An application of stated choice to the valuation of bus attributes: a case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bus is the main mode of urban transport in most cities in developing countries. Despite a high mode share, bus service quality is often poor and para-transit services are regarded as a problem in urban transport systems rather than a solution. Using Dhaka as a case study, this thesis investigates bus service quality through identification and valuation of thirteen important attributes using discrete choice models. The attributes examined are travel time, travel cost, waiting time, headway, priority seats for women, crowding inside the bus, boarding and alighting, picking up and dropping off passengers, bus stop facilities, driving quality, driver and crew behaviour, cleanliness inside the bus, and air conditioning. Five focus groups were conducted to identify key qualitative bus attributes and their levels in order to design choice experiments for valuation. A survey of 431 respondents in Dhaka was then undertaken. Two choice experiments were designed and implemented within the survey, each with seven attributes (set A and set B) with travel cost as the common attribute. Multinomial Logit (MNL) models and Mixed Logit (MXL) models were developed using the Dhaka choice data. Twelve of the thirteen attributes were statistically significant at the 99% level. The values of in-vehicle time (IVT), waiting time and headway were BDT 34.80, 47.40 and 64.20 per hour respectively for low income groups in the segmented model. Waiting time has a premium valuation, 1.36 times higher than IVT, which endorses existing evidence. The highest valuation is for the dummy variable seating all the way which is BDT 42.20 for high income females. The next largest was bus stops properly, picks and drops passengers nicely , followed by wide door and mild steps for boarding and alighting , smooth and safe journey , bus stop with shed, but no seating arrangements , and air conditioning . The lowest value was BDT 4.61 for deck and seats are clean and tidy , for the low income group. The WTP for the qualitative attributes is high, but given the poor level of the existing service and low fare levels this seems reasonable. Income has a significant impact on travel cost, as well as gender on priority seats for women and crowding inside the bus. However, household car ownership does not have a significant impact on any of the bus attributes examined. The high income group has 75% higher WTP for A set attributes and 79% higher WTP for B set attributes than low income group. Females have 76% higher WTP for standing comfortably all the way , but 38% higher WTP for seating all the way compared to the male. However, females have a WTP of BDT 0.44 for per percent of priority seats for women in contrast with males who have a WTP of BDT -0.11. There is significant taste heterogeneity for both quantitative and qualitative attributes. The qualitative attributes for picking up and dropping off passengers, boarding and alighting facilities and driving facilities have higher valuation and this attributes came from the existing within the market competition structure in a highly fragmented bus market. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce competition for the market and incentives for bus industry consolidation

Location specific field performance of aman rice cultivars in tidal flood prone ecosystem of Bangladesh

Received: September 3rd, 2022 ; Accepted: October 17th, 2022 ; Published: October 28th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected], [email protected] of modern high yielding rice varieties are ecologically limited in a tidal flood (TF) prone area of Bangladesh. Therefore, rice growers are cultivating local rice cultivars that resist tidal water pressure and survive under waterlogged condition in a tidal ecosystem. A farmers’ participatory field experiment was conducted at Wazirpur, Bakergonj and Babugonj upazila of Barisal and Nalchity upazila under Jhalokati districts of Bangladesh to identify location specifies some aman rice cultivars that resist TF and give higher grain yield. There were fiftysixty local rice cultivars along with five modern rice varieties were included in this trial. The experimental sites were extensively TF prone and 10 to 80 cm of flood water entered into the crop field during active tillering to flowering stage of rice. Data on plant height, yield and yield components were recorded. The results revealed that local rice cultivars performed better than modern one in the experimental sites. Taller plant, production of more panicles per unit area, higher number of grains panicle-1 and heavier grains were the most important traits associated with plant adaptation of aman rice cultivars in tidal areas. Collectively, this study suggested that Dudmona1 and Khoiyamota1 at Wazirpur (2.98 to 3.10 t ha-1 ); Dishari1 and Sadamota2 at Bakergonj (2.92 to 2.98 t ha-1 ); Shorna at Babugonj (3.56 t ha-1 ); Moulata2, Achin and Sadamota2 at Nalchity (2.96 to 2.98 t ha-1 ) were most promising rice cultivar in terms of adaptation and grain yield

Rice growth and yield characteristics under elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen management

Received: July 16th, 2022 ; Accepted: September 8th, 2022 ; Published: September 12th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected] atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is increasing and the on crop production needs to be investigated. A pot experiment was conducted in open top chambers (OTC) to determine the response of rice to elevated CO2 (eCO2) under varying time of nitrogen (N) application. The results revealed that photosynthesis, root and shoot dry matter production, yield components and nutrient absorption were favored at eCO2 when N applied up to flowering stage (FT) of rice. However, the N application up to FT of rice also significantly improved percent filled grain, reduce spikelet sterility and rice yield increased by 18 to 20% under eCO2. Rice plant absorbed higher amount of Zn, Ca, Mg, and Fe at eCO2 when N was applied up to FT. Amylose was higher but protein percentage was lower at eCO2. These results indicate that to maximize rice yield under eCO2, it is important to supply N up to FT of rice in order to increase grain fertility and reduce spikelet sterility

Duration of low temperature changes physiological and biochemical attributes of rice seedling

Received: June 2nd, 2022 ; Accepted: August 4th, 2022 ; Published: August 18th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected] low temperature (LT) is detrimental to growth of rice seedling during boro season in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted in growth chamber during June to October, 2021 using BRRI dhan29 as planting material. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of variable duration of LT on growth, physiological and biochemical traits of rice seedling and to determine the age of seedling that can tolerate cold effect. In this experiment 5, 10, 15 and 20 days old seedling (DOS) were exposed to 6 °C for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. Seedlings were also grown under room temperature (25 °C, RT) which consider as control treatment. Seedlings were grown in plastic trays filled with mixture of soil and cowdung. The experiment was conducted following completely randomized design with 3 replications. Data on shoot length and weight, root length and weight, chlorophyll (Chl), carotenoids, malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline contain were determined after 5 days of temperature sock. The results revealed that the LT was injurious to younger rice seedling when they were exposed to LT for 1 to 2 days. The shoot and root length as well as their dry weight were reduced under low temperature. Further, the Chl and carotenoid content of younger rice seedlings degraded within 2 days of LT exposure. On the contrary, the proline and MDA content of rice seedlings increased to reduce the harmful effect of under LT. It could be concluded that the rice seedlings could tolerate the detrimental effect of LT when they attain at least 15 days

Ectoparasites of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Kurigram district of Bangladesh

Epidemiology of ectoparasites of buffaloes was studied in Kurigram district of Bangladesh from November, 2007 to October, 2008. A total of 236 buffaloes were examined, among them 61.86% were found infested with one or more species of ectoparasites. Three species of ectoparasites were identified of which, two species were arachnids, namely, Boophilus microplus (13.98%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (11.44%) and one species was insect, namely, Haematopinus tuberculatus (51.27%). No mites were detected. Among the ectoparasites, mixed infection was common. In this investigation, prevalence of ectoparasites in relation to age, sex and seasonal dynamics were also studied. Ectoparasitic prevalence was higher (p<0.01) in winter season (80.00%) followed by summer (50.68%) and rainy (39.62%) seasons. Significantly (p<0.01) higher prevalence of ectoparasites were recorded in female animals (85.71%) than in males (56.70%). In the age groups, buffalo calves aged 0.5-2 years (73.68%) were mostly susceptible (p 2-5 years (70.73%) and adult animals aged >5 years (58.52%). Overall mean ectoparasitic burden was 2.31±1.31 per square inch of heavily infested area. The highest parasitic burden was recorded in case of H. tuberculatus (3.49±2.29) followed by B. microplus (1.85±0.94) and H. bispinosa (1.59±0.69). It is concluded that, ectoparasites are the common threat to Buffalo rearing in Kurigram district of Bangladesh irrespective of age and sex of the buffaloes and seasons of the year

Impact of tilt angle on the performance of photovoltaic modules in Malaysia: a review

Surface tilt angle of a photovoltaic (PV) module is one of the most important parameters for receiving maximum solar irradiation falling on the solar arrays. However, this angle is site specific because it is dependent on the daily, monthly and yearly position of the Sun. Moreover, it is essential to determine the optimal tilt angle for the location in order to get the maximum energy from the solar PV system. Different methods have been used for determining the tilt angle at different locations worldwide. The performance of the PV system greatly depends on fixed and tracking system to adjust tilt angle. This article presents the up-to-date status of research and applications of different methods for analyzing the impact of tilt angle on the PV performance using various optimization methods. This article also puts forward analysis of the optimal tilt angle for acquiring maximum energy gain in Malaysia. From the study it is found that the optimal tilt angle in Malaysia is 15 ◇ . This review will extend knowledge for designers and researchers to determine the optimal tilt angle for the solar PV systems at any region in the Malaysia

Effects of different types of artificial substrates on nursery production of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) in recirculatory system

An experiment was conducted for two months in a recirculatory system consisting 12 glass aquaria (size 41× 41 × 46 cm) to evaluate the effects of substrates on the growth and survival of Macribrachium rosenbergii postlarvae (PL). Treatment T1 having no substrate was considered as the control. Treatment T2 contained pieces of hollow PVC pipe, treatment T3 and T4 were provided with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and black nylon netting, respectively. Each treatment had three replicates. PL-15 of M. rosenbergii (mean initial length 1.20 ± 0.02 cm; mean initial weight 27 ± 0.02 mg) were stocked at the rate of 75 PLs (1.25 PL L-1) in each aquarium. At the beginning PLs were fed three times daily at the rate of 20% of their body weight which was reduced to 10% at the start of 2nd month. The ranges of water quality parameters recorded in different treatments were: temperature 26 - 29 ºC; dissolved oxygen 6.2 - 8.1 mg L-1; pH 6.8 - 8.1 and total ammonia 0.01 - 0.15 mg L-1. The result of the study showed that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in final length of PLs between treatments T3 (HDPE netting) and T4 (nylon netting) but these values were significantly higher than those in T1 (control). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in final weight and specific growth rates (SGR) of PLs in treatments T3 and T4 but these values were significantly higher than those in T2 (PVC pipe) and T1 (control). Final weights of PLs were 32.70%, 31.54% and 21.05% higher in treatments T3, T4 and T2 respectively than T1 (without substrate). The FCR values ranged between 1.85 and 1.88. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the survival of PLs which ranged between 80.33 and 83.00%. Result of the study indicated that growth of M. rosenbergii PLs improved in presence of artificial substrates but the artificial substrates did not improved survival. HDPE and nylon netting gave the best results compared to PVC pipes and control treatments in terms of growth and feed efficiency. Therefore, use of HDPE or nylon netting may be recommended as substrate for successful nursing of M. rosenbergii PLs. However, further studies using different substrates should be carried out in nursery ponds to ascertain the usefulness of these substrates for nursing of M. rosenbergii PLs

Epidemiology and pathology of Trichomonas gallinae in the common pigeon (Columba livia)

Pigeons (n=300) were examined during July 2007 to June 2008 in different areas of Mymensingh district. Of the pigeons examined, 202 (67.3%) were infected by Trichomonas gallinae (Rivolta, 1878). Prevalence of Trichomonas gallinae was higher in female pigeon (70.9%) than male pigeon (63.8%). Adult pigeons aged >3 months were comparatively more affected (75%) than the squab aged <30 days (72.1%) and the younger aged between 30 days to 90 days (64.7%). T. gallinae infection was significantly (P<0.01) lower in summer (48.4%) than rainy (69.8%) and winter (69.3%) seasons. Pathological lesions were confined in the crop, proventriculus and liver. There was an accumulation of greenish fluid and/or cheesy material in the crop and proventriculus. At necropsy, yellowish to grayish necrotic lesions were evident in the crop and proventriculus. On the other hand, the liver became congested where congestion of sinusoids and focal accumulation of heterophils in the parenchyma were found. But, no microscopic lesions were seen in the crop and proventriculus although gross lesions were more prominent in these two organs

Epidemiology of intestinal schistosomiasis in ruminants of Bangladesh

We assessed the prevalence and seasonal variations of intestinal schistosomiasis in association with age, sex, breed and rearing system of cattle and goats in different districts of Bangladesh. Fecal samples from 240 cattle and 146 goats were examined. Schistosoma eggs were found in 47.5% cattle and 43.84% goats. Two species of schistosomes were identified. No mixed infection was recorded. Prevalence of Schistosoma indicum was higher in cattle (42.5%) than in goats (34.25%) whereas goats (9.59%) were more susceptible to Schistosoma spindale infection than cattle (5.0%). Age, sex, breed, rearing system and topography of the country had significant (P<0.01, P<0.05) effect on the prevalence of schistosomiasis among cattle, whether only seasons of the year had significant (P<0.01) effect on schistosome prevalence among goats of Bangladesh. Higher infection rate was found in rainy season, in older age group, in males, in local breeds (cattle) and animals reared under semi intensive system. Prevalence was highest in the Rangpur district and lowest in the Dhaka district. The prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was very high among cattle and goats in the study area irrespective of age, sex, breed, seasons and rearing system of cattle and goats

Coprological study of gastrointestinal parasites of captive animals at Rangpur Recreational Garden and Zoo in Bangladesh

A survey was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in different groups of mammals housed at Rangpur Recreational Garden and Zoo in Bangladesh. A total of 45 fecal samples of different animals (11 carnivores, 26 herbivores and 8 primates) were examined from April to September 2011 for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 60% (27/45) of which 35.6% (16/45) were helminth infections and 24% (11/45) were protozoic infections. The identified parasites included protozoa (Balantidium coli and Coccidia sp.), nematodes (Toxascaris leonina, Toxocara cati, Strongyloides sp., Dictyocaulus sp., Trichuris sp. and stomach worm), cestodes (Spirometra sp. and Moniezia benedeni) and trematodes (Fasciola sp.). At least one parasite was identified in the fecal samples of all animals except of the samples from bear, python, water buck and olive baboon. Mixed infections were observed in Rhesus monkey (Trichuris sp. and Balantidium coli), in deer (Strongyloides sp. and Coccidia sp.) and in lion (Toxascaris leonina and Spirometra sp.). Helminth infections were more common than protozoic infections in carnivores and herbivores, whereas in primates, protozoic infections were more common than helminth infections. The high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites found in zoo animals in this study emphasizes the importance of controlling these parasitic infections in order to safeguard the health of housed wild animals and of the humans working with these animals