Quantitative assessment of people-oriented forestry in Bangladesh: A case study in the Tangail forest division

ArticleJOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. 88(1): 83-92 (2008)journal articl

Microsatellite marker assisted molecular and morpho-physiological genetic diversity assessment in 38 genotypes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Identification of genetic diversity and their relationships among breeding materials is crucial in crop improvement strategies. In this study, 38 sesame genotypes were characterized for their genetic diversity. The results revealed significant variations among various traits such as plant height, maturity, capsule plant-1 and seeds capsule-1. The number of capsule plant-1 showed significant positive correlation with seeds capsule-1. The highest heritability was found for the numbers of capsules plant-1 (98.67%). The 38 genotypes were separated into six distinct clusters. Comparison within the populations of the cluster IV and those of cluster VI had the highest capsules plant-1, seeds capsule-1 with enormous genetic diversity. For molecular characterization, 7 microsatellite markers and 5 SSR primers with polymorphism were finally chosen for genetic diversity analysis. Altogether, 19 alleles were identified among the 38 genotypes, and the average number of alleles per locus was 3.80. The lowest and the highest numbers of alleles were 3 and 5, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.3201 to 0.5934 and SI-ssr30 showed to be highest at 0.5934. The UPGMA based clustering depicted a significant variation at molecular level among the sesame genotypes, having a coefficient of similarity between 0.29 and 1.00. The present study confirmed that extensive genetic diversity existed among the sesame genotypes and valuable agronomic traits may result in the development of high yielding genotypes

Comparative methane estimation from cattle based on total CO₂ production using different techniques

The objective of this study was to compare the precision of CH4 estimates using calculated CO2 (HP) by the CO2 method (CO2T) and measured CO2 in the respiration chamber (CO2R). The CO2R and CO2T study was conducted as a 3 × 3 Latin square design where 3 Dexter heifers were allocated to metabolic cages for 3 periods. Each period consisted of 2 weeks of adaptation followed by 1 week of measurement with the CO2R and CO2T. The average body weight of the heifer was 226 ± 11 kg (means ± SD). They were fed a total mixed ration, twice daily, with 1 of 3 supplements: wheat (W), molasses (M), or molasses mixed with sodium bicarbonate (Mbic). The dry mater intake (DMI; kg/day) was significantly greater (P < 0.001) in the metabolic cage compared with that in the respiration chamber. The daily CH4 (L/day) emission was strongly correlated (r = 0.78) between CO2T and CO2R. The daily CH4 (L/kg DMI) emission by the CO2T was in the same magnitude as by the CO2R. The measured CO2 (L/day) production in the respiration chamber was not different (P = 0.39) from the calculated CO2 production using the CO2T. This result concludes a reasonable accuracy and precision of CH4 estimation by the CO2T compared with the CO2R

Traditional utilization of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb) in rural Bangladesh: An approach to sustainable biodiversity management

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com.A study was conducted to explore the traditional utilization pattern and indigenous management practices of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb) in the rural agrarian regions of Bangladesh. A multistage sampling method with 10% intensity and a semi-structured questionnaire were used for the study. The farmers manage the palm mainly for sap production with which sugar based secondary goods are manufactured. The sap is either used fresh as drink or after some sort of processing as molasses and/or alcoholic beverage. Seven diversified sites support the palm as its habitat and most palms (20.40%) occur in orchards. Besides growing naturally, the palm is also established in orchards using the wildings as the staple planting material. Although the medium category farmers own most of the palms (33%), a considerable portion (28.68%) of it is managed by the landless farmers, who earn a substantial livelihood from the palms. The farmers practice their own indigenous wisdom in every stage of the palm’s maintenance from planting through tapping for sap collection to the processing of products. If managed more scientifically on a sustainable basis with the collaboration of farmers’ indigenous knowledge, this familiar palm could be able to support the rural economy of the country to a great extent. Side by side, it would also be able to contribute to the richness of biodiversity in the region.ArticleJournal of Forestry Research. 19(3):245-251 (2008)journal articl

Relationship between Liquidity Risk and Net Interest Margin of Conventional Banks in Bangladesh

Net interest margin (NIM) of a bank depends on several firm-specific factors. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of liquidity risk on the profitability indicating variable NIM of the conventional banks in Bangladesh. Seven banks were analyzed using the annual reports of the banks for the period of 2011 to 2015. Researchers applied descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis to find out the results. The findings of the study provided evidence that cash to asset (CA) ratio had a negative relationship with NIM but a loan to asset (LA) ratio had a positive effect on the NIM. There was also a significant positive relationship between NIM and loan to deposit (LD) ratio. From the regression analysis it was clear that the LD, CA, and LA were able to explain the changes of NIM of the banks.&nbsp; JEL Classifications: G 2

Impact of Internal Factors on the Profitability of Banks: A Case of Commercial Banks in Bangladesh

The internal factors of the bank have a great influence on the profitability of the banks. This study is an effort to disclose the effect of bank’s internal factors on return on equity (ROE), return on asset (ROA), and net interest margin (NIM) of ten selected commercial banks in Bangladesh for the period of 2011-2015. Researchers used descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis as statistics tools to find out the results. The findings from descriptive statistics indicate that Eastern Bank Limited was ranked first regarding profitability. The correlation test found that total equity to total asset ratio (TETA) and cost to income ratio (CIR) significantly affects the ROA whereas loan to deposit ratio had significant positive effect on the NIM of the banks. The regression analysis revealed that the independent variables of the banks were significant enough to explain the variation of the dependent variables (ROA, ROE, and NIM) of the study

Effects of drying methods on the characteristics of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) seed fat: an optimisation approach

The pre-treatment of oilseeds prior to extraction process may affect oil yield and quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two drying methods on rambutan seed fat (RSF) yield and their oxidative stability, physicochemical properties, and crystal morphology. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used in the optimisation and investigation of the effects of three process conditions: seed weight (g), extraction time (min), and solvent volume (ml) on RSF yield. Under optimal conditions, a maximum RSF yield of 44.14% was obtained. The differences between RSF pre-treated with oven-drying and RSF with freeze-drying methods in slip melting point (38.3◦C to 39.7◦C), free fatty acid (3.13 to 3.50 mg KOH/g fat), peroxide value (1.04 to 1.67 meq of O2/kg of fat), p-anisidine value (1.10 to 1.56), and total oxidation value (4.21 to 5.67) were significant (p < 0.05). Both fats showed needle-like shaped crystals. Our results provide usefu linformation in the pre-treatment of RSF, which has potential to be used as blending component with palm oil for cocoa butter equivalent formulation in chocolate and confectionery industries

Relationship between Liquidity Risk and Net Interest Margin of Conventional Banks in Bangladesh

Net interest margin (NIM) of a bank depends on several firm-specific factors. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of liquidity risk on the profitability indicating variable NIM of the conventional banks in Bangladesh. Seven banks were analyzed using the annual reports of the banks for the period of 2011 to 2015. Researchers applied descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis to find out the results. The findings of the study provided evidence that cash to asset (CA) ratio had a negative relationship with NIM but a loan to asset (LA) ratio had a positive effect on the NIM. There was also a significant positive relationship between NIM and loan to deposit (LD) ratio. From the regression analysis it was clear that the LD, CA, and LA were able to explain the changes of NIM of the banks