nine cemented culvert system (160×25×10 cm3). The growth performance of three popular ornamental fishes koi carp (Cyprinus carpio), comet goldfish (Carassius auratus auratu) and goldfish (Carassius auratus) were determined by replacing the commercial feed at different level with tubificid rearing in fiberglass aquarium (45×30×30 cm3) for 32 days duration. Maximum yield (959.23 44.34 mg·cm-2) of tubificid biomass was recorded in T-2 (mustard oil cake-10%, wheat bran-10%, soybean meal-10%, rice bran-10%, straw-5%, fish scale, intestine, stomach and fin-25%, cow-dung-20%, mud collected from fish pond-10%) with a peak at day 70th. The fish fed with 50% commercial feed + 50% T. tubifex in TF-2 showed significantly (p0.05) among the three treatments. Approximately 1.83 kg media were needed to produce 1.0 kg tubificid worm in treatment T-2. T-2 media is recommended as suitable media for commercial tubificid worm production and the inclusion of 50 % tubificid worms in the feed can be suggested for the ornamental fish rearing.

Soil carbon sequestration programmes are a way of offsetting GHG emissions, however, it requires agricultural landholders to be engaged in such initiatives for carbon offsets to occur. Farmer engagement is low in market-based programmes for soil carbon credits in Australia. We interviewed long-term practitioners (n = 25) of rotational grazing in high-rainfall lands of New South Wales, Australia to understand their current social-ecological system (SES) of soil carbon management (SCM). The aim was to identify those components of the SES that motivate them to manage soil carbon and also influence their potential engagement in soil carbon sequestration programmes. Utilising first-tier and second-tier concepts from Ostrom’s SES framework, the interview data were coded and identified a total of 51 features that characterised the farmers’ SES of SCM. Network analysis of farmer interview data revealed that the current SES of SCM has low connectivity among the SES features (30%). In four workshops with interviewed farmers (n = 2) and invited service providers (n = 2) the 51 features were reviewed and participants decided on the positioning and the interactions between features that were considered to influence SCM into a causal loop diagram. Post-workshop, 10 feedback loops were identified that revealed the different and common perspectives of farmers and service providers on SCM in a consolidated causal loop diagram. Defining the SES relationships for SCM can identify the challenges and needs of stakeholders, particularly farmers, which can then be addressed to achieve local, national and international objectives, such as SCM co-benefits, GHG reduction, carbon sequestration targets and SDGs.

Thirteen exotic potato varieties along with four checks were evaluated at six agro-ecological locations of Bangladesh for three generations during 2015-16 to 2017-18 in order to identify table purpose and processing quality varieties. Results indicated significant variation among the varieties. Based on the results of the 1st year multi-location trial, seven superior ones were selected for further testing in AYT and RYT in next two years. In the SYT, varieties Farida and 7four7 were the highest yielders. In the AYT, the highest average yield over location was also produced by 7four7 (38.70 t/ha). Varieties Cimega and Memphis also gave comparable yields to that of 7four7 (37.33 and 36.67 t/ha, respectively). Considering the yield of the three generations, the above four varieties were significantly better than the checks. Considering the specific qualities, Farida was found most suitable for table purpose because of its high yield, medium-sized oval and smooth tubers with good eating quality. The variety Taisiya produced tubers with good size and shape, but low in dry matter content; so not suitable for processing. Memphis might be selected for French fry as it produces maximum large sized tubers with good long oval shape. On the other hand, variety Panamera is a high yielder but its plant type was undesirable. On the whole, varieties Cimega, 7four7 and Farida are suitable for table purpose, and Memphis may be selected for French fry under Bangladesh condition. None was found quite suitable for Chips preparation.

Lentil is a cool season legume crop suffering terminal stress in different part of the world, especially in North America, Australia, Southwest Asia and North Africa. Drought stress, which is often linked with high temperatures, is very damaging to grain legumes in practically all agricultural environments. In this experiment, 49 accessions were sown with a check variety in an augmented design in Whitlow farm 2015, central ferry farm 2016 and Spillman farm 2016, Washington state university. The three different locations were in the dryland of southeastern Washington. The collected 49 accessions were screened, where 32 germplasm were taken from the United States Department of Agriculture's single plant-derived core collection and 16 from lentil reference population of ICARDA and one check variety was Avondale. Secondary traits such as green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), red normalized difference vegetation index (RNDVI), photochemical reflectance index (PRI), red normalized difference vegetation index (RNDVI), water band index (WBI), and normalized water index (NWI) were collected using a multi spectral reflectance device and agronomic metrics days to flowering (DTF), biomass and seed yield (SYP) data were also collected as well. Multi trait genotype ideotype distance (MGIDI) addresses the restrictions of AMMI and GGE analysis by using BLUP and ideotype distance, which can properly select genotypes with higher yields as well as consider other desirable parameters GNDVI, RNDVI, PRI, WBI, NWI. The accessions Avondale, PI 368647, ILL7090, PI33690, PI 5187, ILL 86, ILL595, PI 533690, PI 518734, ILL 1649, ILL 4781 were selected as the ten best genotypes and Avondale, ILL7090, PI533690 were less affected by G x E interaction and selected for further evaluation based on AMMI, GGE and MGIDI index.

The area that is now Afghanistan and Central Asia has had a substantial impact on the history of civilization in the region. It is significant to note that one of the remarkable dynasties that greatly influenced Central Asian and Afghan Islamic civilization was the Ghaznavid (963–1187). Though this dynasty could not maintain control for lengthy periods, they left a wonderful legacy, especially in the sphere of Islamic civilization, particularly under Mahmud I. Several monuments, gardens, kiosks, and palaces in several cities, most notably in Ghazna, Lahore, Bust or Qala-i-Bust, Bukhara, and Merv, show the splendor of the Ghaznavids in various aspects of civilization, such as architecture, art and literature, philosophy, history, and education. In fact, the Turkish Ghaznavids were largely absorbed into the Perso-Islamic culture after adopting Persian administrative and cultural practices. Thus, Ghaznavids played a premier part culturally and politically in the Islamic civilization of Central Asia and Afghanistan. This paper intends to analyze the major contributions of the Ghaznavid dynasty to the several fields of Islamic civilization in central Asia and Afghanistan that help to shape the present cultural identity there.

This study has identified the present situation of the fieldworkers working in the development field, or we can call it data collection work, regarding their social, financial, and employment conditions. There is no existing literature on the social acceptances, financial security, job environment, and job security of the field workers working in the research and development sector. According to the founder president of the Organization of Research Associate in Bangladesh, almost 3500 to 4000 people work in the data collection field. The study found that only a few organizations have a wages policy for the field data collector. If the project budget is high, it will enable them to increase the payment of the fieldworkers. If the budget is low, they have to decrease the payment of the field workers. The working environment for the female workers working in the development sector for women is not well established.

Background & objective: Each year millions of Muslims embark on a religious pilgrimage called the “Hajj” to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The mass migration during the Hajj is unparalleled in scale, and pilgrims face numerous health hazards. Performing the tasks of pilgrimage is stressful and laborious and as such requires immense mental and physical fitness on the part of the pilgrims. But a substantial proportion of the pilgrims lack it. Besides, the hot and dry environment and untold overcrowding predispose them to the risk of many communicable diseases. The present study, was therefore, intended to find the pattern of diseases among Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims at Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on Bangladeshi Hazz pilgrims in Mecca Saudi Arabia over a period of 1 month from mid-September to mid-October, 2015. A total of 710 pilgrims (18 or > 18 years) attending at Bangladeshi Hazz Medical Center (BHMC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia during the period were consecutively included in the study after having voluntary verbal consent obtained from them. Diseases were diagnosed mainly on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms with provision of only random and fasting blood sugar estimation and ECG. The diagnosed diseases were grouped into major and minor problems or conditions and were treated as out-patient basis. Result: In the present study upper middle-aged (50 – 60 years) and elderly (≥ 60 years) pilgrims together formed nearly 73% of the patients with mean age of the patients being 56 years. Males were a bit higher than the females with male-female ratio being roughly 11:9. The study demonstrated that the commonest cause of out-patient visit was respiratory illness (41.2%) followed by diabetes (17.2%), peptic ulcer disease (PUD) (11.7%) and cardiovascular diseases (10.7%)(which included hypertension, new onset ischemia or exacerbation of preexisting ischemic heart diseases). A few (3.2%) of the patients presented with diarrhoeal diseases (loose motion or dysentery). Other minor ailments were allergy or dermatitis, insomnia, paronychia, anxiety, UTI, hemorrhoids, epistaxis, glossitis, oral ulcer, earache, conjunctivitis, worm infestation, spot bleeding etc., accounting for 4.8% of the patients. Conclusion: The study concluded that respiratory illness is the most common health problems among pilgrims visiting to Mecca, Saudi Arabia followed by diabetes, PUD and cardio-vascular diseases. The pilgrims should be educated in their home country before starting for pilgrimage as how to maintain their health in their new and challenging environment and Bangladesh Hazz Mission in Mecca should ensure enough medical support to them. Ibrahim Card Med J 2020; 10 (1&2): 96-101

To make potato production more sustainable for smallholder farmers, product diversification through processing is critical. On the other hand, the processing sector mandated some stringent standards in order to maintain product quality, hence potato quality evaluations are required for chip processing industries. Specific gravity, starch, reducing sugars, tuber dry matter, and chip color are all important characteristics to consider for processing. This study was designed to find suitable potato varieties with satisfactory attributes for processing chips, in comparison with other processing potato varieties. Keeping this in mind, the study was performed during the winter season of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 in Bangladesh. Six processing types of potato varieties viz. BARI Alu-25 (Asterix), BARI Alu-28 (Lady Rosetta), BARI Alu-29 (Courage), BARI Alu-68 (Atlantic), BARI Alu-70 (Destiny), and BARI Alu-71 (Dolly) were evaluated for different quality parameters (specific gravity, dry matter, starch content, reducing sugar, chip color, and crispiness). The result of the study showed an ample variation in the studied parameters among the potato varieties. Among the varieties, BARI Alu-28 (Lady Rosetta) and BARI Alu-29 (Courage) were found better for all the quality parameters, such as dry matter, starch, reducing sugar, chip color, and crispiness, and could be recommended for the processing industries.

The presence of high levels of carcinogenic metalloid arsenic (As) in the groundwater system of Bangladesh has been considered as one of the major environmental disasters in this region. Many parts of Bangladesh have extensively reported the presence of high levels of arsenic in the groundwater due to both geological and anthropogenic activities. In this paper, we reviewed the available literature and scientific information regarding arsenic pollution in Bangladesh, including arsenic chemistry and occurrences. Along with using As-rich groundwater as a drinking-water source, the agricultural activities and especially irrigation have greatly depended on the groundwater resources in this region due to high water demands for ensuring food security. A number of investigations in Bangladesh have shown that high arsenic content in both soil and groundwater may result in high levels of arsenic accumulation in different plants, including cereals and vegetables. This review provides information regarding arsenic accumulation in major rice varieties, soil-groundwater-rice arsenic interaction, and past arsenic policies and plans, as well as previously implemented arsenic mitigation options for both drinking and irrigation water systems in Bangladesh. In conclusion, this review highlights the importance and necessity for more in-depth studies as well as more effective arsenic mitigation action plans to reduce arsenic incorporation in the food chain of Bangladesh.

A well-functioning food safety regulatory arrangement is important for ensuring the standards of foodstuffs, better food business, and the protection of public health in a given country. This article deals with the perceived determinants of the food safety regulation in Bangladesh. Based on literature review, we propose an analytical framework and identify key determinants that might influence effective food safety regulation in a developing country like Bangladesh. We then conduct a perception survey on 200 different kinds of stakeholders involved with the regulation of foodstuffs standards. We utilize descriptive mode of statistical analysis in our study. In our findings, actual autonomy of the main regulatory agency, and actual inter-organizational coordination are perceived as important determinates of effective food safety regulation. Proper enforcement of regulation, and accountability and transparency are perceived another factors of quality food safety regulation. It is also perceived that penalties are not sufficient enough for the food safety offences. Technical personnel and the state of the art laboratory facilities are other determinants of the regulation of food safety. Again, decentralized food safety regulatory network is perceived as very important determinant of the control of the food safety hazards at all level as well as an effective regulatory arrangement. The policy makers need to take into account the perceived determinates for desired food safety regulatory outcome in Bangladesh

The study explores immediate impact of COVID-19 lockdown on socio-economic conditions of the returnee migrants in Bangladesh. Using digital platform the study collects primary data through survey on returnee migrants of Bangladesh, and it follows descriptive mode of analysis. The study finds that the majority of the returnee migrant’s family members are dependent on the remittance. The workers return home because of the shutting down of their income sources due to a prolong period of lockdown. After returning home many returnee migrants get harassed by their neighbour and have problems in receiving healthcare services and maintain quarantine. Most of the returnee workers spend their savings to survive during lockdown. After four month of lockdown, the returnee migrants who think about remigration and re-join their previous job, they face several challenges like financial problem, visa renewing, job contract renewing, unavailability of plane tickets, and getting corona negative certificate.

Melanoma considers deadly cancer that can cause the death of a person if not distinguished at an initial stage. Although Melanoma is most common in white skin people and can be detected at an early stage using AI, white skin people have a much lower death rate from this cancer. But when black skin people have Melanoma, AI can't detect it at an early stage because most of the time, the machines are trained with Dermoscopic pictures of white people, which leads to a higher mortality rate for black skin people. As a result, people don't want to trust the AI system at the time of Melanoma detection. In this paper, we proposed a model with whatever black or white skin it can easily detect using machine learning. In this case, we will use the Convolution Neural Network (CNN) of machine learning to detect Melanoma at an early stage so that the death rate caused by Melanoma cancer can be reduced. The proposed method can detect Melanoma with an accuracy of 88.9\% for both skin people which may significantly decrease the mortality rate.

Duckweed used as adsorbent material for arsenic (III) removal from groundwater. The results of th is study showed that adsorption of arsenic (III) by duckweed without any pretreatment. Various parameters are investigated that affect arsenic adsorption/desorption. Maximum arsenic (III) removal was obtained under the following conditions: initial As (III ) concentration, 100 µg/L; Duck weed amount, 3 g; average particle size, 0.595 mm; treatment flow rate, 1.67 mL/min; and pH, 5.5 , respectively . The desorption efficiencies with 1M H 2 SO 4 was observed 97.67%. The present work meets the arsenic concentration required for d rinking water recommended by Bangladesh and the World Health Organization (WHO) water quality criteria for drinking water.

A numerical study is presented for the fully developed two-dimensional laminar flow of viscous incompressible fluid through a curved square duct for the constant curvature δ = 0.1. In this paper, a spectral-based computational algorithm is employed as the principal tool for the simulations, while a Chebyshev polynomial and collocation method as secondary tools. Numerical calculations are carried out over a wide range of the pressure gradient parameter, the Dean number, 100 ≤ Dn ≤ 3000 for the Grashof number, Gr, ranging from 100 to 2000. The outer wall of the duct is treated heated while the inner wall cooled, the top and bottom walls being adiabatic. The main concern of the present study is to find out the unsteady flow behavior i.e. whether the unsteady flow is steady-state, periodic, multi-periodic or chaotic, if Dn or Gr is increased. It is found that the unsteady flow is periodic for Dn = 1000 at Gr = 100 and 500 and at Dn = 2000, Gr = 2000 but steady-state otherwise. It is also found that for large values of Dn, for example Dn = 3000, the unsteady flow undergoes in the scenario “periodic→chaotic→periodic”, if Gr is increased. Typical contours of secondary flow patterns and temperature profiles are also obtained, and it is found that the unsteady flow consists of single-, two-, three- and four-vortex solutions. The present study also shows that there is a strong interaction between the heating-induced buoyancy force and the centrifugal force in a curved square passage that stimulates fluid mixing and consequently enhance heat transfer in the fluid.

Only a very small number of industries have achieved successful development in developing countries other than several East Asian countries. Exceptionally, the garment industry and the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh have grown from scratch into major producers in the respective world markets within a few decades after the early 1980s. They have enormously contributed to the economic development and the advancement of welfare of the Bangladeshi society. While the garment industry has created a huge number of jobs, especially for females, the pharmaceutical industry has drastically improved the access of ordinary people to essential drugs. This chapter attempts to learn from these examples about what the key to industrial development is.

Background: Stroke is an important cause of death and disability. Prevalence of stroke in Bangladesh differs with age. The risk factors in young differ in comparison to old age group. In this study risk factors of stroke in young in comparison to old age group were evaluated. Objectives: To compare the risk factors associated with stroke in young adult and to those of old age group. Methodology: This comparative study conducted in the department of Medicine and Neurology, Sir Salimullah Medical College & Mitford Hospital, Dhaka from January 2008 to June 2009. One hundred two stroke patient of above 15 years of age were confirmed by CT scan or MRI of brain those were included in young and old age groups. The risk factors of stroke were defined in terms of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, ischemic heart diseases, valvular heart disease, history of transient ischemic attack or stroke, smoking and oral contraceptive pill. Results: Of total 102 cases 17 were young adults and 85 old patients between 19 to 100 years. Mean age young adult was 39.76 (± 6.379) and old age was 65.06 (± 11.238). 61.7% were male & 38.2% were female and the ratio was 1.6:1. Amongst male 58.8% patients were smoker in each age group and only 2.9% old patients were alcoholic. Only 17.6% had previous history of transient ischemic attack or stroke in each age group. 58.8% of young and 48.2% of old were hypertensive. 7% old patients had history of ischemic heart disease. 5.9% of young and 2.4% of old patients had valvular heart disease but no patient had vasculitis. 16.7% old patients had diabetes mellitus. 4.9% of total patients (young 11.8% and 3.5% old) were oral contraceptive pill user. Out of all patients 24.7% old patients and 5.9% young adult was dyslipidaemic. Among all patients 66.7% patients had the Ischemic stroke and 33.3% patients had the hemorrhagic stroke. 68.2% old patients and 58.8% young patients had Ischemic stroke; 31.8% old patients and 41.2% young patients had hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusion: In young age group smoking, transient ischemic attack or stroke, hypertension, valvular heart disease, oral contraceptive pill and in old age group smoking, transient ischemic attack or stroke, hypertension, Ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia were found significant risk factors for development of stroke. So modification of risk factors may reduce the incidence of stroke. Bangladesh Journal of Neuroscience 2011; Vol. 27 (2) : 94-100 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjn.v27i2.17576

Ibrahim Cardiac Medical Journal 2011; 1(2): 29-34 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icmj.v1i2.13549

Heavy metal pollution was reported in commercially valuable freshwater edible fish in the Buriganga River, Bangladesh. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, and Cu were investigated in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver of Heteropneustes fossilis caught at three stations to assess the degree of fish pollution by heavy metals. Significant differences in concentrations of analyzed elements were observed among different tissues, but not among the stations. The ranges of the measured concentrations (μg/g dry weight) in the tissues of H. fossilis were as follows: arsenic concentration was (0.2-0.4), (0.82-0.90), (3.29-3.99), (2.20-2.80), and (2.41-2.90), that of lead was (1.79-2.20), (4.95-6.55), (10.36-13.38), (5.74-9.70), and (18.20-18.79), that of cadmium was (0.3-0.4), (2.87-4.27), (1.03-1.63), (1.55-4.59), and (2.25-5.50), that of chromium was (1.40-1.70), (3.52-3.72), (2.28-5.29), (2.77-3.79), and (4.25-8.65), that of zinc was (24.47-28.82), (16.82-18.80), (20.22-22.20), (22.86-26.68), and (60.82-67.80), and that of copper was (7.80-8.50), (6.22-6.81), (38.21-44.25), (17.07-21.03), and (43.24-47.30) in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver, respectively. This research showed that the liver appeared to be the main heavy metal storage tissue, while the muscle had the lowest levels of analyzed metals. The concentrations of metal in the muscles not exceeded the acceptable levels for a food source for human consumption.

The adsorption technique has been studied using waste rice straw to adsorb phenol from aqueous solutions at room temperature. Batch adsorption studies were carried out under varying experimental conditions of contact time, operational temperature, pH of phenol solution, initial phenol concentration, adsorbent dose, and particle size. The time to reach equilibrium was found to be 3 h. Results showed that the equilibrium data for phenol-sorbent systems fitted the Freundlich model and Langmuir model within the concentration range studied. Adsorbed phenol could be regenerated by desorption with the help of 1M NaOH. The studies showed that the rice straw can be used as an efficient adsorbent material for removal of phenol and phenolic compounds from water and wastewater.

Pre-harvest fruit bagging and improved postharvest management practices (IPMP) were integrated in the mango value chain of Bangladesh to reduce losses and to manage fruit quality along the value chain. A popular and commercial mango cultivar 'Khirsapat' was used in this experiment. Fruit bagging, improved mango harvester, desapping tray and hot water treatment (HWT) plant were integrated in the IPMP. Traditional postharvest management practices (TPMP) existed in the value chain was used as control. Pre-harvest fruit bagging along with IPMP showed the best performance in respect of decay control, attractive skin colour development, good keeping quality and marketability of mangoes for ten days at retail outlets. Decay incidence caused by stem end rot and anthracnose reduced by 86.7% in bagged mangoes handled with IPMP compared to traditionally handled non-bagged mangoes. The integration of fruit bagging and IPMP resulted in 70% reduction of postharvest losses of mango in the value chain. Total soluble solids of mango was not affected due to bagging followed by IPMP, while titratable acidity and ascorbic acid contents slightly decreased at ripe stage compared to non-bagged control fruits. Pre-harvest fruit bagging along with or without IPMT did not affect the overall sensory qualities of mangoes cv. Khirsapat.

This case control study was conducted in selected centers of Dhaka City from March to July 2008 to determine the association of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with the attributes related to treatment and socio-economic condition of tuberculosis patients. Sixty seven culture-proven multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases and similar number of age and sex matched controls were selected purposively. Data were collected by face to face interview and documents’ review, using a pre tested structured questionnaire and a checklist. Multidrug-resistance was found to be associated with occupation (p=0.001) and residential status (p=0.001) of the tuberculosis patients. Tuberculosis patients who did not remain under directly observed treatment were 3 times more likely to develop multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (OR 3.21, 95%CI=1.59-6.52). Multidrug-resistance was associated with inadequacy of treatment (OR 2.56, 95%CI=2.03-3.23). Failure of sputum conversion at the end of 2 months of treatment was detected to be the best predictor of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (OR 11.82, 95% CI=4.61-30.33), followed by treatment with non Directly Observed Treatment Short course regimen and high labor intensive occupations like agriculture, production and transport. The risk factors of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis warrant much improvement in the effective implementation of control programs. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2009; 3(1): 29-33