Alcoholic Beverages in Bangladesh-How Much We Know?

Objectives: This study was aimed to determine the names and alcohol content or strength of different alcoholic beverages used in different parts of Bangladesh and also to determine contamination with heavy metals and bacteria in some samples.\ud \ud Methods: Eight different types of alcoholic beverages consumed in different parts of Bangladesh were collected and studied in the laboratory of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). Before sending to the laboratory, samples were stored in a refrigerator at temperature 4-8 degree Celsius. In all samples, strength of ethanol content was studied. Among the samples, Dochuani and Tari was tested for heavy metal, Chubichi and Pochani studied for total viable micro-bacterial contamination.\ud \ud Results: In this study one sample was from Khagrachari (Hilly area) not been reported as manufacture site by the Department of narcotics control of Bangladesh before. Out of eight samples, one was of a Brand company (Keru & Co) and others homemade. Highest concentration, 81.56% was observed in Spirit followed by 37.7% in Dochuani and lowest 2.2% in Tari. Insignificant amount of heavy metal detected in Dochuani and Tari. There was no viable micro-bacterial contamination in samples tested.\ud \ud Conclusions: Without knowing the strength, people are using different types of homemade alcoholic beverages as such in a risk of health hazards as well as death. A national survey need to be conducted to obtain how many types of alcoholic beverages being manufactured, their strength and true picture of alcohol use so that strategy plan can be developed of its healthy use if needed at all

Closing the Relevance Gap: Lessons in Co-Developing Gender Transformative Research Approaches with Development Partners and Communities

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Theme Linking Knowledge with Action (K2A) engaged in a two-year social learning process to develop tools, best practices and capacity building trainings around gender sensitive and participatory research for climate change. The output was the resource guide, “Gender and Inclusion Toolbox: Participatory Research in Climate Change and Agriculture”. This paper documents the social learning process of co-designing and co-testing the toolbox with various development partners, CGIAR scientists, technical officers and local communities and offers key reflections and learning on the challenges and entry points to promoting a participatory and gender sensitive research agenda across upstream and downstream stakeholders

Lessons in Theory of Change: Gender and Inclusion

Lessons learned from working with gender and social inclusion within the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

Gender and Inclusion Toolbox: Participatory Research in Climate Change and Agriculture

This manual is a resource and toolbox for NGO practitioners and programme designers interested in diagnostic and action research for gender sensitive and socially inclusive climate change programmes in the rural development context. It is meant to be an easy to use manual, increasing the research capacity, skills and knowledge of its users. Integrating gender and social differentiation frameworks should ideally begin from the start of the programme cycle and be coordinated throughout research, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation phases. The data gathered using this toolbox supports this programme work. While the manual emphasizes participatory and qualitative approaches, many of the activities and tools can produce quantitative data. Each chapter features a bundle of research tools intended to be used sequentially. However, we know that each organization has its diverse needs. The chapters are in modular format so that teams can assemble their own research toolbox specific to their needs

Efficient Algorithm for Power Allocation in Relay-based Cognitive Radio Network

This paper addresses a cognitive radio (CR) network scenario where a relay is assigned to mitigate interference to primary users (PUs). We develop an average probability of successful secondary transmission (PSST) to introduce relay in the CR network. The power allocation is done using dual domain concept to maximize the system throughput as well as maintaining interference to an acceptable level and this approach is implemented in our paper that has a higher convergence rate. Furthermore, we propose an alternative approach that maintains a high throughput and at the same time reduces the computational complexity significantly. A detailed analysis is done before simulation. The simulated results validate the theoretical analysis

Participatory approaches for gender-sensitive research design

The focus of climate-smart agriculture CSA) research is often on creating technological solutions to climate problems. Yet female and male farmers differ in terms of their vulnerability to climate change and the ways in which they benefit from technical interventions. We believe that targeting women with CSA practices, technology and information offers the greatest opportunity to increase the adaptive capacity of smallholder farming communities. This brief compiles some of the lessons learned while carrying out participatory action research activities and methodologies

Moving from Knowledge to Action: Blogging research and outcome highlights

This blog book tells the story of CCAFS research theme ‘Linking Knowledge with Action’; its approach and lessons learned throughout the years, especially 2014, while illustrating its many achievements through blogs and photos

CCAFS Gender Training and Strategizing Workshop Report

The CCAFS Gender Training and Strategizing Workshop was designed for National Research Agricultural Systems (NARS), Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) and CGIAR partners working on gender and equity, as part of theme 4.1. The workshop objectives were to: 1. Support the gender research of CCAFS’ public, NGO and CGIAR partners by reviewing research tools available through CCAFS and its partners, and best practices in planning research and identifying tools and partners based on study objectives. 2. Help partners develop and/or improve their organisational gender research strategies. 3. Develop a plan with partners for achieving CCAFS’ gender development outcome targets through research in the CCAFS regions. The main theme of the first two days was quantitative and qualitative approaches to research that combines gender and climate change. The focus was on study design and identifying the right research tools and partners, as well as on developing organizational gender research strategies

Lessons in theory of change: monitoring, learning and evaluating Knowledge to Action

In 2010 the research theme on Knowledge to Action (K2A) at CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) developed a plan of work, using a log frame structure. Our objective was to explore and jointly apply approaches and methods that enhance K2A linkages with a wide range of partners at local, regional and global levels. Since then, the K2A theme has supported a variety of projects with the potential to catalyse action from research-generated knowledge. These projects were cutting edge; high risk but with potential for real impact should they succeed

An Integrated-Photonics Optical-Frequency Synthesizer

Integrated-photonics microchips now enable a range of advanced functionalities for high-coherence applications such as data transmission, highly optimized physical sensors, and harnessing quantum states, but with cost, efficiency, and portability much beyond tabletop experiments. Through high-volume semiconductor processing built around advanced materials there exists an opportunity for integrated devices to impact applications cutting across disciplines of basic science and technology. Here we show how to synthesize the absolute frequency of a lightwave signal, using integrated photonics to implement lasers, system interconnects, and nonlinear frequency comb generation. The laser frequency output of our synthesizer is programmed by a microwave clock across 4 THz near 1550 nm with 1 Hz resolution and traceability to the SI second. This is accomplished with a heterogeneously integrated III/V-Si tunable laser, which is guided by dual dissipative-Kerr-soliton frequency combs fabricated on silicon chips. Through out-of-loop measurements of the phase-coherent, microwave-to-optical link, we verify that the fractional-frequency instability of the integrated photonics synthesizer matches the $7.0*10^{-13}$ reference-clock instability for a 1 second acquisition, and constrain any synthesis error to $7.7*10^{-15}$ while stepping the synthesizer across the telecommunication C band. Any application of an optical frequency source would be enabled by the precision optical synthesis presented here. Building on the ubiquitous capability in the microwave domain, our results demonstrate a first path to synthesis with integrated photonics, leveraging low-cost, low-power, and compact features that will be critical for its widespread use.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure