Program of Debrief Meeting on Education and Research FY2022 held at Okayama University on January 24th, 2023

   The aim of this study is to introduce an approach for analysing, monitoring, and managing the household solid waste generation, recycling, and alternative treatments in a municipality. This approach presents the following issues: (i) to evaluate the quantity and composition of household solid waste to identify opportunities for waste recycling in detailed composition; (ii) to analyze the influence of relevant factors for household solid waste generation rates by physical categories and subcategories, next to develop the mathematical models of correlations between the waste generation rates of main physical categories and relevant factors; (iii) to examine the habit of households on recyclable waste discharge, the household attitudes toward good waste management and the household behaviors toward recycling activities; and (iv) to investigate the contribution of household solid waste treatment alternatives to mitigate greenhouse gas emission under various possible analysis scenarios by a multiple assessment based on various aspects such as greenhouse gas emission/reduction, energy generation/consumption, economic benefit, investment and operating cost, and land use burden. The outcomes of this approach will suggest the methodology for analysing, monitoring, and managing of household solid waste as support tool for integrated waste management.

Program of International Symposium on Environmental and Life Science FY 2022 held at Okayama University on January 24th, 2023

   Cold stress has become problematic for rice seedling production in many sub-tropical areas, including in Bangladesh. Cold stress causes poor germination, stunted seedlings, chlorosis or withering, and limited tillering. Application of various exogenous stimulants metabolically prepares plants to fight against cold stress. This review summarized the role of different exogenous stimulants in mediating cold tolerance in rice seedlings. Seed priming or seedling treatment with exogenous stimulants can be promising approach to improve cold stress tolerance. However, additional research should be conducted to reveal the molecular mechanisms, as well as field level trials should be conducted to determine field level applicability.

   Since acetaldehyde is a toxic metabolite of ethanol, its accumulation causes several acute and chronic diseases related to the excessive intake of alcoholic beverages. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play an important role in the metabolism of not only exogenous aldehydes, but also endogenous ones including acetaldehyde. Among the ALDH family, ALDH2 mainly contributes to acetaldehyde elimination. This paper reviews the function of ALDH2 as well as auxiliary ALDHs in the ethanol metabolism. This paper also summarizes the regulation of the total ALDH activity by certain food chemicals, providing implication for their therapeutic potential against alcohol-related diseases.