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A total of 152 adolescent girls were studied using a standard questionnaire to find out their nutritional needs and availability. Average age of the subjects was 15.05±1.13 yrs. Mean age at menarche was 12.33±1.11 years. Protein rich food such as fish, meat, egg, pulse, groundnut, soybean, and different seeds were scantly in their daily diet. Vitamins and minerals containing foods such as vegetables, egg, milk and fruits were not consumed for last 24 hours by 40.48%, 69.48% and 70.0% of adolescent girls respectively. Carbohydrate containing foods were chosen by 32% of girls. About 52% of girls liked to consume protein-containing foods. Mineral and vitamin containing foods were chosen by 42% of girls. Colocasia leaves, Amaranths leaves (red) and pumpkin were liked to consume by 13%, 11.48% and 19.74% of adolescent girls. Amalaki, sour fruit and pine Apple were disliked by only 4.61%, 3.95% and 3.29% of girls. The average total food intake was 704.26 g. Which is less by 29% of the RDA (991 g). Average cereals intake has declined by about 4% of RDA. Consumption of pulses has seriously declined by about 44% of RDA. Consumption of vegetables was glaring deficit. It dropped by about 53% compared to RDA (112 g.). Fish and fruits were increased. Intake of milk decreased 77.14% when compared to RDA (250 Ml.). Average energy intake was 1697.68 Kcal. making 71.07% of the requirement but according South East Asia criteria of all girls to have normal BMI needs to study for its validity of large scale.

The work is related to optimization of PG dose and survivability of the spawn of Mystus vittatus in the tank nursery at Arabpur Fish Farm in Jessore, Bangladesh during 2000 to 2002. Trial doses of PG used for induced breeding of M. vittatus were 1 to 4 mg PG in the first dose and 4 to 8 mg in the second dose for female. On the other hand, the male fishes were administered only a single trial dose of 2, 3 and 4 mg PG. Induced breeding was successfully done in M. vittatus with 3 mg of PG kg-1 body weight in first dose and 6.0 mg PG in second dose for female and a single dose of 3 mg PG for male for virgin fish, F1 and F2 generation. The tank nursery performance of the fry was studied in regard to length, weight, production and survivability rate. Live animal feeds (rotifers) were used. The highest growth and survivability of the fish fry was obtained by using rotifers of 40 cumm-1 and 20 cumm-1, respectively.

Objective: To explore the psychosocial condition and consequences of the people affected by leprosy and the related deformity in some selected areas of Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2015 among 92 leprosy-affected people. A pretested semi-structure questionnaire was used for collecting data by face to face interview from both the low prevalent areas of Khulna and the high prevalent area of Rangpur Division in Bangladesh. Results: Nearly two-fifth of respondents were observed having deformity. Among them, around four-fifth was from Khulna region, about half were above 50 years of age and more than half had monthly family income lower than 5 000 BDT. The development of deformity is found having highly significant association with region (P < 0.001), residence (P < 0.004), and family income (P < 0.004). Differences in consequences between ‘with deformity’ and ‘without deformity’ were found very high. About 65% of the respondents with deformity ‘think less’ of himself, and nearly 60% felt ashamed or embarrassed, 53% had to change job, and 47% was used to think having less respect in the society where the percentage was much lower in all cases to ‘without deformity’ group. Conclusions: Early diagnosis and start multidrug therapy at the earliest stages have chanced to reduce the leprosy-resulted deformity, disfigurement and disability. For those who already have had some nerve damages, health education is highly important to prevent further injury and hence psychosocial consequences.

Long term smoking poses many health hazards that most of the teenagers know, but many do not care. Once they start smoking, struggle to cease throughout the lifespan. Peer pressure is one of the main causes of initiating smoking observed by many studies. The research was mainly carried out to explore the factors influencing the teen to initiate smoking in south-west region of Bangladesh. A number of 408 students from level 7 to 12 were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire during February to November, 2014. The curiosity of the teen and 'to get rid of frustration' is the two main reasons of initiating smoking. Some other acknowledged reasons are peer pressure; desire to fit with friends, fun making, copying parent or elderly, and to relief from mental stress. More than half of the teens smoke to overcome psychological stress. Some others are smoking to keep relaxed from study load, to keep away family problem as well as for outlook and personality. Many of the teen smokers used to smoke because of reasonably priced and easy to obtain. To overcome the situation, academic institutes can arrange workshop or seminar regarding the consequences of smoking on health. Health effects of smoking can also be added in the curriculum so that the teen can understand and re-think about their harmful habit.

Bangladesh is a Muslim dominated country in south Asia where sex trade is mainly illegal but open secret. Only few workers have license and provide service in registered brothels. Banisanta brothel is one of the registered bawdyhouses in Khulna where 110 sex-workers were living in 2014. They entered into the profession because of a variety of socio-economic reasons. The factors of entering women into sex work in Banisanta brothel were observed by cross sectional study in July 2014. The sex-workers were mainly illiterate, aged range between 25-35 years, from rural areas, as well as landless families. About half of them entered the profession willingly because of low family income. Some other reasons identified by survey were being cheated, sold to the brothel and forced. More than half had experience with other labour market before sex work but left job because of harassment, poor income coupled with physical assault and sexual abuse, as well as poor working condition. Majority was aware of STI/STD as a result of receiving counselling, advice to use condom and other health related services from different organizations. Although drinking water was not enough and hard to collect, as well as using unhygienic latrine mainly, they were not suffering frequently from water borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery or jaundice.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the suitability of cryopreservation solutions for the embryos of olive barb Puntius sarana, a small-sized, freshwater, endangered fish. The specific objective was to examine the toxicity of various cryoprotectants (CPA) and to test the effectiveness of solutions of cryoprotectant mixtures (CS) to different developmental stages of olive barb embryos. Embryos at three developmental stages (gastrula, somites, and tail elongation stages) were exposed to 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 % solutions of five cryoprotectants, propylene glycol (PG), methanol (MeOH), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DFA), and ethylene glycol (EG). Further, thirteen cryoprotectant mixture solutions comprising these five cryoprotectants were also used at different concentrations to test the toxicity to the embryos. Hatching rates decreased with increasing cryoprotectant concentrations and toxicity to olive barb embryos varied in the order of PG

Specific investigation on the time (h) required for catfish, Clarias batrachus , embryos to reach various early developmental stages were carried out under different experimental conditions. Five hundred fertilized eggs were incubated in tray (28oC–30.5oC) with continuous water flow and aeration (T1), with only continuous water flow (T2) or aeration (T3) and without continuous water flow and aeration (T4). Fertilized embryos hatched successfully in all treatments except for T4. Time requirements for 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula, germinal ring, yolk-plug, twisting movement, prehatching and hatching were comparable for all treatments. However, developmental speed was ceased from yolk-plug stage for T4. Time requirements for two-cell, four-cell, eight-cell, morula, germinal ring, yolk-plug, twisting movement, and hatching were 0.43, 0.48, 0.53, 3.52, 6.07, 8.50, 15.04, 20.08, and 21.40 h, respectively for T1; 0.44, 0.47, 0.51, 3.49, 6.10, 8.51, 15.13, 20.19, and 21.56 h, respectively for T2; 0.50, 0.53, 0.59, 3.52, 6.13, 8.53, 15.11, 20.18, and 22.13 h, respectively for T3. Fertilized eggs of C. batrachus incubated in tray with only aeration (T3) is sufficient for successful hatching and could be cost-effective for hatchery operation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v18i0.9395 Ecoprint : An International Journal of Ecology Vol. 18, 2011 Page: Uploaded date : 12/20/2013

Birth asphyxia and its impact on neonatal mortality were observed in Khulna urban slum during July, 2010 to June, 2011. The descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted on 132 neonatal deaths among 9373 live birth. The study has found that neonatal mortality rate is 14 (n=132) in the study area compared to birth rate (9373). Of 132 neonatal deaths, birth asphyxia is responsible for 52(39%), low birth weight 32(24%), neonatal sepsis 22(17%), premature delivery 10(8%), developmental malformation 7(5%), neonatal jaundice 2(2%), acute respiratory infection 1(1%), and others 6(4%). Out of total live birth (9373) birth asphyxia was 266(2.83%), among them cured cases were 214(2.28%) and death was 52(0.55%). About 7961 under facilitate delivery in hospital/clinic, the neonatal death was 90(68%) and comprises birth asphyxia death was 30(33%). But in 1412 home delivery, the neonatal death was 42(32%) and the asphyxia death was 22(53%). Their knowledge on birth asphyxia due to lack of any institutional education (20%) or primary to high school level education (70%) and also the economic status ranges from 1500-2200BDT/month (44%) or from 2300-3000BDT/month (42%) may be the main risk factors which play an important role in neonatal mortality. The awareness of facilitated delivery rather than home delivery may improve the birth asphyxia death rate in Bangladesh and help to achieve the millennium development goal.

A descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted in Sharshaupazila under Jessore district on socioeconomic condition and health status of chronic arsenicosis patients from July to October, 2011. The prevalence of arsenicosis due to arsenic contamination of ground water may emerge in the form of epidemic and chronic arsenic exposure through drinking water is one of the major environmental hazards in Bangladesh. The main source of drinking water is shallow tube well (64%) among which 21% tube well has been red marked i.e., contaminated with arsenic poisoning. About 59.8% respondents have belonged to income deficit group and their monthly income decreased significantly. The chronic effect due to arsenic poisoning is about 32% and the men (69.33%) were more susceptible to arsenicosis. Among the affected patients identified problems were melanosis (94%), keratosis (33%), leucomelanosis (38%), respiratory problem (49%), loss of sensation (45%), bowen's (21.33%), oedema (9.33%), chronic nonhealing ulcer (6.33%), lung cancer (2%), and gangrene (0.66%). About 32.94% people consulted with homeopath for their treatment and only 22.35% people consulted with government health physician. To be aware of arsenicosis the health education must be improved within the community and the financial support; relevant training could be effective to reduce the arsenic poisoning.

A study was conducted to observe the captive breeding performance with maturing sages and fry nursing of the threatened indigenous fish species Notopterus chitala at Arabpur fish farm (Longitude 89°12'15" E, Latitude 23°10'30" N), Jessore, Bangladesh during 1998 to 2001. The peak period of ovulation for N. chitala was found from July to August and the fish attained its first maturity at third year of age. Captive breeding is the most effective and basis process in case of N. chitala when cemented tank was used for collection of fertilized eggs, percentage of fertilization and hatching in stead of bamboo pole, plastic barrel, cemented tank and barrel made of tin. In the nursery practices live benthos, hatching of Thai punti and silver carp were used as feed of the spawn but the highest growth and survivability of the fish fry obtained by using Barbodes gonionotus (thai punti) spawn and live Tubifex sp. (benthos). Key Words: Fertilization; hatching; growth; survivability doi: 10.3126/eco.v13i0.1628 Ecoprint (An International Journal of Ecology) Vol. 13, No. 1, 2006 Page : 41-47

Breeding behaviour, induced breeding and larval rearing of a threatened species Labeo bata were conducted at the Government Fish Seed Multiplication Farm, Khulna Sadar, Khulna in July 2003. A number of distinctive measures viz., following, nudging, circling, pressing and breeding run were used to release gametes within four chambered nylon hapa placed in a concrete cistern. Breeding activity started 5:45-6:45 hrs after the second injection of PG to the females at 26-27 °C water temperature. The relatively sudden increase in female responsiveness and attractiveness to males appear to coincide with the occurrence of ovulation. Females participate in a number of breeding runs over a period of 1 hr, thereafter female activity decreases rapidly. To optimize the effective dose of breeding, the females were first injected at the rate of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg PG-kg body weight and the second injection at the rate of 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 mg PG-kg body weight. Dose interval between first and second injection was 6 hrs. At the time of first dose to female, males were administered single constant dose of 1.5 mg PG-kg body weight. A total of five experiments were conducted in triplicates and each replication consisted of three males and two females. The best result in terms of breeding was observed at first dose of 1.5 mg PG-kg and second dose of 5.0 mg PG-kg body weight for the females. The fertilization and hatching rates with spawn production of the same dose (1.5+5.0 mg PG-kg body weight) were the best of 83.88±1.6 %, 80.67±7.8 % and 120 g respectively. All spawns were maintained in nursery ponds of 0.004 ha each with a suitable water condition. After 14 days of feeding only mustard oil cake at the rate of 250 g/0.004 ha, the obtained best result was an average length of 24.2 mm and weight of 87 mg with 63% survival for 35 g spawn. The growth and survival rates were inverse in relation to different stocking densities.

Research on biosecurity of poultry workers of Live Bird Market (LBM) in urban and rural areas related to highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) was undertaken during March-June, 2014 at Keshabpur upazila (22°48´-22°57´N latitude and 89°06´-89°22´E longitude), Jessore, Bangladesh. A non-randomized (purposive) sampling method was applied and a descriptive type of cross sectional study was performed among 72 workers, dividing them into two groups as 36 urban and 36 rural poultry workers of LBM through split-halves variation technique. They were interviewed confidentially in their work place using a structured pretested questionnaire. Among respondents 53%, 75%, 45%, 81%, and 56% of urban and 50%, 42%, 50%, 89%, and 36% of rural residence had attended up to primary school, knowledge about AI through media like TV and radio, used proper personal protective equipment as mask and gloves, washed their hands and equipment after finishing work and cleaned stalls/cages daily and mostly they used water as a cleaning material, respectively. In urban (14%) and rural (36%) workers used the same vehicle to transport poultry and humans. A combined effort is required to enhance knowledge and change behavior among those most at risk in low-income countries and precautions necessary to avoid spreading the virus among poultry and humans.

Different forms of tobacco advertisement and promotional activities are the burden of tobacco epidemic in Bangladesh. A descriptive type of cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 404 adults, randomly selected from urban and rural areas. Data were collected implementing both qualitative and quantitative methods from July to September 2013 and found 52% of the respondents were smoking cigarette or bidi, within them only 30% of the male adults were never user of tobacco of any kind. The respondents mainly noticed packet wall (52%), posters (65%), and big size packets (38%) as indirect advertisement as well as free sample (51%) and free gifts (43%) as promotional activities. A significant effect was identified of the activities on increasing consumption which tobacco control advocates and practitioners always argue. Existing laws do not allow giving free samples and free gift to persons, it should be enforced adequately as well as all tobacco control activists should be vigilant on unlawful activities of tobacco traders.

A study was conducted to observe the breeding performance and nursery practices of the threatened indigenous fish species Labeo bata in Jessore (Longitude: 89°122 003 East; Latitude: 23°102 453 North), Bangladesh during 1998 to 2002. Eight trial doses of PG (Pituitary Gland) used for induced breeding of L. bata were 1.0mgPG/kg in the first dose, and 1.0 to 8.0mgPG/kg in second dose for female. On the other hand, five trial doses were administered for the male to identify the suitable single dose (1.5mgPG/kg) only. The best performance was obtained with 5.0mg of PG/kg body weight in the second dose for female of wild and successive three generations. The highest growth (lt.: 19.37mm and wt.: 57.67mg) and survivability (63.33%) of the fish fry was observed by using rice bran and mustard oil cake after 10 days of nursing . Key words: Breeding performance; Nursery practices; Threatened species; Labeo bata. DOI: 10.3126/sw.v5i5.2654 Scientific World , Vol. 5, No. 5, July 2007 40-45