Introduction: Endoparasites in captive wildlife might pose a threat to public health; however, very few studies have been conducted on this issue, and much remains to be learned, especially in limited-resource settings. This study aimed to investigate endoparasites of captive wildlife in Bangladesh. Perception and understanding of veterinarians regarding one health and zoonoses were also assessed. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to August 2020. A total of 45 fecal samples from 18 different species of wild animals (i.e., 11 species of mammals: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, six birds, and a single reptile species) were collected randomly. Parasitological assessments were done by modified formalin ether sedimentation technique and rechecked by Sheather’s sugar floatation technique. Molecular identification of Spirometra spp. was conducted by amplifying the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) gene. Questionnaire surveys among 15 veterinarians and an in-depth interview (IDI) with a zoo officer were conducted. Results: Helminths (Spirometra sp., Capillaria sp., Ascaridia/Heterakis, opisthorchiid, strongyles, acuariid, hookworms, roundworms, and unidentified nematode larvae) and protozoa (coccidian oocyst) were identified, and the overall prevalence was 48.9% (22/45). The cox1 sequences (341 bp) of the Bangladesh-origin Spirometra species from lion showed 99.3–99.7% similarity to the reference sequences of Spirometra decipiens (GenBank No: KJ599679.1; MT122766). The majority of study participants (86.6%) agreed about the importance of endoparasite control in zoo animals, and 73.3% expressed that the one health concept should be promoted in Bangladesh. Only 6.7% of veterinarians perceived confidence in diagnosing parasitic diseases and preventing antiparasiticidal resistance. Conclusions: In the present survey, we found a considerable prevalence of endoparasites in captive wildlife. For the first time, zoonotically important S. decipiens from lion was molecularly characterized in Bangladesh. Veterinarian training is required to improve parasite control knowledge and practice. This study highlights the need for routine parasitological assessment, promotion of one health, and improvement of the implementation of current parasite control strategies in zoo animals.

Article HistoryThis study aims at evaluating the outlook of the students, who are studying at a countryside institution in a developing country, towards entrepreneurship by applying the theory of planned behavior. Taking into account the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas in developing economies, and the scarcity of literature on students' self-employment intentions there; we find this study timely. The results show that there is positive outlook of the respondents toward self-employment, and the theory of planned behavior explains a significant portion of the variance in their entrepreneurial intention. Attitude toward the entrepreneurship being the significant predictor, followed by perceived behavioral control and subjective norm. This study contributes to the literature by filling the scarcity on the application of the theory of planned behavior on learners from rural institution; and thereby validates the generalizability of the theory. It also offers some important policy measures to the policy makers at government level.Contribution/ Originality: This study contributes in the existing literature by showing evidence that the Theory of Planned Behavior is equally able to measure entrepreneurial intention among students under a setting of rural higher educational institution in a developing economy, and thereby further validates the generalizability of the theory's relevance across contexts.

Estimating genetic variability and cluster analysis of grain yield and yield contributing traits need to require for rice breeders to choose the best breeding programs. Ten upland rice genotypes were conducted from farmers’ fields during the years of 2017 at three provinces of southern Thailand. Extreme broad sense heritability and genetic gain values for flag leaf length, leaf area index, harvest index, total dry weight and filled grains showed that assortment of these yield contributing traits would be effective. Cluster analysis categorized genotypes into three groups. In each group some genotypes such as Dawk Pa-yawm or Dawk Kha 50 (group I), Nahng Kian (group II) and Khao/ Trai (group III) showed that genotypes had different better traits. These studies revealed that high broad sense heritability traits and the best genotypes Nahng Kian and Khao/ Trai would be useful for improving new upland rice varieties in southern Thailand.

Worldwide crop productivity hampers severely due to the adverse effects of salinity. Global warming causes a rapid escalation of the salt-affected area, and new agricultural land is affected through saltwater intrusion. The ever-growing human population impulses to utilize the saline area for crop cultivation to ensure food security. Salinity resistance crops could be a promising substitute but with minor success because inappropriate tactics on saline soil management resulted in unsatisfactory yield. Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (ST-PGPR) is considered an alternate way towards enhancing crop growth in saline ecosystems. It is reported that PGPR is enabled to produce exopolysaccharides which lead to biofilm formation and generate osmoprotectants and antioxidant enzymes that can significantly contribute to stimulating plant growth in the saline ecosystem. In addition, several plant growth-promoting characteristics of PGPR such as the acquisition of essential nutrients and upsurge hormone production could enhance plant growth simultaneously. In this review, we will explore the survival mechanisms of ST-PGPR and their influence on plant growth promotion in saline ecosystems.

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