Color Performance and Cost Effectiveness Evaluation of Acid and Basic Dyed Silk Fabric

Silk, the natural protein fiber has a great importance in textile clothing, apparel and home decoration due to its definite lustrous appearance, peach like softness and draping qualities. Fine fibrillar structure and orientation of fiber molecules control its dyeing nature covering almost the entire spectrum of colors and hues. Silk is mainly used for value added premium quality products, so this research work is carried out to find out the economical dyestuff for silk along with required end customer performance. Shade strength measurement using data color is also another technical aspect of this research

Hematological and biochemical reference values of Asian house shrews (Suncus murinus) in Bangladesh

Background and Aim: Determining reference values for hematological and biochemical parameters of Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) is important for wildlife research to protect human health in surrounding communities. This study aimed to establish the reference values for selected hematology and serum clinical chemistry analyses that may contribute to research on shrew in future. Materials and Methods: Blood samples (n=51) were collected from shrews between July and December 2015, Bangladesh, to estimate the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte count (TLC), total erythrocyte count (TEC), lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, calcium, phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), urea, glucose, total protein (TP), creatinine, and alanine transaminase (ALT). Results: Although the values did not differ significantly among sexes, age was found to be a significant factor. Hb, PCV, TEC, glucose, and P were higher in males; eosinophil, Na, Cl, TP, and ALT were higher among females. Adults had significantly greater urea and glucose (p<0.05) while juveniles had insignificantly higher values for TLC, PCV, neutrophil, P, and TP. Conclusion: This study provides the first reference values for this species in Bangladesh and can be used to guide wildlife research studies. Keywords: Asian house shrew, hematology, reference interval, serum chemistry, Suncus murinus

Adoption determinants of exotic rice cultivars in Bangladesh

Agrarian Bangladesh relies heavily on rice. Since independence, many varieties have been released and targeted to increase productivity, farmers' income, and food security. However, few gained widespread adoption. Moreover, farmers in the border regions are adopting exotic cultivars, and it's gradually spreading throughout the country. But, the reasons for adopting exotic rice cultivars are still unexplored. Using field data from 1,260 farm households and 42 focus group discussions, this study analyzes farmers' preferences for domestic and exotic rice varieties and identifies the factors of adoption linked to design national breeding programs and farmers' welfare. Findings show, exotic varieties (69%) monopolized the area coverage in the dry season, whereas in the wet season, domestic varieties (58%) dominated. Farmers select exotic varieties for their better yield and price, low production costs, high grain quality, resistance to pests and diseases, and ability to withstand stresses. Risk analysis shows domestic varieties adoption is riskier with lower returns. The empirical findings indicate that household characteristics, access to institutions and infrastructure, varietal characteristics, and weather condition, all play a significant role in adoption decisions. National breeding should focus on developing rice varieties in response to market demands and farmer preferences toward sustainable food security in Bangladesh

Adoption Determinants of Exotic Rice Cultivars in Bangladesh

Agrarian Bangladesh relies heavily on rice. Since independence, many varieties have been released and targeted to increase productivity, farmers' income, and food security. However, few gained widespread adoption. Moreover, farmers in the border regions are adopting exotic cultivars, and it's gradually spreading throughout the country. But, the reasons for adopting exotic rice cultivars are still unexplored. Using field data from 1,260 farm households and 42 focus group discussions, this study analyzes farmers' preferences for domestic and exotic rice varieties and identifies the factors of adoption linked to design national breeding programs and farmers' welfare. Findings show, exotic varieties (69%) monopolized the area coverage in the dry season, whereas in the wet season, domestic varieties (58%) dominated. Farmers select exotic varieties for their better yield and price, low production costs, high grain quality, resistance to pests and diseases, and ability to withstand stresses. Risk analysis shows domestic varieties adoption is riskier with lower returns. The empirical findings indicate that household characteristics, access to institutions and infrastructure, varietal characteristics, and weather condition, all play a significant role in adoption decisions. National breeding should focus on developing rice varieties in response to market demands and farmer preferences toward sustainable food security in Bangladesh

Radially grown carbon nanomaterials on hollow glass microspheres and their application in composite foams with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding

In the current study, we investigated the effect of processing temperature in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on the formation of carbon nanomaterials over the hollow glass microsphere. The surface morphology and structural information of the carbon nanomaterials (CNM)-coated hollow glass microsphere (HGM) were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Then, the 5-CH [CNF-coated HGM (Synthesizing temperature in CVD being 500 degrees C)], 6-CH [MWCNT-coated HGM (Synthesizing temperature in CVD being 600 degrees C)], and 7-CH [MWCNT-coated HGM (Synthesizing temperature in CVD being 700 degrees C)] were individually used as fillers in the epoxy composite foam. Thorough characterization of mechanical and thermo-mechanical behavior suggests that compression stress, compression modulus, and storage modulus of 6-CH-based composite foam are higher than the 5-CH- and 7-CH-based composite foam with the contribution of 10%, 15%, and 20%, respectively. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness over the frequency of 8-12 GHz increased from 15 dB for without HGM to 21 dB, 25 dB, and 23 dB for 5-CH, 6-CH-, and 7-CH-based composite foam, respectively. It is also noticed that, 6-CH-based composite foams presented the highest EMI-SE compared to 5-CH- and 7-CH-based composite foams. Enhanced mechanical, thermo-mechanical, and shielding properties of 6-CH-based composite foams are due to improved morphology and quality of CNT grown at 600 degrees C

Laser-Assisted Growth of Carbon-Based Materials by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Carbon-based materials (CBMs) such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), and pyrolytic carbon (PyC) have received a great deal of attention in recent years due to their unique electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. CBMs have been grown using a variety of processes, including mechanical exfoliation, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Mechanical exfoliation creates materials that are irregularly formed and tiny in size. On the other hand, the practicality of the PLD approach for large-area high-quality CMB deposition is quite difficult. Thus, CVD is considered as the most effective method for growing CBMs. In this paper, a novel pulsed laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) technique was explored to determine ways to reduce the energy requirements to produce high quality CBMs. Different growth parameters, such as gas flow rate, temperature, laser energy, and deposition time were considered and studied thoroughly to analyze the growth pattern. CBMs are grown on Si and Cu substrates, where we find better quality CBM films on Cu as it aids the surface solubility of carbon. Raman spectroscopy confirms the presence of high-quality PyC which is grown at a temperature of 750 °C, CH4 gas flow rate of 20 sccm, a laser frequency of 10 Hz, and an energy density of 0.116 J/cm2 per pulse. It is found that the local pulsed-laser bombardment helps in breaking the carbon-hydrogen bonds of CH4 at a much lower substrate temperature than its thermal decomposition temperature. There is no significant change in the 2D peak intensity in the Raman spectrum with the further increase in temperature which is the indicator of the number of the graphene layer. The intertwined graphene flakes of the PyC are observed due to the surface roughness, which is responsible for the quenching in the Raman 2D signal. These results will provide the platform to fabricate a large area single layer of graphene, including the other 2D materials, on different substrates using the LCVD technique

Assessing the Level of Comparative Advantage for the Boro Rice Production in Bangladesh: A Time Series Analysis

This study aims to investigate whether Bangladesh has a comparative advantage in producing rice in the long run for the Boro season. With that view, we estimated “Domestic Resource Cost (DRC)” as an indicator of comparative advantage using the time series data. Data were obtained from the food situation database, published by the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Food, Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh. The analyses show that Bangladesh has a comparative advantage in modern rice production in the Boro season at import substitution. DRC values for Boro season are less than 1 in all the periods (2010/11 to 2019/20) except 2018/19. The sensitivity analysis shows that all the indicators pertinent to this particular analysis strongly influence DRC values. The government and policymakers should focus on price spread between the wholesale to retail levels, the border price of rice at the farm gate level, and the border prices of rice, urea, TSP, and MoP of farm gate level to achieve a long-run comparative advantage. Research efforts need to be prioritized for developing new varieties, especially for the Boro season with higher yield potential

Foreign direct investment and agricultural output nexus in Bangladesh: An autoregressive distributed lag approach

Foreign Direct Investment’s (FDI) contribution to the agricultural share of GDP is a questionable topic in Bangladesh’s current economy. Therefore, this study aims to inspect the effect of FDI inflow in agriculture on the agriculture sector’s contribution to Bangladesh’s economic development. The study used advanced econometric tools to the time series data obtained from the Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Economic Review from 1996 to 2021. For the empirical analysis, the authors employ the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) co-integration approach to measure short-run dynamics and long-run relationship between FDI inflow in agriculture (AFDI) and agricultural share to GDP (AGDP) in Bangladesh. The findings from the estimation confirm that AFDI has a statistically significant effect on AGDP in the short run; in the long run, it is insignificant. Bangladesh will have to improve its policy for creating the environment to attract FDI in the agricultural sector to draw more promising investments to boost agricultural productivity. In this regard, the country can reform its taxation and agricultural investment policies to create an ‘investment-friendly climate’ for attracting long-term foreign capital in agriculture

Critical Review on Advanced Cooling Strategies in Friction Stir Processing for Microstructural Control

Friction stir processing (FSP) stands as an effective approach designed for grain refinement and site-specific microstructural modification. The evolving microstructure during FSP is determined by various variables out of which rate of sample cooling is the key parameter. More often, FSP is conducted in naturally flowing air; however, a large number of studies are conducted by researchers across the world; stressing the importance of additional sample cooling strategy for tailoring the material microstructure. Such strategies vary not only in terms of the cooling medium used but also with regard to various other compliant conditions that must be fulfilled for the cooling process to make them successful and economically viable. This work critically reviews the most prevalent methods practiced by various researchers and industries for controlled sample cooling during and after FSP. The underlying mechanisms; advantages; disadvantages; and limitations of each procedure along with the resulting microstructure and material performances are discussed and recommendations are provide

Laser-Assisted Growth of Carbon-Based Materials by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Carbon-based materials (CBMs) such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), and pyrolytic carbon (PyC) have received a great deal of attention in recent years due to their unique electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. CBMs have been grown using a variety of processes, including mechanical exfoliation, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Mechanical exfoliation creates materials that are irregularly formed and tiny in size. On the other hand, the practicality of the PLD approach for large-area high-quality CMB deposition is quite difficult. Thus, CVD is considered as the most effective method for growing CBMs. In this paper, a novel pulsed laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) technique was explored to determine ways to reduce the energy requirements to produce high quality CBMs. Different growth parameters, such as gas flow rate, temperature, laser energy, and deposition time were considered and studied thoroughly to analyze the growth pattern. CBMs are grown on Si and Cu substrates, where we find better quality CBM films on Cu as it aids the surface solubility of carbon. Raman spectroscopy confirms the presence of high-quality PyC which is grown at a temperature of 750 °C, CH4 gas flow rate of 20 sccm, a laser frequency of 10 Hz, and an energy density of 0.116 J/cm2 per pulse. It is found that the local pulsed-laser bombardment helps in breaking the carbon-hydrogen bonds of CH4 at a much lower substrate temperature than its thermal decomposition temperature. There is no significant change in the 2D peak intensity in the Raman spectrum with the further increase in temperature which is the indicator of the number of the graphene layer. The intertwined graphene flakes of the PyC are observed due to the surface roughness, which is responsible for the quenching in the Raman 2D signal. These results will provide the platform to fabricate a large area single layer of graphene, including the other 2D materials, on different substrates using the LCVD technique