Reaching an Agreement for the Elimination of Child Labour from the Supply Chains

This article examines how child labour can be eliminated from various supply chains in Bangladesh. Reinforcing this issue is important to comply with international labour standards on child labour and to avoid potential trade sanctions of various types. Drawing upon the examples of other mechanisms to implement international labour standards particularly in a situation when domestic initiatives remain largely ineffective, it is argued that various local and international actors in the supply chains have a key role to play in actively enforcing this international standard to help support an economy free from the curse of child labour. This article proposes that an international legally binding agreement among global importers, unions, and local stakeholders to improve the child labour situation may provide the best mechanism to eliminate this problem from various supply chains in Bangladesh

Probing Within Partially Coherent Microcavity Frequency Combs via Optical Pulse Shaping

Recent investigations of microcavity frequency combs based on cascaded four-wave mixing have revealed a link between the evolution of the optical spectrum and the observed temporal coherence. Here we study a silicon nitride microresonator for which the initial four-wave mixing sidebands are spaced by multiple free spectral ranges (FSRs) from the pump, then fill in to yield a comb with single FSR spacing, resulting in partial coherence. By using a pulse shaper to select and manipulate the phase of various subsets of spectral lines, we are able to probe the structure of the coherence within the partially coherent comb. Our data demonstrate strong variation in the degree of mutual coherence between different groups of lines and provide support for a simple model of partially coherent comb formation

Screening for cervical cancer (By VIA Test) among selected garments worker in Chattogram, Bangladesh

Background: Bangladesh is a densely populated country of South East Asia with low resource setting where cervical cancer is the 2nd leading cause of female cancer. In more than 80% cases are diagnosed at advanced and inoperable stage. Regarding socio demographic context of this country VIA has been introduced as a screening method for cervical cancer which is most simple, cost effective, and acceptable test for all women. In Bangladesh among 3 million garment workers more than 80% are women. The objective of this study was to identify prevalence of VIA positive cases among garment workers. So that it can reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in Bangladesh. Methods: It was a cross–sectional observational study conducted in some selected garment factories in Chattogram city of Bangladesh from January 2021 to July 2021, where we enrolled 534 female workers for VIA test. Results: Among all the respondents 56% were 30 years or younger, 38% were aged between 31 to 40 years. Among 534 participants, 44.9% completed primary education, 37.3% were smoker and 34.5% had their children at early age. Majority (86.7%) had excessive whitish discharge. Post coital bleeding and irregular bleeding was 2.6% and 2.2% respectively. Considering awareness, 61.8% had idea about cervical cancer, only 1.1% had undergone VIA test in the past. In our study we found 2.4% of participants were VIA positive cases. Conclusions: It is important to include the garment workers, while making public health policies and implementation of cervical cancer control program

Spectral Line-by-Line Pulse Shaping of an On-Chip Microresonator Frequency Comb

We report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, spectral phase characterization and line-by-line pulse shaping of an optical frequency comb generated by nonlinear wave mixing in a microring resonator. Through programmable pulse shaping the comb is compressed into a train of near-transform-limited pulses of \approx 300 fs duration (intensity full width half maximum) at 595 GHz repetition rate. An additional, simple example of optical arbitrary waveform generation is presented. The ability to characterize and then stably compress the frequency comb provides new data on the stability of the spectral phase and suggests that random relative frequency shifts due to uncorrelated variations of frequency dependent phase are at or below the 100 microHertz level.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Comb-Based Radio-Frequency Photonic Filters with Rapid Tunability and High Selectivity

Photonic technologies have received considerable attention for enhancement of radio-frequency (RF) electrical systems, including high-frequency analog signal transmission, control of phased arrays, analog-to-digital conversion, and signal processing. Although the potential of radio-frequency photonics for implementation of tunable electrical filters over broad RF bandwidths has been much discussed, realization of programmable filters with highly selective filter lineshapes and rapid reconfigurability has faced significant challenges. A new approach for RF photonic filters based on frequency combs offers a potential route to simultaneous high stopband attenuation, fast tunability, and bandwidth reconfiguration. In one configuration tuning of the RF passband frequency is demonstrated with unprecedented (~40 ns) speed by controlling the optical delay between combs. In a second, fixed filter configuration, cascaded four-wave mixing simultaneously broadens and smoothes comb spectra, resulting in Gaussian RF filter lineshapes exhibiting extremely high (>60 dB) main lobe to sidelobe suppression ratio and (>70 dB) stopband attenuation.Comment: Updated the submission with the most recent version of the pape

On chip frequency comb: Characterization and optical arbitrary waveform generation

Recently, on-chip comb generation methods based on nonlinear optical modulation in ultrahigh quality factor monolithic micro-resonators have been demonstrated. In these methods, two pump photons are transformed into sideband photons in a four wave mixing process mediated by the Kerr nonlinearity. The essential advantages of these methods are simplicity, small size, very high repetition rates and sometimes CMOS compatibility. We investigate line-by-line pulse shaping of such combs generated in silicon nitride ring resonators. We demonstrate a simple example of optical arbitrary waveform generation (OAWG) from Kerr comb. We observe two distinct paths to comb formation which exhibit strikingly different time domain behaviors. For combs formed as a cascade of sidebands spaced by a single free spectral range (FSR) that spread from the pump, we are able to compress to nearly bandwidth limited pulses. This indicates high coherence across the spectra and provides new data on the high passive stability of the spectral phase. For combs where the initial sidebands are spaced by multiple FSRs which then fill in to give combs with single FSR spacing, the time domain data reveal partially coherent behavior. We also investigate the behaviors of a few sub-families of the partially coherent combs selected by a pulse shaper. We observe different coherence properties for different groups of comb lines. Furthermore we will discuss an ultrafast characterization techniques called dual comb electric eld cross correlation. This linear technique will provide both low optical power and broader bandwidth capability for full time domain characterization of OAWG from Kerr comb

Analyzing the Scenario of Warehousing Cost Reduction in a Textile Factory after Implementation of Effective Supply Chain Management (SCM) Department: A Case Study of "Asrotex Group"

Implementation of the supply chain management (SCM) department has a significant assertive impact on the planning sector of an organization. Sourcing and purchasing an adequate amount of raw material for processing is an essential and considerable factor in the manufacturing industry. Effective demand forecasting can reduce the excess purchase of raw materials. Sourced raw materials are required to stock in inventory for further processing. An excess inventory needs additional space for warehousing, which expends additional costs. A bulk amount of sourcing without proper forecasting can lead the materials towards long-time ageing. Excessive ageing can decrease the quality of the raw material and directly impact production performance. Unorganized sourcing can result in a higher amount of raw material waste due to the amount of small unused lots. In this assessment, the data of "Asrotex Group" will be evaluated after the implementation of the SCM department. A comparison of the previous records will be done with the company's current scenario and assess how the scenario changed after the supply chain management (SCM) department's installation

Unveiling new frontiers: Bast fiber-reinforced polymer composites and their mechanical properties

Bast fibers such as flax, hemp, and jute-reinforced polymer composites due to their exceptional properties are gaining significant demand as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional synthetic fiber-reinforced composites. This comprehensive study aims to shed light on the potential of bast fiber reinforced composites (BFRCs) as innovative materials for various industrial applications. The manuscript presents a comprehensive discussion on bast fibers, polymer matrices, and the fabrication techniques employed to produce BFPCs, highlighting the effects of different modification techniques on the resulting mechanical properties. Industrial and structural applications of BFPCs are explored, with a specific focus on their use in the automotive and aerospace industries, construction materials, and sporting goods. Finally, the manuscript concludes with a discussion of the challenges and future prospects of BFPCs. This manuscript can serve as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and professionals interested in the emerging field of bast fiber-reinforced polymer composites. It opens new frontiers in material design and highlights the enormous potential of BFPCs to revolutionize industrial applications through their exceptional mechanical properties. Highlights: Materials and processing of fiber-reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Exploration of various fiber and matrix modification techniques. Recent advances in the mechanical properties of bast fiber-reinforced composites. Ashby charts to illustrate the comparative analysis

Self-care practices and barriers to compliance among patients with diabetes in a community in rural Bangladesh

Diabetes is an emerging health threat in Bangladesh. The study objectives were to evaluate self-management practices among a population with diabetes in rural Bangladesh and to identify barriers to complying with prescriptions for diet, physical activity and drug use. In this cross-sectional study, 220 patients with diabetes were recruited from logs of diabetes clinics in Mirzapur, Bangladesh. Participants were asked about self-care practices and health complications and comorbidities associated with diabetes. Participants were also asked about treatments costs, barriers to diabetes treatment and socio-demographic characteristics. Almost half of the participants (49 %) were taking oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA), and 47 % were taking a combination of OHA and insulin; however, 30 % of those using insulin were not confident in their ability to self-administer the medication. The majority of participants (86 %) had complications that they attributed to diabetes, including vision impairments, poor wound healing and dizziness. The median monthly cost of diabetes maintenance was 725 taka (~US$9), approximately 8 % of the median monthly income. Common barriers to treatment included the high cost of medication, access and proximity to services, and feeling unwell as a result of prescribed treatments. Although the vast majority of participants managed their diabetes using OHA and insulin, there were common barriers that prevented patients with diabetes from complying with doctor’s recommendations for diabetes management. Given the high incidence of self-reported diabetic complications among this population, addressing these barriers may improve self-care practices and overall quality of life among those with diabetes in rural areas in Bangladesh