bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability and Trend of Seasonal Climatic Variables in Dinajpur District
Authors: Syeda JA
Published: August 2012

An attempt was made to investigate the seasonal (three crop seasons) trend and variability of 20 climatic variables of Dinajpur district for 1948-2004. The variety of Exploratory Data Analyses (EDA) tools and different robust and nonrobust measures are used for the analyses. The rates of total rainfall are observed positive for all the three seasons but the residuals are nonormal and/or nonstationary. The rates were found significant positive for average dry bulb temperature (+0.00655°Cyr-1) but negative for   total frequency of zero rainfall (-0.0846daysyr-1) during Kharif season and significant positive for average minimum temperature(+0.0175°Cyr-1) but negative for range temperature (-0.0456°Cyr-1 ) and maximum temperature (-0.0281°Cyr-1) during Rabi season. Historical climatic data needs exploratory analysis and warrants tougher justification in classical analyses for outlier and residuals nonnormality and nonstationarity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11549 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 19  28, 2012
Influence of Commercially Available Organic vs Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth Yield and Quality of Carrot
Authors: Zakir HM , Sultana MN , Saha KC
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to evaluate the  response of Biomeal, a commercial organic fertilizer in combination with inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield and quality named of carrot. The maximum gross yield (29.27 t ha-1) of carrot was obtained from T4 treatment [recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers (RDIF) + ½ recommended dose of Biomeal (RDB)], while the second lowest gross yield (18.73 t ha-1) was recorded in  alone RDB treatment. Carrot plants treated with RDIF showed the highest values for fresh weight of individual root (67.13 g), marketable yield (18.74 t ha-1), shoot length (47.87 cm), individual root diameter (10.91 mm) and nitrogen content in carrot (2.48%). Among the biochemical properties, the maximum amount of reducing sugar and total sugar (5.15 and 10.51%, respectively) were obtained from T7 treatment (RDIF + RDB). In context of carotene, the highest amount (4.92%) was found in T4 treatment (RDIF + ½ RDB). Considering major nutrients and biochemical properties of carrot, it can be inferred that Biomeal alone is not sufficient enough but it has positive influence when it is applied in combination with inorganic fertilizers. The study  also revealed that there was no significant contribution of Biomeal to increase organic carbon, N, P, S and Ca content in post  harvest soils. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11551 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 39 - 45, 2012
Investigation on Fish Marketing Pattern in Mymensingh
Authors: Goon PK , Chandra KJ , Sultana N
Published: August 2012

An investigation was carried out on fish marketing system of Mymensingh town to find out different marketing channels, fish trading, marketing cost and margins of fish at different levels. The investigation was conducted from October, 2010 to September,  2011 in sixteen markets of Mymensingh town. In Mymensingh town a large number of people were involved in the fish marketing channel as bepari, aratdar, paiker and retailer. Paiker and bepari bought fish from producer and finally sold fish to retailer through aratdar. In the study area it was estimated that total marketing cost of fish for aratdar was Tk. 1.32, paiker, Tk. 6.05, and retailer,  Tk. 1.83 per kg of fish. Cost item of fish for different intermediaries was Tk. 10.49 total. The highest marketing costs (Tk. 6.05)  were for paiker because they had paid higher aratdari commission and higher transportation cost. Average Net profit was Tk. 3.19   for paikers at peak period and Tk. 3.36 at lean period, for aratdars Tk. 1.60 at peak period and Tk. 1.75 lean period and for  retailers Tk. 5.06 at peak period and Tk. 6.24 at lean period per kg of fish. Ilish (Tenualosa ilisha) had high demand to consumers  and available in the market with approximate price of Tk. 250 to Tk. 300 per piece DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11554 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 61-68, 2012
Analysis of the Proximate Composition of Domesticated Stock of Pangas (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in Laboratory Condition
Authors: Begum M , Akter T , Minar MH
Published: August 2012

A study was undertaken to determine the proximate composition of aquarium reared pangus (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fish. Fresh aquarium pangas fish were used during the whole experiment and the fishes were under identical rearing conditions from fingerling till adult. The proximate biochemical composition of domesticated stock of raw pangas muscles were determined through determination of moisture, Protein, Fat and Ash of the edible portion. And the results indicates the moisture, protein, fat and ash percentage (%) were 78.29 ±0.22, 12.78 ±0.16, 16.55 ± 1.52 and 1.78 ±0.19, respectively. Therefore, this fish can play a  significant role to fulfill the nutrient demand of the people in Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11555 Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 69-74, 2012
Impact of Seed Transmission of Bipolaris sorokiniana on the Planting Value of Wheat Seeds
Authors: Sultana A , Rashid AQMB
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted in vitro to determine the planting value of wheat seeds as affected by Bipolaris sorokiniana. The wheat seed samples were tested in blotter method and impairment caused by B. sorokiniana was recorded after sprouting of the seeds. During the germination of wheat seeds the pathogen transmitted from seed to plant and caused germination failure, coleoptile infection and root infection. Significantly, the highest transmission of the pathogen caused germination failure in the sample S2 (64.3%). The coleoptile infection was recorded in the sample S3 (9.5%) followed by S2 (5.4%) and S1 (2.4%) respectively. The pathogen was recorded to be transmitted from seed to the coleorhizae giving rise to significantly the highest infection in S3 (2.6%) followed by S2 (2.3%) and S1(2.1%) respectively in blotter. Regression between prevalence of the pathogen and germination failure along with the coleoptiles and coleorhizae infection indicated the increasing trend of deteriorating planting value of the seed with the increasing rate of transmission of the pathogen from seed to germinating seed and seedlings. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11556 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 75- 78, 2012
Effects of Spirulina in Lead Induced Toxicities in Long Evans Rats
Authors: Rahman MA , Moitry NF , Alam M , Yasmin Z , Debnath D , Mostofa M
Published: August 2012

The effect of spirulina in lead induce toxicity was conducted on 20 adult rats (Long Evans). Rats were randomly divided into four equal groups and subjected to treatments once daily for a period of 4 weeks. Rats treated with lead acetate showed severe toxic and significantly reduced erythrocytes count, hemoglobin content and significantly elevated SGPT, SGOT and ALP. Rats treated  with lead acetate plus spirulina in two doses, 1500 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg b.wt. were apparently normal. There hematological and biochemical parameters were not altered significantly. This experiment revealed that treatment with spirulina was effective in lead-induced toxicity and to restore altered values of hematological and biochemical parameters DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11557 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 79 - 82, 2012
Hospital Waste Management in Tangail Municipality
Authors: Mia MY , Ali MA , Rahman MA , Naznin L , Hossain MU
Published: August 2012

An investigation was conducted on hospital waste management in Tangail Municipality and its impact on human health. Data was collected through questionnaire interview from local residents, superintendents, nurses, observation and secondary sources. The results revealed that wastes are collected every alternative day and though sometime in irregular basis. Hospital wastes causes different health hazards like bad smell, infestation of animals, diarrhoea, skin diseases etc. due to irregular collection, unsafe handling, disposal, storage, transportation and finally dumped with municipal wastes. For knowing health impacts, among 110 general respondents 63% was affected, and 50 respondents who were associated with medical waste handling including nurse,  pickers, workers, etc. in which more than 90% were affected one or more diseases due to improper management and imposed of hospital wastes. Shortage of dustbin is common in every hospitals and clinics in Tangail Municipality. The study also revealed that 1000-1500kg wastes were generated per day in Tangail Municipal area in which 19.23% infectious and 80.77% noninfectious. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11566 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 121 - 127, 2012
Yield of Fine Rice Varieties as Influenced by Integrated Management of Poultry Manure Urea Super Granules and Prilled Urea
Authors: Islam MS , Sarkar MAR , Uddin S , Parvin S
Published: August 2012

Higher grain yield (2.45 t ha-1) was obtained in BRRI dhan34 than that of Kalizira (2.23 t ha-1). Fertilizer application @ 1.8g USG and other inorganic fertilizer ( full dose for T. aman + PM at 3.5 tha-1) gave the highest grain yield (2.85 t ha-1) and lowest grain yield (1.52 t ha-1) was found at control (no PM and NPKS). Grain yields were affected by the interaction of variety and nutrient management. The highest grain yield (2.88 t ha-1) was found in BRRI dhan34 coupled with 1.8g USG and other inorganic fertilizer(full dose for T. aman) + PM at 3.5 t ha-1 and the lowest grain yield (1.24 t ha-1) was found in Kalizira coupled with control (no PM and NPKS). The combination of fine rice BRRI dhan34 and 1.8g USG and other inorganic fertilizer (full dose for T. aman) + PM at 3.5t ha-1 appeared as the best treatment combination for the highest grain yield. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11567 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 129 - 132, 2012
Growth Regulatory Activities of Different Extracts of Tinospora Cordifolia on Some Vegetable Seeds with their Chemical Investigation
Authors: Aktar S , Sayed MA , Islam MR , Roy B , Hossain MA
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted to investigate the growth regulatory activities of different extracts of Tinospora cordifolia on radish (Raphanus sativus), swamp cabbage (Impoea aquatica) and ladys finger (Hibiscus esculentus) with the attempt for chemical investigation of effective plant extract. The chloroform extract of Tinospora cordifolia significantly increased and enhanced germination, growth of shoot length and root length of radish and ladys finger whereas and delayed germination, growth of shoot length and root length of swamp cabbage seeds compared with control. In the same way, ethanol extract of Tinospora cordifolia significantly increased germination, growth of shoot length and root length of swamp cabbage followed by control and chloroform extract. Our study reveals that different extracts of Tinospora cordifolia contain growth regulatory active principle. Among the extracts, chloroform extract was shown better performance in terms of percent germination, growth of shoot and root length of radish and ladys finger. To find out effective compound from chloroform extract, thin layer chromatography was done and showed five distinct compounds. Further study is needed to determine structure for finding growth regulatory compound for agricultural usage. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11568 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 133 - 140, 2012
Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Two Vegetables in Responses to Aqueous Extract of Four Herbal Plant Leaves
Authors: Roy B , Sarker BC , Ali MR , Das SR , Sayed MAS
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted on aqueous extracts of leaves of some herbal plants viz., Beleric myrobalan; bohera (Terminalia belirica), Chebulic myrobalan; horitoki (Terminalia chebula), Sweet basil; tulsi (Ocimum gratissmum) and arjunaa myrobalan; arjun (Terminalia arjuna) for investigating the presence of biologically active substance. The seeds of two vegetable crops such as, swamp cabbage (Impoea aquatica) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) were tested for germination and seedling growth treating with aqueous extract of four herbal plant leaves. The chemical investigation on effective plant extract was also attempted. The aqueous   extract of bohera leaves increased germination of seeds tested and enhanced the growth of shoot length and root length of swamp cabbage (Impoea aquatica) and okra (Hibiscus esculentus) whereas the aqueous extract of horitoki significantly reduced and delayed germination, growth of shoot length and root length of swamp cabbage seeds compared with control; water. The maximum germination was in okra and swamp cabbage seeds within 5 and 4.8 days respectively, treated with the leaves extract of bohera. Shoot lengths were 16.2 and 16.43 cm and root length were 8.74 and 8.91 cm for okra and swamp cabbage seedlings, respectively. The aqueous extract of horitoki showed the lowest rate and late germination at 6 and 5.8 days and minimum shoot lengths were 13.13 and 13.36 cm, and root lengths were 5.91 and 6.08 cm for okra and swamp cabbage seedlings, respectively. The thin layer chromatography (TLC) examination of chloroform extract of bohera leaves showed four distinct compounds at Hexane: Ethyl acetate (3:1, v/v) while horitoki leaves showed three distinct compounds at Hexane: Ethyl acetate (5:1, v/v). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11569 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 141-150, 2012
Prospects and Constraints of Madhupur National Park Management
Authors: Mia MY , Hossain MU , Farzana S
Published: August 2012

The study was conducted in Madhupur National Park (MNP), which is very well known for its characteristics as deciduous forest.  This study examined the constraints of park management, causes of deforestation and prospects of Madhupur Sal forests of Bangladesh. Data were collected from the Madhupur National Park authority and a study was done to have clear scenario of the park management and status of forest over time. It is evident from the study that due to various factors like anthropogenic disturbances, political abusement, absence of proper rules and regulations, willingless of the authority, encroachment of forest by locals/local leaders, illegal cutting of Sal trees, agro-forestry, and lack of adequate budget are main constraints for managing MNP. The study also revealed that about 1-3% of the forest is depleted each year, and about 50-80 years later, the forest will be completely vanished or scattered in somewhere. However, MNP will be a sustainable reserve forest for Sal trees and other flora and fauna, and also be a potential ecotourism spot, if it is properly managed. Findings of the study will help to identify the prospects and constraints of MNP and also in other National Parks in Bangladesh which ultimately conserve the biodiversity and help to maintain natural balance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11570 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 151 - 158, 2012
Microbiological Quality and Antibiogram of E. coli, Salmonella and Vibrio of Salad and Water from Restaurants of Chittagong
Authors: Nawas T , Mazumdar RM , Das S , Nipa MN , Islam S , Bhuiyan HR , Ahmad I
Published: August 2012

The study aimed at examining the microbial quality of restaurant salad and the water used for salad preparation and their role as a source of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Samples were collected from 15 different restaurants located in Chittagong city. The range of Total Viable Count was 1.86×104 to7.28×105 CFU/g and 1.60×104 CFU/ml to 4.38×105 CFU/ml for salad and water respectively. Total colifrm and fecal coliform count > 1100 CFU/100 ml were found in 73.33% of salad and 33.33% water samples. Salmonella spp was present in 46.67% of restaurants salad and water. Vibrio spp. was present in 66.67% of salad and  53.33% of water. A total of 102 isolates belonging to genus Vibrio, Salmonella and E. coli were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test by disc diffusion method by using nine different types of antibiotic discs. Salmonella spp. from salad and water showed resistance against Amoxicillin (75%), Cephradine and Cephalexin (68.75%). 85.71% Vibrio spp. isolated from salad and water were resistant to Amoxicillin respectively. Multiple drug resistance was seen in 39 and 51 isolates of Salmonella and Vibrio isolates, respectively. The results suggest the necessity to follow the hygienic practices in salad preparation and salad might have  an important role as a source of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11571 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 159 - 166, 2012
In Vitro Regeneration of High Yielding Indica Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties
Authors: Alam MJ , Imran M , Hassan L , Rubel MH , Shamsuddoha M
Published: August 2012

The experiment was conducted to observe the regeneration potential and also to establish a suitable in vitro plantlet regeneration protocol from mature seed derived embryogenic calli of four indica rice varieties viz BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan47 and Binadhan-7 after partial desiccation treatment. Different concentrations and combinations of growth regulators were used in MS medium to observe the callus induction ability using mature embryo as explants. The percentage of callus induction frequency  was highest (86.00) in BRRI dhan47 and the lowest (56.50) in Binadhan-7 Among the culture media the performance of MS +500 mgl-1 L- Proline + 2.0 mgl-12, 4-D + 0.8 mgl-1BAP was better than any other media for callus induction frequency (%), rapid  callusing, size of the callus (mm), texture of callus and color of callus. Among the four varieties, shoot regeneration was highest in BRRI dhan29 (84.33%) which required minimum (14.80) days to and the lowest was in Binadhan-7 (39.67%) which required maximum (15.47) days. Among the treatments, the highest (65.75%) shoot regeneration was observed with MS + 6.0 mgl-1Kn +0.5 mgl-1 NAA which required minimum days (13.75) to develop green bud formation and the lowest shoot regeneration (56.50) was observed with MS + 2.0 mgl-1Kn + .05 mgl-1 NAA. BRRI dhan29 produced more number of shoots (4.67) per callus while Binadhan-7 showed minimum number of shoots (2.87) per callus. The highest number of shoot producing roots (3.66) was observed in BRRI dhan29 which showed maximum number of root per plant and the lowest (3.11) in Binadhan-7. Among the three treatments MS + 0.6 mgl-1IBA showed highest percentage 86.67 of root followed by MS+ 0.6 mgl-1IBA 70% and the lowest (66.7%) was in MS+ 0.4 mgl-1IBA. The establishment rate of the plantlet in the pot was the highest (67.67%) in BRRI dhan29 and Binadhan-7 showed lowest establishment rate (51.22%) in pot. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11573J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 173 - 177, 2012
Status of Solid Waste Generation at Jahangirnagar University Campus and Development of a Suitable Management Plan
Authors: Saadat AHM , Parvin F , Alam ATMJ , Kamal AKI
Published: August 2012

Present status of solid waste generation of Jahangirnagar University campus was assessed and its probable utilization was examined and a suitable management option is prescribed. Study includes waste generation in the teachers and staff quarters, central cafeteria and different students halls. It is found that every day about five metric tons of waste generated from different locations and they are dumped into the open environment and deteriorating the environment. Calculations suggest that 30 kW/h electricity along with 300 metric tons of compost can be generated from the organic part of the waste in the campus every year. This electricity can be used for continuous electrification of research laboratories or class rooms. The compost generated from the solid waste, can replace the organic and inorganic manure for gardening in the campus which can save a handsome amount of money from the yearly budget of Jahangirnagar University in this sector. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11579 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 187 - 191, 2012
Response of Nitrogen Application at Different Growth Stages on Fine Aman Rice (CV. Kalizira)
Authors: Haque MA , Miah MNH , Haque ME , Islam MS , Islam MS
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University during the aman season of 2005-2006 to investigate the response of different doses of nitrogen application at different growth stages on fine aman rice (cv. kalizira). The experiment consisted of 3 levels of N application namely, 50% of recommended N, 100% of recommended N (150kg ha-1) and 25% higher than recommended N and 3 different plant growth stages of N application namely transplanting, maximum tillering and panicle initiation stage. The application of single super phosphate, muriate of potash, gypsum and zinc sulphate were same in all the plots at the rate of 125, 67, 20 and 5 kg ha-1, respectively. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design (SPD) with three replications. All data were analyzed using the analysis of variance technique and the mean differences were adjusted   by DMRT. The results revealed that different doses of nitrogen had significant positive effect on the most of the vegetative   parameters. Plant height, numbers of tiller hill-1, leaf hill-1, dry matter hill-1 were to be highest with the increasing rate of nitrogen at all sampling excluding final harvest.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11582J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 199 - 203, 2012
Effect of Inoculant on Yield and Yield Contributing Characters of Summer Mungbean Cultivars
Authors: Rahman M , Imran M , Ashrafuzzaman M
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) farm, Mymensingh to study the effect of rhizobial inoculant (biofertilizer) on the the yield and yield contributing characters of mungbean cultivars. Experimental treatments included two varieties of mungbean namely Binamoog5 and Binamoog7 and six inoculant treatments namely control(I0), Bradyrhizobium Inoculant(I), Inoculant+P, NPK, Inoculant+PK+B and Inoculant+PK+CD. Inoculantion+PK+B obtained the highest grain yield of mungbean (1.49 t ha-1) while Inoculantion+PK+CD showed the highest straw yield. NPK application showed significantly higher grain and straw yield over uninoculated control and parallel to inoculation but statistically inferior to I+PK+CD in respect of grain yield. Inoculantion+PK+CD or Inoculantion+PK+B may be recommended for summer mungbean production where I+PK+CD is preferable. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11584 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 211 - 215, 2012
Influence of Different Media Variety and Growth Regulator on Mycelial Colony Proliferation of Mushroom
Authors: Uddin MJ , Nasiruddin KM , Haque ME , Biswas AK , Islam MS
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted at the Mushroom growth house and Tissue Culture Laboratory, Horticulture Demonstration and Training Centre (HDTC), Kewatkhali, Mymensingh during February to May, 2006 to investigate the mycelial colony proliferation of different mushroom species (Oyster (Pleurotus florida), Milky (Calocybe indica) and Button (Agaricus biporus)) in different media (viz. PDA, YPDA and MEA) and different combinations and concentrations ( 0, 1, 5, 10 and 20 ppm) of different growth regulators (IAA and NAA). As a media, the best mycelial growth of 9.34 cm was found in YPDA (Yeast Potato Dextrose Agar) at 21 DAI. As a variety, the best mycelial growth of 11.90 cm was performed by Oyster at 21 DAI. In case of combined effect of different media and variety for mycelial growth, the best growth (12.57 cm) was found in Oyster with YPDA media at 21 DAI. In case of growth regulator, the best mycelial growth of 5.50 cm was found at 21 DAI with 10 ppm IAA and 4.03 cm was found at   18 DAI with 5 ppm NAA and 5.38 cm at 21 DAI with control. In case of combined effect of IAA and NAA, the best mycelial  colony proliferation (6.72 cm) was found with 10 ppm IAA + 5 ppm NAA at 21 DAI. It may be concluded that among three varieties and media, Oyster was the best variety and YPDA was the superior media for mushroom cultivation. Malt extract supplemented with 10 ppm IAA+ 5 ppm NAA as found to be the best for mycelial colony proliferation of Button mushroom DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11586 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 223  227, 2012
Land Classification for Optimal Use of Land by Remote Sensing and GIS Technology
Authors: Haque MF , Ali MS , Haq MA , Akhand MMR
Published: August 2012

In this paper, attempt has been made to prepare landuse map for the district of Brahmanbaria, situated in the east-central part of        Bangladesh using remote sensing technique. The multi-spectral Landsat TM data for 3 November 2002, 15 December 2004, 01 February 2002, 14 March 2003 and some aerial photographs of December 2000 have been used for land-use mapping for major three crops namely aman rice (late July - early November), winter (rabi) crops and winter (boro) rice. The imagery covers the growing seasons of the above crops, where multi-spectral and multi-temporal signatures for the green vegetations have been shown in spatial domain. The interpretation of the aerial photographs have also been performed and prepared GIS layers containing the water bodies and settlements. All the signature files including the interpretations of aerial photographs have been combined to produce a composite file in GIS layers. These layers were then combined to prepare the landuse maps including the three major crops cultivated round the year. Moreover, the landuse map of Akhaura upazila was compared with the land-type map and a relation of the landuse with the land-type has also been derived. The extracted feature files corresponding to spectral signatures have been overlaid to estimate the distribution of three major crop types in the study area. The result implies that all the three major crops like, aman, rabi and boro were cultivated in the same land which was 9.2% of total land area. Similarly, areas under double and single crops were also estimated and the result revealed that all the three crop types cover 68.3% of the total land area of Brahmanbaria district. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11587 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 229-237, 2012
Trend and Variability Analysis for Forecasting of Temperature in Bangladesh
Authors: Syeda JA
Published: August 2012

An attempt was made to investigate the trend and variability pattern for decadal, annual and seasonal (three crop seasons) average dry bulb temperature (ADBT) for the six divisional stations of Bangladesh namely Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Chittagong. The monthly ADBT for 2009-2012 is forecasted using the univariate Box-Jenkins ARIMA (autoregressive integrated moving average) modelling technique. The rates of linear trend for annual average dry bulb temperature (ADBT) were found negative for Rajshahi and Barisal but positive for Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Chittagong. The rates for Seasonal ADBT were positive for all the three seasons for Dhaka and Chittagong, but negative for all the three seasons for Barisal while positive for Kharif and Rabi seasons and negative for Prekharif seasons for Khulna and Sylhet. The rates were positive for Kharif season but negative for Prekharif and Rabi seasons for Rajshahi. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11589 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 243-252, 2012
Effect of Organic and Inorganic Sources and Doses of Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Yield of Boro Rice
Authors: Alim MA
Published: August 2012

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of different sources and doses of nitrogen application on the yield formation of  boro rice. Two indica modern boro rice varieties (BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan36) and 21 nitrogen fertilizer combinations were used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in split- plot design with three replications by assigning varieties in the main plots and nitrogen fertilizers in the sub-plots. The unit plot size was 4m ? 2m. Yield and yield contributing characters were measured. Among the two varieties BRRI dhan28 produced higher grain and straw yield. Grain and straw yields were increased with the increase of nitrogen rate up to 120 kg ha-1 at all the sources. In general, organic manures alone could not produce higher grain yield but the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers produced higher yield. The application of 60 kg N ha-1 as urea with 60 kg N ha-1as mustard oil cake (MOC) produced maximum grain and straw yield which was statistically similar to the yield of 50 kg N ha-1 as urea with 50 kg N ha-1 as MOC. The lowest values were found in control nitrogen application. The results suggest that replacement of 50% urea N by MOC was the best source of nitrogen considering higher yield of boro rice. Therefore,fertilization of BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan36 varieties of rice with 60 kg N ha-1 as urea and 60 kg N ha-1 as MOC or 50 kg N ha-1 as urea with 50 kg N ha-1 as MOC was found to be the best nitrogen rate among all the treatment combinations in respect of grain and straw yields. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11592 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 273- 282, 2012
Urea Super Granule: A Good Source of Nitrogen on Growth Yield and Profitability of Cabbage in Sylhet
Authors: Sarker MMR , Shaheb MR , Nazrul MI
Published: August 2012

An experiment was conducted in Sylhet under AEZ-20 (Eastern Surma-Kushiyara Floodplain) during 2007-08 and 2008-09 to find out the effect of Urea Super Granule (USG) on cabbage. There were five treatments viz. T1: recommended nitrogen (N) dose as prilled urea (PU), T2: recommended N dose as USG, T3: 10% less than recommended dose of N as USG, T4: 20% less than recommended dose of N as USG, and T5: farmers practice (average of 20 farmers N dose used as PU) used in the experiment. Results revealed that yield of cabbage increased significantly due to application of USG over PU. The highest head yield of cabbage 92.04 and 91.36 t ha-1 were obtained from the USG (recommended dose) in 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively which was statistically similar with USG 10% less than recommended dose (84.78 t ha-1) instead of traditional PU. The treatments T3 and T4 were found more effective over PU, and N loss was also minimum than that of prilled urea where 10-20% N fertilizer could be saved by using USG instead of traditional PU. Regarding economic analysis, the higher returns were also obtained from the treatment T2 which was more profitable in terms of higher gross returns as well as Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11595 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 295-299, 2012
Writing a Quality Thesis/Dissertation for MS or PhD Degree  A Note for Researchers, MS and PhD Students
Authors: Islam MT , Baten MA
Published: August 2012

Thesis or dissertation is a research report concerns a problem or series of problems in the area of applied or basic research. Abstract should contain all elements of the thesis in an extreme shorter form. Need to try to accommodate the description of the works including introduction, design and methodology within 2-3 sentences. Key findings of the experiments should be written in very brief. After findings, key words are written. The key words have to be different from the words in the title and to be arranged alphabetically. Introduction covers (i) identification of scientific problem stated in brief, (ii) critical analysis of relevant background information of the study to justify the problem using past research reports, (iii) identification of scientific information gap based on background analysis, (iv) formulation of the hypothesis, i.e making researchers best guess at the answer to the problem, and (v) formulation of specific objective(s) of the work. Review of literature has two reasons. One is to explain the results, need to collect only the relevant information and the other is to find out the gap or unexplored area for the study, that the designed work is either original or some works done still gaps are remained and/or different workers on the line to find contrast results. In materials and methods, the materials including treatments used in the study are recorded. Listed parameters are also mentioned. New technique(s) should be described in detail, other wise mention name only if necessary giving a brief note. Mention the layout/design of the experiments and analysis procedure. In results and discussion, we describe results chronologically and conclude logically. Presentation of the same result both in table and graph is prohibited. Summary and  conclusion include introduction (importance) about the works, methodology, design/layout, etc. in very brief. In conclusion key message should be provided. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11596 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 301-308, 2012
Morphological Features Growth and Development of Dendrobium sp. Orchid as Influenced by Nutrient Spray
Authors: Kabir MI , Mortuza MG , Islam MO
Published: August 2012

The experiment was conducted to see the effect of nutrient spray on morphophysiological feature and growth of three orchid varieties namely Dendrobium Red Bull, D. Kasim Gold and D White 5 N. Results revealed that the morphophysiological and growth attributes significantly varied among the cultivars. D Red Bull showed the highest plant height, leaf length, leaf area and stem diameter among the varieties. D. White 5 N was superior in leaf number and total leaf area and D. Kasim Gold was superior in leaf area index and leaf width to the other varieties. On the other hand, the trend of increasing in leaf length, leaf width, leaf area index, leaf number, leaf area and total leaf area was the highest for N:P:K as 10:25:30. Plant height and stem diameter was maximum for N:P:K as 15:20:20. In conclusion, low level of nitrogen and high level of phosphorus and potassium was suitable for leaf length, leaf width, leaf area index, leaf number, leaf area and total leaf area while high level of nitrogen and low level of potassium was suitable for plant height and stem diameter. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11598 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 309-318, 2012
Natural Food Abundance and SIS Biodiversity of Matshaya Rani Fish Sanctuary
Authors: Hasan MANGM , Lucky NS , Hossain MAR
Published: August 2012

An investigation was carried out in the Matshaya Rani (fish queen) Fish sanctuary to evaluate the hydrographic status, natural food and SIS (small indigenous species) abundance in the old Brahmaputra River near the BAU campus. There were three treatment sites- inside sanctuary, upstream and downstream of the sanctuary named as treatments T1, T2 and T3, respectively. A number of water quality parameters such as temperature (°C), transparency (cm), depth (cm), water velocity (m sec-1), pH,dissolved oxygen (mg l-1), conductivity (?s cm-1), TDS (mg l-1), alkalinity (mg l-1), phosphate-phosphorus (mg l-1), nitratenitrogen (mg l-1), ammonia-nitrogen (mg l-1) and chlorophyll-a (?g l-1) were recorded and were found within the suitable range for natural food and SIS in different treatments. Among all the water quality parameters, only water transparency and depth showed significant difference (P < 0.05) among the treatments. Forty three genera of phytoplankton belonging to Bacillariophyceae (10), Chlorophyceae (22), Cyanophyceae (8), and Euglenophyceae (3) and nine genera of zooplankton were identified belonging to Rotifera (4) and Crustacea (5) in all the treatments. None of plankton group except Cyanophyceae and Rotifera showed significant difference (p < 0.05) among the treatments. Thirty two species of SIS under ten groups were found in different treatments. The highest number of species was found in treatment T1 (30) followed by T2 (25) and T3 (24). The catfishes, loaches and minnows dominated among thirty two species caught from the sampling sites. The highest numbers of species were found in April and May and the least species were found the month of January. Significant inter month and inter site variation (P < 0.05) in numerical abundance of fish observed in the study area. Notable endangered fishes, Kanchan puti- (Puntius conchonius), Balichata Acanthocobitis botia), Indian torrent catfish-Amblyceps mangois and Chaka- (Chaca chaca) species were only found in Matshaya Rani Fish sanctuary. The natural food abundance and SIS diversity were significantly more in the inside of Matshaya Rani Fish sanctuary than both the upstream and downstream of the sanctuary. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1.11599 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 319-328, 2012
Resilience, Sustainability and Risk Management: A Focus on Energy
Authors: McLellan Benjamin , Zhang Qi , Farzaneh Hooman , Utama N. Agya , Ishihara Keiichi N.
Published: August 2012

The natural and subsequent human disasters of March 11, 2011 in Japan have brought into focus more than ever the importance of resilience and risk mitigation in the construction of energy infrastructure. This article introduces some of the critical issues and discusses the implications of energy in alleviating or exacerbating the risks of natural disasters. Additionally, it presents a framework for considering the risks of energy systems from a broad perspective. The connection is drawn between design for sustainability and the risks associated with energy systems in natural disasters. As a result of the assessment, six criteria are proposed for energy systems to contribute to societal resilience in the face of natural disasters—they should be: (1) Continuous; (2) Robust; (3) Independent; (4) Controllable; (5) Non-hazardous; and (6) Matched to demand.
An Integral Representation of the Relative Entropy
Authors: Hirata Miku , Nemoto Aya , Yoshida Hiroaki
Published: August 2012

Recently the identity of de Bruijn type between the relative entropy and the relative Fisher information with the reference moving has been unveiled by Verdú via MMSE in estimation theory. In this paper, we shall give another proof of this identity in more direct way that the derivative is calculated by applying integrations by part with the heat equation. We shall also derive an integral representation of the relative entropy, as one of the applications of which the logarithmic Sobolev inequality for centered Gaussian measures will be given.
Dynamic Feasible Region Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Operation of a Multi-Reservoir System
Authors: Xu Bin , Zhong Ping-An , Wan Xinyu , Zhang Weiguo , Chen Xuan
Published: August 2012

Seeking the optimal strategy of a multi-reservoir system is an important approach to develop hydropower energy, in which the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is commonly used as an effective tool. However, when the traditional GA is applied in solving the problem, the constraints of water balance equation, hydraulic continuity relationship and power system load demand might be violated by the crossover and mutation operator, which decreases the efficiency of the algorithm in searching for a feasible region or even leads to a convergence on an infeasible chromosome within the expected generations. A modified GA taking stochastic operators within the feasible region of variables is proposed. When determining the feasible region of constraints, the progressive optimal approach is applied to transform constraints imposed on reservoirs into a singular-reservoir constraint, and a joint solution with consideration of adjacent periods at crossover or mutation points is used to turn the singular-reservoir constraints into singular variable constraints. Some statistic indexes are suggested to evaluate the performances of the algorithms. The experimental results show that compared to GA adopting a penalty function or pair-wise comparison in constraint handling, the proposed modified GA improves the refinement of the quality of a solution in a more efficient and robust way.
Acute Effect of Ghrelin on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in the Rat Spinal Cord
Authors: Zhang Qin , Huang Chen , Meng Bin , Tang Tiansi , Shi Qin , Yang Huilin
Published: August 2012

Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid peptide, is mainly secreted by the stomach. Ghrelin has been shown to have neuroprotective effects. However, whether ghrelin protects the spinal cord from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is unknown. To investigate this, 60 rats were randomly divided into three different groups: the sham group (n = 20), the vehicle group (n = 20), and the Ghrelin group (100 µg/kg, n = 20). Rats were sacrificed 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after ischemia. After the evaluation of neurologic function (48 h), the spinal cords were immediately removed for the determination of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (12–72 h). Apoptosis was quantitatively measured using the terminal transferase UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method (24 h). The expression of bax and bcl-2 were evaluated by Western blot analysis (1 h), and GHSR-1a mRNA expression was detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (24 h). The neurological motor function was evaluated by ‘Tarlov’s score’. The neurologic outcomes in the ghrelin-group were significantly better than those in the vehicle group (p < 0.05). Serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels were assessed in the peripheral venous blood. Ghrelin decreased the serum TNF-α levels and ameliorated the down regulation of spinal cord MPO activity. The expression of ghrelin receptors (GHSR-1a) in the rat spinal cord was decreased by I/R injury and increased by ghrelin. Ghrelin reduced the TUNEL-positive rate. Greater bcl-2, HSP27, HSP70, and attenuated bax expression were observed in the ghrelin-treated rats. Our results suggest that ghrelin administration may inhibit spinal I/R injury. Moreover, the improvement of neurologic function in rats was increased after the ghrelin treatment.
Development of Microsatellite Markers Using Pyrosequencing in Galium trifidum (Rubiaceae), a Rare Species in Central Europe
Authors: Szczecińska Monika , Kwaśniewski Mirosław , Sawicki Jakub , Chwiałkowska Karolina , Szandar Kamil , Pisarek Włodzimierz
Published: August 2012

We identify a large number of microsatellites from Galium trfidum, a plant species considered rare and endangered in Central and Western Europe. Using a combination of a total enriched genomic library and small-scale 454 pyrosequencing, we determined 9755 contigs with a length of 100 to 6192 bp. Within this dataset, we identified 153 SSR motifs in 144 contigs. Here, we tested 14 microsatellite loci in 2 populations of G. trifidum. The number of alleles and expected heterozygosity were 1–8 (mean 3.2) and 0.00–0.876 (0.549 on average), respectively. The markers described in this study will be useful for evaluating genetic diversity within and between populations, and gene flow between G. trifidum populations. These markers could also be applied to investigate the biological aspects of G. trifidum, such as the population dynamics and clonal structure, and to develop effective conservation programs for the Central European populations of this species.
Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Variation in Plants
Authors: Fujimoto Ryo , Sasaki Taku , Ishikawa Ryo , Osabe Kenji , Kawanabe Takahiro , Dennis Elizabeth S.
Published: August 2012

Natural variation is defined as the phenotypic variation caused by spontaneous mutations. In general, mutations are associated with changes of nucleotide sequence, and many mutations in genes that can cause changes in plant development have been identified. Epigenetic change, which does not involve alteration to the nucleotide sequence, can also cause changes in gene activity by changing the structure of chromatin through DNA methylation or histone modifications. Now there is evidence based on induced or spontaneous mutants that epigenetic changes can cause altering plant phenotypes. Epigenetic changes have occurred frequently in plants, and some are heritable or metastable causing variation in epigenetic status within or between species. Therefore, heritable epigenetic variation as well as genetic variation has the potential to drive natural variation.
Horizontal Transmission of the Entomopathogen Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae in Microcerotermes diversus Groups
Authors: Cheraghi Amir , Habibpour Behzad , Mossadegh Mohammad Saied , Sharififard Mona
Published: August 2012

An experiment was carried out in order to investigate fungal conidia transmission of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin from vector (donor) to healthy Microcerotermes diversus Silvestri (Iso.: Termitidae) and determine the best donor/concentration ratio for transmission. After preliminary trials, concentrations of 3.1 × 104, 3.9 × 105, 3.2 × 106 and 3.5 × 108 conidia mL−1 were selected for testing. The experiment was performed at three donor : Recipient ratios of 10, 30 and 50%. The highest mortality of recipient workers was observed after 14 days at the concentration of 3.5 × 108 conidia mL−1 and donor ratio of 50%. The mortality of recipient workers was less than 20% at all concentrations at a donor ratio of 10%. Our observations indicate social behavior of M. diversus, such as grooming, can be effective in promoting epizootic outbreaks in a colony. While the current results suggest good potential for efficacy, the use of M. anisopliae as a component of integrated pest management of M. diversus still needs to be proven under field conditions.
Effect of Acute and Fractionated Irradiation on Hippocampal Neurogenesis
Authors: Park Min-Kyoung , Kim Seolhwa , Jung Uhee , Kim Insub , Kim Jin Kyu , Roh Changhyun
Published: August 2012

Ionizing radiation has become an inevitable health concern emanating from natural sources like space travel and from artificial sources like medical therapies. In general, exposure to ionizing radiation such as γ-rays is one of the methods currently used to stress specific model systems. In this study, we elucidated the long-term effect of acute and fractionated irradiation on DCX-positive cells in hippocampal neurogenesis. Groups of two-month-old C57BL/6 female mice were exposed to whole-body irradiation at acute dose (5 Gy) or fractional doses (1 Gy × 5 times and 0.5 Gy × 10 times). Six months after exposure to γ-irradiation, the hippocampus was analyzed. Doublecortin (DCX) immunohistochemistry was used to measure changes of neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). The number of DCX-positive cells was significantly decreased in all acute and fractionally irradiation groups. The long-term changes in DCX-positive cells triggered by radiation exposure showed a very different pattern to the short-term changes which tended to return to the control level in previous studies. Furthermore, the number of DCX-positive cells was relatively lower in the acute irradiation group than the fractional irradiation groups (approximately 3.6-fold), suggesting the biological change on hippocampal neurogenesis was more susceptible to being damaged by acute than fractional irradiation. These results suggest that the exposure to γ-irradiation as a long-term effect can trigger biological responses resulting in the inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis.