Shariful Islam

A sustainable community-based arsenic mitigation pilot project in Bangladesh

A sustainable community-based arsenic mitigation pilot project has been successfully operating for 22 months in the Chapainawabganj arsenic hot spot (Bangladesh) where safe treated drinking and cooking water derived from tubewells is being supplied below the Bangladesh maximum permissible limit (0.05 ppm total arsenic). There has been close community involvement in all stages and the arsenic removal mechanism used adapted from the simple process of adsorption by natural ferric oxyhydroxide. Supplemented ferric oxyhydroxide produces daily de-contaminated water batches until replaced at the end of the cycle. A regional renewal/recycling centre supplies new, and safely stores used, ferric oxyhydroxide. Recycling is beginning where adsorbed arsenic can be separated prior to ferric oxyhydroxide reuse. The mechanism is flexible regarding water volumes, cycle lengths, pre and post-treatment arsenic concentrations, tubewell chemistries and is cost-effective. Pilot project parameters were set at 60 l per day ( < 0.05 ppm total arsenic) and 16 day cycles per tank for each of the four selected families with pretreatment concentrations up to 1.1 ppm. A maximum of ~ 24 g of arsenic is produced from the ~ 900 g (dry) of ferric oxyhydroxide used per tank per year. Anecdotal evidence possibly suggests positive health effects within a few months and villagers report an improved water taste. The project should contribute to coping with such arsenicosis crises and expansion is planned.

Antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities of salviasperanol isolated from Amorphophallus campanulatus

Salviasperanol, a diterpenoid isolated from Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Bl. (Araceae) was studied for in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities. The disc diffusion technique was used to determine in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. Cytotoxicity was determined against brine shrimp nauplii. In addition, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using serial dilution technique to determine antibacterial potency. The MIC values against these bacteria ranged from 8 to 64 μg/mL. The compound showed significant antibacterial activity against four Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus β-haemolyticus) and six Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonus aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi). The compound showed weak antifungal activity against a number of fungi. In the cytotoxicity determination, the LC50 of the compound against brine shrimp nauplii was 8.02 μg/mL.

Pesticidal and pest repellency activities of a plant derived triterpenoid 2α,3β,21β,23,28-penta hydroxyl 12-oleanene against Tribolium castaneum

BackgroundTribolium castaneum (Herbst) is a major pest of stored grain-based products, and cause severe damage to cereal grains throughout the world. The present investigation was aimed to determine the pesticidal and pest repellent activities of 2α,3β,21β,23,28-penta hydroxyl 12-oleanene against T. castaneum. The compound 2α,3β,21β,23,28-penta hydroxyl 12-oleanene is a triterpenoid which was isolated from the roots of Laportea crenulata Gaud. Surface film technique was used for pesticidal screening, whereas, pest repellency property of the triterpenoid was determined by filter paper disc method.ResultsAt 24xa0hours of exposure duration, significant mortality records (80% and 86%) were observed at doses 0.88 and 1.77xa0mg/cm2. No significant change in mortality records was observed when duration of exposure was increased up to 48xa0hours. The triterpenoid showed significant repellency activity at doses 0.47 and 0.94xa0mg/cm2.ConclusionThese data suggest that the triterpenoid 2α,3β,21β,23,28-penta hydroxyl 12-oleanene possess both pesticidal and pest repellency activities against T. castaneum and can be used in controlling the pest of grain-based products.

Rural library services II

Purpose – This is the second article focusing on rural library services in Bangladesh. The main aim of this paper is to empirically measure the performance and impact of rural library activities in northern districts of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approach – The study was carried out separately in ten rural communities with library facilities. Background data about library collections were collected. Point‐of‐exit interviews with library users were carried out to gather their opinion on library collections, performance and impact.Findings – The point‐of‐exit interview highlights the users demographic characteristics, their library use and information needs, and their opinion on library collections, performance and impact. The constraints faced by users in using these libraries are also identified. The results show that most users are generally satisfied with the performance and impact of these libraries.Originality/value – This paper is the first attempt to measure empirically the performance and impac...

The Construction Principle of Double Cloth

The aim of this project discussed in this paper was to produce such a type of woven cloth that can give a good appearance and hand feel with enhanced thermal resistance property. The construction of double cloth is completely useful as the development of thermal insulation value of a fabric where a fine, smart face appearance is essential. Double weaves are categorized by harness floats in paired or greater combinations on a face and altered paired or greater float combinations on the back. The sets of floats are conserved as a dissimilar single fabric by warp yarns that is alternating at lengthy intervals in between front and back of the cloth. Double cloth is aesthetic in intension for that purpose the existence of two series of threads in every way develops the capacity for creating complicated properties depending upon both colour and structural variations. Double Cloth is made by using two or more warp yarns with one or more weft. This fabric does not have any right or wrong side, as they are made with one set of warp yarns and two weft yarns. This cloth is also known as Double faced fabrics. In a double weave, a fabric should contain two detectible weave structures, which are connected to one another in some way after removing the fabric from the loom. Alternatively, in block double weave, the two cloths are connected where they change faces to form pattern generally in one colour against background habitually in another colour.

Correlates of healthy life expectancy in low- and lower-middle-income countries

BackgroundHealthy life expectancy (HALE) at birth is an important indicator of health status and quality of life of a country’s population. However, little is known about the determinants of HALE as yet globally or even country-specific level. Thus, we examined the factors that are associated with HALE at birth in low- and lower-middle-income countries.MethodsIn accordance with the World Bank (WB) classification seventy-nine low- and lower-middle-income countries were selected for the study. Data on HALE, demographic, socioeconomic, social structural, health, and environmental factors from several reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, Population Reference Bureau, WB, Heritage Foundation, Transparency International, Freedom House, and International Center for Prison Studies were obtained as selected countries. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed to reach the research objectives.ResultsThe lowest and highest HALE were observed in Sierra Leone (44.40xa0years) and in Sri Lanka (67.00xa0years), respectively. The mean years of schooling, total fertility rate (TFR), physician density, gross national income per capita, health expenditure, economic freedom, carbon dioxide emission rate, freedom of the press, corruption perceptions index, prison population rate, and achieving a level of health-related millennium development goals (MDGs) were revealed as the correlates of HALE. Among all the correlates, the mean years of schooling, TFR, freedom of the press, and achieving a level of health-related MDGs were found to be the most influential factors.ConclusionTo increase the HALE in low- and lower-middle-income countries, we suggest that TFR is to be reduced as well as to increase the mean years of schooling, freedom of the press, and the achievement of a level of health-related MDGs.

Urban-rural differences in disability-free life expectancy in Bangladesh using the 2010 HIES data

Background Research on health expectancy has been carried out in Bangladesh but none of it has examined the differences in Disability-Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) between urban and rural setting in context of rapid urbanization of Bangladesh in past decades. Objectives The present study aims to estimate DFLE for people of all ages living in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh, and to examine the differences in DFLE between these two areas. Methods Data from the Sample Vital Registration System 2010 and the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 were used in this study. The Sullivan method was applied to estimate DFLE in Bangladesh. Results Higher rates of mortality and disability were observed in rural areas compared to urban areas with few exceptions. Statistically significant differences in DFLE were revealed from birth to age 15 years for both sexes between urban and rural areas. Urban males had a longer life expectancy (LE), longer DFLE and shorter LE with disability both in number and proportion when compared to rural males. Rural females at age 20+ years had a longer LE than urban females but urban females had a longer DFLE and a shorter LE with disability in both number and proportion at all ages than did rural females. Conclusion This study demonstrates that there were clear inequalities in LE, DFLE and LE with disability between rural and urban areas of Bangladesh along with age-specific differences as well. These findings may serve as useful and benchmark for intervention and policy implications for reducing the gap in health outcomes.