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The modal characteristics of dual-element coupled vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays are analyzed numerically and experimentally. A photonic crystal pattern etched into the top mirror optically defines the two elements of the array that are independently electrically biased. Using a two-dimensional complex waveguide analysis, we incorporate the effects of varying temperature and electron plasma-induced index suppression arising from asymmetric injection. The simulations are compared to experimental characterization of output power, lasing spectra, and far-field beam profile as a function of the two independent injection currents. Three distinct operating regimes are identified for the arrays: single independent local mode; a region of two modes that are primarily localized into a specific cavity; and a region of two supermodes whose fields extend across both elements. This analysis provides a physical intuition for the behavior of the dual-element coupled VCSEL array across its full operating range for emerging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Global South NGO from Bangladesh that has become one of the world's largest NGOs, BRAC's fiftieth anniversary was a momentous occasion for global development. This special issue celebrates BRAC's contributions to development knowledge and practice across five decades, highlighting BRAC's impact – and the challenges it has faced in achieving this – across several programs, ranging from humanitarian response to women's and young people's empowerment and its quest for inclusive poverty reduction in Bangladesh and beyond. We explore how BRAC's heavy investment in a culture of continuous learning enables the organisation to understand and improve its programs, ground these in local contexts and communities, and build external partnerships for spreading its impact, influence, and knowledge globally. We hope this special issue will advance understanding of and spread BRAC's strategies of working closely with poor and marginalised communities, of investing in transformative learning that starts with the self, of evolving and embracing mistakes, and of igniting hope over fate and despair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 shock resulted in a large number of people becoming newly poor in Bangladesh, for whom recovery was slow and difficult. In response, BRAC implemented a nationwide program – credit, business planning support, and mentoring – targeting the economic recovery of the new poor. This paper estimates its impact using a mixed method and finds that the program had a significant positive effect on employment, income, and assets, indicating a faster economic recovery of program participants. The learnings from this program can have major policy implications for future disaster responses targeting livelihood recovery, specifically during the time-sensitive transitory phase from relief to long-term development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equitable futures depend upon better employment outcomes for young women. We use a skills ecosystems approach to explore how youth skills development programs can maximise their impact in highly gendered societies and labour markets. While improving employment outcomes and incomes for young women, BRAC's STAR program cannot withstand Bangladesh's deep-rooted and socially restrictive norms and practices. Short-term successes are diluted as family pressures and commitments take precedent over young women's economic lives. Adding a temporal dimension to the concept of skills ecosystems, these findings highlight that maintaining these impacts requires constant renegotiation and advocacy to challenge the structural obstacles within households and labour markets and within national policies and investments that constrain their longer-term economic empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CatSper1 and TNP2 genes are known to affect semen quality and fertility parameters, including sperm motility and maturation. However, studies are yet to examine the genes in indigenous and crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the genetic variants of CatSper1 and TNP2 in indigenous and crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Blood samples were collected from 130 indigenous and 70 crossbred (Holstein Friesian × indigenous) cattle. Nucleotide variation was evaluated by PCR-RFLP and sequencing. The results of the study showed that the indigenous cattle possessed only TT genotype (1.0), whereas the crossbreds possessed both TT (0.91) and CT (0.09) genotypes, which was validated by gene sequencing. Additionally, the CatSper1 was conserved in both the indigenous and crossbred cattle, suggesting good semen quality and fertility. However, the TNP2 was conserved in the indigenous breeds and mostly conserved in the crossbreds. The findings of this study reveal the diversity of CatSper1 and TNP2 genes in indigenous and crossbred cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is considered the most frequent cause of mortality from malignancy among females. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene polymorphisms are highly related to the risk of breast cancer. However, no investigation has been carried out to determine the association of FGFR2 gene polymorphisms in the Bangladeshi population. Based on polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), this study was performed to evaluate the association of FGFR2 (rs1219648, rs2420946, and rs2981582) variants in 446 Bangladeshi women (226 cases and 220 controls). A significant association of the FGFR2 rs1219648 variant with breast malignancy was reported in additive model 1 (aOR = 2.87, p < 0.0001), additive model 2 (aOR = 5.62, p < 0.0001), the dominant model (aOR = 2.87, p < 0.0001), the recessive model (aOR = 4.04, p < 0.0001), and the allelic model (OR = 2.16, p < 0.0001). This investigation also explored the significant association of the rs2981582 variant with the risk of breast cancer in additive model 2 (aOR = 2. 60, p = 0.010), the recessive model (aOR = 2.47, p = 0.006), and the allelic model (OR = 1.39, p = 0.016). However, the FGFR2 rs2420946 polymorphism showed no association with breast cancer except in the overdominant model (aOR = 0.62, p = 0.048). Furthermore, GTT (p < 0.0001) haplotypes showed a correlation with breast cancer risk, and all variants showed strong linkage disequilibrium. Moreover, in silico gene expression analysis showed that the FGFR2 level was upregulated in BC tissues compared to healthy tissues. This study confirms the association of FGFR2 polymorphisms with breast cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh is in the phase of introducing drip irrigation (DI) system in the country. Several types of drip emitters are now becoming available in the market although their performance indices are yet to be matched for local farming practices. This study reports the results of a series of experiments carried out to quantify the hydraulic performances indices of two different types of emitters available in Bangladeshi marketplace. One of the emitters, E1 was designed and manufactured locally, while the other, E2 was imported and highly priced. Followed by the hydraulic experiment, these emitters were also employed in comparative field experiments for tomato and brinjal production at Dumuria, Khulna, Bangladesh. Irrigation schedules were designed based on the local evapotranspiration regime. During the study, both the emitter types exhibited non pressure compensating features as their flow rate increased with pressure. Interestingly, both types of emitters gave a persistent trend of flow rate along the laterals. Standard uniformity indices for DI systems were also calculated, and the DI systems were categorized (good to excellent) based on the established guidelines for microirrigation. Very good performance indices were obtained at 3 m head for emitter E1, and at 2.5 m head for emitter E2. The results of the field experiments also showed that yield, water saving and water productivity of drip irrigated tomato was increased by 12%, 49.48% and 49% respectively when compared with furrow irrigation that is considered as a farmer practice. Similar results were also obtained for brinjal fields irrigated under DI systems. These experiments showed promising comparative benefits of drip technology for vegetable cultivation in water scarce coastal areas of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, a number of incidents related to fire and explosions in temporary chemical storage facilities have occurred that have resulted in large numbers of casualties. This includes explosions at a warehouse near Tianjin Port, China, in 2015 and that at a warehouse facility storing ammonium nitrate at Beirut port, Lebanon, in 2020. Very recently, a similar incident occurred in a container depot in Bangladesh. On June 4, 2022, a massive fire broke out at BM Inland Container Depot, a temporary storage facility in the town of Sitakunda, Bangladesh. The fire and subsequent explosions resulted in at least 48 fatalities, including 10 firefighters, and injured more than 200 people. The fire, which took 86 h to completely extinguish, has resulted in financial losses of more than US$152 million according to authorities. In this paper, an investigative consequence analysis of the accident is presented with the goals to identify the possible reasons that culminated in the catastrophe, quantify the magnitude of the explosion, and explore the key lessons learned. This work also sheds light on the existing local legislation and international guidelines relating to the storage of hazardous materials. Furthermore, human and social consequences of an accident similar in magnitude have been assessed for two other inland container depots. This work, thus, may be considered a scientific exercise aimed at creating awareness of the gravity of accidents in temporary storage facilities and a lesson learned to prevent such catastrophes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global average temperature has increased by approximately 0.5 °C, over a last few decades and is projected to continue to increase. Environmental stress factors such as, elevated temperature, salinity, toxic elements (Fe, Al, Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn and As), drought and rising CO2 affect plant growth and make a growing threat to agriculture. Rice is a primary food crop in the world and the establishment of rice crop in acidic soil and in marginal soil is a major goal for the improvement of rice production to fulfill the food security. Among environmental stresses, Fe2+ toxicity is one of the main stresses in limiting the cereal crops production. Tolerant rice genotypes that can tolerate the high concentration of Fe2+ toxicity are the potential source genes for rice tolerance improvement in Fe2+ toxicity. In this research work, the genetic basis of seed germination traits and growth traits was investigated in rice using (multiple interval mapping) MIM. Many rice genotypes serve as source of tolerant against toxic metal ion like Fe2+, could be an important factor in controlling the sever effect of Fe2+ toxicity on germination and seedling growth traits. The F3 progenies of cross between Fe2+ toxicity tolerant cultivar ‘Pokkali’ and susceptible cultivar ‘Pak basmati’ were test against the optimized level of Fe2+ toxicity at germination, to determine the mode of inheritance to Fe2+ toxicity tolerance. Wide range of continues variation was found in F3 progenies. Among the 49 quantitative germination trait and 23 growth trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 linked with tolerance to Fe2+ toxicity was mapped. Additionally, 21 QTLs for germination traits and 9 QTLs for growth traits were classified as major QTLs using MIM. For germination and growth traits, notable epistasis between the chromosome 1, 2, 4, 6 and 11 was detected across germination and growth traits. Our results suggest that the tolerance mechanisms at germination and seedling phases could differ for Fe2+ toxicity. QTLs detected in this study for germination and seedling growth could be a source of new alleles for development of tolerance rice to Fe2+ toxicity varieties and transformation, gene cloning and gene editing in the future [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study carries out a site response and liquefaction analysis of a new international airport site in Sylhet, in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. The site is situated in an area near the Himalayan thrust which is home to numerous large earthquakes, including the 1869 Cachar, the 1897 Great Indian, 1918 Srimangal, and 1923 Durgapur, and many other relatively smaller earthquakes. Hence, in view of the past seismicity and significance of the power plant site, a seismic investigation was performed in the seismic control region within a radius of 300 km from the center of the plant site. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) value at the bedrock level for a return period of 475 years for the site was estimated to be 0.30 g. For the last few decades, the coefficients of a site have generally been estimated from the mean shear-wave velocity for the top 30 m of a location. The surface PGA of a location is equal to the product of the bedrock PGA and the estimated site coefficient. If the bedrock is located more than 30 m below the ground, the site effect estimated from Vs30 cannot appropriately represent the site coefficient. For the study site, the bedrock is approximately 150 m below the ground. For loose sedimentary deposits of this site, the site coefficient based on Vs30 used to assess the PGA on the surface is not suitable. In this research, a site amplification factor based on Vs30, equivalent-linear, and nonlinear methods was used to estimate the PGA at the surface of the site. In this site, the susceptibility to liquefaction was estimated utilizing 61 boreholes having SPT-N values at intervals of 1.5 m from the surface to a depth of 20 m. Here, liquefaction susceptibility was assessed by applying Seed and Idriss' simplified method, Japanese method, and Chinese method. The estimated liquefaction potential index (LPI) contours show that 80–90% of the total area is highly susceptible to liquefaction and the rest of the area has low susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher energy recovery from wet-waste is a challenging task while considering the waste-to-energy approach to tackle the huge wet-waste biomass generated around the globe. This study took the opportunity to explore the combined approach of biohythane (e.g., bioH 2 and bioCH 4) and biocrude generation using two-stage anaerobic digestion coupled with hydrothermal liquefaction (TSAD-HTL). The finding of this study suggests that the highest biohythane productivity of 268.7 mL/g-VS with energy recovery of 9.95 MJ/kg-VS was produced from sludge-microalgae co-digestion, which was 17% and 205% higher than mono-digestion of microalgae and sludge, respectively. In addition, the highest biocrude yield of 45.4% was obtained from sludge-microalgae-derived digestate. The lighter fraction (

This article examines two primary data sets to identify the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on different sectors and vulnerable populations in Bangladesh. It attempts to identify how the trends in sectors such as agriculture, ready-made garments (RMGs), education, employment among youth, and women's participation have changed due to the pandemic compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. The results show that the agriculture and RMG sectors demonstrated resilience due to sustained government policies. In contrast, the other sectors, such as education, youth employment, and women's participation in the labour market, have been negatively affected, leaving a long-term consequence for the country's development. The article concludes with suggestions for inclusive and targeted policies, and community-based approaches to pre-empt new challenges to make development progress in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti. It is prevalent on five continents, predominantly in tropical and sub-tropical zones across the world. Wolbachia bacteria have been extensively used in vector control strategies worldwide. The focus of the current study was to obtain a natural population of Ae. aegypti harbouring Wolbachia and to determine the impact of this bacteria on the new host in a semi-field environment. Methods: Wolbachia-infected Aedes albopictus was collected from the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, and Wolbachia were successfully introduced into laboratory-reared Ae. aegypti via embryonic microinjection. The stable vertical transmission of wAlbB in the host population was observed for eight generations, and the impact of Wolbachia on the general fitness of the host was evaluated in semi-field conditions. Results: In the laboratory and semi-field experiments, wAlbB Wolbachia presented a strong cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) effect, evidenced as zero egg hatching, in crosses between Wolbachia-infected males and wild (uninfected) females of Ae. aegypti. Wolbachia infection had no noticeable impact on the general fitness (P > 0.05), fecundity, body size (females and males) and mating competitiveness of the new host, Ae. aegypti. However, there was a significant decrease in female fertility (egg hatch) (P < 0.001). In addition, under starvation conditions, there was a remarkable decrease (P < 0.0001) in the life span of Wolbachia-infected females compared to uninfected females (4 vs. > 5 days, respectively). Conclusions: Wolbachia strain wAlbB has a great potential to control the dengue vector in Ae. aegypti populations by producing 100% CI with a limited burden on its host in natural field conditions. This strain can be used as a biological tool against vector-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An uncontrolled fire poses severe threats to both humans and the environment, making firefighting a perilous and complex task. Traditional fire suppression methods are inefficient, costly, and without thorough testing, leading to delays in gaining control over fire outbreaks. This paper presents a novel firefighting drone aimed at mitigating risks to firefighters by extinguishing fires and providing real-time imaging, gas concentration and fire location data monitoring. The proposed intelligent quadcopter utilizes the Pixhawk PX4 microcontroller for precise control and the Pixhawk Telemetry system for data processing. The proposed device is constructed from an ultra-strength S500 Quadcopter frame, NodeMCU, Arduino Nano, various gas sensors, a servo motor to extinguish the fire and a camera to detect fire events in real time. Equipped with an FPV camera and a video transmitter, it transmits live video feed to the ground, enabling efficient navigation using the Flysky I6X controller. The intended position and height of the drone are controlled using an adaptive optimization technique known as fuzzy-based backstepping control. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of the device by collecting and analyzing gas emissions data from controlled burns of various materials. The drone successfully measured concentrations of CO, CO2, O3, SO2, and NO2 in affected areas, providing valuable insights for firefighting operations. Different levels of gases have been measured depending on the concentration from burning alcohol, clothes, plastic materials, paper, leaves, and so on. The novelty of this work lies in the development and comprehensive analysis of an IoT-based firefighting drone conducting extensive real-time experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi are the most important phytopathogens that cause yield losses. The mycotoxins released by fungi cause spoilage of stored food consumed by humans and feed supplied to animals. Fungi-antagonistic microbes are gaining attention as potential biocontrol agents (BCAs). This study was designed to isolate bacterial isolates from different crops and evaluate their in vitro antifungal assay against three phytopathogens, plant growth promoting (PGP) characteristics, molecular identification, and in vivo efficiency against the most devastating phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl. In the in vitro experiment, the 3 isolates BA, GL-1, and 5a out of 360 isolates showed more than 60% inhibitory activity against the selected fungi in this study. On the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, BA isolate was identified as Bacillus velezensis. All three isolates produced indole acetic acid (IAA), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and cellulase enzymes, while the BA and GL-1 isolates also produced siderophores and the BA isolate also produced ammonia. BA was selected on basis of not only Biocontrol efficacy but also maximum PGPR activity compared to GL-1 and 5a. In vivo assay, the isolate BA showed a significant decrease in disease severity caused by Fusarium oxysporum by 64.97% after 100 days of inoculation on wheat (FD-08) seedlings in a greenhouse assay and enhanced the shoot root height, fresh and dry mass. The wide-ranging antagonistic action of Bacillus velezensis isolated from the phyllosphere of wheat crops showed promising fungicidal and plant growth-promoting capabilities, suggesting it can be used as a biofungicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease. This study was conducted to determine the antibody titer in Japanese quails following vaccination against ND and feed-supplementation with vitamin-C, probiotics and antibioticgrowth-promoters. Forty Japanese quails were equally grouped in four groups (A1 to A4) and were vaccinated by LaSota, B1, F and VG/GA strains, respectively, at the age of 10 days. Another forty Japenese quails were equally grouped in four groups (B1 to B4), were vaccinated with the vaccines of the previous groups that showed a higher effect, and were fed with mesh-feed (control-B1), supplemented with vitamin-C (B2), probiotics (B3), and antibiotic growth promoter (B4). Serum samples were obtained on 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age and were subjected to a hemagglutination inhibition test. The mean antibody titer (Log2) had no significant difference between groups A1-A4. The highest titers were recorded in A4 (6.20±0.37) and A3 (6.00±0.71). The mean titer was significantly different among the groups at 4 weeks, but insignificant in the other weeks of the supplemented groups. A higher mean titer was found between 8 and 10 weeks in group B2 (7.40±0.60) and B3 (7.20±0.58). The relative weights (gm/kg) of the spleen, thymus and bursa were significantly higher in group B3 (1.947±0.109, 5.951±0.312 and 2.624±0.083, respectively). They had no significant correlation with antibody titer at 12 weeks. In conclusion, vitamin-C and probiotic supplemented feeds can boost up the antibody titer against ND in Japanese quail when given during VG/GA strain vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin, a major biomass component, can be an excellent source for different monomers in the polymer industry. However, the complex and heterogeneous structure of lignin poses a significant challenge for designing energy-efficient processes for depolymerization. As many proposed depolymerization processes are solvothermal, it is essential to understand the structure and dynamics of lignin in solution, in particular aqueous solution. Here, we utilize molecular dynamics simulations to understand the effect of water models on the structure and dynamics of different model lignin oligomers (softwood and hardwood) as a function of temperature. We have examined three different water models: TIP3P, TIP4P/Ew, and flexible SPC/Fw. We find that the diffusion constant of lignin oligomers in an aqueous solution differs significantly depending on the water model used. The diffusion constant of lignin in the TIP3P water model is almost twice as large as that in SPC/Fw and TIP4P/Ew. The softwood and hardwood oligomers adopt an extended structure in TIP3P water compared to SPC/Fw and TIP4P/Ew. Given the different levels of sensitivity of transport and structural properties of aqueous lignin on water models, it is important to take these into account when discussing results from a specific water model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integral analysis of the development of the epithelium, mesenchyme, and smooth muscle cell (SMC) layers, i.e., the inner circular (IC) and outer longitudinal layers, as well as their relation with the mesentery is necessary to understand macroscopic gut development. We here focused on the proximal duodenum with the characteristic "C"-shaped loop and analyzed the duodenum down to the duodenojejunal flexure in C57BL/6J mouse embryos at embryonic days (E) 13.5, 15.5, and 17.5 by histomorphometric analysis. We examined the angle of the axis of the epithelial lumen, which was oval at E13.5 against the mesentery, along with the epithelial cell nuclear shape, the adjacent mesenchymal cell density in relation to the epithelial lumen axis, and the development of SMC layers. The luminal axis of the oval epithelial lumen at E13.5 rotated clockwise against the mesentery in the proximal duodenum. The shape of epithelial nuclei was longer and thinner at the long axis but shorter and broader at the short axis, whereas mesenchymal density was significantly lower in the area on the luminal long axis than that on the short axis. The number of SMC layers in the IC at E13.5, E15.5, and E17.5 showed a regional difference in relation to the mesentery, but no regional difference along the long axis of the duodenum. These findings suggest that epithelial lumen winding against the mesentery and the corresponding changes in the epithelial cell shape and surrounding mesenchymal density may be involved in the formation of the "C" loop of the proximal duodenum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors for a number of zoonoses, the functional role that peridomestic rodents serve in the amplification and transmission of foodborne pathogens is likely underappreciated. Clear links have been identified between commensal rodents and outbreaks of foodborne pathogens throughout Europe and Asia; however, comparatively little research has been devoted to studying this relationship in the United States. In particular, regional studies focused on specific rodent species and their foodborne pathogen reservoir status across the diverse agricultural landscapes of the United States are lacking. We posit that both native and invasive species of rodents associated with food-production pipelines are likely sources of seasonal outbreaks of foodborne pathogens throughout the United States. In this study, we review the evidence that identifies peridomestic rodents as reservoirs for foodborne pathogens, and we call for novel research focused on the metagenomic communities residing at the rodent-agriculture interface. Such data will likely result in the identification of new reservoirs for foodborne pathogens and species-specific demographic traits that might underlie seasonal enteric disease outbreaks. Moreover, we anticipate that a One Health metagenomic research approach will result in the discovery of new strains of zoonotic pathogens circulating in peridomestic rodents. Data resulting from such research efforts would directly inform and improve upon biosecurity efforts, ultimately serving to protect our food supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding a low-cost, simple technology for producing high-quality bioenergy (e.g., biohythane: bioH 2 and bioCH 4) from waste biomass is challenging. Production of cleaner energy, such as biohythane, than methane from microalgae (MA), is a suitable approach. However, having a low C-N ratio of microalgae limits scaling up the process. Therefore, this study took the opportunity to use fecal sludge (FS) as a co-substrate for C-N ratio optimization to improve biohythane production while reducing cost. The biomass hydrothermal pretreatment enhanced soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) from 390 mgL−1 to 1085 mgL−1, resulting volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation rate of 1853 mgL−1 at a mixing ratio of 50:50. The results of two-stage anaerobic digestion (TSAD) of 50-50 MA-FS showed a cumulative biohydrogen yield of 24.5 mLg−1-VS (Volatile Solid) and biomethane yield of 281 mLg−1-VS with a synergetic effect of 52.7%. The techno-economic analysis suggests a return on investment (ROI) of 4.8 for utilizing a 50-50 biomass ratio. In addition, the input cost could be reduced to 75.6 % if the ratio of MA and FS was adjusted to 25–75. Therefore, the TSAD of MA and FS is a promising option to enhance the biohythane yield and its high economic potential. [Display omitted] • Microalgae-fecal sludge co-fermentation optimized C/N ratio and improved hydrogen production. • Microalgae-fecal sludge co-digestion improved biomethane production by 24% compared to microalgae. • Algae-sludge 50-50 mixing ratio exhibited 52.7% synergetic effect. • Return on investment (ROI) 5.8 for utilizing a 50-50 biomass ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy cows during the transition period are faced with important physiological changes which include a dysfunctional immune system and an increased inflammatory state. New data are necessary to understand the key factors involved in the immune system regulation. Six dairy cows were sampled during transition period to investigate the leukocyte transcriptome changes and its relationship with blood biomarkers. Blood samples were collected at − 20 ± 2, − 3 ± 1, 3, and 7 days from parturition (DFP). Leukocyte transcriptome was analyzed by deep sequencing technology (Hiseq1000 Illumina, USA). Plasma was analyzed for metabolic biomarkers. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were used to run an enrichment analysis through the Dynamic Impact Approach (DIA). Considering − 20 DFP as references time, the main KEGG impacted pathways were activated before calving (− 3 DFP) and were connected to lipid metabolism, lipid transport in plasma, and phagosome. The greatest differences were found after parturition with 281 DEG (179 upregulated and 102 downregulated). The activated pathways were mainly related to immunity and endocrine aspects, while metabolic pathways related to lipid and amino acid metabolism were inhibited. Plasma BHBA had a substantial inhibitory impact on KEGG pathways related to DNA replication and cell cycle, while plasma IL-1β had an inhibitory impact on fatty acid elongation in mitochondria and an activated impact in several pathways related to cellular energy metabolism. Overall, this study confirmed that many changes in lipid metabolism and immune competence of the circulating leukocytes occurred in dairy cow around calving. Interestingly, BHBA and IL-1β connected with the transcriptome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was conducted to develop the domestication technique of Monopterus cuchia collected from Sherpur district, Bangladesh. A total of 300 young M. cuchia (average 95±6.4 g) was reared under nine treatments as earthen pond with dead fish (EpDf), earthen pond with live fish (EpLf), earthen pond with formulated feeds (EpFf), mud treated plastic tank with dead fish (PmDf), mud treated plastic tank with live fish (PmLf), mud treated plastic tank with formulated feeds (PmFf), plastic tank with dead fish (PtDf), plastic tank with live fish (PtLf), and plastic tank with formulated feeds (PtFf) with three replicates each. Size of each earthen pond was 1m3 and plastic circular tank was 0.322m³. Stocking density was maintained at 10 fish in each replicate by random selection. Survival, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR%/day), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were measured. The best survival (100±0), WG (61.17±1.83), SGR (0.118±0.026), FCR (2.44±0.17), FCE (35.75%±2.90), and PER (1.75±0.14) were obtained in EpLf, which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than others. This is the first report of domestication of M. cuchia and indicates that earthen pond with live fish might be suitable for domestication of M. cuchia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural induction and patterning in vertebrates are regulated during early development by several morphogens, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). Ventral ectoderm differentiates into epidermis in response to BMPs, whereas BMP signaling is tightly inhibited in the dorsal ectoderm which develops into neural tissues. Here, we show that Cdc2‐like kinase 2 (Clk2) promotes early neural development and inhibits epidermis differentiation in Xenopus embryos. clk2 is specifically expressed in neural tissues along the anterior‐posterior axis during early Xenopus embryogenesis. When overexpressed in ectodermal explants, Clk2 induces the expression of both anterior and posterior neural marker genes. In agreement with this observation, overexpression of Clk2 in whole embryos expands the neural plate at the expense of epidermal ectoderm. Interestingly, the neural‐inducing activity of Clk2 is increased following BMP inhibition and activation of the FGF signaling pathway in ectodermal explants. Clk2 also downregulates the level of p‐Smad1/5/8 in cooperation with BMP inhibition, in addition to increasing the level of activated MAPK together with FGF. These results suggest that Clk2 plays a role in early neural development of Xenopus possibly via modulation of morphogen signals such as the BMP and FGF pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hair and scalp disorders present a significant challenge in dermatology due to their clinical diversity and overlapping symptoms, often leading to misdiagnoses. Traditional diagnostic methods rely heavily on clinical expertise and are limited by subjectivity and accessibility, necessitating more advanced and accessible diagnostic tools. Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning offer a promising solution for more accurate and efficient diagnosis. Methods: The research employs a modified Xception model incorporating ReLU activation, dense layers, global average pooling, regularization and dropout layers. This deep learning approach is evaluated against existing models like VGG19, Inception, ResNet, and DenseNet for its efficacy in accurately diagnosing various hair and scalp disorders. Results: The model achieved a 92% accuracy rate, significantly outperforming the comparative models, with accuracies ranging from 50% to 80%. Explainable AI techniques like Gradient‐weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad‐CAM) and Saliency Map provided deeper insights into the model's decision‐making process. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the potential of AI in dermatology, particularly in accurately diagnosing hair and scalp disorders. The superior accuracy and interpretability of the model represents a significant advancement in dermatological diagnostics, promising more reliable and accessible diagnostic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly (vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, based hybrid nanocomposites (micro-CaCO 3 + Montmorillonite (Mt)) containing varying amounts of CaCO 3 (30–40 parts (wt.)) were developed via co-rotating twin-screw extrusion and were subjected to uniaxial stretching. A systematic study was performed to investigate the effect of micro-CaCO 3 content of the hybrid filler and subsequent uniaxial stretching at various draw ratios, R (4–5), on the mechanical, dielectric, electrical and piezoelectric properties of hybrid nanocomposites. For the as-extruded hybrid nanocomposites (without post-extrusion stretching), both dielectric properties and DC volume resistivity improved significantly, probably due to the enhanced charge trapping capability of Mt. in the presence of CaCO 3 micro-filler. Similarly, hybrid nanocomposite containing 40 parts of CaCO 3 and 3 parts (wt.) of Mt. presented the maximum piezoelectric coefficient, d 33 of 7.4 pC/N. For stretched nanocomposites, the volume resistivity and dielectric properties of hybrid nanocomposite containing 40 parts of CaCO 3 and 3 parts of Mt. decreased gradually with R presumably due to its porous structure, as observed in SEM. However, stretched hybrid nanocomposites consistently exhibited enhanced piezoelectricity where the highest d 33 value of 30.6 pC/N at R of 5 was obtained, which is attributed to the almost 100% β phase content and dipolar orientation induced by stretching and subsequent poling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials (hazmats) may cause fatalities, injuries, and property damage along the transport route. It is thus imperative to adopt and implement a risk assessment and management framework that can be easily employed by decision/policymakers. This paper presents a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) framework to select the safest route for the transport of hazardous materials utilizing an accident database and human vulnerability models. Statistical models from relevant accident studies are used to determine the accident enhancing/mitigating contributions of different road geometrical features, which are then applied to data derived from an available database to determine accident frequencies. Consequences of accidents with humans are assessed using ALOHA and vulnerability models, while the risk is determined by combining both accident frequencies and consequences. The proposed method has been applied in a case study to assess the relative risks involved in LPG transportation along two different routes in Bangladesh and to identify the safer route. The effectiveness of a number of risk reduction measures has been assessed to manage risks, and the results of the risk assessment have been spatially presented on a geographical map. This map will help decision makers to make routing decisions and identify route sections that are most at risk to take appropriate emergency response actions and allocate medical and support services during emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi, a parasitological, molecular, and serological-based investigation was carried out in randomly sampled horses (n = 375) belonging to different age groups, sexes, and localities from the district of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The diagnostic performance of applied tests was also compared. The prevalence was recorded as 0.5% with Woo's test, 1.3% with both ITS CF/BR PCR and RoTat 1.2 PCR, and 14.4% with CATT/T.evansi. Based on CATT/T.evansi, significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were observed for prevalence estimates according to different localities, sexes, body condition scores, and origins. A nonsignificant difference (P ≥ 0.05) was observed among different age groups and variable parity numbers. Our study declares district Bahawalpur to be a high risk area for surra and proposes the potential use of CATT/T.evansi as a field test of choice for surveys in horses. However, the status of seropositive animals should be confirmed using a more sensitive molecular tool such as the satellite DNA target. A widespread status of anti-Trypanosoma antibodies calls for control measures and further investigation of various species (camels, cattle, sheep, goats, buffaloes) inhabiting the same area to identify reservoir status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Infertility is defined as inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse and it affects 7% of male population and 8-10% of couples. According to estimates WHO, 13-19 million couples in India are infertile. Oxidative stress is the causative factor in 25% of infertile males. Aim: To study the efficacy of antioxidant therapy on oxidative stress parameters in seminal plasma of infertile male. Materials and Methods: Forty patients of male infertility were enrolled in study after two abnormal semen analyses reports at 2-3 weeks interval, of oligozoospermia and/or asthenozoospermia, as per WHO guide line 1999. First semen sample was collected at a time of enrollment of study and second semen sample was collected three months after combined antioxidant therapy. Semen samples from the infertile male (the second confirmatory sample of oligoasthenozoospermia) were taken and after liquefaction semen sample were utilized for various analyses, 0.5 ml of sample for standard semen analysis, 1.2 ml sample for separation of seminal plasma to evaluate Oxidative stress (OS) parameters like Malondialdehyde (MDA), Protein Carbonyl (PC) and antioxidant capacity by Glutathione (GSH). We followed the patient for three months after completion of the treatment. Results: Semen parameters -- Out of 40 patients recruited in the study group 7 patients had only oligospermia (1 to 20 million/ ml) and 31 patients had oligoasthenozoospermia (motility range 0-50%) and 2 patients had oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. There was no patient with asthenospermia alone as abnormal semen parameters. After the three months treatment with combined antioxidants the semen parameters like count (mean SD = -1.70±1.44) and motility (mean +SD= -9.56±9.05) were significantly increased (p-value=0.000). Oxidative Stress Assessment -- The level of MDA which is a marker of oxidative stress was significantly lower after the three months therapy of antioxidants (p-value=0.002) whereas another marker which is denoted by PC was also lower after the treatment but not statistically significant (p-value=0.584). The level of antioxidants GSH also significantly increased after the treatment (p-value=0.000). After the treatment out of 40, five patients conceived (16.7%). Conclusion: As we have seen through this study antioxidant dramatically reduced the oxidative stress markers and enhancing the antioxidant enzymes. They should be used on routine basis in case of male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline Cr substituted Ni ferrites [NiCrxFe2−xO4 (0.0 ⩽ × ⩽ 1.0)] were synthesized by conventional ceramic method and sintered at 1350 °C in air. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showing sharp peaks confirmed the formation of single phase cubic spinel structure. The lattice parameters of the samples were determined from the XRD data using Nelson-Riley extrapolation technique. They were found to decrease with increasing Cr concentration obeying Vegard's law. X-ray density, bulk density and porosity were also calculated from the XRD data. The variation of DC resistivity with temperature was measured by two-probe method. The DC resistivity was found to decrease with increasing temperature indicating the semiconducting nature of the samples. Activation energy was calculated from the Arrhenius plot. AC resistivity, dielectric constant and loss tangent were measured in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 120 MHz at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surra, a vector borne disease caused by Trypanosoma (T.) evansi, affects the health, productivity and working capacity of camels. Since clinical signs are not pathognomonic, diagnosis must be confirmed by laboratory methods. This is a first study on the prevalence of surra in Cholistan Desert, Pakistan using a broad variety of diagnostic tests thereby emphasizing it as a risk for the dromedaries of Pakistan. Methods: In a cross sectional study, 1005 dromedary camels from three districts in the Cholistan Desert were sampled to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis due to T. evansi by means of parasitological (Giemsa stained thin smear), serological (formol gel test, CATT/T. evansi, ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2, immune trypanolysis) and molecular tests (TBR1/2 PCR and RoTat 1.2 PCR). Kappa was calculated to assess the degree of agreement between different tests whereas chi-square test along with odds ratios and their 95 % confidence intervals were used to study influence of breed, gender, age and locality on disease prevalence. Results: Overall prevalence was 0.7 % with Giemsa stained thin smears (GST), 40.1 % with formol gel test (FGT), 47.7 % with CATT/T. evansi, 44.2 % with ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2, 39.9 % with immune trypanolysis (TL), 31.9 % with TBR1/2 PCR and 30.5 % with RoTat1.2 PCR. Based on these results, the Cholistan Desert appears to be a high risk area for surra. According to TL and TBR1/2 PCR, camels at Bahawalpur are approximately two times more likely to be infected than those in Bahawalnagar (OR = 1.8; 95 % CI: 1.38-2.42) and Rahim Yar Khan (OR = 1.9; 95 % CI: 1.30-2.75). Test agreement of TL was moderate with CATT/T. evansi (k = 0.43; 95 % CI: 0.378-0.489) and ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2 (k = 0.54; 95 % CI: 0.489-0.594) and poor with the other tests. Test agreement between TBR1/2 PCR and RoTat1.2 PCR was almost perfect (k = 0.96; 95 % CI: 0.950-0.984). We didn't find evidence for the presence of T. evansi type B in the studied population. Conclusion: Our study supports using antibody detection tests, rather than parasitological and molecular examination, to assess surra prevalence in camels. It also calls for implementation of measures to control surra in the Cholistan Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogen and one of the leading etiologies in multiple nosocomial infections. Treatment of P. aeruginosa is becoming increasingly difficult due to its ever-increasing antibiotic resistance trends. This study investigated clinical multidrug resistance (MDR) P. aeruginosa (MDR-PA), their intrinsic resistance determinants, including the presence of chromosomal AmpC ß-lactamase (Ampicillinase), decreased expression of outer membrane porin protein OprD and selected acquired ß-lactamase resistance genes. Methods: Out of 238 clinical specimens, including urines from urinary tract-infected patients, wound swabs, burn swabs, and catheter aspirates, were collected from two major hospitals in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Samples were inoculated with Cetrimide agar to isolate presumptive P. aeruginosa. Bacteria were identified by cultural, biochemical characterization, 16S rDNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Virulence-associated genes of P. aeruginosa, namely, toxA, lasB, and plcH, were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antibiotic susceptibilities of the isolates were investigated against ten antibiotics belonging to seven groups by disc-diffusion method followed by a selected minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Phenotypic expression of Metallo-ß-lactamases (MBLs) production was checked by the double disc synergistic test selectively among the imipenem-resistant isolates. Acquisition of ß-lactam resistance trait was examined by PCR detection of bla-genes variants. Mutational loss of the OprD was analyzed by PCR to investigate intrinsic resistance determinants. Phenotypic overexpression of chromosomal AmpC was assayed with the identification of the AmpC gene by PCR. The expression level of OprD was assessed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results: Fifty-three P. aeruginosa was identified, with an overall isolation of 22.3% (53/238), where urine remains the most prevalent source. Virulence genes toxA, lasB, and plcH were identified in the isolates of 92.4%, 96.2%, and 94.3%. The highest phenotypic antimicrobial resistance was observed against ampicillin and ceftriaxone (100%), followed by cefotaxime (96%), tetracycline (89%), azithromycin (72%), imipenem (31%), ciprofloxacin (29%), levofloxacin (29%), gentamycin (27%) and ceftazidime (14%). The antibiogram pattern revealed 85% of isolates as multidrug-resistant, while 12% were considered extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-P. aeruginosa. The carriage of ß-lactamase genes blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaOXA was detected in 4%, 2%, and 2% cephalosporin-resistant isolates, respectively. Double disc synergistic test revealed 87% of imipenem-resistant isolates expressing MBL-mediated resistance phenomenon. All seven ceftazidime-resistant isolates showed the presence of the AmpC gene with phenotypic overproduction of the AmpC enzyme, indicating AmpC-mediated ceftazidime resistance. Mutational loss of OprD was observed in 12% of phenotypically multidrug-resistant isolates, and RT-qPCR analysis revealed reduced expression of OprD porin protein at various levels in the outer membrane of multidrug-resistant isolates. Conclusions: This study depicts the high prevalence of MDR-PA in clinical specimens in Bangladesh. The identified intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial resistance determinants play synergistic roles in emerging MDR-PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing global population, saving crops from diseases caused by different kinds of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes is essential. Potato is affected by various diseases, destroying many crops in the field and storage. In this study, we developed potato lines resistant to fungi and viruses, Potato Virus X (PVX) and Potato Virus Y (PVY), by inoculating chitinase for fungi and shRNA designed against the mRNA of the coat protein of PVX and PVY, respectively. The construct was developed using the pCAMBIA2301 vector and transformed into AGB-R (red skin) potato cultivar using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The crude protein extract of the transgenic potato plant inhibited the growth of Fusarium oxysporum from ~13 to 63%. The detached leaf assay of the transgenic line (SP-21) showed decreased necrotic spots compared to the non-transgenic control when challenged with Fusarium oxysporum. The transgenic line, SP-21, showed maximum knockdown when challenged with PVX and PVY, i.e., 89 and 86%, while transgenic line SP-148 showed 68 and 70% knockdown in the PVX- and PVY-challenged conditions, respectively. It is concluded from this study that the developed transgenic potato cultivar AGB-R showed resistance against fungi and viruses (PVX and PVY). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hexoses and two pentoses have been reacted with two equivalents of trichloroacetaldehyde using boron trifluoride etherate as promoter in dioxane at reflux. The major products are exo-1,2- O -trichloroethylidenealdofuranoses in every case in varying yields, identical to the products previously obtained in lower yields using sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid as promoter in trichloroacetaldehyde as solvent. Careful fractionation of the remainders of the product mixtures showed that the other isomer in the acetal ring was also produced in most cases but small amounts of the two 1,2- O -trichloroethylidenealdopyranose isomers were also produced. In addition, very small amounts of other products were identified that were derived from boron trifluoride etherate and the solvent. A mechanism involving rate-determining acetal ring closure was proposed to explain the formation of furanose derivatives, rather than pyranose derivatives. Methods for removal of the trichloroethylidene acetals were investigated for substituted derivatives and it was found that a process involving reduction with tributyltin hydride was effective. [Display omitted] • All monosaccharides react with chloral to give 1,2- O -trichloroethylideneglycofuranoses. • Two eq of chloral in dioxane with BF 3 as promoter gave better yields than chloral as solvent. • 1,2- O -trichloroethylideneglycopyranoses were obtained as minor products (0–5%). • Removal was done in good yield by reduction with tributyltin hydride then acetolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surra, a vector borne disease caused by Trypanosoma (T.) evansi, affects the health, productivity and working capacity of camels. Since clinical signs are not pathognomonic, diagnosis must be confirmed by laboratory methods. This is a first study on the prevalence of surra in Cholistan Desert, Pakistan using a broad variety of diagnostic tests thereby emphasizing it as a risk for the dromedaries of Pakistan. Methods: In a cross sectional study, 1005 dromedary camels from three districts in the Cholistan Desert were sampled to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis due to T. evansi by means of parasitological (Giemsa stained thin smear), serological (formol gel test, CATT/T. evansi, ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2, immune trypanolysis) and molecular tests (TBR1/2 PCR and RoTat 1.2 PCR). Kappa was calculated to assess the degree of agreement between different tests whereas chi-square test along with odds ratios and their 95 % confidence intervals were used to study influence of breed, gender, age and locality on disease prevalence. Results: Overall prevalence was 0.7 % with Giemsa stained thin smears (GST), 40.1 % with formol gel test (FGT), 47.7 % with CATT/T. evansi, 44.2 % with ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2, 39.9 % with immune trypanolysis (TL), 31.9 % with TBR1/2 PCR and 30.5 % with RoTat1.2 PCR. Based on these results, the Cholistan Desert appears to be a high risk area for surra. According to TL and TBR1/2 PCR, camels at Bahawalpur are approximately two times more likely to be infected than those in Bahawalnagar (OR = 1.8; 95 % CI: 1.38-2.42) and Rahim Yar Khan (OR = 1.9; 95 % CI: 1.30-2.75). Test agreement of TL was moderate with CATT/T. evansi (k = 0.43; 95 % CI: 0.378-0.489) and ELISA/VSG RoTat 1.2 (k = 0.54; 95 % CI: 0.489-0.594) and poor with the other tests. Test agreement between TBR1/2 PCR and RoTat1.2 PCR was almost perfect (k = 0.96; 95 % CI: 0.950-0.984). We didn't find evidence for the presence of T. evansi type B in the studied population. Conclusion: Our study supports using antibody detection tests, rather than parasitological and molecular examination, to assess surra prevalence in camels. It also calls for implementation of measures to control surra in the Cholistan Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify the potential relevance of proinflammatory cytokine (PIC) with periparturient health problems and performances, the changes of plasma interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been investigated in 21 Holstein-Friesian cows from 35 d before to 28 d after parturition. The overall PIC concentration was higher during late pregnancy compared to the first month of lactation, but showed a high variability among the cows. Therefore, cows were retrospectively divided in 3 groups according to the values of area under the concentration curve of IL- 1β concentrations from -35 d before to the day of parturition and designated as up (UPIL1), intermediate (INIL1) and low (LOIL1) IL-1β group. The concentrations of IL-6 and to some extent the concentrations of albumin and reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) were well related to the grouping based on IL-1β concentrations. After calving the UPIL1 cows showed a more severe acute phase reaction (APR), based on the marked increase of haptoglobin and the lower plasma albumin concentrations during the first week of lactation, and the highest oxidative stress, based on the higher concentrations of ROMs. Moreover, the UPIL1 group showed higher number of mastitis, lower feed intake and milk yield compared with INIL1 and LOIL1. Our results demonstrated that cows with the highest PIC concentrations in the last month of pregnancy showed the worse health status in early lactation (clinical and subclinica problems) and a lower milk yield. Thus, these data support the utility of PIC measurement in late pregnancy as prognostic markers for a risky transition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the major cause of anovulatory infertility. Although the genetic basis of PCOS is not well understood, it is a common metabolic and endocrine disorder. This study investigates the possible genomic variants associated with PCOS in Pakistani women from the Punjab region. DNA samples from 96 patients with genetically unrelated PCOS and 96 controls were analyzed by direct sequencing to determine the polymorphisms of different loci on follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (fshr), follicle-stimulating hormone β (fshrβ), luteinizing hormone chorionic gonadotropin (lhcgr), luteinizing hormone β (lhβ), estrogen receptor α (esr1), and estrogen receptor β (esr2) genes. Significant associations were observed within the genotype frequencies, allele frequencies, and multi-single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype analysis of most polymorphisms studied. This study identified new SNPs at positions 605+52 Del/T in lhcgr genes occurring in this particular subpopulation. The strong r2 value suggests that polymorphisms in the fshr and esr1 genes were in linkage disequilibrium. Our study provides evidence of statistically significant associations between susceptibility to PCOS in Pakistani women and the gene polymorphisms mentioned earlier. This suggests that the susceptible loci for PCOS lie within or very close to the chromosomal regions spanning these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bangladesh being the biggest delta in the world and criss crossed by hundreds of rivers has an immense potential for riverine tourism. But even after 42 years of independence due to many reasons this sector is still in its budding stage. So far government has done very little to promote this sector; private entrepreneurs also have not been that much enthusiastic to come forward in this field. Current paper is an endeavour to explore and understand the prospects and the challenges of riverine tourism in Bangladesh. It also endeavours to understand various types of riverine tourism and their impacts on socio-economic life of the community concerned as well as on environment. Qualitative analytical method based on secondary data has been used in it. It is needless to state that the growth of riverine tourism in Bangladesh can play an important role in sustainable development of rural societies. If a proper marketing plan is formulated for riverine tourism, it could bring lots of benefit to our country and can function as an important tool for sustainable human development including poverty alleviation, employment generation, and development of rural areas. In fine, we have to raise our voice to protect our rivers from erosion, contamination and grabbing and then we will be able to promote our country through river based tourist destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract related to plant taxonomy based on Xylariaceae species and Xylaria vasconica is presented.

Highlights: [•] New two-headed surfactants based on pentaerythritol (PE) have been synthesized. [•] Synthesized surfactants self-assemble at very low surfactant concentrations. [•] PE based two-headed surfactants have distinct structure–property relationships. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Efficient syntheses of three series of anionic gemini surfactants based on pentaerythritol are described. A series of disulfates was prepared by the double displacement of the two cyclic sulfates in the S4-symmetric compound pentaerythritol spirobicyclic sulfate (1) with linear alkoxides. A second series of disulfates was prepared by reaction of the dialkoxides of di-O-alkylpentaerythritols with ethylene sulfate. The di-O-alkylpentaerythritols can be prepared as previously reported by us or by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the first series of disulfates. A series of disulfonates was prepared by reaction of the dialkoxides of di-O-alkylpentaerythritols with 1,3-propanesultone. This last set of reactions was complicated by the formation of oxetanes, which probably arose from initial reversible displacement on sulfur of the sultone alkoxide by the pentaerythritol alkoxide followed by a second intramolecular displacement of the resulting sulfonate. Changing the order of addition to keep the reaction medium from containing excess base as well as lowering the reaction temperature minimized the amounts of these byproducts. All three series had excellent surfactant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics play an important role as bio-friendly substances in ensuring the sustainability and profitability of aquaculture. In the present study, we examined the effects of probiotic brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth, feed utilization, hemato-biochemical indices, intestinal microbiota and intestinal morphometry of rohu, Labeo rohita. A trial of 90 days was conducted in which rohu fingerlings were fed under four different treatment groups in aquaria, receiving S. cerevisiae at 0, 1, 2 and 4 g/kg diet, respectively. Growth parameters (weight gain and specific growth rate), feed utilization (feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio), hematobiochemical indices (hemoglobin, red blood cell, white blood cell and glucose), intestinal microbiota (total viable, lactic acid bacteria and yeast count) and intestinal morphology (villi length, villi width, crypt depth, thickness of villi wall etc.) were analyzed at the end of feeding trial. The results demonstrated substantial development in the growth performance, feed utilization and hematobiochemical indices in rohu fed probiotic incorporated diet compared to control diet. There were noticeable variations in intestinal microbiota and intestinal morphology between the treated and control diet fed groups. These results revealed that S. cerevisiae has a potential influence as an essential probiotic to improve the digestion, absorption, assimilation of nutrients through the improvement of gut microbiota and morphometry of L. rohita. Thus, S. cerevisiae can be effectively recommended as an important growth promoter for rohu. • Four diets containing graded level of bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0, 1, 2 and 4 g/kg) were fed to rohu for 90 days. • The results demonstrated significant development in the growth performance, feed utilization and hemato-biochemical indices in rohu fed on probiotic incorporated diet compared to control diet. • There were noticeable variations in intestinal microbiota and intestinal morphology between the treated and control diet groups. • The S. cerevisiae can be effectively recommended as an important growth promoter for rohu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) of picornavirus genomes serves as the nucleation site of a highly structured ribonucleoprotein complex essential to the binding of the 40S ribosomal subunit and initiation of viral protein translation. The transition from naked RNA to a functional "IRESome" complex are poorly understood, involving the folding of secondary and tertiary RNA structure, facilitated by a tightly concerted binding of various host cell proteins that are commonly referred to as IRES trans-acting factors (ITAFs). Here we have investigated the influence of one ITAF, the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTB1), on the tropism of PV1(RIPO), a chimeric poliovirus in which translation of the poliovirus polyprotein is under the control of a human rhinovirus type 2 (HRV2) IRES element. We show that PV1(RIPO)'s growth defect in restrictive mouse cells is partly due to the inability of its IRES to interact with endogenous murine PTB. Over-expression of human PTB1 stimulated the HRV2 IRES-mediated translation, resulting in increased growth of PV1(RIPO) in murine cells and human neuronal SK-N-MC cells. Mutations within the PV1(RIPO) IRES, selected to grow in restrictive mouse cells, eliminated the human PTB1 supplementation requirement, by restoring the ability of the IRES to interact with endogenous murine PTB. In combination with our previous findings these results give a compelling insight into the thermodynamic behavior of IRES structures. We have uncovered three distinct thermodynamic aspects of IRES formation which may independently contribute to overcome the observed PV1(RIPO) IRES block by lowering the free energy δG of the IRESome formation, and stabilizing the correct and functional structure: 1) lowering the growth temperature, 2) modifying the complement of ITAFs in restricted cells, or 3) selection of adaptive mutations. All three mechanisms can conceivably modulate the thermodynamics of RNA folding, and thus facilitate and stabilize the functional IRES structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple strategies for the synthesis of five series of cationic gemini surfactants and one series of zwitterionic gemini surfactants from pentaerythritol have been developed. Two lipophilic groups were introduced onto pentaerythritol by alkylation of the known compound, O-benzylidenepentaerythritol, with 1-bromooctane, 1-bromodecane, 1-bromododecane, and 1-bromotetradecane. Hydrogenolysis of the benzylidene acetals gave diols which were converted into three different series of trimethylammonium derivatives. The diiodides derived from the diols could be displaced by dimethylamine, even though they are adjacent to a quatemary carbon atom. Alkylation with methyl iodide gave the first series. The iodides were easily displaced by cyanide ion and the resulting dinitriles were hydrolyzed, converted to N,N-dimethylamides, and reduced to give a second series. Oxidation of the diols to dialdehydes under Swem conditions followed by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions with diethyl N,N-dimethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate followed by two-stage reduction gave a third series. The dialkoxides derived from the four di-O-alkylpentaerthritol diols were reacted with 2-dimethylaminoethyl chloride and 3-dimethylaminopropyl chloride in neighboring-group assisted double Williamson ether syntheses to give precursors to two more series. As expected because the neighboring group participation occurs through a four-membered-ring intermediate, considerably more vigorous conditions were required for the reactions with 3-dimethylaminopropyl chloride. 2-Diethylaminoethyl bromide was found to be less reactive than 2-dimethylaminoethyl chloride. The products were alkylated with methyl iodide and, in some cases, other alkyl halides to give cationic gemini surfactants. Alkylation of one series with ethyl bromoacetate followed by anion exchange resin catalyzed ester hydrolysis gave zwitterionic gemini surfactants. The members of all series have superior surfactant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral domain tests for time series linearity typically suffer from a lack of power compared to time domain tests. We present two tests for Gaussianity and linearity of a stationary time series. The tests are two-stage procedures applying goodness-of-fit techniques to the estimated normalized bispectrum. We illustrate the performances of the tests are competitive with time domain tests. The new tests typically outperform Hinich's (1982) bispectral based test, especially when the length of the time series is not large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]