Search

Monitoring changes in land use and land cover (LULC) is essential for determining the state of the environment. This study is an attempt to assessing changes in LULC patterns and forest cover at northern region (Dinajpur district) of Bangladesh for the periods 1989–1999, 1999–2010, 2010–2020 and 1989-2020. Landsat satellite images were applied and supervised classification was done. There is a noticeable change found in LULC classes (Built-up, crop/fallow, forest, homestead and water). The built-up and homestead increased by 210.36% and 134.71%; whereas the crop/fallow, forest, and water decreased by 12.27%, 74.99% and 39.77%, respectively between 1989 to 2020. Forest was narrowed as majority of forest land transferred to homestead (8089.02ha) and crop/fallow (5965.74ha) land in last three decades (1989-2020). The findings of the study help in important policy implications for the sustainable LULC management in Dinajpur region of Bangladesh.

Contains fulltext : 234351.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Children are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of HIV/AIDS. This paper reports on the challenges faced by children due to their or their parents' HIV/AIDS status and the role of HIV-sensitive social protection in mitigating these challenges. We conducted 32 semi-structured in-depth interviews - 15 with children affected by HIV/AIDS (aged 13-18 years) and 17 with parents of children aged 10-12 years. We found children face significant challenges associated with poverty, gender norms, stigma, and lack of social support which affect their rights to education, shelter, treatment, and food. HIV-sensitive social protection packages such as conditional cash transfer, counselling, and community sensitization help continuation of education, facilitate access to treatment and social protection services, reduce stigma in the community and improve wellbeing of children. Children's accessibility to these services was limited due to distance, transport expenses, poor health conditions of the parents, gender issues, and stigma. HIV-sensitive social protection is effective in improving children's wellbeing. Continuation and expansion of HIV-sensitive social protection packages including conditional cash transfer, psychosocial counselling, and community sensitization and life skills training to facilitate HIV/AIDS affected children's wellbeing and inclusion is recommended. 6 p.

Objective: Shortages of medicinal products are complex global problems. Drug shortages remain a significant public health issue. Global shortages of medical products have a potential effect on patient health and total healthcare costs. Countries worldwide, especially those affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is experiencing a rapid increase in drug shortage, which causes several complications for physicians, health care provider, patients, health institutes and health regulatory bodies. Methods: To carry out the study of shortages, several efforts have been taken by the regulators and industries. Prominent amongst these include FDA's research the needs and the reforms made in the regulations about shortages. We also searched for electronic databases (PubMed, Science direct, Web of Science) using the terms (COVID-19 and shortage) or (medicine and COVID-19) for articles in periods of 2019 to 2021. Results: On assessment based on the report, the number of shortage drugs in 2020 is 835;Anesthesia drugs are highest during the COVID-19 outbreak data indicate the number of shortages is 143 in USA. It was found that generic products were mostly in short supply, with antimicrobial agents (63%) topping the list of therapeutic categories of medicines with interrupted supply, followed by oncology medicines (47%) and then anesthetic agents (38%) during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Many steps have been taken to reduce the impact of a shortage of health care. Agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) has established guidelines and works with manufacturers and other partners to help prevent shortages. This article aims to the analysis the root cause of medicinal product shortages, their effects on the patient outcome, medication error, which occurs due to the substitution safe and effective therapies with alternative treatments, identify possible solutions and policies established to manage medicinal product shortages. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd.

Aloe vera belongs to the family of Asphodelaceae, the oldest medicinal herb ever found and the world's most common medicinal plant. It is known as Ghritkumari, is used in medicine sources of homeopathy, ayurvedic, and allopathy. The species is a good source of repository of chemical ingredients that shows a precise range of biological activities such as wound healing, burn treatment, mitigating frost bite damage, defense against, lung cancer, intestinal problems, x-ray damage to the body, raising and decreasing high density and low lipoprotein content, reduction of diabetic blood sugar, battle against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and strengthening of the immune system. Aloe vera leaves are used to create drinks, perfume, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments. The plant's key ingredients are different kinds of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, saponins, amino acids, and salicylic acids. The plant is a good source of antioxidants. It also contains folic acid and vitamin A, C, E and B12. Aloe vera gel includes important ingredients, including the essential amino acids required by the human body. The plant can be used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. This research article is an effort towards Aloe Vera's industrial and ethnobotanical characteristics.

The Bihari community in Bangladesh originated from the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal after the Partition of India in 1947. Approximately 300,000 Biharis are living in 116 camps around Bangladesh since the liberation war in 1971. Because of their political ideology and participation in the liberation war against the independence of Bangladesh, this community is socially and politically isolated. This isolation causes multiple issues in the Bihari camp residents’ lives. Poverty is the major problem of the camp residents. In addition, housing problems, inadequate education, drinking water, sanitation facilities, healthcare services, legal aid, and socio-political discrimination have made their lives difficult. The International Republican Institute (IRI) found several challenges in the Bihari community in their qualitative study. It includes- social and political alienation, poverty, discrimination in the job market, inadequate healthcare services, poor sanitation facilities, scarcity of clean drinking water, congested housing, and drug trafficking. In this study, the researcher intends to discover the extent of the current challenges and problems of the Bihari community living in Bangladesh.

Introduction: The Rohingya population in Myanmar has been adversely affected by the Citizenship Act of 1982. This Act opted out of them from the list of recognized ethnic minorities and deprived them of civil rights and public services. As a result, the Myanmar army started a massive cleaning operation in the Rohingya community where thousands of Rohingyas were killed, and 750,000 refugees fled to Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh is helping this migrant community to settle in Bangladesh with the support of multiple national and international nonprofit organizations. This paper aims to explain the policy challenges in accommodating the Rohingya refugees from an environmental policy and public health perspective.Methodology: In this study, the researchers collected secondary data from multiple sources, such as journal articles, websites of internationally renowned organizations, and the health record of clinics supported by OBAT Helpers, Inc., a U.S.-based nonprofit, who are providing healthcare services to the Rohingya community living in multiple camps. The collected information is summarized systematically to understand the risks to the environment and health conditions in the Rohingya refugee camps that occurred due to a lacking policy readiness and logistic unpreparedness of the government. These issues are very critical not only for the migrant population but also for the host community.Findings: Approximately 860,175 Rohingya Refugees have been placed in 34 camps located in multiple districts in Bangladesh since 2017. To accommodate this large population in Bangladesh, the government had to cut the forest and fill out water bodies. Therefore, deforestation and building houses near cliff areas cause soil erosion and create risks for marine resources. In these camps, the refugees use fuelwood and kerosene for cooking, which increases particle pollution in the air. The overpopulated camps are having issues with the inexistence of ventilation. In the past couple of years, there were several massive fire incidents where hundreds of houses were burnt, and many people were injured and dead. Besides, building new houses for the refugees sets the local biodiversity at critical risk. The Kutupalong camp blocked the only corridor for the Asian elephants and trapped them in a corner of that area. In this challenging situation, the elephants invade nearby camp areas for food. As a result, 13 people died in a human-elephant conflict. Along with the environmental issues, the health condition in these refugee camps is very critical for different age groups and sex. Unplanned water and sewerage system are also polluting the water bodies which is increasing water-borne diseases in the community. The most common diseases found in these clinics are communicable, such as upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), skin disease, cough and cold, diarrhea, chickenpox, respiratory tract infection, fever, measles/rubella, and sexually transmitted disease, and malnutrition. In the past several decades, the Government of Bangladesh has been successfully working root-level to end chronic diseases, such as diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, tetanus, tuberculosis, chickenpox, and cholera which are crucial not only for the babies but for the community. The healthcare services of OBAT Health clinics have found many cases of these chronic diseases among the Rohingya refugees which may bring new threats to public health situations in Bangladesh. The congested environment of the camps spreads communicable diseases including COVID-19. Besides, thousands of patients in the camps are diagnosed with psychological trauma and gender-based violence in multiple age groups. More healthcare facilities are needed in these camps to provide mental healthcare services and support sexually assaulted victims. Conclusion: The government of Bangladesh and multiple national and international organizations are supporting the Rohingya refugees to live with basic human rights and security in Bangladesh. However, accommodating a large number of Rohingya refugees in a very short time causes multiple environmental issues and public health concerns. Policy readiness and logistic preparedness are necessary to reduce these long-term environmental challenges and public health concerns in the refugee camps and the nearby host communities. Planned zoning of the refugee camps and forestation would minimize the harm to land, water bodies, and biodiversity. Providing renewable or clean energy would help reduce PM pollution in the air quality. In addition to that, health education, awareness for immunization and vaccination, and adequate healthcare facilities for physical and mental healthcare would help to minimize health risks in this community. All these proposed solutions require support for policy intervention at both national and international levels. It will help to minimize the risk of climate change and public health issues globally.

Indium compounds have been widely used in manufacturing displays of mobile phones, computers and televisions. However, inhalation exposure to indium compounds causes interstitial pneumonia in exposed workers and lung cancer in experimental animals. 8-Nitroguanine (8-nitroG) is a mutagenic DNA lesion formed under inflammatory conditions and may participate in indium-induced carcinogenesis. In this study, we examined 8-nitroG formation in A549 cultured human lung epithelial cells treated with indium compounds, including nanoparticles of indium oxide (In2O3) and indium-tin oxide (ITO), and indium chloride (InCl3). We performed fluorescent immunocytochemistry to examine 8-nitroG formation in indium-exposed A549 cells. All indium compounds significantly increased 8-nitroG formation in A549 cells at 5 ng/ml after 4 h incubation. 8-NitroG formation was largely reduced by 1400 W, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MBCD) and monodansylcadaverine (MDC), suggesting the involvement of nitric oxide synthase and endocytosis. 8-NitroG formation in A549 cells was also largely suppressed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) for high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), receptor for advanced glycation and end products (AGER, RAGE) and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). These results suggest that indium compounds induce inflammation-mediated DNA damage in lung epithelial cells via the HMGB1-RAGE-TLR9 pathway. This mechanism may contribute to indium-induced genotoxicity in the respiratory system.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of HIV/AIDS. HIV-sensitive protection services (HSPS) can reduce vulnerability by increasing access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and basic social protection services. Few organizations in Bangladesh offer these services to children affected by HIV/AIDS (CABA). This paper reports on the challenges faced by CABA due to their or their parents’ HIV/AIDS status and the role of HSPS on mitigating these challenges. We did fifteen in-depth interviews with purposively chosen CABA, and seventeen in-depth interviews with purposively chosen caregivers of CABA. We found, CABA faced significant challenges such as poverty, emotional stress, stigma in their lives. Gender norms increased these vulnerabilities especially among women. HSPS services helped through motivating parents or guardians to send their children to school and thus reduce child marriage and child labour. Also, helped in improving children’s self-esteem with improving relationships between children and parents. Though the services were available, accessibility was limited due to distance, roundtrip cost, poor health conditions of the parents and gender issues.HSPS are effective in improving children’s well-being. Continued and increased support to access services including financial assistance, psychosocial counselling, and community sensitization activities is recommended.

The aim of this study is to exploit a suitable chitosan extraction method from the chitin of indigenous shrimp shells by employing different physicochemical treatments and to improve different bioactive properties of this extracted chitosan (CS) by applying gamma radiation. Chitin was prepared from shrimp shell by pretreatment (deproteination, demineralization and oxidation). Chitosan was extracted from chitin by eight different methods varying different physicochemical parameters (reagent concentration, temperature and time) and assessed with respect to the degree of deacetylation, requirement of time and reagents. The method where chitin was repeatedly treated with 121°C for 30 min with 20 M NaOH, produced the highest degree of deacetylation (DD) value (92%) as measured by potentiometric titration, with the least consumption of time and chemicals, and thus, selected as the best suitable extraction method. For further quality improvement, chitosan with highest DD value was irradiated with different doses (i.e., 5, 10, 15, 20 and 50 kGy) of gamma radiation from cobalt-60 gamma irradiator. As the radiation dose was increased, the molecular weight of the wet irradiated chitosan, as measured by the viscosimetric method, decreased from 1.16 × 105 to 1.786 × 103, 1.518 × 103, 1.134 × 103, 1.046 × 103 and 8.23 × 102 dalton, respectively. The radiation treatment of chitosan samples increased the antimicrobial activity significantly in concentration dependent manner on both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, as determined by the well-diffusion method. Four to five percent wet chitosan treated with a radiation dose range of 5.0–10.0 kGy rendered the highest antimicrobial activity with least energy and time consumption. Solubility, water binding capacity (WBC) and fat binding capacity (FBC) also improved due to irradiation of chitosan.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a highly prevalent complex disorder among adults worldwide which includes cardiovascular risk factors such as central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. MetS or its components are prevalent in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a common urogenital disorder of adult male with increasing age. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2014 to June 2015 with a total of 100 subjects. Of these 50 patients of BPH attending the Department of Urology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka was taken as Group I and 50 age-matched apparently healthy adults was taken as Group II. According to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III, 2005) criteria, components of MetS as fasting plasma glucose, serum triglyceride, serum HDL-C level, blood pressure, waist circumference were assessed and compared between groups by chi-square (x2) tests and unpaired student's 't' test as appropriate. A p value

Not Available Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 43(1): 129-133, June 2017

Carbon black (CB) is a nanomaterial used mainly in rubber products. Exposure to CB by inhalation causes malignant lung tumors in experimental animals. CB inhalation may cause chronic inflammation in the respiratory system, leading to carcinogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are generated from inflammatory and epithelial cells under inflammatory conditions, and resulting DNA damage may contribute to carcinogenesis. In this study, we performed immunocytochemistry to determine whether CB exposure induces formation of 8-nitroguanine (8-nitroG), a nitrative DNA lesion formed under inflammatory conditions, in RAW 264.7 macrophage and A549 lung epithelial cells. We compared the DNA-damaging effects of CB particles with primary diameter 56nm (CB56) and 95nm (CB95). Both types of CB induced 8-nitroG formation, mainly in the nucleus of RAW 264.7 and A549 cells, and CB95 tended to induce more 8-nitroG formation than did CB56. Flow cytometry revealed that CB95 generated larger amount of reactive oxygen species than did CB56 in RAW 264.7 cells. The Griess method showed that CB95 produced significantly larger amount of nitric oxide (NO) than did CB56. Flow cytometry showed that CB95 was more efficiently internalized into the cells than was CB56. The cellular uptake of CB and 8-nitroG formation in RAW 264.7 cells were reduced by monodansylcadaverine, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and by siRNA for Ctlc (clathrin heavy chain) gene. CB induces nitrative DNA damage in cultured cells, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis is involved, at least in part.

The impact of different temperatures (0, 40, 60, 80 and 100° C for an hour) and radiation (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 kGy) and combined treatment (temperature and radiation) for decontamination of bacteria from dried prawn, Macrobrachium lamarrei was also investigated under laboratory condition.The total viable bacterial (TVB), total staphylococcal (TS), total coliform (TC), total faecal coliform (TFC), total Aeromonas ( TA) and total fungal (TF) count were ranged from 2.7×10 8 to 5.3×10 8 cfu/g, 2.2×10 6 to 6.0×10 6 cfu/g, 2.9×10 4 to 9.5×10 4 cfu/g, 2.8×10 3 to 8.1×10 3 cfu/g, 5.7×10 3 to 8.5×10 3 cfu/g and 1.6×10 4 to 3.8×10 4 cfu/g respectively. Seventy eight bacterial strains were isolated and identified out of which 18 (23.07 %) were Staphylococcus aureus, 11 (14.10% ) were Micrococcus varians, 8 (10.25%) were Aeromonas hydrophila, 5 (6.41%) were Klebsiella ozaenae, 7 (8.97%) were Bacillus subtilis, 7 (8.97%) were Escherichia coli, 5 (6.41%) were Bacillus megaterium, 7 (8.97%) were Klebsiella edwardsii, 6 (7.69%) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 4 (5.12%) were Micrococcus radiodurans. Inactivated was more favorable at 100° C for TC, TFC, TA and TF and at 5.0 kGy for TA and TF and combined treatments (40 ° C+2.5 kGy, 60 ° C+2.5 kGy and 80 ° C+2.5 kGy) for TFC, TA and TF respectively. TS, TC and TVB were completely eliminated in treatment 40° C+5.0 kGy, 60 ° C+2.5 kGy, 80 ° C+2.5 kGy, 40 ° C+7.5 kGy, 60 ° C+7.5 kGy and 80 ° C+7.5 kGy respectively. Results demonstrated that the combination treatments were more effective than single treatment for eliminating the associated microorganisms/bacteria from dried prawn. Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 3 (1): 1-7, 2014 (June)

A comparative technical and economic analysis of two communitybased seasonal floodplains (Khirai and Angrail) of Daudkandi Upazila, Comilla during 2008 to 2010, are represented in this paper. The two floodplains differed mainly in management and fish production which were related to capital investment, variable cost, share of profits and proportional reimbursement to the fishers. Local management committees have been developed in each floodplain with significant differences. Average 142 kg/ha of fish fingerlings (carps such as Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus cirrhosus, Labeo calbasu, Labeo bata and exotic species such as Hypopthalmicthys molitrix, Aristichthys nobilis, Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Pungasius hypophthalmus, Barbonymus gonionotus, Oreochromis niloticus) were stocked at the varying proportions. Fish production obtained were 2.8 to 4.4 mt/ha and 1.1 to 1.3 mt/ha in Khirai and Angrail floodplain, respectively. The average cost of fish production, total income and the net income have been estimated as Tk. 209650 ± 54167.12/ha, Tk. 281306 ± 88263.42/ha and Tk. 71656 ± 35152.51/ha in Khirai floodplain and Tk. 62349 ± 5768.90/ha, Tk. 111930 ± 12711.02/ha and Tk. 49580 ± 6948.26/ha in Angrail floodplain, respectively. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) has been recorded as 1.33 and 1.79 in Khirai and Angrail floodplain, respectively. The results reveal that the fish production and economic benefit was higher in Khirai floodplain.Bangladesh J. Zool. 41(2): 217-228, 2013

Climate change and its effects are widely visible in all sectors, including the scarce forest resources of Bangladesh and the dependent communities. This study was undertaken in the periphery of the N ational S al ( Shorea r obusta) fo rest u nder t he T angail Dis trict of B angladesh to u nderstand a nd document the trend of climate change as well as the adaptation measures for coping with adverse situations that might arise in the future. The study was accomplished through a survey of 50 households and analysis of long-term meteorological database (1961-2010). The results show that forest and forest products have been reduced drastically. The changing trend of climate, along with anthropogenic activities, might have contributed to decrease in the forest resources and livelihood options of the community. A steady increase in maximum and minimum temperatures over time was noted where increment rate per year of maximum a nd m inimum t emperatures w as 0.017°C and 0.011°C respectively. T he m inimum temperature during the winter had been slightly decreasing in December-January. An increase of rainfall at the rate of 68.7 mm per decade was estimated. The increase was remarkable during the monsoon months ( June-October), while it de creased during winter (November-March) at t he rate of 1.17 mm per decade. The results of the analysis of long-term climatic data on temperature and rainfalls have strongly been supported by perceptions and opinions of the community people. They have already adopted several adaptation measures such as changing planting time and using new technologies. Similarly, the government has undertaken several adaptation measures to protect the forest and environment. In the face of challenges of climate change and livelihoods, communities have strongly suggested undertaking some ne w ad aptation mea sures, such as c onstruction of water r eservoirs, strengthening affo restation programmes through community approach, development of pest and disease-resistant varieties, and supply of high quality planting materials for conservation of resources and better livelihoods.

The objective of the study was to treat the textile wastewater and convert it into potable grade water in the laboratory scale. It involved a rigorous treatment procedure involving screening, coagulation, flocculation, aeration, biological treatment, filtration and ion exchange. From the analysis of the treated water it can be said  that the industrial waste water can be converted into potable grade water. Keywords: Wastewater treatment, Zero discharge, Potable water. DOI = 10.3329/cerb.v12i0.1493 Chemical Engineering Research Bulletin 12 (2008) 20-23