Acknowledging the Role of Gender in Organic farming, Informal Seed Sector in particular and krisoks’ Perspectives

Seed-the source of life. And woman holds the seed with the hope of new life. Instead of producing diverse seed from homestead agriculture, women are engaged traditionally to select seed, drying, preserving, protecting during storage, saving them from any economical crisis of the family. To ensure the seed quality and the perfect storage place & methods, women hold the vast knowledge. They decide the quantity and variety of seed to be saved and the method of preservation. Seed selection by women is a continuous activity. Working in the fields, they observe the plants and decide which seeds to select. They identify plants of good quality on the basis of size, grain formation and their resistance to pests and insects. Here a woman looks at the seed from the view of a seed scientist. Sometime the relation between seed and women is beyond 'rationale'. Sometime the women hold such knowledge about seed that are not also 'rational'. For instance, to cross the floodwater tying up the jackfruit seeds in a thin fabric. But interestingly, it could have quite scientific base. Now a day, Seed is not only related with women and indigenous knowledge but also with international trade and Intellectual Property Rights. The issue of the 'commodification' of seed and the drive towards the control of genetic resources and the materials derived from has raised environmental, social, political, ethical and economical questions. But for sure most of the credit of genetic resources goes to Women. So it is everyone's moral duty to give credit where credit is due to explore the tremendous potentialities of the informal seed sector in the development of a national 'seed security'. At least in the question of "SEED", man is not competitor to woman, but for sure complementary. We Krisoks do respect individuality of all forms of life – but under fulfillment of certain norms and values of its own community. The initial attempt of this paper is to understand the linkages between gender and biodiversity (including agrobiodiversity). Thus we have been trying to establish the social construction of gender roles and gender dimensions of conservation and resource use. Krisoks perspectives recognises that the empowerment of women is key to raising levels of nutrition, improving the production and distribution of food and agricultural products, and enhancing the living conditions and standards of rural live and livelihood. We all are a part of the “Nature” and Nature exists through us. This paper will shed some light on how with all the elements of nature we Krisoks are proffering new visions of enjoying “Notun Jibon” (New Life) towards a just and peaceful local community for women and men. Integrating women in all strata of agriculture and organic farming by local krisoks community on the way of life, and struggle with all the implications of the word ”happiness and sharing” - is the main thrust of our research

A conceptual framework for design of mobile governance in developing countries: The case of Bangladesh

Mobile governance (m-governance), which is considered as an extension of electronic governance (e-governance), has enormous opportunity to flourish in the developing countries due to the rapid increase of mobile phone subscribers. There are also a number of challenges accompanying the opportunities for design and implementation of mobile governance in developing countries. In this paper a conceptual framework is proposed based on secondary research to justify the current mobile governance situation of developing countries, with Bangladesh being selected as the case study, by explaining the essential components of a mobile governance system and the surrounding environmental factors that have influence upon it

Spinal Cord Injury: Causes, types of manifestation and related complications of the patients in northern division of Bangladesh

Background: This study explores Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) in the Northern Division of Bangladesh, including its etiology, symptoms, and complications. The research focuses on this region to understand the etiology, varieties of SCI presentations, and the issues affected persons encounter. Purpose: to study the causes, symptoms, and complications of Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) in Northern Bangladesh. Methods: In order to better understand Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) among patients at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and Rajshahi-CRP, Northern Division of Bangladesh, a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was used in this study. This convenience sample (n=300) includes patients who are undergoing treatment as well as those who have been discharged. Patients with SCI who have not had a head injury meet the inclusion criteria; patients who are unconscious or lack a diagnosis are not. Validated by a clinical physiotherapist, the data collection process uses semi-structured questionnaires and in-person interviews in accordance with ethical criteria that have been authorized by the ethical review board of Rajshahi Medical College. This ensures that patient care is not compromised. Results: The study had 300 participants, 80% male and 20% female, aged 20–50. About 42% were employed, mostly secondary school graduates, and rural residents. Trauma caused 64% of spinal cord injuries and paraplegia. 34% had pressure sores, while 92% had moderate discomfort. Urological and muscle problems affected 70% of patients. 68% of participants had psychological issues, including depression. Autonomic dysreflexia was 14%. Conclusion:  This study illuminates the origins, symptoms, and complications of Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) in Northern Bangladesh, providing useful insights for better management and care

Effectiveness of scapular mobilization to reduce shoulder pain among the patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Patients with Spinal Cord Injury often experience debilitating shoulder pain. This study investigates the effectiveness of scapular mobilization as a potential intervention to alleviate this pain and enhance the quality of life for these individuals.Objectives: The objectives were to identify the effectiveness of scapular mobilization in reducing shoulder pain among patients with spinal cord injury. Methodology:Pretest and posttest designs were used to conduct this study. 16 participants were selected according to inclusion criteria. The 'VAS' and 'Goniometer' were used to assess the shoulder pain and joint range of motion (ROM). Analysis was done through SPSS v22. To analyze the pre-post test data, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. Result: Among 16 participants, the mean age was 27.69 with a standard deviation of ±11.5, median 27, mode 18, maximum age 52, minimum age 13. Male participants were predominantly higher than female participants. Out of the 16 participants, 93.8% (n=15) were male, and 6.3% (n=1) were female. Among them, 50% (n=8) of the participants were caused to fall from a height, 37% (n=6) were caused by a road traffic accident, and 12.5% (n=2) were caused by heavy objects falling on them. The most significant neurological level was T12, with a percentage of 31.3%, while 25% were at L1, and 12.4% were at T7 and T11, respectively. The right-sided shoulder joint was affected in 43.75% of cases, the left-sided in 31.25%, and 25% were affected on both sides. In the statistical analysis, there was a significant improvement in shoulder pain reduction, shoulder flexion, and extension.Conclusion:Overall, this dissertation showed that scapular mobilization was more dominant than only conventional physiotherapy in reducing shoulder pain and improving shoulder movement

Prevalence of low back pain among the bankers at selected banks in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Purpose: Prevalence of low back pain among the bankers at some selected banks in Chittagong. Objectives: To measure the severity of pain according to vas scale, to identify the prevalence of LBP among the bankers, to determine the primary risk factors of low back pain among the bankers and to inspect the socio- demographic information among the bankers. Methodology:A quantitative (cross sectional) research model in the form of a prospective type survey design is carried out in this study. Conveniently 100 participants among the bankers were collected from various banks of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The instruments used included direct interview, a body discomfort assessment tool that consist of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a questionnaire. Data was collected by mixed type questionnaire and confidentiality of information and voluntarily participation were ensured by the researcher. Data were numerically coded and captured in Excel, using an SPSS 17.0 version program. Results:The findings of the study provide a baseline of information about prevalence of Back pain among the bankers. In percentage 44% have suffered from back pain and male (81.82%) are more vulnerable than female (18.18%).The most affected age range 31-50years of age (68.18%). This age group is the largest proportion of the work force and with this part of the population affected to such a large degree it could affect the productivity of the company in a negative manner. The study revealed that the prevalence of back pain is most frequent who had job experience of 1-8 years 36%, followed by 21% were 9-16 years, 18% were 17-24 years, and 25% were 25-32 years.  Conclusion:Prevention of LBP is beneficial for workers, employers, and society. To prevent work relate LBP should focus on working conditions rather than individual life style , greater attention to other risk factors such as history of back injury and perception of health status. Bankers should be educated on ergonomics, posture, taking break in between work and relaxation as this will ultimately improve job satisfaction and performance

Work related risk factors for low back pain among nurses in a tertiary level hospital, Dhaka -Bangladesh

Background: Low back pain, the most commonly reported musculoskeletal problem, is a major burden on individuals, health systems and social care systems with the indirect cost being predominant. This is highly recommended to reveal the information concerning LBP prevalence and its‟ associated risk factors among the working population to develop an effective and efficient preventive approach and intervention program. Nursing professionals are at great risk of developing LBP through the world reported in different studies. However, there is scarcity of evidence regarding symptoms prevalence and associated risk factors in the context of Bangladesh. Objectives: The objectives were to find out the socio – demographic information of nurses; prevalence of LBP, to find out the most commonly affected body parts, duration of lower back pain among the nurses and nurses-oriented tasks/factors associated with lower back pain in tertiary level hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 participants who were selected by using convenient sampling. The Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence and association between Musculoskeletal Symptoms and socio-demographic factors and to identify physical risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among the nurses. Result: In this study, Physical factor for back pain by heavy loads (more than 5kg) were 77% and did not low back pain were 23%.Job related risk factors for back pain by heavy loads (more than 5kg) were 97% and did not low back pain were 3%.Among 100 participants 66% participant’s said that they had pain in the last 12 months   and 34% participant said that they had no pain during the last 12 months. There was significant association between Low back pain and how long the Nurses working in this hospitalConclusion: Now a days work related musculoskeletal disorders is the greatest problem in the world among the working population. At a same time, nurses are also suffering from different musculoskeletal disorders. Subsequently, this study shows that there is a high risk of musculoskeletal symptoms among the nurses. It will be managed by reducing physical risk factors through effective ergonomic management

Cerebral Palsy risk factors associated with pregnancy and delivery

Objective: To identify and analyze the risk factors associated with pregnancy and delivery that contribute to the development of cerebral palsy in children. Material and Methods: To better understand what factors lead to cerebral palsy in children, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the CRP pediatric hospital in Savar, Dhaka. The study's sample size of 56 was reached by a convenience sample of mothers of children with cerebral palsy. In-person interviews were conducted utilizing a survey instrument translated into Bengali or the native tongue and then pilot tested. Excel and SPSS were used for statistical analysis. Informed consent and confidentiality were ensured under ethical guidelines. Results: The data shows past socioeconomic variables. Population age distribution: 37.50% 29–35. 88.1% were Muslim. 59% rural residential areas. 35.70% SSC education.  85.7% had two or more children, 45.6% under three. 55% were males, 45% female. 41% of pregnancies had issues, and 24.9% of women underwent abortions. Normal births were 51.80% and cesarean sections 48.20%. Post-birth statistics included crying immediately (34%), yellowish eyes (50%), fever with seizures (61%), head injuries (48%), and birth hypoxia (38%). 35.70% were born at home, 30.40% in hospitals (17.90% public, 16.10% private). Figure 3 showed hypertension (20%), diabetes (16%), and anemia (23%). Age, religion, education, number of children, past abortions, delivery method, and birthplace were correlated. Diabetes, hypertension, anemia, and birthplace were unrelated. Conclusion: Awareness of cerebral palsy is poor despite its prevalence. In developed country physiotherapy is considered as an important treatment for cerebral palsy children. Quantitative research was used to survey pediatric patients and identify risk variables in this study. Factors shared by many were old age, illiteracy, and origins in rural areas. Risk recognition and mitigation must be prioritized

The assessment of musculoskeletal disorders, quality of life, and comorbidities in older people in Bangladesh

Musculoskeletal disorders are debilitating conditions that significantly impact the state of health, especially in older people. The study, which employed a cross-sectional design and practical sampling, included 206 participants among them 124 (62.2%) were men and 82 (39.8%) were women, from all over Bangladesh with musculoskeletal issues of varying severity and impact. The mean age of the participants was 64.9 (SD 4.3). The study was carried out between January and June of 2022. The majority of participants experienced musculoskeletal pain. Back pain was the most commonly complained of symptom among the participants (74.9%). It was also common to have limited mobility as a result of arthritic change, which eventually affected daily activities like taking care of oneself. To improve the health of the older adult population, more studies must be conducted to identify the many factors that contribute to musculoskeletal issues. The development of effective prevention and rehabilitation programs must then be based on this knowledge

Comparison of CMIP6 and CMIP5 model performance in simulating historical precipitation and temperature in Bangladesh: a preliminary study

The relative performance of global climate models (GCMs) of phases 5 and 6 of the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP5 and CMIP6, respectively) was assessed in this study based on their ability to simulate annual and seasonal mean rainfall and temperature over Bangladesh for the period 1977–2005. Multiple statistical metrics were used to measure the performance of the GCMs at 30 meteorological observation stations. Two robust multi-criteria decision analysis methods were used to integrate the results obtained using different metrics for an unbiased ranking of the GCMs. The results revealed MIROC5 as the most skillful among CMIP5 GCMs and ACCESS-CM2 among CMIP6 GCMs. Overall, CMIP6 MME showed a significant improvement in simulating rainfall and temperature over Bangladesh compared to CMIP5 MME. The highest improvements were found in simulating cold season (winter and post-monsoon) rainfall and temperature in higher elevated areas. The improvement was relatively more for rainfall than for temperature. The models could capture the interannual variability of annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature reliably, except for the winter rainfall. However, systematic wet and cold/warm biases still exist in CMIP6 models for Bangladesh. CMIP6 GCMs showed higher spatial correlations with observed data, but the higher difference in standard deviations and centered root mean square errors compared to CMIP5 GCMs indicates better performance in simulating geographical distribution but lower performance in simulating spatial variability of most of the climate variables except for minimum temperature at different timescales. In terms of Taylor skill score, the CMIP6 MME showed higher performance in simulating rainfall but lower performance in simulating temperature than CMIP5 MME for most of the timeframes. The findings of this study suggest that the added value of rainfall and temperature simulations in CMIP6 models is not consistent among the climate models used in this research. However, it sets a precedent for future research on climate change risk assessment for the scientific community

Developing a high-resolution gridded rainfall product for Bangladesh during 1901–2018

A high-resolution (1 km × 1 km) monthly gridded rainfall data product during 1901–2018, named Bangladesh Gridded Rainfall (BDGR), was developed in this study. In-situ rainfall observations retrieved from a number of sources, including national organizations and undigitized data from the colonial era, were used. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to assess product’s ability to capture spatial and temporal variability. The results revealed spatial variability of the percentage bias (PBIAS) in the range of −2 to 2%, normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) 0.88 at most of the locations. The temporal variability in mean PBIAS for 1901–2018 was in the range of −4.5 to 4.3%, NRMSE between 9 and 19% and R-square in the range of 0.87 to 0.95. The BDGR also showed its capability in replicating temporal patterns and trends of observed rainfall with greater accuracy. The product can provide reliable insights regarding various hydrometeorological issues, including historical floods, droughts, and groundwater recharge for a well-recognized global climate hotspot, Bangladesh