Evaluation of Pedestrian Level of Service of Selected Footpath Segments of Dhaka City Using Multi-criteria Decision Making Approach

Walking is considered to be the most important mode of travel across the world particularly for a shortdistance trip Since 19 6 of the trips are made by the foot in Dhaka it is necessary to ensure a friendly walking environment in the footpath for the welfare of pedestrians of Dhaka This study aims to make a comparative analysis of Pedestrian Level of Service PLOS of selected footpath segments along Segun Bagicha road Toynbee Circular Road Mirpur Road and Baily road Pedestrian Level of Service has been determined based on ten factors path width pedestrian volume crossing facilities availability of buffer distance from vehicular traffic surface quality comfort walking environment the existence of street light The weight of each factor has been determined through the Multi-criteria analysis approach Analytical Hierarchy Process Path width Pedestrian volume and the existence of buffer are the first second and third most important factors PLOS has been determined based on the indexed value of factors and weight of factors All the sections were found to have poor PLOS The findings of the study will be helpful for transport policymakers to improve the condition of these factors to ensure a better walking condition for pedestrians of selected footpath section

Phenotyping of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) genotypes against salt stress and assessment of variability for yield and yield attributing traits

Salt tolerance is a complex polygenic trait that is genotype specific and tolerance can depend upon a plants developmental stage. To evaluate reproductive stage specific salt tolerance as well as investigate the inherent variability of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) genotypes with respect to seed yields and yield-related traits, a pot culture experiment was conducted using 26 mungbean genotypes and exposure to salt stress (EC = 8.0 dS/m) applied at the reproductive stage, just before the opening of the first flowers. The experiment involved maintaining 100% field capacity for three weeks and used a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Data were collected, included days to maturity, plant height (cm), number of pod-bearing branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight (g) and seed yield per plant (g). Salt stress led to a significant (p<0.001) decrease in seed yield per plant, with yields of the genotypes BMX 11116, BMX 11176, BMX 11140, BMX 11111 and BMX 11163 being the least impacted by exposure to salt. Principal component analysis revealed that the first two components explained 63.5% of the total variation among the mungbean genotypes. Seed yield per plant showed a significant positive correlation with days to maturity, number of pod-bearing branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, and 100-seed weight (g). Cluster analysis grouped the 26 genotypes into five distinct clusters, where the tolerant genotypes placed in cluster I. Based on their stress tolerance indices BARI Mung-6, BMX 11176, BMX 11116, and BMX 11140 were categorized as tolerant genotypes, were selected for further study under direct field conditions and are recommended for the genetic improvement of salt stress tolerance in mungbean

Comparison Between Reduced Susceptibility to Disinfectants and Multidrug Resistance Among Hospital Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in Bangladesh

Disinfectants have been used largely in hospitals, health care centers and different pharmaceuticals for the removal of microorganisms. It is evident that microorganisms are showing reduced sensitivity against many disinfectants or their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is increasing day by day due to improper use. The aim of this study was to compare the reduced susceptibility to disinfectants and antibiotics of 25 hospital isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 40 hospital isolates of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 5 different hospitals at Noakhali region of Bangladesh. Susceptibility of the selected isolates to two disinfectants (savlon and herpic) and ten separate antimicrobial agents for both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were investigated and compared. Multidrug resistant pattern of all the hospital isolates were determined by agar diffusion method and MIC of the disinfectants were determined by the serial dilution method. All the hospital isolates of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were multidrug resistant. No severe evident resistance to disinfectants was seen among the 25 isolates of P. aeruginosa and 40 isolates of S. aureus. Interestingly, satisfactory MIC of savlon for 25 isolates of P. aeruginosa and 40 isolates of S. aureus reached at 0.5% to 0.7% (v/v) solution whereas satisfactory MIC of herpic reached at 2% to 2.5% (v/v) solution for all hospital isolates but four isolates of S. aureus showed MIC against herpic at 1.75% (v/v) solution. No sign of co-resistant of disinfectant and antibiotics were found. So, it can be concluded that disinfectants (savlon and herpic) can’t be responsible for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus to become multidrug resistant, when the semi inhibitory dilution of these disinfectants are used

Potential determinants of salinity tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and modulation of tolerance by exogenous ascorbic acid application

Rice is a relatively salt-sensitive crop with the reproductive and seedling stages being the most sensitive. Two separate experiments were conducted to isolate potential determinants of salinity tolerance and to investigate the possibility of modulating salt tolerance by exogenous ascorbic acid (AsA) application. Rice plants were imposed to salinity (EC= 10.0 dS m-1) both at the seedling and reproductive phases of growth. Salinity at the seedling stage resulted a sharp decline in shoot and root growth related traits including leaf chlorophyll content, while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased. Plants experienced with salinity at the reproductive phases of growth showed a significant reduction in yield attributing traits while the tissue levels of H2O2 increased. Exogenous AsA application reversed the negative impact of salt stress, modulating the root and shoots growth and yield related traits and lowering H2O2 and MDA levels. FL-478 was identified as the most tolerant genotype at the seedling stage, with Binadhan-10 being the most tolerant at the reproductive stage. Grain yield panicle-1 significantly and positively corrected with number of filled grains panicle-1, panicle length, plant height, and spikelet fertility, and negatively correlated with H2O2 levels. Stress tolerance indices clearly separated the tolerant and susceptible genotypes. A principal component analysis revealed that the first two components explained 87% of the total variation among the genotypes. Breeding efforts could therefore to undertake for developing salinity tolerance by manipulating endogenous AsA content in rice

Protective effects of medicinal plant-based foods against diabetes : a review on pharmacology, phytochemistry, and molecular mechanisms

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a range of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by defects in insulin release, insulin action, or both. DM is a widespread condition that affects a substantial portion of the global population, causing high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of this major public health crisis is predicted to increase in the forthcoming years. Although several drugs are available to manage DM, these are associated with adverse side effects, which limits their use. In underdeveloped countries, where such drugs are often costly and not widely available, many people continue to rely on alternative traditional medicine, including medicinal plants. The latter serves as a source of primary healthcare and plant-based foods in many low- and middle-income countries. Interestingly, many of the phytochemicals they contain have been demonstrated to possess antidiabetic activity such as lowering blood glucose levels, stimulating insulin secretion, and alleviating diabetic complications. Therefore, such plants may provide protective effects that could be used in the management of DM. The purpose of this article was to review the medicinal plant-based foods traditionally used for the management of DM, including their therapeutic effects, pharmacologically active phytoconstituents, and antidiabetic mode of action at the molecular level. It also presents future avenues for research in this field