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In an epoch of the growing risk of antibiotic resistance, there is a dire need to establish an effective novel feeding practice for broiler nutrition as an alternative to antibiotics. Hence, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of clove powder and tulsi extract on the growth performance, gut morphologic and morphometric indices, and cecal microbial status of broiler, as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). Sixty day-old chicks of Cobb-500 strain were randomly divided into 4 groups, each having 15 birds. Chicks of the control group (T0) were fed commercial broiler feed with no additional supplementation. The treatment groups were offered commercial broiler feed and received clove powder and tulsi extract with drinking water at the rate of 0.5% + 2% (T1), 1% + 3% (T2), and 1.5% + 4% (T3), respectively. Results showed a nonlinear relationship with the dosage of clove and tulsi. All the growth parameters substantially (P0.05) improved in T2 while T1 and T3 showed no significant improvement compared to T0. The final body weight was significantly (P0.05) higher in T2. Giblet and offal weights showed no noticeable differences except in the intestine and heart where intestine weight markedly (P0.05) decreased in T3 and heart weight significantly (P0.05) increased in T1 and T2. Clove and tulsi supplementation substantially improved the villus height and villus surface area of the small intestine in T2 while the large intestine remained mostly unaffected by the treatment. Cecal microbial status significantly improved in all the treatment groups having increased (P0.05) Lactobacillus spp. count and decreased (P0.05) E. coli count compared to T0. Based on the aforementioned findings, it can be concluded that the combination of clove and tulsi can improve the growth performance and gut health of broilers which is largely dose-dependent and might be supplied as a potential alternative to AGPs.

This review covers the current and emerging analytical methods used in laboratory, field, landscape and regional contexts for measuring soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agricultural soil. Soil depth plays an important role in estimating SOC sequestration. Selecting appropriate sampling design, depth of soil, use of proper analytical methods and base line selection are prerequisites for estimating accurately the soil carbon stocks. Traditional methods of wet digestion and dry combustion (DC) are extensively used for routine laboratory analysis; the latter is considered to be the “gold standard” and superior to the former for routine laboratory analysis. Recent spectroscopic techniques can measure SOC stocks in laboratory and in-situ even up to a deeper depth. Aerial spectroscopy using multispectral and/or hyperspectral sensors located on aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or satellite platforms can measure surface soil organic carbon. Although these techniques' current precision is low, the next generation hyperspectral sensor with improved signal noise ratio will further improve the accuracy of prediction. At the ecosystem level, carbon balance can be estimated directly using the eddy-covariance approach and indirectly by employing agricultural life cycle analysis (LCA). These methods have tremendous potential for estimating SOC. Irrespective of old or new approaches, depending on the resources and research needed, they occupy a unique place in soil carbon and climate research. This paper highlights the overview, potential limitations of various scale-dependent techniques for measuring SOC sequestration in agricultural soil.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a highly immunosuppressive and often fatal viral disease of young chickens. The causal agent IBD virus (IBDV) is an avian Birnavirus having two genome segments that have evolved independently and contributed to the emergence of many genotypes with different pathogenic profile. The present study aimed at genetic and pathogenic characterization of IBDVs from Bangladesh. We performed phylogenetic analysis of 15 IBDV isolates recovered from field outbreaks in chickens during 2020-2021 and compared the pathogenicity of three selected isolates belonging to different genotypes on experimental infection in chickens. Out of 15 isolates, one was the typical vvIBDV of genotype A3B2, 13 were reassortant vvIBDV of genotype A3B3 having very virulent-like segment A and early Australian-like segment B, and the remaining one isolate was a classical virulent IBDV of A1aB1 genotype. A few amino acid substitutions were observed between the genotypes in four putative antigenic sites on VP2. In a comparative pathogenicity study, the typical vvIBDV isolate BD-25(A3B2) appeared to be the most virulent with 100% morbidity and 90% mortality, followed by the segment-reassortant vvIBDV isolate BD-28(A3B3) with 50% morbidity and 30% mortality. However, the gross and histopathological lesions in the bursa of Fabricius were similar. The classical virulent isolate BD-26(A1aB1) did not cause any clinical disease. In conclusion, three genotypes of IBDV are co-circulating in poultry of Bangladesh and the typical vvIBDV of A3B2 genotype was more virulent than the reassortant vvIBDV of A3B3 genotype. Further studies are required to assess the country-wide distribution of IBDV of different genotypes and the efficacy of the currently available vaccines in protecting chickens against different genotypes of IBDV in Bangladesh.

Growth promoters are added with broiler feed to boost the overall feed efficiency and growth rate. The current study investigated the effect of dexamethasone (DEX)-a commonly used growth promoter-on the broiler growth rate, meat quality, and muscle biology. Four homogenous groups (20 chicks/group) of broiler one-day-old chicks were fed commercial broiler feed where the treatment groups received 3, 5, and 7 mg/kg of DEX with their diet for 28 d. Feed consumption and body weight were monitored on a daily basis. Muscle samples were collected on 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of the experiment to investigate meat quality and muscular biology. The residue of DEX in meat was detected using thin-layer chromatography. We observed that DEX had substantially decreased (P0.05) feed intake, feed efficiency, and overall weight gain in the broiler. While the weight of breast and thigh meat was decreased, the relative meat weight (meat/body weight) was increased significantly in chicks fed DEX. Simultaneously, body fat decreased while the percentage of fat increased significantly (P0.05) in the DEX groups. Contrariwise, DEX improved the investigated meat quality parameters with the potential threat of accumulation of DEX residue in the meat at a high dose (7 mg/kg). We also observed that DEX significantly increased the number of myofibers and decreased the cross-sectional area of myofibers. Based on these findings, we conclude that DEX reduces feed intake, feed efficiency, and growth rate, but might improve meat quality with a potential risk of residual DEX accumulation if fed at a high dose.

Identification of metabolites responsible for tolerance to low nitrogen availability (low-N) will aid in the genetic improvement of rice yield under nitrogen deficiency. In this study, a backcross introgression line (G9) and its recurrent parent Shuhui 527 (SH527), which show differential responses to low-N stress, were used to identify metabolites associated with low-N tolerance in rice. Differences in metabolite contents in the leaves of G9 and SH527 at three growth stages under low-N stress were assessed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Many metabolites, including amino acids and derivatives, were highly enriched in G9 compared with SH527 under the control condition, suggesting that the two genotypes had basal metabolite differences. Low-N stress induced genotype-specific as well as growth stage-dependent metabolite changes. Metabolites induced specifically in G9 that were involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid metabolism were enriched at the tillering and grain filling stages, and metabolites involved in nitrogen and proline metabolism were enriched at the booting stage. Enrichment of pyroglutamate, glutamate, 2-oxoglutarate, sorbose, glycerate-2-P, and phosphoenolpyruvic acid in G9 suggests that these metabolites could be involved in low-N stress tolerance. The results presented here provide valuable information for further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of low-N tolerance in crops. Keywords: Rice, Low-nitrogen stress, Metabolite, Nitrogen metabolism

An in-depth knowledge of the molecular evolution of the peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is critical for the success of the current global eradication program. For this reason, a molecular evolutionary analysis of PPRVs circulating in Bangladesh over a decade (2008–2020) was performed. The complete genome sequencing of three PPRV isolates from 2008 (BD2), 2015 (BD12) and 2017 (BD17) as well as full length nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M) and fusion (F) gene sequencing of seven more samples from 2015 to 2020 was performed. Phylogenetic analysis classified all ten PPRVs from Bangladesh as members of lineage IV and showed that they were closely related to PPRV strains detected in China and Tibet during 2007–2008, and India during 2014–2018. Time scale Bayesian Maximum Clade Credibility (MCC) phylogenetic analysis of the three complete genomes revealed a mean Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) of 2000. Comparative deduced amino acid residue analysis at various functional motifs of PPRVs related to virus structure and function, virulence and host adaptation, receptor binding sites and polymerase activity revealed conserved residues among the PPRVs from Bangladesh. In total sixteen epitopes were predicted from four immunogenic proteins i.e. N, M, F and haemagglutinin (H). Interestingly, the predicted epitopes from the N and M proteins shared conserved epitopes with two vaccine strains currently being used, indicating that the strains from Bangladesh could be potentially used as alternative local vaccines.

Use of industrial by-products as construction material can help to achieve sustainability in this industry. Phosphogypsum, a by-product in phosphoric acid manufacturing process, produced in bulk quantity especially from the fertilizer industry, typically used as a supplementary fertilizer for soil treatment. Alternatively, disposal of these materials in the form of landfill also need huge land area although environmental hazard concern from these activities has been raised by researches. The material has therefore, tried to incorporate in cement manufacturing considering its sustainable use. Phosphogypsum could be used as a substitute of natural gypsum in the production of Portland cement to control the hydration reaction rate of cement. In this study, raw phosphogypsum was collected from a local fertilizer industry. Properties of phosphogypsum were evaluated and then the effect of various level phosphogypsum addition (2, 5, 10 and 15 percent by weight of cement) with Portland cement clinker was investigated. The raw material was treated to remove additional water and impurity by washing, air drying and oven drying. Both treated and untreated materials were used in experimental work. Setting time, flow and compressive strength behavior of the prepared paste, mortar and concrete samples were evaluated to find an effective percentage of phosphogypsum to be used in Portland cement manufacturing. By evaluating properties of cement paste, mortar and concrete it was concluded that 5-10% phosphogypsum addition in cement clinker gave good results. In general, the processing of phosphogypsum by washing and drying gave better performance in all the media.

Shipbreaking has great economic benefits but generates substantial hazardous materials as wastes to the surrounding environment of shipbreaking yards. Currently, a number of methods are exercised all over the world for breaking ships. However, ‘beaching method’ is of most concerns due to its nature of activities. A computer simulation has been carried out and the results reveal that the toxic wastes which, without proper management and treatment, accumulate on the yard ground and gradually diffuses into soil. Thus, leach to sea-water, contaminate and degrade water quality, create a declining trend of biotic structure and eventually affect the ecological systems resulting in sudden or gradual disappearance of mangroves and vegetation. Computer simulation results also confirm that if shipbreaking activities are performed on a bed that is constructed using pebbles of various sizes in such a way that the pebble size gradually increases and the bed permeability gradually decreases across the depth starting from the top surface of the bed, the concentration of hazardous materials could be restricted and catastrophic environmental damages could be avoided. The proposed shipbreaking approach is thought to be sustainable as it uses naturally found construction materials which could be reused for other purposes and offers cleaner, environmentally sound production process of raw materials without incurring significant implementation costs.

Background Breast cancer is the leading killer of female cancer patient. Lung cancer became the second affecting cancer (12%) but the main killer (25%) in female cancer patient. (Cancer fact and Figures 2017” report published by American Cancer Society) and odd of getting lung cancer are 1 in 17. In Bangladesh, the status and features of female lung cancer is not clear. In western country, female are more prone to lung cancer due to some risk factor like smoking, alcohol, exposure of radon etc than Bangladesh. We tried to find out the socio-demographic status and clinical features of lung cancer of female in Bangladesh. Methods This was a descriptive comparative observational study on 2396 female cancer patients reached at Outpatient of Medical oncology department of National Institute of cancer Research and Hospital, Mohakhali, Bangladesh from January 2018 to December 2018. Patients were selected purposive sampling method. Results Total number of 2396 female patients were included in this study. The average age of female lung cancer patient was 56.12 years and average weight was 45.32kg. We had found 336 lung cancer patients (14%) among the 2396 female cancer patient. 58% were adenocarcinoma, 26% were Squamous Cell, 7% small cell variety with undifferentiated and others like Sarcoma, mesothelioma etc were 9%. Most of the patients were illiterate (59%) and 79% patient were poor or below average economically. 42% female patient didn’t have any habitual problem. 46.82%% patients had the battle nut/ Jarda, 7.65% were smoker, about 10% had more than one habitual issue. At the time of presentation none of the had ECOG 0, patients had performance status O, most of the patient’s performance status (ECOG) were 1 (58%) ECOG2 were 27%. 39% patient had comorbidity, among them most frequent comorbidity was Hypertension which was 39% and second was DM (33%) and 20% patient having more than one comorbidity. Conclusions The percentage of female lung cancer in Bangladesh is pretty high among female cancer patient. female are most vulnerable group in rural area as well as they need special attention. Moreover, female lung cancer with other comorbidities makes the treatment more complicated for the cancer physician as well as brings the worst outcome. So, female lung cancer management should be personalized and comprehensive. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium fungi, is a contaminant in wheat, barley, and corn worldwide. It has been suggested that DON exhibits toxicity in various organs. Due to the lack of immunotoxicity data for DON, we investigated the differential immunomodulatory effects of DON in mice. DON was orally administered to female BALB/c mice at a dose of 0, 0.5, or 2mg/kg body weight for 14 days and various immunotoxicity tests were performed with standard protocols. The population of CD19(+) and CD11c(+) cells in the spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) and of F4/80(+) cells in the spleen was significantly decreased in DON-treated mice, whereas the level of CD8(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) cells in the spleen and CD4(+) T cells in MLN was significantly increased. In intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) of the small intestine, the population of CD4 (+) and CD19(+) cells was increased but that of CD8(+) cells was decreased. Levels of CD4 (+) and CD8(+) cells were decreased in lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) of small intestine; however, the level of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes was increased but that of CD19(+) cells was decreased in Peyer's patches lymphocytes (PPLs). Normalized expression of TLR4 in spleen, TLR9 in PPs, and TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 in MLNs was significantly decreased, whereas expression of TLR5 and TLR9 was increased in spleen. The concentration of IgA and IgE was decreased and increased, respectively, in serum; however, the mucosal IgA level was significantly increased in the duodenum. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 were significantly increased in serum. Furthermore, DON induced apoptosis in spleen, MLNs, and PPs, and DON-induced apoptosis was promoted by increased expression of Bax and decreased expression of Bcl-2. The autophagy genes Atg5 and Beclin-1 were up-regulated in spleen but down-regulated in MLN. After priming of the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line with different TLR ligands, DON exposure differentially modulated IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α production. These results indicate that DON can cause various immunomodulatory effects in mice, creating a milieu that might allow invasion by other microorganisms.

The mycotoxin citrinin can cause mycotoxic nephropathy, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. To investigate the immune modulatory effects, CTN was orally administered to female BALB/c mice at the dose of 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg body weight for 14 days, and several immunotoxicity tests were performed. The populations of F4/80+ cells and CD19+ cells were significantly decreased in spleen and MLN. In MLN, CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cell populations were increased. CD8+ cells were increased but CD19+ cells were decreased in intra-epithelial, lamina propria and Peyer's patches lymphocytes. In a cell proliferation assay, along with the increased proliferative capacities of ConA-induced splenocytes and MLN cells, IFN-γ production was increased. The expression of TLR 2 was increased in spleen, but TLR 3 expression in MLN was decreased. The level of serum IgM was reduced. Furthermore, apoptosis was induced in spleen, MLN and Peyer's patches and promoted by the change in the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 activities. Autophagy gene Atg5 and Beclin-1 were up-regulated in spleen. The expressions of IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α were inhibited in murine macrophage cells pre-exposed with TLR ligands. These results indicate that CTN has multiple immune modulatory effects in mice that may alter normal functions of immune system.

Glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) in glial cells removes glutamate that diffuses from the synaptic cleft into the extracellular space. Previously, we have shown the distribution of glutamatergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) of the pigeon. In the present study, we identified cDNA sequence of the pigeon GLT1, and mapped the distribution of the mRNA-expressing cells in CNS to examine whether GLT1 is associated with glutamatergic terminal areas. The cDNA sequence of the pigeon GLT1 consisted of 1889 bp nucleotides and the amino acids showed 97% and 87% identity to the chicken and human GLT1, respectively. In situ hybridization autoradiograms revealed GLT1 mRNA expression in glial cells and produced regional differences of GLT1 mRNA distribution in CNS. GLT1 mRNA was expressed preferentially in the pallium than the subpallium. Moderate expression was seen in the hyperpallium, Field L, mesopallium, and hippocampal formation. In the thalamus, moderate expression was found in the ovoidal nucleus, rotundal nucleus, triangular nucleus, and lateral spiriform nucleus, while the dorsal thalamic nuclei were weak. In the brainstem, the isthmic nuclei, optic tectum, vestibular nuclei, and cochlear nuclei expressed moderately, but the cerebellar cortex showed strong expression. Bergmann glial cells expressed GLT1 mRNA very strongly. The results indicate that cDNA sequence of the pigeon GLT1 is comparable with that of the mammalian GLT1, and a large number of GLT1 mRNA-expressing areas correspond with areas where AMPA-type glutamate receptors are located. Avian GLT1 in glial cells probably maintain microenvironment of glutamate concentration around synapses as in mammalian GLT1.

The distribution and frequency of immunoglobulin (Ig)-containing plasma cells, their variations due to sex, and the mode of secretion of Ig cells into the duct system of the Harderian gland was investigated in broiler and native chickens of both sexes in Bangladesh. The Harderian gland is covered by a capsule, and the connective tissue septa divide the gland into numerous unequal-sized numerous lobes and lobules. The Ig-containing plasma cells were located in the interstitial space, interacinar space, apical part of the lobule, and lumina of the lobules of the Harderian gland in both broiler and native chickens. The population of these Ig-containing plasma cells varied in between broiler and native chickens, and also between male and female broiler and native chickens. In the broiler, the number of IgM-containing plasma cells was higher; in contrast, in the native chickens, the population of IgA-containing plasma cells was larger. In the broiler, there were more IgA- and IgG-containing plasma cells in the male; in contrast, there were more IgM-containing plasma cells in female. In native chickens the frequency of IgA-containing plasma cells was greater in the female than male. When the data for broiler and native birds were compared, it was found that there were significantly more IgA- and IgG-containing plasma cells in the native male and female chickens than in the broiler males and females. The secretory Igs were located in the lumina of acini and the duct system of the Harderian gland. In the present study Ig-containing plasma cells were observed to be released in the lumina of the lobules of Harderian gland by the breakdown of acinar tissues in broilers, and by holocrine mode of secretion in the native chicken. These results suggested that the Harderian gland, even though it is not a lymphoid organ as a whole, but acts as an immunopotent organ in chickens, and that the gland in native chicken contains more Ig-containing plasma cells due to their scavenging.

Four groups of specific pathogen-free, day-old chicks were infected experimentally with an avian arthrotropic reovirus strain R2 by four different routes:--oral, subcutaneous, foot-pad and intra-articular. These groups were followed sequentially to study: pathological changes in the hock joints and liver; cloacal virus shedding and the presence of virus in hock joints; serological responses as determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), agar gel precipitation (AGP) and virus neutralization tests. All 4 infected groups developed arthritis or tenosynovitis with synovial hyperplasia and lymphocytic infiltration. Foot-pad and intra-articular routes of infection were found to advance the disease process by 2 to 3 weeks after infection by these routes were associated with superficial degenerative changes in articular cartilage. Antibodies were detected at 2 to 3 weeks p.i. by all 3 methods, but there were no significant differences between the patterns of serological response in the infected groups. Injection into the foot-pad appears to be the most convenient and effective parenteral route of experimental infection.