Informatics Publishing Limited

Mohammad Azizur Rahman ¹, Rezaul Karim ²

Affiliations
1 Faculty of Post Graduate Medicine and Research, University of Dhaka, BD
2 Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering, Chittagong University of Sciences and Technology, Chittagong, BD

Abstract

This investigation explored the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors relating to AI among an adult population in Bangladesh. From August 2009 to October 2010 a random sample of 1020 adults received a questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of transmission and prevention about AI, attitudes towards AI, behaviors regarding use of preventive measures and food-handling practices, and sources of information about AI. A response rate of 67% was achieved. Those in higher socioeconomic classes were more likely to identify the modes of transmission and the animals' vehicles for AI. Those older, who knew the modes of transmission and the animals' vehicles for AI, and who still need information, were more likely to know that washing hands soap before and after touching raw poultry meat and using gloves is recommended to avoid spreading of AI through food. The risk of being infected was significantly higher in those from lower socioeconomic classes, if they did not know the definition of AI, if they knew that AI could be transmitted by eating and touching raw eggs and poultry foods, and if they did not need information. Compliance with the hygienic practices during handling of raw poultry meat was more likely in those who perceived to be at higher risk.

Keywords

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Avian Influenza

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Azizul Islam ¹, Abul kalam Azad ¹, Rezaul Karim ¹, Sudhangsu Kumar Biswas ¹, Mostafizur Rahmam ¹, Mafizur Rahman ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia- 7003, BD

Abstract

In this study, the antibacterial activity of various organic solvent extracts of Ocimum sanctum L leaves, flowers and shoots was determined in vitro using agar diffusion method and MIC tested against the isolated soil bacteria. The identified bacteria were Paenibacillussp. L32, Paenibacillussp. BF38, Bacillus megaterium , Terribacillus sp. 3LF, Bacillus simplex and Bacillus cereus. Various organic extracts of Ocimum sanctum L revealed a good antibacterial activity against about all bacteria. Results showed that the best extract was methanol because highest inhibition zone were obtained by this extract and all studied bacteria were inhibited. At a concentration of 500 μg/disc, the highest microbial inhibition was found 19.2±.76 mm against Bacillus simplex for methanol extract, 15.7±0.58 mm on Terribacillus sp. 3LF for ethanol extract of flower, 14.0±2.0 mm on Terribacillus sp. 3LF for ethanol extract of leaves, 13.34±0.58 mm on Bacillus megaterium for nhexane extract and 11.7±0.6 mm on Terribacillus sp. 3LF for chloroform extract, respectively and MIC (64, 128, 256 and 512 μg/ml, respectively). Most of the cases, antibacterial activity with commercial antibiotics such as amoxicillin and erythromycin, organic extracts exhibited similar or higher antibacterial activity than standard drug. The results of this study suggest that the organic extracts of Ocimum sanctum L leaves can be a source of natural antimicrobial agents with potential applications.

Keywords

Antibacterial, 16s rDNA Sequence, bacillus Sp, Different Extract, Ocimum Sanctum L

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Md. Animul Haque Bhuyan ¹, Keramat Ali Shah ¹, Sukanta Saha ¹, Rownak Jahan ¹, Rezaul Karim ¹

Affiliations
1 Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, BD

Abstract

Malnutrition has been a major public healtin problem in Bangladesh and children are one of the most adversely affected groups. Children belonging to different socio-economic groups are however affected differently. Children in lower socio-economic stratum are generally the worst affected. Both stunted and wasted children are found more in the poorest group (17.3%) than in the richest group (5.1 %).

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Rezaul Karim ¹, Aminul Haque Bhuyan ¹, Saha Sukanta ¹

Affiliations
1 Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, BD

Abstract

Malnutrition is widespread in Bangladesh and children are generally very adversely affected. In Bangladesh 59 per cent of the children aged 6 to 71 months suffer from chronic protein-energy malnutrition (stunted) and eight per cent suffer from acute protein-energy malnutrition (wasted). About 76 per cent of the children suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. One million out of the 23 million children in the country suffer from vitamin A deficiency, 30,000 of whom become blind every year with one-half of the blinded children dying within one year of blindness.

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S. M. Saniul Islam Sani ¹, Rezaul Karim ¹, Mohammad Shamsul Arefin ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology, Chittagong-4349, BD

Abstract

Examination is the process by which the ability and the quality of the examinees can be measured. It is necessary to ensure the quality of the examinees. Online examination system is the process by which the participants can appear at the examination irrespective of their locations by connecting to examination site via Internet using desktop computers, laptops or smart phones. Automated score generation is the process by which the answer scripts of the examinations are evaluated automatically to generate scores. Although, there are many existing online examination systems, the main drawback of these systems is that they cannot compute automated score accurately, especially from the text-based answers. Moreover, most of them are unilingual in nature. As a result, examinees can appear at the examination in a particular language. Considering this fact, in this paper, we present a framework that can take Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) examinations and written examinations in two different languages English and Bangla. We develop a database where the questions and answers are stored. The questions from the database are displayed in the web page with answering options for the MCQ questions and text boxes for the written questions. For generating the scores of the written questions, we performed several types of analysis of the answers of the written questions. However, for generating the scores of the MCQ questions, we simply compared between the database answers and the user’s answers. We conducted several experiments to check the accuracy of score generation by our system and found that our system can generate 100% accurate scores for MCQ questions and more than 90% accurate scores from text based questions.

Keywords

Multiple Choice Questions, Automated Scoring, Answer Analysis, Experimental Analysis.

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