A visible light active Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 nanoparticles/TiO2 composite thin films with different mol.% of Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 were successfully prepared via non-aqueous sol-gel method. The incorporation of 5, 10 and 20 mol.% Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 nanoparticles in the precursor solution of TiO2 brings modifications in the functional properties of the composite thin films. XPS analysis indicates that interdiffusion of Fe3+, Ho3+, Bi3+/Ti4+ ions through the interfaces between Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 nanoparticles and TiO2 matrix reduces the concentration of Ti3+ ions. X-ray diffraction analysis affirms that TiO2 and Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 retain anatase and orthorhombic phase respectively in composite films. The composite thin film containing 20 mol.% Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 nanoparticles exhibits the most prominent absorption phenomenon in visible region and has significantly reduced indirect band gap of 2.46 eV compared to that of pure TiO2 (3.4 eV). Hall effect measurements confirm that the resistivity of composite film increases by ∼2.33 orders of magnitude and its carrier concentration decreases by 1.8 orders of magnitude at 5 mol.% Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 nanoparticles addition compared to those of pure TiO2 film. Moreover, the pure film exhibits diamagnetism, whereas the composite films have both large ferromagnetic and small diamagnetic components. The findings in this research justify that the composite film can be a potential candidate for making improved photocatalyst, resistors and spintronic devices.
Cooperative diversity is proposed to combat the detrimental effects of channel fading. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of cooperative diversity in interference limited ad hoc networks. The negative effects due to relay blocking on the network throughput are investigated. We show that the relay blocking problem is mainly dependent on the relay selection criterion. To overcome this problem, we propose a new cooperative diversity technique based on a modified IEEE 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol. The throughput performance of the proposed MAC protocol is analyzed using a random structured network where nodes are assumed to be equipped with multiple antennas. In our simulations, we consider both single‐ and multiple‐relay scenarios over fading channels. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Renewable energy technologies (RETs) I In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on nBangladesh has major problems with energy crisis, persisting poverty and environmental degradation. With only 49% of Bangladeshis having access to electricity, the per capita energy use is only 180 kWh. Moreover, the people who are connected with the national grid are experiencing frequent load shedding. At present, the country can generate about 4500 MW electricity, while peak demand is about 6000 MW (USAID, 2011). Therefore, the supply is unreliable. Most of the supply is limited to urban areas; access to electricity in rural areas is less than 10%. RET can solve this problem by renewable such as sunshine, wind, tidal waves, waterfalls or river current, sea waves or biomass. Use of renewable energy, increased energy efficiency and enhancement of energy security constitute a sustainable energy strategy approach.Renewable forms of energy emit far smaller amounts of greenhouse gases compared with fossil fuels and increased energy conservation facilitates the reduction of primary fossil fuel use, thus mitigating climate change impacts while contributing to the provision of energy services and enhancing security of energy supply. Usable biomass including cow dung, human excreta, poultry litter, kitchen organic waste, aquatic plants and weeds of a village in Bangladesh can produce the amount of biogas that villagers require for cooking. The fermented slurry from biogas digester is enriched with nitrogen, potassium and other nutrients. It is, therefore, best for soil, environmental health and agricultural productivity management.On the other hand, Bangladesh has one of the highest solar insulation on the earth. The average solar radiation varies here from 5.05 kWh/m 2 day in winter to 8.03 kWh/m 2 day in summer. As Bangladesh is a compact flat country with a little geographic variation, the solar radiation data collected from one point may be treated as that of the whole country. In other word, affordable availability of RETs to the rural area could be the panacea of poverty reduction and environmental fix in Bangladesh. S Sy yn ne er rg gy yThe relationship between energy and economic development is crucial; the process of economic growth requires the substation of energy mix in the performance of agriculture, industrial and domestic tasks. The lack of adequate energy in rural Bangladesh has economic costs not just at the individual and household level but at the national level as well. Development in Bangladesh without corresponding increase in per capita electricity and gas consumption is, therefore, not feasible. Everyone needs energy in one form or another, for day-to-day life, for cooking, lighting, heating and so on. Consequently, energy is to be considered as a basic need along with food, water, shelter and others.In social aspects, energy plays a key role in achieving social justice including gender justice. Low level of energy service is a serious obstacle to raising social, health and nutritional status of community. Depend...
Background Access to and utilization of health services have remained major challenges for people living in low- and middle-income countries, especially for those living in impaired public health environment such as refugee camps and temporary settlements. This study presents health problems and utilization of health services among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) living in the southern part of Bangladesh. Methods A mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) approach was used. Altogether 999 household surveys were conducted among the FDMNs living in makeshift/temporary settlements and host communities. We used a grounded theory approach involving in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) including 24 IDIs, 10 FGDs, and 9 KIIs. The quantitative data were analysed with STATA. Results The common health problems among the women were pregnancy and childbirth-related complications and violence against women. Among the children, fever, diarrhoea, common cold and malaria were frequently observed health problems. Poor general health, HIV/AIDS, insecurity, discrimination, and lack of employment opportunity were common problems for men. Further, 61.2% women received two or more antenatal care (ANC) visits during their last pregnancy, while 28.9% did not receive any ANC visit. The majority of the last births took place at home (85.2%) assisted by traditional birth attendants (78.9%), a third (29.3%) of whom suffered pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications. The clinics run by the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (76.9%) and private health facilities (86.0%) were the most accessible places for seeking healthcare for the FDMNs living in the makeshift settlements. All participants heard about HIV/AIDS. 78.0% of them were unaware about the means of HIV transmission, and family planning methods were poorly used (45.2%). Conclusions Overall, the health of FDMNs living in the southern part of Bangladesh is poor and they have inadequate access to and utilization of health services to address the health problems and associated factors. Existing essential health and nutrition support programs need to be culturally appropriate and adopt an integrated approach to encourage men’s participation to improve utilization of health and family planning services, address issues of gender inequity, gender-based violence, and improve women empowerment and overall health outcomes.
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