An intelligent computer-aided design system incorporating considerations for aesthetics and the environment

Amidst intense competition, manufacturers are constantly striving to improve their competence with others. In this respect, aesthetics of the product has become one of the prime factors in capturing market share. On the other hand, ever increasing pressure from the public, customers and governments has forced manufacturers to take environmental considerations very seriously. This study focuses on the development of an intelligent computer-aided design system in order to assist designers to design specifically on the basis of aesthetic and environmental considerations. The study began with an extensive literature survey. It was found that small volume of research work had been done in the topic of design for aesthetics whereas a substantial volume of research had been ongoing in the field of design for environmental considerations. Although the aspect of combination of these two factors of design was not fully investigated. So the project was understood to be a novel one. To achieve the objectives of the research, two research surveys were conducted to gauge public viewpoint about the aesthetical attributes of the bottles of several consunler products. The first survey was conducted among Dublin City University (DCU)'s students and staff, and the second one among the residents of Dublin city and its suburb. The information obtained from these two surveys was used in the development of the design system. The design system consists of overall score & aesthetics advisor, simple material selection for bottles index, simple life cycle analysis and golden section ruler modules. The author created threshold values for the first three modules that work as benchmarks to judge the design in terms of aesthetics and environmental considerations. This novel approach of design and the software tool developed will be helpful aids to the designers to consider aesthetics and environmental aspects of design at the primary stage leading to faster product development and savings of money

Secure Electronic Payment: Proposed method for the growth of E-commerce in Bangladesh

The innovations in technologies are changing the social, cultural and economic relationships in a vast variety of ways. Information technology has become a necessary tool for today’s organizations and banking industry is not an exception. Electronic commerce is rapidly growing modern business process in all over the world, but in Bangladesh it is increasing comparatively slower rate. Though Bangladesh was comparatively a late introducer of e-banking but now almost all the banks are providing internet banking to their customers. But what is important is the lack of comprehensive study of the e-payment security covering organizational and customers’ point of view. Considering the importance of secure e-payment to grow up e-commerce in Bangladesh this study was taken up. It was revealed from the survey that the customers’ and service providers main concern was security. E-banking service providers should have to ensure that online banking is safe and secure for every user in all kind of transactions. The Authors also proposed a secure e-payment model in general and on debit card and credit card to bring customers confidence on e-payment and increase the volume of e-commerce in the context of Bangladesh. &nbsp

Secure Electronic Payment: Proposed method for the growth of E-commerce in Bangladesh

The innovations in technologies are changing the social, cultural and economic relationships in a vast variety of ways. Information technology has become a necessary tool for today’s organizations and banking industry is not an exception. Electronic commerce is rapidly growing modern business process in all over the world, but in Bangladesh it is increasing comparatively slower rate. Though Bangladesh was comparatively a late introducer of e-banking but now almost all the banks are providing internet banking to their customers. But what is important is the lack of comprehensive study of the e-payment security covering organizational and customers’ point of view. Considering the importance of secure e-payment to grow up e-commerce in Bangladesh this study was taken up. It was revealed from the survey that the customers’ and service providers main concern was security. E-banking service providers should have to ensure that online banking is safe and secure for every user in all kind of transactions. The Authors also proposed a secure e-payment model in general and on debit card and credit card to bring customers confidence on e-payment and increase the volume of e-commerce in the context of Bangladesh

Bioelectromagnetics research within an Australian context: the Australian centre for electromagnetic bioeffects research (ACEBR)

Mobile phone subscriptions continue to increase across the world, with the electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by these devices, as well as by related technologies such as Wi-Fi and smart meters, now ubiquitous. This increase in use and consequent exposure to mobile communication (MC)-related EMF has led to concern about possible health effects that could arise from this exposure. Although much research has been conducted since the introduction of these technologies, uncertainty about the impact on health remains. The Australian Centre for Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research (ACEBR) is a National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence that is undertaking research addressing the most important aspects of the MC-EMF health debate, with a strong focus on mechanisms, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and exposure dosimetry. This research takes as its starting point the current scientific status quo, but also addresses the adequacy of the evidence for the status quo. Risk communication research complements the above, and aims to ensure that whatever is found, it is communicated effectively and appropriately. This paper provides a summary of this ACEBR research (both completed and ongoing), and discusses the rationale for conducting it in light of the prevailing science.Sarah P. Loughran ... Jim Manavis ... Robert Vink ... et al

Computational Study of the Loss-of-Function Mutations in the Kv1.5 Channel Associated with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart disease caused by defective ion channels in the atria, which affect the action potential (AP) duration and disturb normal heart rhythm. Rapid firing of APs in neighboring atrial cells is a common mechanism of AF, and therefore, therapeutic approaches have focused on extending the AP duration by inhibiting the K⁺ channels involved in repolarization. Of these, Kv1.5 that carries the <i>I</i>_Kur current is a promising target because it is expressed mainly in atria and not in ventricles. In genetic studies of AF patients, both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations in Kv1.5 have been identified, indicating that either decreased or increased <i>I</i>_Kur currents could trigger AF. Blocking of already downregulated Kv1.5 channels could cause AF to become chronic. Thus, a molecular-level understanding of how the loss-of-function mutations in Kv1.5 affect <i>I</i>_Kur would be useful for developing new therapeutics. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of three loss-of-function mutations in the pore domain of Kv1.5 on ion permeation. Comparison of the pore structures and ion free energies in the wild-type and mutant Kv1.5 channels indicates that conformational changes in the selectivity filter could hinder ion permeation in the mutant channels

Effect of urea fertilizer on soil, plant and food grain

The use of nitrogen fertilizer as a source of nitrogen for the growth of plant is very common in Bangladesh even all over the world. In fact the inherent supplies of readily available nutrients for Bangladesh soil are limited. The crops absorb nutrients from these insufficient supplies and the soil become exhausted. So, soil needs additional chemical fertilizers for supporting the growth and development of crops. However the accumulation pattern, recovery and losses of added chemicals in soils are of great concern in environmental pollution. A thorough investigation of accumulation of nitrogen fertilizer in soil and food-chain as well as plant has been carried out for rice crop. The soil and crop samples are collected from Bangladesh Rice Resources Institute, Rajshahi at different times of fertilization from different locations and depths. The analytical analysis for nitrogen content is carried out at environmental laboratory of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology. The result shows that the concentration of nitrogen in soil, plant (root, stem and leaf) and grain is much higher than the allowable limit which may create serious environmental problem and tremendous health hazard for human as well as animal

Zinc Biofortification through Basal Zinc Supply Reduces Grain Cadmium in Mung Beans: Metal Partitioning and Health Risks Assessment

Grain zinc (Zn) biofortification with less cadmium (Cd) accumulation is of paramount importance from human health and environmental point of view. A pot experiment was carried out to determine the influence of Zn and Cd on their accumulations in Mung bean tissues (Vigna radiata) in two contrast soil types (Dermosol and Tenosol). The soil types with added Zn and Cd exerted a significant effect on translocation and accumulation of metals in different tissues. The accumulation of Zn and Cd was higher for Tenosol than that for Dermosol. At control, the concentration of Cd followed a pattern, e.g., root > stem > petiole > pod > leaflet > grain for both soils. A basal Zn supply (5 mg kg−1) increased the grain Zn concentration to a significant amount (up to 67%). It also reduced Cd accumulation in tissues, including grains (up to 34%). No non-carcinogenic effect was observed for either the children or the adults as the EDI and PTDI values were below the safety limit; however, the ILCR values exceeded the safety limit, indicating the possibility of some carcinogenic effects. Added Zn helped to reduce the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks on humans