bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Birth Spacing on Nutritional Status in the form of Stunting of Under Five Children in Bangladesh: Evidence Based on BDHS, 2014 Data
Authors: Khokan Mahfuzur Rahman
Published: July 2021

In this paper, it has been examined the effect of preceding birth interval on nutritional status in the form of Stunting of the children aged under 5 years of age in Bangladesh.For the purpose of the analysis, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2014 data has been used. The study cases are the children under 5 years aged born during last delivery of their mother. The response variable is Nutritional Status of under 5 year children in the form of stunting. The key independent variables is the length of the preceding birth interval, measured as the number of months between the births of the child under study.Bivariate analysis along with a Chi-square test has been performed to examine the association between preceding birth interval and stunting of the children. To determine the effect of preceding birth interval, three different logistic regression models (Model-I: considering only the preceding birth intervals, Model-II: covariate of model-I along with demographic and socioeconomic factors and Model-III: covariates of model-II along with health related factors) were considered.  The occurrence of stunting has been found to be inversely related with the preceding birth interval for the children aged under 5 years in Bangladesh. This inverse association has been found statistically significant for three models.After adjusting the demographic, socio-economic and health-related factors, the OR (odds ratio) shows that the percentage of being stunted is 73% higher for the children whose preceding birth interval is less than 24 (<24) while it is 37% higher for the children whose preceding birth interval is between months compared to whose birth interval is more than 60 (60>) months with 99% confidence interval (1.27, 2.36)***and (1.07, 1.45)***respectively.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 67(2): 139-144, 2019 (July)
Study of Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorms and Associated Thermodynamic Features Over Bangladesh Using WRF-ARW Model
Authors: Paul Pappu , Imran Ashik , Islam Md Jafrul , Kabir Alamgir , Jaman Sahadat , Syed Ishtiaque M
Published: July 2021

Thunderstorm is a mesoscale system (from a km to below thousands of km and sustaining less than one hour). Two pre-monsoon thunderstorms events are analyzed in this study which are named as event-1 (0030-0150 UTC of 19 April 2018 over Chattogram) and event-2 (0600-1000 UTC of 4 May 2018 over Dhaka). To predict these events Mean Convective Available Potential Energy (mCAPE), Mean Convective Inhibition Energy (mCINE), K Index (KI), Total totals Index (TTI), wind distribution, and relative humidity (RH) are investigated.The model simulated mCAPE and mCINE values, 18 hours before the events, are found greater than 1700 J/Kg and less than 100 J/Kg respectively which satisfies the conditions for thunderstorms to occur.The KI values are close to 400C and TTI values are greater or equal to 450C for both events. The wind patterns and the high value of mid –tropospheric RH also favors the formation of severe thunderstorm.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 67(2): 151-156, 2019 (July)
Study of Graded Algebras and General Linear Group with Lie Superalgebras and R-Algebra
Authors: Ahmed Khondokar M , Rasel SK , Das Jyoti , Tahura Saraban , Nasrin Salma
Published: July 2021

Some elements of theory of Z2 graded rings, modules and algebras. Z2-graded tensor algebra, Lie superalgrbras and matrices with entries in a Z2-graded commutative ring are treated in our present paper. At last a Theorem 4.4.on the set of square matrices in the graded R-algebra , MR-[m I n] is established.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 1-5, 2020 (January)
Analyzing Malnutrition Among Children of Urban Areas in Bangladesh: Penalized Logistic Regression Model
Authors: Kanon Naito , Bari Wasimul
Published: July 2021

This paper focused on the analysis of malnutrition of the children of Bangladesh urban areas in the presence of multicollinearity among the covariates. The ridge regression has been adopted under binary logistic model for analyzing malnutrition data extracted from Bangladesh Urban Health Survey 2013 (UHS 2013) dataset. The study reveals that city corporation slum area, mother’s age at birth, gender of child, birth order number, age of child, wealth index, mother’s education, access to media, toilet facility at household, taking antenatal care service, and place of delivery of index child have significant impact on the nutritional status of urban children of Bangladesh. Some recommendations have been suggested for policy makers to improve the child health of urban areas in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 13-18, 2020 (January)
Optical, Magnetic and Adsorptive Properties of Prepared Copper(II) Oxide
Authors: Rahman Md Ataur , Islam Tajmeri SA , Hossain Md Mufazzal
Published: July 2021

We report the surface morphology, structural propertiesand surface characterization of copper(II) oxide by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. All the data of analysis were consistent with each other and bear the evidence for the purity of the prepared oxide. Kubelka-Munk (K-M) theory is used for the determination of direct band gap of the prepared oxide from UV-visible reflectance spectrum. The band gap value of the bulk material was found to be 4.15 0.05 eV from F(R) versus energy and (F(R) hv)n versus energy plots, with n=1/2 and n=2 Molar magnetic susceptibility and effective magnetic moment of the oxide are 3.393×10-4(cgs) and 0.895 BM respectively which suggest that the oxide is paramagnetic. Catalytic activity was investigated by the study of adsorption of brilliant red (BR) on the surface of prepared oxide in aqueous medium at room temperature. Adsorption isotherm shows that BR moleculesare adsorbed layer by layer on the surface of oxide. Study of the adsorption phenomenon in this work suggest that copper(II) oxide has significant adsorptive and catalytic property.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 7-12, 2020 (January)
Readiness of Health Facilities to Provide Child Curative Care Services: Evidence Based on Bangladesh Health Facility Survey, 2014
Authors: Sen Kanchan Kumar , Nilima Shahnaz , Khokan Mahfuzur Rahman
Published: July 2021

Bangladesh is far away to achieve the target of sustainable development goal 3 (SDG 3). To reduce the child mortality, all sectors related to child health should be improved by taking appropriate actions. In this study, readiness of child curative care health facility services is explored. The readiness was not directly measured, it is measured based on the four domains of ten indicators following WHO guidelines. To create readiness index, equal weights are given to each domains of indicators and also to each indicators at each weighted domains for providing child curative care services. The major purpose of the study is to find out the determinants of readiness of health facilities to provide the child curative care services. The 2014 Bangladesh Health Facility Survey (BHFS) data have been used to serve the purpose. The ordinal logistic regression model with proportional odds assumption has been applied in the study. Type of facility, health provider status, division, qualification of health provider and basic amenities in facility are found to have significant effects on readiness index.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 29-35, 2020 (January)
A Simulation Based Study for the Early Detection of Glaucoma Using Temperature Profiling of Human Eye
Authors: Ghosh Shajib , Rabbani Mamun , Arefin ASM Shamsul
Published: July 2021

Glaucoma is one of the leading ophthalmologic disorders worldwide which results in irreversible blindness if left untreated. Although many detection techniques are already in use, they prove to detect glaucoma at a later stage when the disease causes irreversible effects to the optic tissue. This work aims at developing a novel technique to detect the presence and progression of glaucoma at an early stage through temperature profiling of optic tissues by LASER radiation. A 3D CAD model of the real human eye designed in SolidWorksTM was used and different parameter values were defined for performing thermal simulation in COMSOL Multiphysics® for three distinct LASER point sources: 694.3 nm Ruby LASER, 1064 nm Nd:YAG LASER and 1340 nm Nd:YAP LASER. By analyzing the thermal profile obtained from the simulation, an inverse trend of temperature variation with progression of glaucoma was observed. The effect was most prominently observed in using 694.3mm Ruby LASER with no such temperature rise in the eye causing any physiological harm. This work shows the possibility of using temperature profile due to irradiated light on human eye as a novel biomarker for the early detection of glaucoma.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 37-44, 2020 (January)
Comparison Between Two Multinomial Overdispersion Models Through Simulation
Authors: Afroz Farzana , Shabuz Zillur Rahman
Published: July 2021

A key assumption when using the multinomial distribution is that the observations are independent. In many practical situations, the observations could be correlated or clustered and the probabilities within each cluster might vary, which may lead to overdispersion. In this paper we discuss two well-known approaches to model overdispersed multinomial data, the Dirichlet-multinomial model and the finite-mixture model. The difference between these two models has been illustrated via simulation study. The forest pollen data is considered as a practical example of overdisperse multinomial data. The overdispersion parameter,φ, has been estimated using two classical estimators.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 45-48, 2020 (January)
Investigation of Meteorological Conditions Favourable for Formation of Thunderstorm Occurred Over Bangladesh Through Simulation by WRF-ARW Model
Authors: Quadir Dewan Abdul , Rashid Towhida , Akhter Shammi , Ahasan MN
Published: July 2021

Investigation of meteorological conditions favorable for formation of pre-monsoon thunderstorm over Bangladesh has been conducted by simulating a selected thunderstorm case using ARW dynamic core of WRF model (WRF-ARW). A multi-cell thunderstorm formed on 30-03-2018 over the northwestern tip of Bangladesh and adjacent territories of India and moved south-southeast wards with its highest development at 09:30 UTC was selected for this study. The chosen case of thunderstorm has 3 distinct cells of which 2 cells have the width of over 100 km each and the third one located in the eastern Bangladesh and had the width of 50 km. A WRF ARW model has been applied to examine the atmospheic characteristics favorabe for genesis of selected case run in a double nested domain of resolution of 9x9 km2 in the outer domain and 3 3 km2in the inner domain.  The analysis of the geopotential height field of 925 hPa level generated by WRF model at different hours of 31 March 2018 clearly indicates favourable condition with pockets of micro lows and their progression towards central to southeastern Bangladesh. The strong winds blowing from Bay of Bengal along an anticyclone over the Bay brings sufficient moisture to the north. The southerly winds meet the easterly and also westerly winds providing strong low level convergence which favors the convective activities forming cumulus cells. The orography of foothills may also enhance the convections. The wind in the upper tropospheric winds attains jet speed over these areas. The distribution of divergence and vorticity in the 925 hPa level shows the evolution of system. The distribution of precipitation shows that the spatial patterns were well captured. Vertical velocity has been plotted along the vertical-horizontal plane oriented in the east-west direction across a high rainfall cell. This shows that the highest development of narrow vertical cell extends up to 100 hPa level. Following the temporal evolution of the system, it is seen that the highest development delayed by around 2 hours. Some mitigation strategies in respect of thunderstorms and associated lighting are also discussed.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 71-77, 2020 (January)
Temperature and Substrate Effects on the Structural, Morphological, and Optical Properties of Iron Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Technique
Authors: Ferdous Zannatul , Ullah Md Samir , Hussain Sabina
Published: July 2021

Glass and Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO) coated conducting glass substrates have been chosen for the deposition of Iron Oxide thin films prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Technique. The films were grown at different substrate temperatures (3500C, 4000C, and 4500C) and they were annealed at 3000C for 1 hr. Structural, morphological, optical characterizations of the films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, atomic force micrograph,UV spectroscopy methods. From the XRD studies, films on glass substrates are found to be amorphous in nature with α-hematite phase and crystalline on FTO coated conducting glass substrates. AFM analysis indicates that the films grown on glass substrates are rougher than the films on FTO coated conducting glass substrates. It reveals that the FTO coated conducting glass substrates can be a better choice as a substrate. The transmis sion spectra have been measured in the wavelength range 200-1200 nm. The transmittance of the films both on glass and FTO coated conducting glass substrates has been observed to be about 40- 80% in the wavelength range (500-1100) nm. The optical band gap energy values have been found to be in the range 2.10-2.37 eV.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 79-85, 2020 (January)
Generalized Quasilikelihood Inference for Zero Inflated Longitudinal Count Data
Authors: Antu Jannatul Ferdous , Sharmin Sabina , Mallick Taslim Sazzad
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we extend an observation-driven model for time series of zero inflated count data to longitudinal data setup. Basic properties of the models are discussed. For statistical inference of the proposed model, a generalized quasilikelihood (GQL) estimating equation has been derived for the regression parameter. A pharmaceutical data has been reanalyzed using the proposed approach and results are compared. The proposed approach produces similar estimates as given in the earlier work with much smaller standard errors.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 95-99, 2020 (January)
Isolation of Secondary Metabolites from Leucas aspera and Investigation of Biological Activity
Authors: Reza Md Selim Aktar , Rahman Md Hasanur , Chowdhury Tofail Ahmad
Published: July 2021

Leucas aspera plant was subjected to isolation of secondary metabolites and screening of their biological activities. Four compounds, stigmasterol, lupeol, β-sitosterol and menthol, were isolated from methanol extract. Sixteen different micro-organisms were used for investigating antimicrobial activity of the different extracts of L. aspera where noteworthy zone of inhibition was observed against Gram positive B. subtilis and S. aureus, B. megaterium and Gram negative S. paratyphi, S. typhi, V. mimicus, S. dysenteriae and V. cholera. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the highest lethality was showed by crude methanol extract having LC50 values of 4.07μg/mL. The total antioxidant capacity of crude methanol fraction was found to be 59.40 mg/g of plant extract which was maximum comparing with other fractions. No significant cytotoxicity was observed on both HeLa and Vero cell at 1mg/mL sample inhibition.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 101-104, 2020 (January)
Rejection Sampling Schemes for Simulating from Arbitrary Probability Densities
Authors: Sajib Anamul Haque
Published: July 2021

Simulating random variates from arbitrary non-normalized probability densities, very often they do not have familiar forms, is an increasingly important requirement in many different fields, especially in Bayesian statistics. Accept-reject algorithm is one of the commonly used methods to simulate random variates from such densities but restriction on choosing proposal density under this framework (heavier tails than the target density) limits its applicability to a larger extent. On the other hand, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method can choose proposal density arbitrary which makes this method applicable to a larger class of target densities5. In addition to MCMC method, a more general widely used method known as ratio-of-uniforms (RoU) which requires only two uniform variates to simulate one variates from such densities. However, no empirical comparison among these methods for simulating random variates from such densities was seen in the literature. In this paper, we limit our study only to MCMC and RoU methods to simulate random variates from such densities. Following the generation of random variates from such densities using these two methods, we compare the performance of these two methods based on quality of the generated samples. Finally, we conclude that RoU method performs better than MCMC method as far as quality of the generated sample (randomness) and computational cost are concerned.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(1): 59-64, 2020 (January)
Controlled Release of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Herbicide from Acrylamide Grafted Jute Polymer
Authors: Islam Sanjana , Kamruzzaman Md , Ray Swapan Kumar , Rahman AFM Mustafizur
Published: July 2021

A herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was attempted to incorporate in a polymeric system with a view to control/slow down its release. Jute fiber has been used as a biodegradable, eco-friendly source of cellulose which served the macromolecular backbone for polymeric matrix. Dual application of polymer supported herbicide has been attempted by choosing acrylamide as grafting monomer which on release can also act as soil-modifier (fertilizer). Jute fiber was delignified with alkali and bleached to pulping and then grafted with acrylamide to form a polymeric network. This pre-formed polymer was then subjected to esterification reaction with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and the product thus obtained was analyzed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, with the help of attenuated total reflectance as a sampling technique followed by determining the water absorbency. From the study, it was also found that xylene was the best choice of solvent for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, as it can keep the product from aqueous solution, as a consequence of which, higher esterification was favored. It is proposed that the above formulation could be opted for control/slower release of 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and can also serve the multiple functions of herbicide and fertilizer or soil nutrient.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 105-110, 2020 (July)
Effect of Y3+ Substitution on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni0.25 Zn0.75YxFe2-xO4
Authors: Akhter Sharmin , Roy Probal , Anwar Armin , Hossain MA , Khan MNI , Sikder SS
Published: July 2021

The effect of Y3+ doping on the structural and magnetic properties of Ni0.25 Zn0.75YxFe2-xO4 [x= 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08] was investigated. The specimen was synthesized by conventional solid state reaction method where the sintering temperature was 1150oC for 3 hours. The structure of the specimens was inspected by XRD pattern and SEM micrographs. The XRD patterns delineate the formation of spinel type cubic structure. The lattice parameters, bulk density, X-ray density and porosity were investigated for all the samples. The SEM micrographs shows that the particles of all the composition are within 0.4 – 1.2 μm. M-H curves at room temperature exhibit the ferromagnetic behavior. The effect of Y3+ causes drastically variation on saturation magnetization (Ms), coercivity (Hc) and remanent magnetization (Mr). Moreover, the M-H curves delineate the soft ferromagnetic phenomenon which can be the reason of the acceptance of the specimen in industrial applications.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 111-116, 2020 (July)
Impact of Husbands’ Healthcare Decision Making on Women’s Future Intention of Using Contraceptives in Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun Most Sonia , Nabeen AHM Musfiqur Rahman , Husain Md Maidul , Akanda Md Abdus Salam
Published: July 2021

The use of contraceptive is important for the reduction of maternal mortality, child mortality and to slow down the high population growth rate. The central objective of this study is to examine the association between husbands‟ involvement with healthcare decision making and women‟s future intention of using contraceptives. Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2014 data is used for this purpose. To evaluate the association overall and stratified binary logistic regression models are employed as well as the odds ratios (OR) along with their 95% confidence intervals are specified. The adjusted effect of overall model shows that husband‟s involvement with healthcare decision making is significantly negatively associated (OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.95) with women‟s intention of using contraceptives. The adjusted effects of stratified models also demonstrate that the association is significantly negative among women in rural area, from middle income families, who are Muslim, having more than two living children, having current age 35 to 49, who are unemployed, whose husbands are 1 to 5 years older and secondary educated. These findings can help to address the men‟s role in family planning and to increase the current contraceptive prevalence rate in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 121-127, 2020 (July)
Production and Characterization of Biodiesel from Aphanamixis polystachya Seed Oil
Authors: Ifteqar Sazia , Sultana Rajia , Banik Sujit , Rahman AFM Mustafizur
Published: July 2021

The present study focuses on the utilization of non-edible Aphanamixis polystachya seed oil as a potential feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The extracted oil from non-edible seed could not be directly exploited for biodiesel production owing to its high free fatty acid (FFA) content of 5.785%, so acid catalyzed esterification was applied to reduce FFA of oil to zero followed by base-catalyzed transesterification to convert esterified product to its mono-esters. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the mass percentage corresponding to biodiesel under optimum conditions was 74.38%. The conversion of the triglycerides in the oil into biodiesel through transesterification was confirmed using FT-IR spectroscopy. The elemental analysis of the produced biodiesel was studied. The produced biodiesel had properties which were comparable with biodiesel standards and could be utilized as an alternative diesel fuel without any hardware modifications.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 129-136, 2020 (July)
Forecasting Rice Production of Bangladesh Using ARIMA and Artificial Neural Network Models
Authors: Sultana Abira , Khanam Murshida
Published: July 2021

Forecasting behavior of Econometric and Machine Learning models has recently attracted much attention in the research sector. In this study an attempt has been made to compare the forecasting behavior of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using univariate time series data of annual rice production (1972 to 2013) of Bangladesh. Here, suitable ARIMA has been chosen from several selected ARIMA models with the help of AIC and BIC values. A simple ANN model using backpropagation algorithm with appropriate number of nodes or neurons in a single hidden layer, adjustable threshold value and learning rate, has been constructed. Based on the RMSE, MAE and MAPE values, the results showed that the estimated error of ANN is much higher than the estimated error of chosen ARIMA. So, according to this study, it can be said that the ARIMA model is better than ANN model for forecasting the rice production in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 143-147, 2020 (July)
Determinants of Unmet Need for Family Planning in Bangladesh: Analysis of Matched Case-Control Survey Data of Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun Kakoli , Mallick Taslim Sazzad
Published: July 2021

Unmet need for family planning (FP) is responsible for lowering contraceptive rate which elevate unwanted pregnancy that have adverse effects on maternal and child health. This study uses Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 2014 data in order to identify the factors that are associated with unmet need for FP in Bangladesh. Since the survey is observational, a case-control data has been used matched by age and education of the respondents and the analysis was carried out by using a conditional logistic regression. Unmet need for FP was found to be higher in the rural area, among Muslims, among women who were not exposed to media or not member of any NGO, among couples having no sons.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 149-153, 2020 (July)
Physicochemical Properties and Pesticide Residues in Okra Fruits (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)
Authors: Nandi Polash , Islam Md Mazharul , Sultana Abida , Shoeb Mohammad
Published: July 2021

Vegetable acts as major valuable source of nutrients. Among different vegetables, okra was analyzed to study moisture content, ash content, soluble dietary fiber (SDF), total carbohydrates, and micro-minerals, fatty acid compositions and pesticide residues. Fatty acid compositions were studied by gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) while, gas chromatograph equipped with electron capture detector GC-ECD was used for analysis of pesticide residues. Total carbohydrate content was determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The amount of soluble dietary fiber was estimated by acid extraction method. Fe, Cu and Zn content were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The relative percentage of fatty acids were found to be palmitic, cis-9-oleic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidic acid in a range of 0.27-1.35, 3.78 - 6.32, 30.67- 38.44, 2.13 - 4.85 and 1.29 -3.17 %, respectively. Residual diazinon, chlorpyrifos, fenvalerate, cypermethrin and quinalphos were not found to be present in any sample. Total carbohydrate, SDF, moisture and ash content in fresh okra fruits were found to be 6.01- 6.09, 3.35 - 3.50, 88.02 - 91.84 and 1.72 - 2.04 %, respectively. The amount of Fe, Cu and Zn was 11.41-11.43, 1.78 -1.85 and 8.56 - 9.05 mg per 100 g sample, respectively.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 155-160, 2020 (July)
Phytochemical and Biological Activity Studies of Tinospora crispa Stem
Authors: Rahman Mariam , Rahman Md Hasanur , Chowdhury Tofail Ahmad
Published: July 2021

Three compounds namely, tinosporol A, 8-methoxy palmatine and callecdysterol C were isolated from the methanol extract of the stem of Tinospora crispa. Biological activities of different partitionates of the parent extract was also evaluated. Antimicrobial screening of different partitionates was carried out against sixteen different microorganisms and only n-hexane fraction exhibited significant zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (9 mm), Shigella boydii (9 mm), Shigella dysenteriae (9 mm), Candida albicans (10 mm) and Aspergillus niger (10 mm).The crude methanol extract showed the highest general toxicity with LC50 values of 57.14 μg/mL against brine shrimp lethality bioassay.The total antioxidant capacity of aqueous fraction was found to be 61.61 mg as ascorbic acid equivalentper gram of plant extract.The antioxidant activity of DCM fraction revealed the highest activity having IC50 values 54.74 μg/mL. No significant cytotoxicity was observed on both HeLa and Vero cell lines.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 68(2): 167-170, 2020 (July)
A Comparative Analysis of Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods in Financial Derivative Pricing
Authors: Hossen SM Arif , Hossain ABM Shahadat
Published: July 2021

The main purpose of this dissertation is to study Monte Carlo (MC) and Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods for pricing financial derivatives. We estimate the Price of European as well as various path dependent options like Asian, Barrier and American options by using these methods. We also compute the numerical results by the above mentioned methods and compare them graphically as well with the help of the MATLAB Coding.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 1-6, 2021 (January)
Determinants of Malnutrition Among Ever-married Women in Bangladesh
Authors: Akanda Md Abdus Salam , Khatun Most Sonia , Nabeen AHM Musfiqur Rahman
Published: July 2021

Underweight and overweight problems have serious consequences on the health status of women in Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to find the important factors that may influence a woman for being underweight, overweight and obese. Multinomial logistic regression model is fitted for this purpose. The stepwise variable selection procedure is used to select covariates for the model. Information of ever-married 15,323 non-pregnant women is extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2014 data. Seven covariates (region, living place, wealth index, respondent‟s marital status, current working status, education, and current age) are selected finally for the model from the initially considered thirteen variables. The results of the study demonstrate that the women living in Sylhet region, rural area, widowed or divorced, having less education and younger age are more likely to become underweight. Conversely, the women are living in Khulna region, urban area, married, not working, having more than 10 years of schooling and age 35-49 are at higher risk of experiencing overweight or obesity. Thus, the Government of Bangladesh should take proper initiatives to improve underweight and overweight problem of women considering the findings of this study.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 7-13, 2021 (January)
Factors Associated with Neonatal Mortality in Bangladesh: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Das Hemel , Chakraborty Nitai
Published: July 2021

This study aims at disentangling the influence of both individual and community level factors on neonatal death in Bangladesh. For analysis purpose, data are extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014. Bivariate analysis is used to examine the differentials in neonatal mortality by selected background variables of both levels. As the survey is based on a two-stage stratified sample of households, multilevel logistic regression model is used to analyze the cluster effect and to determine the factors associated with neonatal mortality. Multilevel logistic model confirmed that there exists clustering impact on neonatal death. Moreover, the study has suggested implementation of intervention addressing several individual and community level factors to ameliorate the current neonatal health scenario in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 15-21, 2021 (January)
The Burden of Neonatal Mortality in Urban Slums of Bangladesh: Evidence from Bangladesh Urban Health Survey 2013 Data
Authors: Islam Ummay Nayeema , Sutopa Tasmiah Sad
Published: July 2021

Children in slums are in a vulnerable situation because of their low living standard and poor access to healthcare services. It is melancholic that newborns are the worst victims of this devastating condition. This paper aims at finding out the potential determinants of neonatal death in urban slums using Bangladesh Urban Health Survey 2013 data. For the purpose of analyses, bivariate analysis has been conducted using chi-square test and multiple logistic regression model is used to assess the adjusted effects of potential determinants of neonatal mortality in slum area. Results indicate that type of birth, mother’s education, working status, NGO membership, migration status, pregnancy complication and water source played significant role in occurring neonatal death in slum areas. In order to reduce neonatal mortality in slums, migrant mothers should get the highest priority; awareness building programs should be held frequently in slums regarding maternal health and health care practices for the pregnant mothers as well as their newborn babies.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 31-35, 2021 (January)
Effect of Caesarean Section on Neonatal Health in Bangladesh after Controlling Selection Bias: Propensity Score Based Analysis
Authors: Rahman Md Mahmudur , Sharmin Sabina , Mallick Taslim Sazzad
Published: July 2021

The paper examines the effect of caesarean section (C-section) on early neonatal mortality, neonatal mortality, and early initiation of breastfeeding using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2014 data. Propensity score matching and weighting methods were used to estimate unbiased estimate of treatment effect. The study demonstrates how conclusion about treatment effect varies with and without having balance in the treatment groups. Standard analysis, without caring about balance, reveals that C-section has no significant impact on early neonatal mortality and neonatal mortality. After applying propensity score adjusted methods, balance was achieved in the treatment groups and it was found that C-section has significant effect on early neonatal mortality and neonatal mortality. However, there was no difference between standard and PS adjusted methods in estimating the effect of C-section on early initiation of breastfeeding. It is concluded that children who were delivered by C-section have significantly lower odds of early neonatal mortality, neonatal mortality, and early initiation of breastfeeding as compared to the children who were not delivered by C-section.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 23-29, 2021 (January)
Physicochemical Properties and Metal Ions in Water and Sediment of the Dhaleshwari River
Authors: Islam Md Mazharul , Bhuiyan Md Hossan Sohid Shoraoardy , Islam Rakibul , Shoeb Mohammad , Mamun Md Iqbal Rouf , Rahman Md Hafizur
Published: July 2021

This study was aimed to measure sediment and water quality parameter such as moisture and ash content, pH, TOC, TSS, BOD, TOC, DO, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Na, K, Ca and Cr metal ions from Dhaleshwari River close to the Savar Tannery Estate (STE). The moisture and ash content of sediments were 23.45-31.42% and 2.09-5.80%, respectively. The pHs of sediment and water samples were 5.20-6.21 and 7.68-8.03, respectively. The average of Ca-hardness, DO and BOD in water were 885.9±88.8, 1.80±0.10 and 16.70± 1.43 mg/L, respectively. The EC of the sediment and water were 24.60-374.00 μS/cm and 32.80-39.50 mS/cm, respectively. The amount of TOC in sediment and water samples were 1.29-3.25g/100g and 2.28-2.70 mg/kg which are very low indicating the fewer amounts of plant and animal residues and sediment biota. TSS in water was 776-936 mg/L which is higher than the permissible limit (600 mg/kg). The Cr content was determined by AAS which implies that the sediment has significantly higher Cr content (38.78-681.62 mg/kg) compared to water (< 0.005 mg/L). The amount of Na and Ca ions were 26.81-45.00 and 16.04-27.36 mg/L, respectively while K ion was very negligible in water.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 37-42, 2021 (January)
Impact of Horizontal Grid Resolutions for Thunderstorms Simulation over Bangladesh Using WRF-ARW Model
Authors: Uddin Md Joshem , Samad MA , Mallik MAK
Published: July 2021

In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the physical and dynamical characteristics of three thunderstorms that occurred on 06 May 2017 over Mymensingh, Chuadanga, and Sylhet in Bangladesh by the WRF-ARW model of 5 and 10 km horizontal resolutions, and to find out the impacts of horizontal grid resolution for simulating thunderstorm events. The model was run for 48 h using global Final Analysis (FNL) data. Various meteorological parameters such as Mean Sea Level Pressure (MSLP), wind pattern at several pressure levels, relative humidity, and radar reflectivity along with the atmospheric instability index are analyzed and compared with the observed data of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The model has captured the low pressure area, the conjugation of easterly and westerly wind, the presence of strong convection, high magnitude of vertical wind shear, marked dry-line, updraft, and downdraft reasonably well for the finest grid resolution. But the convective available potential energy (CAPE) value is found almost similar near the places of occurrence for both resolutions. The model performance is found precisely well for the finest than that of coarse horizontal grid resolution.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 43-51, 2021 (January)
Electronic Properties and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Simulation of MoS2 Nanosheets by Using Density Functional Theory
Authors: Ahmed Fariha , Kabir Alamgir
Published: July 2021

The ab-initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach is used to study the electronic properties of bulk and layered MoS2 nanosheets. For the layered structures mono, bi, tri, tetra and penta layered structure is used. The direct to indirect transition of bandgap is observed as the number of layers is increasing. This transition of bandgap is attributed to the van der Waals interlayer interaction between two layers of MoS2 nanosheets. The indirect bandgap in the bulk MoS2 is found to be 0.94 eV, whereas for a single layered nanosheet is found to be direct bandgap with the value of 1.83 eV. To confirm the surface termination and understand the surface morphology of MoS2 the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) simulation is performed in constant height mode. It is found that the detection of surface atoms via STM depends on the tip atom of the STM.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 53-57, 2021 (January)
Phytochemical Investigation, Fatty Acid Analysis and In Vitro Membrane Stabilizing Activity of the Roots of Amaranthus spinosus L.
Authors: Mamun Md Rubel Al , Ahmed Tasnim , Reza Md Selim Aktar , Rahman Md Hasanur
Published: July 2021

Ethylacetate extract of the roots of Amaranthus spinosus L. was subjected to phytochemical investigation and three compounds stigmasterol, 1-Eicosanol and oleic acid were isolated in pure state. The n-hexane extract was analysed for fatty acid with GC-FID and four saturated fatty acids; caprylic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid and behenic acid, and four unsaturated fatty acids; palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and erucic acid were identified and quantified. Different extracts were assessed to explore their in vitro membrane stabilizing activity using standard protocol. Methanol extract of A. spinosus showed 68.13% inhibition in hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis and 74.53% inhibition in heat induced hemolysis which was the highest than its other Kupchan fractions. Acetyl salicylic acid was used as standard that showed 42.00% inhibition of hemolysis at normal condition.

Dhaka Univ. J. Sci. 69(1): 59-62, 2021 (January)
Paz compleja y saberes ancestrales en la amazonia colombiana
Authors: Vallejo-Fuenmayor Wilson
Published: July 2021

Cuando se habla de paz en la Amazonía colombiana reviven en la memoria hechos de violencia, muerte y sometimiento de siglos; desde las bonanzas caucheras hasta las vividas hoy con la coca, el petróleo y la minería que destruyen la madre tierra, desplazan y siembran, a su paso, desolación y muerte.

En los pueblos ancestrales, sus luchas diarias por sobrevivir motivan la resistencia y en sus saberes culturales; ignorados, negados e invisibilizados por el poder hegemónico, sustentan su identidad; cual tesoros milenarios amasados en la experiencia tradicional de comunicar y compartir en la chagra, la tulpa, la maloca, en el mambeo; en el tejer artesanal o el carnaval del perdón (Día Grande); donde se mingan pensamientos para el buen vivir. Es admirable la capacidad heroica de resistir y levantarse de las cenizas; su voz no se acalla para exigir con valentía sus derechos al territorio, respeto de su dignidad y a vivir en paz.

Es de destacar que representantes del Pensamiento Complejo denuncian el epistemicidio histórico de los saberes alternativos de las culturas y sensibilizan sobre la importancia de visibilizarlas reconociendo su sabiduría ancestral, digna de enseñar, en una sociedad globalizada que ha perdido la brújula de su andar al reducir sus aspiraciones a fines económicos y al consumo irracional precipitándose inevitablemente a la autodestrucción.

La tarea desde los procesos educativos es tender puentes de encuentro entre el saber científico y los saberes culturales de los pueblos invisibilizados, estigmatizados; para reconociendo las diferencias, en cooperación y solidaridad tejer la paz.
Análisis crítico de la problemática ambiental como desafío al currículo ecuatoriano
Authors: Barrionuevo-Coba Nancy , Varguillas-Carmona Carmen
Published: July 2021

La dedicación que le otorga el sector educativo al problema del medio ambiente en el Ecuador ha sido poca, por no decir nula. Esta situación se ha venido ignorando a tal punto que las sociedades modernas están perdiendo la actitud humana de convivencia con su contexto natural que caracteriza a la racionalidad humana. Bajo esta coyuntura dentro del ámbito educativo nos es necesario analizar el currículo del área de Ciencias Naturales en sus niveles de educación obligatoria, para determinar cómo y dónde se debería tomar en cuenta esta problemática medio ambiental y darle la importancia que amerita a dicha situación. El principal desafío por desarrollar será el cambio de actitud que tienen los niño/as y jóvenes con su entorno, concientizándolos en los resultados de una mala administración de los recursos naturales y el desarrollo de empatía para con el medio ambiente. De este modo, el objetivo planteado, fomentará orientaciones que, desde el área de ciencias naturales del currículo del Ecuador, propicien reflexiones relacionadas a la actuación que la educación mantiene ante esta problemática medio ambiental y sus posibles consecuencias. La metodología adoptada en el presente trabajo es descriptiva, la cual, enmarcada en tres posturas teóricas en contraste con la información recopilada desde los aportes de varios organismos internacionales en especial de Europa y Estados Unidos, países que más seguimiento han dado a esta problemática. Este estudio nos ha permitido observar que el consumismo excesivo inducido por las sociedades modernas está generando millardos de toneladas de basura que provocan al medio ambiente una contaminación sin precedentes, todo esto nos permitió concluir que la política pública del Ecuador debería enfocarse en una educación más centrada en el cuidado del medio ambiente por el futuro de las nuevas generaciones.
Influencia de la programación neurolingüística en el desarrollo de los niños con necesidades educativas especiales de la Unidad Educativa Mariscal Sucre
Authors: Núñez-Gutíerrez Melida , Núñez-Gutiérrez Melida
Published: July 2021

Nuestra investigación se basa en aportar con un modelo neurolingüístico mediante estrategias de programación neurolingüística que sirva como herramienta en el desarrollo de los niños con necesidades educativas especiales. Este trabajo investigativo tiene como finalidad contribuir a los docentes de la Unidad Educativa Mariscal Sucre. Como una propuesta de estrategias metodológicas, para así lograr una comunicación efectiva, asertiva entre la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de los educandos, lo cual permitirá una actividad placentera que los mantenga motivados e interesados en el proceso educativo para lograr conocimientos reales y significativos.La variable independiente programación neurolingüística y la dependiente necesidades educativas especiales de nuestra investigación están enfocadas en una atención específica y motivacional, donde a su vez influencia en las actitudes de aquellos educandos de diferentes grados y capacidades personales.Dicha investigación se aplica el método analítico-sintético prevaleciendo el desarrollo cualitativo como proceso de producción y apropiación del conocimiento que permiten superar la conexión entre la teoría y la práctica. Este enfoque científico permite indagar y profundizar sobre el tema para así buscar soluciones y aplicar estrategias que ayudará en el proceso educativo. Para concluir el modelo neurolingüístico de la presente investigación, se elabora estrategias donde que aplique a los cuatros pilares fundamentales, ejercicios de programación neurolingüística y material lúdico, siendo la comunicación el medio de empoderación para fortalecer en los estudiantes actitudes, valores, palabras de aliento, positivas y acogedoras logrando un aprendizaje significativo y afecto emocional.
Talleres interactivos, una herramienta para educar en valores en la escuela de educación básica “Leonardo R. Aulestia”
Authors: De La Torre-Quiñonez Yadira , Duarte-Salavarria Ruth
Published: July 2021

Este trabajo investigativo es importante porque las autoras concentran su finalidad en mejorar la educación integral de los niños (as) de la Escuela Leonardo R. Aulestia, dentro de este proceso no solo se debe fomentar la parte cognitiva, sino también la ética y de manera específica la formación en valores, porque son el cimiento de toda sociedad.El objetivo fundamental del artículo científico es aportar con una guía metodológica de educación en valores en los estudiantes de la Institución antes mencionada a través de talleres interactivos para lograr la convivencia armónica y la cultura de paz, una educación fundamentada en virtudes nos permite concienciar sobre las consecuencias de nuestros actos, asegura además la armonía entre miembros, estos preceptos se los transmitirán con la utilización de las herramientas interactivas.El trabajo se basa en la investigación cualitativa, se destaca métodos histórico-lógico, análisis-síntesis, deducción e inducción, observación, medición y la experimentación; estos instrumentos establecieron una contribución en el ámbito científico metodológico, lo que permitió a las investigadoras apropiarse de estrategias innovadoras encaminadas al bienestar de la población estudiantil, y en las distintas definiciones sobre la enseñanza - aprendizaje de los valores éticos.Mediante este trabajo se establecerá la importancia de la práctica de los valores en los estudiantes con la aplicación de talleres interactivos lo que reducirá la violencia observada, la educación en valores es uno de los ejes transversales de carácter interdisciplinario establecidos en la malla curricular.
Análisis de la calidad de la enseñanza y el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes en la universidad Jaime Bausate y Meza
Authors: Garrido-Choccña Susana
Published: July 2021

La presente investigación fue realizada con el objetivo de determinar en qué medida la calidad de la enseñanza se relaciona con el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes en la universidad Jaime Bausate y Meza en el semestre académico 2020- 2. El presente trabajo comprende el estudio de dos variables: la calidad de la enseñanza y el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes. La muestra estuvo conformada por 253 estudiantes. El instrumento utilizado fueron dos cuestionarios. El diseño utilizado fue de nivel correlacional y de corte transversal. Los resultados dieron a conocer que la calidad de la enseñanza se relaciona significativamente con el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes. De los 51.78% de los estudiantes encuestados indicó un nivel alto respecto a la calidad de la enseñanza que reciben, mientras que el 40.32% indicó un nivel medio y el 7.91% indicó un nivel bajo.En conclusión, la calidad de la enseñanza en la metodología didáctica se relaciona significativamente con el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes. El 71.15% de los estudiantes encuestados indicó un nivel alto respecto a la metodología didáctica aplicada en las sesiones de clase, mientras que el 19.76% indicó un nivel medio, y el 9.09% indicó un nivel bajo. De igual manera, la calidad de la enseñanza en la incorporación de las nuevas tecnologías y recursos diversos se relaciona significativamente con el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes. El 59.29% de los estudiantes encuestados indicó un nivel alto respecto a las nuevas tecnologías y recursos diversos usados en las sesiones de clase, mientras que el 30.43% indicó un nivel medio, y el 10.28% indicó un nivel bajo. Finalmente, la calidad de la enseñanza en la organización de las condiciones se relaciona significativamente con el grado de satisfacción de los estudiantes. El 75.10% de los estudiantes encuestados indicó un nivel alto respecto a la organización de las condiciones, mientras que el 15.81% indicó un nivel medio, y el 9.09% indicó un nivel bajo.