Design and Development of Hand and Foot Contamination Monitor

A hand and foot contamination monitor is a health physics instrument to provide detection and measurement of beta-gamma contamination on the palm of each hand and on the bottom surface of both feet/shoes. There are four channels of detection for two hands and two feet. Four G-M detectors have been used in a single unit to cover the whole area of hand and feet. A regulated high voltage DC power supply (900 V) has been designed using the PIC12F675 microcontroller to operate the pancake Geiger-Müller detectors. The reading is displayed on a linearly scaled 0-100 Bq/cm2 analog panel meter. The monitor detects beta–gamma radiation emitted by radioactive materials, and if the detected value exceeds a preset level, the monitor sounds an alarm and displays a reading in the respective panel meter. Indicator lamps are used to show the status of contamination. The performance of the system has been tested by using pulse generator and by flat surface radioactive calibration sources. Electronic linearity, detection efficiency, response to the contamination, calibration factor and percentage of error has been measured. Test results were satisfactory and the present system can be used instead of similar imported instruments. Received: 21 May 2014; Revised: 21 August 2014; Accepted: 22 August 201

Smoking of shrimp and fish from coastal village of north-west Bangladesh

Traditional smoking of mixed shrimp species is a method of preservation in coastal region of Bangladesh. Besides traditional smoked shrimp, attempt had been made to produce smoked shrimp from brown shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros and fish from mugil, Liza parsia and the quality of smoked product was found good very on the basis of physical properties, proximate composition and mineral contents of the products

Dietary protein and energy interations: an approach to optimizing dietary protein to energy ratio in walking catfish, Clarias batrachus

An 8 weeks feeding trial was conducted in a static indoor rearing system to investigate protein to energy ratio (PIE ratio) in walking catfish Clarias batrachus. Six fishmeal based diets of two protein levels (25 and 35%), each with three lipid levels (5, 10 and 15%) resulted in P/E ratios ranging from 13.57 to 21.97 mg protein kJˉ¹ gross energy (GE) were fed to 50 fish in triplicate. Fish were fed 6% of their body weight three times per day adjusted fortnightly. Significantly higher (p0.05) values of protein utilisation were found in between the both (higher and lower) protein diets. Higher lipid deposition (p<0.05) in whole body was observed with increasing dietary lipid level at each protein diet and as higher (p<0.05) for the lower protein diets. The study reveals that C. batrachus performed best the diet containing 35%, 17.06 kJ gˉ¹ and 20.55 mg protein kJ gˉ¹ GE protein, gross energy and P/E ratio respectively

Structure and seasonal dynamics of the juvenile brown shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros in the Sundarbans mangrove waters, Bangladesh

The density and temporal distribution of the postlarvae and juveniles of Metapenaeus monoceros in the Sundarbans water were assessed for two years, along with the environmental factors. There is significant monthly variation in the abundance of M. monoceros (P<0.05) with the species most common during the post-monsoon season. The relationship between the water parameters and population structure of M. monoceros is discussed

Optimum dietary carbohydrate to lipid ratio in stinging catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1792)

A feeding trial of 8 weeks was conducted in a static indoor rearing system to investigate the optimum carbohydrate to lipid ratio (CHO:L ratio) in stinging catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis. Five iso-nitrogenous (35% crude protein) and iso-energetic (17.06 kJ gˉ¹ gross energy (GE)) fish meal based diets with varying carbohydrate to lipid (CHO:L g/g) ratios of 0.60, 0.98, 1.53, 2.29 and 3.44 for diets 1-5, were tested, respectively. The diets containing a fixed protein to energy ratio (P:E ratio) of 20.50-mg protein kJˉ¹ GE were fed to triplicate groups of 40 fish (per 70-L tank). Fish were fed 5% of their body weight per day adjusted fortnightly. Diet 1, containing 10% carbohydrate and 17% lipids with a CHO:L ratio of 0.60 produced the poorest (p<0.05) growth rates, feed and protein efficiency. Increasing carbohydrate content in the diets to 26% concomitant with a reduction in lipid content to 11% with a CHO:L ration of 2.29 of diet 5 significantly improved (p<0.05) growth rates, feed and protein efficiency. But did not differ with diet 4, containing CHO:L ratio 2.29. A further increase in dietary carbohydrate up to 31% and a decrease in lipids levels to 9% with a CHO:L ratio ranging from 2.29 to 3.44 (diet 4-5) did not significantly improve the fish performance. Apparent net protein utilisation (ANPU) of fish fed diet 5 was higher (p<0.05) than for diets 1 and 2 but did not differ from diets 3 and 4. Higher lipid deposition (p<0.05) in whole body was observed with decreasing dietary CHO:L ratios as increasing lipid levels. Whole body protein of fish fed varying CHO:L diets did not show any discernible changes among the dietary treatments. This study revealed that H. fossilis can perform equally well on diets containing carbohydrate ranging from 26 to 31%, with 9 to 11% lipid or at CHO:L g/g ratio of 2.29-3.44

Design and Development of Hand and Foot Contamination Monitor

A hand and foot contamination monitor is a health physics instrument to provide detection and measurement of beta-gamma contamination on the palm of each hand and on the bottom surface of both feet/shoes. There are four channels of detection for two hands and two feet. Four G-M detectors have been used in a single unit to cover the whole area of hand and feet. A regulated high voltage DC power supply (900 V) has been designed using the PIC12F675 microcontroller to operate the pancake Geiger-Müller detectors. The reading is displayed on a linearly scaled 0-100 Bq/cm2 analog panel meter. The monitor detects beta–gamma radiation emitted by radioactive materials, and if the detected value exceeds a preset level, the monitor sounds an alarm and displays a reading in the respective panel meter. Indicator lamps are used to show the status of contamination. The performance of the system has been tested by using pulse generator and by flat surface radioactive calibration sources. Electronic linearity, detection efficiency, response to the contamination, calibration factor and percentage of error has been measured. Test results were satisfactory and the present system can be used instead of similar imported instruments. Received: 21 May 2014; Revised: 21 August 2014; Accepted: 22 August 201

Factors associated with the prevalence of diseases in the scalp: a prospective study in Mugdha Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background: The scalp skin is distinct from other areas of the body due to its unique characteristics, including the density of hair follicles and the high rate of sebum production. So of creating a dark, warm, and moist environment and various types of diseases in the scalp are usually occur. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Dermatology in Mugdha Medical College and Hospital during January, 2023 to June, 2023. A total of 60 clinically diagnosed scalp diseases patients were enrolled in this study. The collected data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version-23.0. The ethical clearance of this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Mugdha Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Results: A total of 60 clinically diagnosed scalp diseased OPD patients aged 1 to 60 years were enrolled in this study. Among the patients, 30 (50%) were male and 30 (50%) were female. According to multinomial logistic regression, the major factors contributed to exposing the diseases on scalp were age, sex, educational level, occupation, socio-economic condition, family history and behaviour (OR&gt;1 or OR&lt;1). Conclusions: This study prevailed, Age, sex, behaviour, family history, occupation, education level, socio-economic condition, hygiene, associated systemic diseases, hair grooming are the factors associated with the prevalence of diseases on the scalp of humans

Microcontroller based Constant Voltage Maximum Power Point Tracking for Solar inverter applications

Microcontroller based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) has been presented for single phase stand alone or grid connected solar inverter applications. The PV array consists of only 12V cell arrangement, thereafter, Discrete Comparator Circuit, The PIC microcontroller P16F676 controls the high power switching devices in the proposed MPPT scheme. The Constant Voltage (CV) algorithm continuously searches for the PV voltages in the rapidly changing weather conditions. The less pin and housing microcontroller does it all for the proposed Constant Voltage (CV) MPPT algorithm. The MPAB Simulation proves a very good agreement with the discrete comparator and switching devices for grid voltage, back-up battery charging and temporary load shedding operation. Therefore, until and unless MPPT voltages are in the operating region, the scheme allows grid voltage and back-up battery charging