The Impact of Learning Organization on the Performance of Organizations and Job Satisfaction of Employees: An Empirical Study on Some Public and Private Universities in Bangladesh

Learning organization is a growing concern that has become a widespread philosophy in contemporary society and business. This provides a platform to build capacity of human resources where people can learn continually, nurture new patterns of thinking and develop a culture of collective learning to produce desired results. Watkins & Marsick (1993) has proposed seven dimensions of learning organization that are useful to measure the performance of organizations and job satisfaction of employees. In order to create learning organization, organizations can use different techniques, such as: team learning, system connection, knowledge management, shared vision, and strategic leadership that are proposed by Peter Senge (1990). There is a significant research gap to measure the impact of learning organization on the public and private universities in Bangladesh. Thus, this research reveals the impact of learning organization on the overall performance of the universities and job satisfaction of their faculty members. The practice of effective learning organization can improve the performance of the universities and their employees’ jab satisfaction. Keywords: Learning Organization, Impact, Culture, Job satisfaction, Performance, and Universities

Bridge scour evaluation in cohesive soils using physical and geo-electrical soil properties

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Civil EngineeringStacey E. KuleszaScour accounts for 60% of all bridge collapses nationwide. There are two recommended methods for evaluating scour in cohesive soils, and both are flawed. The most common method is to use the scour evaluation manual from the Federal Highway Administration, Hydraulic Engineering Circular-18. The empirical equations, however, are based on the results of flume tests using cohesionless soils and are typically over conservative. The second alternative, performing site specific erosion testing, can be cost prohibitive, as erosion testing using available apparatuses is highly specialized and time consuming. Therefore, this research seeks to provide a new methodology that gives more accurate information than the equations based on cohesionless soils and is more cost effective than erosion testing. Various soil characteristics that affect the erosion of soil also influence in situ bulk electrical resistivity measurements. The objectives of this research were to develop a rapid methodology to predict soil erodibility using electrical resistivity and build an empirical equation to predict critical shear stress for erosion in cohesive soils using various soil properties. A total of 26 sites were used for in situ testing and soil sampling. Soil samples were used for erosion testing with the Erosion Function Apparatus and measuring geotechnical properties. The results indicate that electrical resistivity works as an excellent binary classifier for identifying soil with high erodibility. An electrical resistivity over 50 Ωm has a 93% probability of classifying the soil as high erodibility. As such, electrical resistivity tomography can be utilized to rapidly prioritize existing bridges where soils near the surface are classified as highly erodible. Regarding the second objective, multiple variable screening criteria determined percent fines, liquid limit, and electrical resistivity as the statistically significant model variables for predicting critical shear stress. Electrical resistivity is an increasingly common measurement by transportation agencies and this is the first time it has been identified as a variable for predicting critical shear stress. The use of electrical resistivity reduces the need for uncommon geotechnical, geochemical, and biological soil tests to predict critical shear stress. Design factors for implementing the developed model for a practical design were also recommended based on probabilistic analysis. If adopted by transportation agencies, this research will reduce the need for cost prohibitive site specific testing and overconservative bridge scour designs

Characterizing soil erosion potential using electrical resistivity imaging

Master of ScienceDepartment of Civil EngineeringStacey Tucker-KuleszaThe erosion rate, or erodibility, of soil depends on many soil characteristics including: plasticity, water content, grain size, percent clay, compaction, and shear strength. Many of these characteristics also influence soil in situ bulk electrical resistivity (ER) measurements. The objective of this study was to characterize soil erosion potential by correlating the in situ ER of soil with erodibility measured in the Kansas State University Erosion Function Apparatus (KSU-EFA). ER surveys were conducted at eleven bridge sites. Soil samples were also collected at each site with a drill rig from the surface to three meters using thin-walled Shelby tubes. Five samples were collected at each site, tested in the KSU-EFA, and classified according to the Unified Soil Classification System. Analysis showed that the rapid in situ data obtained from an ER survey can be used to categorize the level of erodibility. As such, ER surveys may be used to characterize the soils at future bridge sites or prioritize existing bridges for additional testing to measure the scour potential. Moreover, ER surveys may be used to determine which existing bridges should be closed or closely monitored for scour potential during a flood event. Analytical models to predict critical shear stress using ER and other soil parameters were constructed

Antioxidant properties of BJRI vegetable mesta-1 (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Roselle or Mesta (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is one of the plants whose plant parts are used to prepare juices. The Roselle calyx is considered as a good source of antioxidants. But the antioxidant properties of BJRI (Bangladesh Jute Research Institute) released Roselle vegetable variety, BJRI vegetable mesta-1, is not quantified yet. With the objective of making this vegetable more popular among the consumers, an experiment was conducted at the Jute Agriculture Experimental Station, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, Jagir, Manikganj to find out the antioxidant properties of BJRI vegetable mesta-1. Total four antioxidant components eg., total phenol content, total flavonoid content, proanthocyanidin content, anthocyanin content and three antioxidant activities eg., DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging, (FRAP) ferric ion reducing antioxidant power, H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), radical scavenging were measured from the calyx sample of BJRI vegetable mesta-1. Among the four antioxidant components, total flavonoid contents (959.53 mg 100 g–1) posses the highest position and anothocyanine contents (0.17 mg 100 g–1) were in the lowest position. FRAP activities were highest among the antioxidant activities of the calyx of our studied vegetable mesta. Our findings represented the quantity of antioxidant contents of the calyx of BJRI vegetable mesta-1 which justify its uses as natural antioxidants. Thus, Roselle calyx may act as an alternative source of antioxidant rich natural herbal tea

An investigation of the effect of smoking, alcohol, and drug use on male infertility

Background: Infertility in men has increased in recent years. Numerous physical, chemical, biological, and social factors are known to play a role in reducing semen quality, in between, there are high-risk behaviors that affect the quality of semen. In this paper, the effects of three factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, and drugs have been investigated. Methods: This case-control study was performed from June to September 2021 on 500 people, 250 people with normal semen quality and 250 people with defective semen quality. The data collection tool was a questionnaire made by researchers and semen test results. Finally, the collected data were analyzed by descriptive method with SPSS software. For quantitative variables, mean and standard deviation (SD) were used, while frequency and percentage reports were used for qualitative variables. Results: Drug use had a significant relationship with the shape and motility of sperm (B = -0.675, P = 0.005). The chance of natural semen decreases by 0.506 times with an increase of one drug use unit; moreover, the older the age of onset of drug use, the more the semen disorders (B = 0.514, P = 0.002).. Conclusion: Smoking and alcohol consumption were not identified as factors affecting semen quality, but there was a significant relationship between drug use and age of onset and semen disorders

A clinical study of arrhythmias associated with acute coronary syndrome: a hospital based study of a high risk and previously undocumented population

Background: ACS represents a global epidemic. Arrhythmia in ACS is common. Careful investigation may lead to further improvement of prognosis. Retrospectively analyzed the year- round data of our center. Study was undertaken to analyze the incidence, frequency and type of arrhythmias in ACS. This is to aid timely intervention and to modify the outcome. Identification of the type of arrhythmia is of therapeutic and prognostic importance.Methods: This cross sectional analytical study was conducted in the Department of Cardiology, Apollo Hospitals Dhaka, from January 2019 to January 2020 with ACS patients. Enrolled consecutively and data analyzed.Results: There were 500 patients enrolled considering inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sample was subdivided into 3 groups on the type of ACS. Group-I with UA, Group-II with NSTE - ACS and Group-III with STE - ACS. Different types of arrhythmia noted. Types of arrhythmia were correlated with type of ACS. 500 patients included. Mean age 55.53±12.70, 71.6% male and 28.4% female. 60.4% hypertensive, 46.2% diabetic, 20.2% positive family history of CAD, 32.2% current smoker, 56.4% dyslipidaemic and 9.6% asthmatic. 31.2% UA, 39.2% NSTE-ACS and 29.6% STE-ACS. Type of arrhythmias noted. 22% sinus tachycardia, 20.2% sinus bradycardia, 9% atrial fibrillation, 5.2% ventricular ectopic, 4.8% supra ventricular ectopic, 2.8% bundle branch block, 2.2% atrio-ventricular block, 1% broad complex tachycardia, 0.4% narrow complex tachycardia, 0.2% sinus node dysfunction and 32.2% without any arrhythmia. Significant incidences of arrhythmia detected - respectively 29.8%, 39.2% and 31%, p<0.001.Conclusions: In conclusion, arrhythmias in ACS are common. More attention should be paid to improve their treatment and prognosis

A Walker Designed for Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on a Survey in Dhaka, Bangladesh

A neurodegenerative disorder like Parkinson’s disease (PD) causes tremor, rigidity, postural instability and gait problems in early stages and thus poses an undetermined threat to the social and personal lives of the elderly in developing countries due to insufficient survey and research activities. However, several types of assistive devices (AD) are available in the market and the real patients’ requirements are often overlooked in their design. This paper presents the process of design and fabrication of an innovative walker for PD patients. This walker has a non-modular foldable design which incentivizes patients to stand up straight and walk without the help of others. A survey on patients battling parkinsonism and practicing doctors was performed in public hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh and relevant engineering data was derived from it using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) which can also help visualize further market research opportunities. A finite element analysis (FEA) was performed before the walker was constructed for safety. It was handed to several volunteers for use and their responses were satisfactory. The designed walker may serve as a low-cost AD which is likely to improve a patient’s posture and overall lifestyle and therefore, it can act as a means of rehabilitation