Diazepam (DZP), an emerging medicinal pollutant routinely identified in aquatic ecosystems, has been shown to accumulate significantly in the gonads of fish species. Nevertheless, the detrimental impacts stemming from parental DZP exposure on fish offspring remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined the effect of 4-week DZP exposure (0.8 jig/L) in F0 generation Japanese medaka on the survival capacity, ontogenetic development, behavioral responses, and transcriptional regulation of their offspring (F1 generation). Following over two weeks of exposure, F0 individuals exhibited a marked decline in daily egg production. Parental exposure can transmit DZP to offspring of Japanese medaka and significantly reduce the survival and hatching rates of F1 individuals. In the light/dark transition test, F1 larvae derived from DZP-exposed parents demonstrated lower average swimming velocity. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis identified 341 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 261 up-regulated, and 80 down-regulated) in F1 larvae of DZP-exposed parents. Those DEGs are enriched within three critical KEGG pathways: Antigen processing and presentation, Endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, and Estrogen signaling pathway. Considering that residual DZP levels detected in aquatic ecosystems may exceed the experimental threshold (0.8 jig/L), the impacts of parental pharmaceutical exposure on fish offspring should be of greater concern.
Estuaries worldwide have been severely degraded and become reservoirs for many types of pollutants, such as heavy metals. Hilsa shad (Tenulosa ilisha) is Bangladesh's most important single-species fishery that contributes to 12% of total catch and employment for millions of people. An important natural breeding area for hilsa in Bangladesh, the Tetulia River, is the subject of this study's evaluation of heavy metal pollution. Surface water samples were collected during four periods July, August 23, February, and March 24 to analyze the concentrations of seven trace elements (Cd, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Pb) and assess metal toxicity. In the dry season, the average concentrations of Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Pb were 0.06, 0.09, 0.06, 0.08, 0.30, 3.93, and 0.19 mg/L, respectively, while in the wet season, they were 0.05, 0.18, 0.05, 0.07, 0.17, 3.20, and 0.08 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of Cr, Cd, Fe, and Pb exceeded the recommended safe limits for drinking water and freshwater aquatic life protection. The ecological risk index indicated contamination levels ranging from low to high. This study highlights the need for effective policies to safeguard valuable, productive, and diverse coastal ecosystems, particularly concerning water pollution. Further investigation to explore specific source of metals in coastal areas are warranted.
Adoption of improved rice varieties is widely promoted to enhance productivity and income, yet the magnitude of benefits may vary across farm structures and resource endowments. This study examines the heterogeneous impacts of adoption on rice yield and profit among smallholder farmers in Cambodia, focusing on economies of scale and complementary factors such as market access and asset ownership. Using the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) method combined with individual interaction models, the analysis reveals that adopters experience significant gains-25.3% higher yield and 86.2% higher profit compared to non-adopters. Interaction results show that larger rice plots, better road conditions, and car ownership amplify adoption benefits, while remote locations and disease pressure also positively influence outcomes, suggesting adaptive management strategies. These findings underscore the importance of infrastructure, mobility, and technical support in maximizing the returns to improved rice technologies. Policy implications include targeted extension services, investment in rural roads, and promotion of collective farming models to leverage economies of scale.
Eutrema japonicum (commonly known as wasabi) is a perennial plant within the Brassicaceae family, recognized for its culinary and potential therapeutic properties. Isosaponarin (ISP), a di-glycosylated flavone extracted from E. japonicum, has demonstrated significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which may be beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study explores the potential of isosaponarin (ISP) as a therapeutic agent for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms by modulating inflammatory cytokines and related pathways. The ISP content in E. japonicum extracts was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Network pharmacology was employed to identify key protein targets related to IBS, and molecular docking simulations were conducted to assess the binding affinities of these proteins to ISP. The findings showed that the E. japoncium extract contained 12.08 mg/g DW of ISP. It further indicated that ISP possesses strong binding affinities for epidermal growth factor receptor (-10.6 kcal/mol) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (-11.8 kcal/mol). The network pharmacology analysis identified these proteins as pivotal targets within IBS-associated inflammatory processes. This study suggests that ISP from E. japonicum may serve as a promising complementary therapy for IBS. Further investigation through in vivo studies and clinical trials is required to confirm its efficacy and explore its therapeutic potential in human subjects.
Mass Fish Die-off (MFD) refers to incidents where an unusually large number of aquatic organisms die suddenly over a short period. This phenomenon, common in rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters, may arise from natural events or human-induced factors. MFD often leads to serious ecological disruption, economic losses in aquaculture and fisheries, and deterioration of water quality. Globally, water pollution is a widespread problem, with human activities-especially untreated waste discharge-being a leading cause. Usually beause MFDs involve multiple interacting factors, identifying the exact cause is complex. Many countries have established technical frameworks for investigating these incidents, including manuals and procedures that outline step-by-step processes for field inspection, sampling, and data analysis. Among them, the investigation systems adopted in Australia and South Africa are considered highly comprehensive. In Vietnam, MFD cases have been recorded in five provinces, including Phu Tho, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Dong Nai. Although local authorities have applied procedures for receiving and verifying information, inconsistencies persist due to the absence of national standards. To overcome the problem, based on the scientific basis and the results of the assessment of the practical basis for MFD incidents in Vietnam, the Technical guidelines for Determining the Causes of MFD accidents and the Technical Guidelines for Assessing Economic Damage Caused by MFD accidents have been developed based on principles suited to Vietnam's context. These guidelines aim to improve governmental capacity in evaluating damage, ensuring compensation, and promoting sustainable environmental management.
Microplastic pollution is increasingly recognized as a major global environmental issue. Studies have shown that microplastics (MPs) can affect various aspects of fish biology, including physiology, neurotoxicity, and behavior. To explore the potential of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as an indicator of MP pollution, we evaluated the effects of polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP) exposure on sound production. Test fish were assigned to one of three conditions: control, low concentration PS-MP exposure (0.01 mg/L), and high concentration PS-MP exposure (0.1 mg/L). Each fish underwent a sound production test on days and 7. Exposure to high concentrations of PS-MP significantly lengthened the average sound inter-pulse interval, along with notable changes in other vocal trait parameters showing a reduced sound production activity upon exposure. These findings suggest that Japanese medaka sound production could serve as an effective biomonitoring tool for abnormal water conditions, including for detection of PS-MP and possibly other pollutants.
Learning from Japan's own successful "One Village One Product" (OVOP) movement, Vietnam's One Commune One Product (OCOP) program aims to enhance rural economies by promoting value-added agricultural products, including noodles derived from edible canna (Canna edulis). Ensuring the sustainability of such OCOP products relies heavily on the efficiency of raw material production. The primary goal of this research is to evaluate the technical efficiency of edible canna production and identify the key socio-economic factors influencing this efficiency. Ultimately, the study aims to provide evidence-based pathways for enhancing the sustainability of the OCOP noodle value chain. Employing translog stochastic frontier analysis and Tobit models on data collected from surveys with 200 farmers in 2024, the research assesses farm-level efficiency. The findings reveal an average output-oriented TE of 77.45%, indicating a significant potential to increase edible canna yields by 22.55% using current inputs, thereby strengthening the raw material base for noodle production. Key socio-economic factors, including household size, access to extension services, membership in cooperatives, and awareness of the OCOP program, were identified as significant determinants of technical efficiency. These results underscore that improving the TE of edible canna cultivation is crucial not only for optimizing resource use but also for ensuring a stable and efficient supply chain for sustainable OCOP noodles. This study is among the first to empirically measure the direct impact of OCOP program awareness on farm-level technical efficiency, providing a new perspective on the effectiveness of such certification schemes. Policy recommendations emphasize bolstering farmer support through OCOP awareness, enhanced extension services, and cooperative participation, directly contributing to the viability of the OCOP noodle sector and improving rural livelihoods in the region.
Climate-smart practices in agriculture have been widely implemented to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. Despite the growing literature on this topic, less attention has been given to evaluating their effects on horticulture yield. This study investigates the effects of adopting climate-smart horticulture (CSH) practices on horticultural yield in Jimma, Ethiopia, within the framework of the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach. Primary data were collected from 409 smallholder horticulture farmers in the Jimma zone, Ethiopia. Quantile regression and Inverse probability weighting regression adjustment (IPWRA) were used to estimate the heterogeneous effects of SHEP and adoption of CSH practices on aggregate weighted horticulture yield. The results show that adopting CSH practices increases yield by 43% among adopters. Moreover, through adopting disease-resistant varieties, the SHEP intervention positively affects yield across all quantiles. Therefore, the study underscores the need to scale up context-specific CSH practices alongside a market-oriented extension program. Strengthening farm demonstration programs and enhancing access to agricultural cooperatives can further support smallholder farmers in improving horticulture yield.
This study investigates the potential of wharf roach (Ligia spp.) feces as a bioindicator for non-invasive environmental monitoring to assess microplastic contamination in coastal ecosystems. From May to December 2024, monthly sampling was conducted at Nishinoura Fishing Port (Fukuoka, Japan), and microplastics were detected in both the digestive tracts and feces of wharf roaches. The concentrations of microplastics in both digestive tracts and feces exhibited similar seasonal trends, with a decrease during winter. Additionally, difference in the shape characteristics was observed between microplastics found in wharf roach samples and seawater. This study highlights the feasibility of using wharf roach feces as a non-invasive sample for monitoring microplastic accumulation in the coastal area, offering a potential method for assessing pollution levels in coastal environments.
This study analyzed the environmental factors contributing to sunscald damage in urban street trees and proposed management strategies to mitigate its impact. A survey of Acer species, Prunus x yedoensis, Machilus thunbergii, and Ilex rotunda planted in downtown Suncheon, South Korea revealed that sunscald damage was particularly severe in Acer species and in some Prunus individuals with thinner bark. The damage was predominantly observed on the lower trunk (below 1 m above ground) facing south and west, with both the vertical position of sunscald and orientation significantly influencing the percentage of damaged bark area. These findings suggest that solar radiation and reflected heat from adjacent roads and buildings are major causal factors. The following were identified as effective strategies to prevent sunscald damage: reinforcing trunk protection measures, selecting tree species with higher resistance to sunscald, and adjusting planting intervals to enhance shading effects through shrub planting. Additionally, managing soil moisture and temperature with organic mulching and ensuring sufficient canopy shading through proper pruning were also considered essential.
Baricitinib (BCT) is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition medicine, which has been used in the treatment of several self-limiting immune diseases, including the pneumonia caused by COVID-19, rheumatoid arthritis, and alopecia areata etc. Researches show that BCT has significant impact on the mammalian immune system. However, the effects of BCT on aquatic organisms remain unclear. This study utilized the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) to investigate the effects on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and the neurobehavioral toxicity alterations induced by a 96-h Baricitinib exposure at the concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg/L. After exposure, behavioral tests were conducted, and tissue samples of spleens and brains were collected and tested to evaluate the alterations of protein levels. The results showed that there were significant alterations in key proteins of the JAK/STAT pathway (JAK1, STAT1, STAT3, SOCS3, and SOCS8) in the spleen of medaka, with distinct sex-specific patterns between male and female individuals. The serotonin turnover rate (5-HIAA/5-HT) in the brain of male medaka was significantly reduced in the high BCT concentration group (5 mg/L) after BCT exposure. However, for female medaka, it did not change significantly in any exposure groups. Furthermore, results of behavioral assessment showed that BCT exposure significantly affected the behavioral activities and exploratory behavior of Japanese medaka. In general, the results suggested that BCT has significant effects the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as it has been to the mammalian animals. The changes of behavioral traits and brain neurotransmitter levels indicated a potential neurobehavioral influence of BCT on fish. People should pay more attention on the disposal of immunomodulatory medicines regarding to their potential adverse impacts on aquatic organisms.
This study investigates the determinants of productivity and technical efficiency in integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems in Ca Mau province, Vietnam, using a Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function. Our analysis reveals that pond preparation costs, labor input, natural pest control methods, and mangrove coverage significantly influence shrimp productivity. The mean technical efficiency of 85.6% indicates strong but not optimal performance across farms. Key factors reducing technical inefficiency include farmer education, training participation, and organic certification, while shrimp disease occurrence notably increases inefficiency. The findings demonstrate that the integrated mangrove-shrimp farming model can successfully balance economic viability with environmental conservation. Policy recommendations include infrastructure support, enhanced training programs, disease management protocols, and incentives for organic certification. This research contributes to the growing literature on sustainable aquaculture practices and provides empirical evidence supporting the economic and ecological benefits of integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems.
Agricultural extension is increasingly shifting its focus toward integrating production with marketing, and competency enhancement among extension officers plays a crucial role. There remains limited understanding of how the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) enhances extension officers' capacity to deliver market-oriented extension. This study examines the role of various competencies in delivering market-oriented extension, comparing public and private sector officers. We employ Exploratory Factor Analysis to identify key domains of market-oriented extension, followed by multivariate regression for in-depth analysis. Our findings show no difference in performance between the public and private extension officers. However, SHEP-trained public extension officers demonstrate significantly higher ability to identify market-oriented practices, while their private sector counterparts exhibit significantly greater capacity in market engagement. Leadership skills emerge as a critical competency, complementing the facilitation skills emphasized by SHEP. In addition, positive social factors significantly influence market-oriented outcomes, and County-level prioritization of agriculture positively influences service delivery. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening public-private partnerships, integrating social factors into program design, and expanding competency development efforts to include leadership skills alongside facilitation to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of market-oriented extension.
This article analyzes the impact of China's CO2 Emission Trade System (ETS) on firms' carbon avoidance-motivated outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). The ETS is one of China's key market-based environmental policies aimed at controlling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thousands of high-emission firms have been included in this system and now face the decision of either purchasing carbon credits or relocating production. The empirical application focuses on a manually compiled list of firms with carbon compliance obligations from 2013 to 2021, along with data from China's listed companies database. The study uses regional carbon trading pilot policies as a natural experiment for the analysis. The empirical results using Propensity Score Matching-Difference in Differences regression method indicate that: China's ETS have contributed to an increase in OFDI. We further incorporate carbon avoidance-motivated OFDI into the model, finding that the rise in OFDI may be motivated by the desire to avoid carbon reduction costs. This suggests that some firms, aiming to escape the costs associated with the carbon market, choose to relocate capital or production to other regions, leading to cross-border carbon leakage.
The study focused on examining heavy metal contamination (chromium, copper, nickel, cadmium, and lead) in the irrigation water, soil and vegetables of Narayanganj industrial area, Bangladesh. This region faces potential environmental pollution due to various industries discharging wastewater into nearby irrigation canals, which could contaminate the soil. This study was to assess the heavy metal concentration in water, soil and vegetables and to enhance the ecological and health risk assessment by exploring various methodologies. Soil and vegetable samples were collected from various sites that received wastewater from different disposal systems. In most cases, the prevalent contaminants were found to be Cr, Cu, and Ni, followed by Pb and Cd in irrigation water, soil and vegetables. The assessment using the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that the area ranged from moderately to heavily contaminated, particularly concerning Cd and Ni concentration. The pollution load index (PLI) results suggested slight to moderate contamination. Moreover, the potential ecological risk index (RI) posed a very high risk to the environment signifying the need for monitoring and remedial measures to mitigate any adverse impacts. For the high heavy metal concentrations in vegetables, a high bio-concentration factor of vegetables (mostly >20 %) might be responsible. Despite that the soil's concentrations were in permissible level, the higher vegetable's concentrations such as Cr, Cd and Pb in Narayanganj than the standard level were observed causing serious health effect. Furthermore, the health risk index was calculated to assess the potential health risk by consuming vegetables. The results showed that the vegetables grown in the study areas were assessed unsafe for human consumption due to high heavy metals concentrations.
Groundwater resources are an extremely urgent topic for human life in the 21st century. The growing global population followed increasing water exigency for people' s activities, during water reduction and pollution in most countries around the world. Vietnam is one of the countries affected by climate change and water resource decreasing phenomena. Currently, the shortage of freshwater is still prevalent in water- scarce regions throughout Vietnam, notably the South Central region with 7 provinces: Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan. In the South Central region, the total exploitable reserves are 50,691 m3/day, of which Khanh Hoa province has the largest exploitable reserves with 12,758 m3/day; Ninh Thuan province has the smallest exploitable reserves, 1,834 m3/day. In this report, the authors will focus on assessing the current status and orientation of exploitation, use, and protection of groundwater resources in water-scarce areas in the South Central region. The results of the study show that the area has 8 layers/reservoir zone including Pleistocene sedimentary hole aquifers, fissure aquifers, fissures - sediment holes aged from Arkeozoic to Mezozoic and reservoirs along tectonic faults in intrusive rocks, The eruption is forecast to be 12,816 m3/day and can supply a total of 128,160 people with a water usage standard of 100 l/person/day. The report has identified sanitary protection zones for residential water supply and recharge zones (replenishment areas) for particular projects, with a minimum radius of 20 meters for each project and a protection area of 3.0 to 12.0 km2 for the recharge zones, to reasonably and sustainably exploitation, utilization, and protection of groundwater resources.
This study examined the process of endogenous development in rural areas through the lens of empowerment, using a case study of the Ota area in Kitsuki City, Japan. The research revealed a multidimensional empowerment process occurring across four levels: key persons, organization, the rural community, and individual residents (all local residents). The study identified a chain of empowerment, where self-empowerment of key persons promotes the empowerment of resident organization, which in turn facilitates community empowerment, ultimately leading to the empowerment of all local residents. This process is characterized by iterative phases of integration and participation. The research highlights the crucial role of interaction between administrative bodies and local communities in supporting endogenous development. While emphasizing residents' self-help efforts, the study demonstrates that appropriate administrative support is essential for sustainable rural development. The Ota area case illustrates how combining top-down policy support with bottom-up community-led initiatives can lead to effective local revitalization. While this case provides a potential model for endogenous development in other rural areas, the unique socio-economic background and cultural traditions of each area must be considered. The study contributes to the academic discourse on rural endogenous development in Japan and offers practical insights for formulating and implementing rural revitalization strategies.
The deterioration of marine ecosystems due to intensified human activities has led to a significant decline in the availability of marine food sources. In response, some regions have implemented measures such as adding fertilizers to marine environments to promote the growth of seafood like clams. This study explores consumers' willingness to purchase seafood produced using Bio-Concentrated Liquid Fertilizer (Bio-CLF), a new eco-friendly fertilizer. An internet survey was conducted in Japan with 1,546 respondents, and the data was analyzed using logistic regression and LASSO regression to examine the influence of environmental awareness, knowledge of environmental solutions, and resistance to environmental innovations on purchase intention. The results indicate that consumers with higher environmental awareness and better understanding of environmental solutions are more inclined to purchase Bio-CLF cultured seafood. These findings suggest that effective communication and education about the benefits and scientific basis of such innovations are crucial. Recommendations for seafood marketers and government agencies are provided to promote sustainable seafood production and enhance organic waste recycling.
Local milk production in Afghanistan faces significant challenges in meeting the growing consumer demand, leading to a heavy reliance on imported dairy products. Recent efforts have been initiated to improve local dairy production by establishing dairy cooperatives, collection centers, and dairy unions. These efforts aim to address the substantial gap between local milk supply and consumer demand, which has resulted in the emergence of local raw milk businesses across the country. Raw milk refers to the milk that has not been pasteurized and homogenized. The majority of dairy products in Afghanistan consist of raw, unpasteurized milk and traditional fermented items. These products are mainly distributed through small-scale and informal channels that do not employ cold chains. Afghanistan's dairy sector faces significant food safety challenges that pose health risks to consumers and compromise the integrity of dairy products. Studies on consumers' safety perceptions of milk in Afghanistan are limited, despite its importance in the diet and economy. The current studies have focused on the quality and objective understanding of dairy product safety issues, such as physicochemical properties and contamination levels while neglecting to explore consumer concerns regarding food safety. Therefore, this study is conducted to examine consumer perceptions of safety regarding locally sourced raw milk in Paktia, Afghanistan. Based on a sample of 230 consumers in the rural and urban areas, we employed ordered logistic regression modeling. The results show that socio-demographic factors significantly influence consumers' safety perceptions regarding local raw milk. The findings suggest that addressing concerns raised by consumers regarding food safety-particularly among older populations, larger households, and packaged milk users-could help build trust in local dairy products.
Due to its extensive use and high stability in water-sediment systems, diazepam (DZP) has become an emerging pollutant of great concern. The adverse effects of DZP on fish have been well documented, but information on the molecular mechanisms underlying these toxic effects is still lacking. In this study, female Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were exposed to DZP (800 ng/L) for 21 days, and responses in their behavior and brain transcriptomic profiles were investigated. With prolonged exposure, DZP significantly reduced the average swimming velocity (on day 21), frequency of active mobility (on day 14 and 21), and cumulative duration of active mobility (on day 14 and 21) in Japanese medaka, suggesting a typical sedative effect. The transcriptome analysis identified 913 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 374 up-regulated and 539 down-regulated) in Japanese medaka exposed to DZP at 800 ng/L. The enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs, which have molecular functions related to hormone activity and receptor functions, were significantly enriched in the pathways belonging to environmental information processing, genetic information processing, and cellular processes. Based on the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, five DEGs were predicted as key driver genes, which may play critical roles in medicating the molecular networks of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (prl), histidine metabolism (suox), and estrogen signaling pathway (pgr, hsp90aa1.2, andfoxa3).
