Prospects for Women in Journalism in Bangladesh

This study explores the Women journalists’ contributing to the society for economic prosperity and changing the attitude towards the concept of the process of development in Bangladesh. They are protecting and talking outside when facing any discrimination in their journalistic profession. Despite the barriers, women journalists are showing strong interest in journalism as a career. The findings show that women journalists are facing many barriers like family pressure, societal problem, pay‑allowances, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and even lack of workplace. It is possible to survive if you have passion, professionalism, and love to this profession. In recent time Bangladesh is encouraging her women to work outside of home. Currently a significant change has come into the social attitude which is represented by women’s advancement in journalism sector of Bangladesh. This study uses survey questionnaire from 120 female journalists in television, online and print media journalists to find out a fruitful result

Water Quality Index for measuring drinking water quality in rural Bangladesh: a crosssectional study

Background: Public health is at risk due to chemical contaminants in drinking water which may have immediate health consequences. Drinking water sources are susceptible to pollutants depending on geological conditions and agricultural, industrial, and other man-made activities. Ensuring the safety of drinking water is, therefore, a growing problem. To assess drinking water quality, we measured multiple chemical parameters in drinking water samples from across Bangladesh with the aim of improving public health interventions. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 24 randomly selected upazilas, arsenic was measured in drinking water in the field using an arsenic testing kit and a sub-sample was validated in the laboratory. Water samples were collected to test water pH in the laboratory as well as a sub-sample of collected drinking water was tested for water pH using a portable pH meter. For laboratory testing of other chemical parameters, iron, manganese, and salinity, drinking water samples were collected from 12 out of 24 upazilas. Results: Drinking water at sample sites was slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 \ub1 0.4) but within acceptable limits. Manganese concentrations varied from 0.1 to 5.5 mg/L with a median value of 0.2 mg/L. The median iron concentrations in water exceeded WHO standards (0.3 mg/L) at most of the sample sites and exceeded Bangladesh standards (1.0 mg/L) at a few sample sites. Salinity was relatively higher in coastal districts. After laboratory confirmation, arsenic concentrations were found higher in Shibchar (Madaripur) and Alfadanga (Faridpur) compared to other sample sites exceeding WHO standard (0.01 mg/L). Of the total sampling sites, 33 % had good-quality water for drinking based on the Water Quality Index (WQI). However, the majority of the households (67 %) used poor-quality drinking water. Conclusions: Higher values of iron, manganese, and arsenic reduced drinking water quality. Awareness raising on chemical contents in drinking water at household level is required to improve public health

Water Quality Index for measuring drinking water quality in rural Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Public health is at risk due to chemical contaminants in drinking water which may have immediate health consequences. Drinking water sources are susceptible to pollutants depending on geological conditions and agricultural, industrial, and other man-made activities. Ensuring the safety of drinking water is, therefore, a growing problem. To assess drinking water quality, we measured multiple chemical parameters in drinking water samples from across Bangladesh with the aim of improving public health interventions. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 24 randomly selected upazilas, arsenic was measured in drinking water in the field using an arsenic testing kit and a sub-sample was validated in the laboratory. Water samples were collected to test water pH in the laboratory as well as a sub-sample of collected drinking water was tested for water pH using a portable pH meter. For laboratory testing of other chemical parameters, iron, manganese, and salinity, drinking water samples were collected from 12 out of 24 upazilas. RESULTS: Drinking water at sample sites was slightly alkaline (pH 7.4 ± 0.4) but within acceptable limits. Manganese concentrations varied from 0.1 to 5.5 mg/L with a median value of 0.2 mg/L. The median iron concentrations in water exceeded WHO standards (0.3 mg/L) at most of the sample sites and exceeded Bangladesh standards (1.0 mg/L) at a few sample sites. Salinity was relatively higher in coastal districts. After laboratory confirmation, arsenic concentrations were found higher in Shibchar (Madaripur) and Alfadanga (Faridpur) compared to other sample sites exceeding WHO standard (0.01 mg/L). Of the total sampling sites, 33 % had good-quality water for drinking based on the Water Quality Index (WQI). However, the majority of the households (67 %) used poor-quality drinking water. CONCLUSIONS: Higher values of iron, manganese, and arsenic reduced drinking water quality. Awareness raising on chemical contents in drinking water at household level is required to improve public health

Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops

Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon where plants release chemicals that influence the growth and development of neighboring flora, offers potential natural alternatives for weed management in agriculture. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of Heliotropium indicum leaf and root extracts on the germination, growth, and biochemical parameters of eight cucurbit crops. Results demonstrated that H. indicum extracts generally inhibited seed germination across all cucurbit species, with aqueous extracts showing a stronger effect than methanol extracts in Lagenaria siceraria at 10.66 ± 0.46% (p Benincasa hispida’s shoot length was significantly reduced, compared to the control, at 2.1 ± 0.14 cm (p Momordica charantia (p L. siceraria p H. indicum extracts as natural herbicides and biostimulants, though their effects are species-specific and dependent on concentration. This research contributes to understanding the complex interactions in plant allelopathy, and highlights the potential of plant-derived extracts in sustainable agriculture

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF GIRL STUDENTS IN AN URBAN AREA OF BANGLADESH

Objectives: To assess status of reproductive health and nutrition amongst girls attending high school in an urban area of Bangladesh. Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in four selected girl’s high schools. A structured pre-tested questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data through face-to-face interview and anthropometry. Results: A total of 360 adolescents girls were interviewed. The mean age at menarche of the respondents was found to be 12.4 years. More than half (54.2%) of the respondents were malnourished (BMI < 18.5). More than four-fifths (83%) were found to be suffering from reproductive health problems during or after menstruation. The most common complain (60%) disclosed by the adolescent girls was dysmenorrhoea. Majority (300) of the respondents acknowledged practicing unhygienic protective measures during menstruation. Conclusion: More than half of the adolescents were malnourished, practiced unhygienic protective measures during menstruation and disclosed different types of reproductive health complaints. Findings of the study strongly recommend that adolescent girls of urban Bangladesh need proper and appropriate management of their reproductive health problems. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2008; 2(1): 9-1

Original Article REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF GIRL STUDENTS IN AN URBAN AREA OF BANGLADESH

Objectives: To assess status of reproductive health and nutrition amongst girls attending high school in an urban area of Bangladesh. Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in four selected girl’s high schools. A structured pre-tested questionnaire and a checklist were used to collect data through face-to-face interview and anthropometry. Results: A total of 360 adolescents girls were interviewed. The mean age at menarche of the respondents was found to be 12.4 years. More than half (54.2%) of the respondents were malnourished (BMI &lt; 18.5). More than four-fifths (83%) were found to be suffering from reproductive health problems during or after menstruation. The most common complain (60%) disclosed by the adolescent girls was dysmenorrhoea. Majority (300) of the respondents acknowledged practicing unhygienic protective measures during menstruation. Conclusion: More than half of the adolescents were malnourished, practiced unhygienic protective measures during menstruation and disclosed different types of reproductive health complaints. Findings of the study strongly recommend that adolescent girls of urban Bangladesh need proper and appropriate management of their reproductive health problems

Bridging technique failure through low-tech improvisation: A case study of food microbiology

Modern technology for food safety studies includes standardized protocols and equipment. However, appropriate technology needs to step in to bridge technology dys- or malfunctioning. We examined different low-tech methods for extraction of bacteria from fresh vegetables. Standard equipment including stomacher and filter bags were compared to extraction using bread stick and alternative filter material (nylon stocking, mosquito net). Comparison of microspheres’ (ø: 53-63 µm; ø: 63-75 µm) passage through filter bags, nylon stockings with different densities (15 DEN, 20 DEN, 25 DEN, 40 DEN) and mosquito net showed no significant difference between filter bag and nylon stocking. A significantly higher number of both size microspheres (ø: 53-63 and ø: 63-75 µm) passed through the mosquito net than filter bag and nylon stocking. Manual extraction of romaine lettuce leaf was performed by three technicians. Viable counts of leaf associated bacteria were influenced by the technician and choice of filter material. Viable bacterial counts obtained from breadstick with filter bag manual extraction did not show any significant difference from standard method. We conclude that standard procedures can be replaced by low-tech approaches in the event of malfunctioning equipment. However, method validation is imperative

Knowledge and Attitude towards COVID-19: A Cross Sectional Study in Bangladesh through Phone and Online Survey

Aim: This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 in Bangladeshi adults by online and phone survey methods during the early stage of its spread. Methods: Data were collected through phone calls (April 14-23, 2020) and online survey (April 18-19, 2020) in Bangladesh. The questionnaire had 20 knowledge questions with each correct response getting one point and incorrect/don’t know response getting no point (maximum total knowledge score 20). Participants scoring &gt;17 were categorized as having good knowledge. Results: The percentages of good knowledge holders were 57.6%, 75.1%, and 95.8% in the phone, online non-medical, and online medical participants, respectively. Most of the phone and online participants had good knowledge of the preventive practices of COVID-19. However, among the non-medical participants (both phone and online), the correct response rates were lower than 80% for the knowledge questions asking about the facts that - some patients may have no symptoms, diarrhea is a symptom of this disease and that it cannot be prevented by any currently available medication. Male gender, higher education, living in town/urban areas, good financial condition, and use of internet were positively associated with higher knowledge score among the non-medical participants. However, higher knowledge score was associated with having less confidence in the final control of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study identified some COVID-19 information that were less known among the participants and the potential factors that were associated with having good versus poor knowledge. Besides, this study sheds light on the attitude of Bangladeshi adults towards COVID-19

Description of patients who died within 30 days of surgery.

Description of patients who died within 30 days of surgery.</p