Human Population Growth Research Articles

Trends in imported infections among migrants and travellers to Spain: a decade of analysis through the +Redivi network (2012-2022).

High-speed global travel, increased trade, world population growth, migration, urbanisation and climate change have favoured the emergence and spread of pathogens. We aimed to analyse the evolution of imported infections in Spain during 2012-2022 and the potential impact of some of the abovementioned factors on differential morbidity patterns. In this retrospective study (January/2012 to December/2022), we analysed data collected by the +Redivi network across 25 health centres. The network's standardised database records new cases of imported infections, including patient demographics, travel history, pre-travel advice and diagnostic information. To assess outcome rates over time and potential interactions, we constructed penalised weighted models to reduce the bias related to a low event rate and used weighted logistic regression for morbidity outcomes. We recorded 25 632 episodes, comprising 13 913 migrants, 4047 visiting friends and relatives (VFR) immigrants, 392 VFR travellers and 7280 travellers. Most immigrants came from South America (48.3%), Sub-Saharan Africa (28.5%), North Africa (6.6%), South Central Asia (5.4%) and Central America/Caribbean (5.3%). The most common regions visited by travellers were Sub-Saharan Africa (33.5%), South America (24.5%), Central America/Caribbean (13.5%), Southeast Asia (12%) and South Central Asia (10%). The proportion of diagnoses of malaria, strongyloidiasis and unspecified self-limiting febrile syndrome < 3weeks remained unchanged during the study period. An increased frequency of diagnosis was reported for schistosomiasis, blastocystosis, giardiasis, dengue, diarrhoea, new cases of HIV, latent and pulmonary tuberculosis; a decrease was reported for syphilis, chikungunya fever, Chagas disease and eosinophilia. We detected interactions between time and sex or type of participant across the different diagnoses. Our study underscores the importance of epidemiological data in understanding infectious diseases dynamics among travellers and migrants, emphasising how demographic shifts, migration trends and healthcare policies affect disease profiles. Comprehensive data play an essential role in enhancing public health policies and travel advice.

Examining the Radiological Health Risks Associated with Water Sourced from the Ogwashi-Uku Earth Dam in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria

Given the increased human activities and population growth in Ogwashi-Uku, there is a possibility of potential contamination of the water in the dam with elevated levels of alpha and beta radiation. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the radiological health risks associated with water obtained from the Ogwashi-Uku Earth dam by analyzing the concentrations of gross alpha and gross beta activity in the water. The results indicate that the measured activity concentrations of gross alpha and gross beta in the water samples are below the permissible limits of 0.1 Bq/l and 1.0 Bq/l respectively. Additionally, the average annual effective dose equivalent calculated for all the water samples is lower than the recommended dose limit of 0.1 mSv for radionuclides in water. These findings suggest that the assessed life cancer risk associated with the water consumption is low, indicating that the water from the Ogwashi-Uku Earth dam is safe for consumption.

Promoting Seed Germination of Some Plant Species by Rhamnolipid Produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

With growing environmental concerns and a growing world population, there is an interest in developing cheap, efficient, and environmentally friendly substances that benefit humanity. Microbial surfactants are nontoxic, biodegradable bioproducts that provide sustainable solutions in agricultural applications due to their many benefits over their synthetic counterparts. Hence the crucial importance of scientific research to understand the effect of microbial surfactants on plant development. The present study aimed to assess the effect of rhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa on seed germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), onion (Allium cepa), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under laboratory conditions. The results showed that P. aeruginosa was capable of producing 3.83 g/L of viscous, honey-colored rhamnolipid, which was capable of lowering the surface tension to 30 ± 0.33 mN/m. Different concentrations of rhamnolipid ranging from 0.25 to 1.00 g/L were assessed, with distilled water acting as a control. After treatment of seeds, results showed that applying 0.25 g/L of rhamnolipid can significantly increase seed germination to 100% on the fourth day of sowing okra and lettuce, and on the fifth day of sowing onion seeds, compared to control groups that recorded 60%, 50%, and 55%, respectively. In wheat and barley seeds, applying rhamnolipid can protect seeds from pathogenic fungi while delaying their germination to 60% and 70% on the third day of sowing, while 90% and 100% have been reported in the control groups. Thus, this biological molecule demonstrates promising results in enhancing seed germination of the studied species by protecting them from phytopathogens and then aiding plant growth.

Increasing Population Status of Broad-Snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris) Based on Sustainable Use Strategies in a Managed Protected Area in Santa Fe, Argentina

People and crocodilians have engaged in interactions since the earliest human settlements. After many years of escalating non-regulated use, coupled with emerging threats such as habitat modification, environmental pollution, and the exponential growth of human populations, natural crocodilian populations have been pushed to the brink of extinction. To prevent this, various initiatives have implemented strategies to prevent local extinction. Reinforcing wild populations through reintroductions and head-starting programs has been considered the safest approach to recovering crocodilian populations. Subsequently, the concept of sustainability emerged. In the case of many historically exploited crocodilian species, it became evident that rational utilization need not adversely affect population status; on the contrary, there were clear signs of recovery when local communities were involved. In 1990, the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) was in a critical state due to decades of poaching and the aforementioned threats. In response, the “Monitoring and restocking program of the broad-snouted caiman for management purposes”, commonly known as Proyecto Yacaré, was established to study population abundance and assess the biological, ecological, and social response to this management methodology. As a result of the eggs’s harvest, a proportion equivalent to or greater than what would have survived in natural conditions was released into the original habitat where the eggs were collected. The surplus was allocated for leather and meat production with a focus on economic and environmentally sustainable practices, without affecting biodiversity or threats to the managed species. The in situ work carried out by this program has been crucial for the recovery of broad-snouted caiman populations under the “incentives for conservation” system, whereby local communities receive benefits for nest identification and egg harvesting. Over time, conservation incentives have become significant contributors to regional economies. This study illustrates how C. latirostris populations increased due to the implementation of egg harvesting by local communities in a natural reserve for management purposes. This population increase was detected through continuous night monitoring and an analysis of the number of nests in the area. Currently, C. latirostris populations have transitioned from being among the most threatened to becoming one of the most abundant throughout their distribution area. Based on the analyzed information, we may affirm that the commercial value of these species is one of the most relevant aspects contributing to the sustainability of these programs, primarily due to the change in perception generated among local communities. Therefore, identifying and controlling factors affecting these programs are fundamental for the conservation of these species.

Potentials of microbe-plant assisted bioremediation in reclaiming heavy metal polluted soil environments for sustainable agriculture

As human population growth drives the demand for food, crop intensification has increased. However, urbanization, industrialization, and contamination of soil by heavy metals (HM) have become significant challenges to agricultural production. Urbanization activities jeopardize and/or harm soil health, which is critical for the environment, ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, and the global economy. Smelting, mining, and other industrial activities that release toxic HMs into the environment significantly reduce soil health, with serious consequences for both plants and humans. Furthermore, the presence of HM in the soil severely hinders sustainable agriculture. Therefore, to counteract the subsequent decrease in crop yield due to HM contamination, we must involve plants and appropriate microbes in eliminating these pollutants. This will lead to a more productive agriculture, food safety, and food security realization. Therefore, this study explored the efficacy, advantages, and limitations of current conventional methods of soil HM remediation as well as the potential of plants and microbes like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Alyxia rubricaulis, and Maytenus bureaviana in the reclamation of HM polluted soil for sustainable agriculture. Employing natural and non-hazardous methods to remove these contaminants, as highlighted in this review, would help to improve soil health and quality, increase crop production, and promote sustainable agriculture, as outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Trade openness, human capital, natural resource, and carbon emission nexus: a CS-ARDL assessment for Central Asian economies.

There is a call for global efforts to preserve the ecological systems that can sustain economies and people's lives. However, carbon emission (CEM) threatens the sustainability of humanity and ecological systems. This analysis looked into the influence of energy use (ERU), human capital (HCI), trade openness (TOP), natural resource (NRR), population, and economic growth (ENG) on CEM. The paper gathered panel data from the Central Asia region from 1990 to 2020. The CS-ARDL was applied to establish the long-term interaction among the indicators. The paper's findings indicated the presence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in the Central Asia regions. Also, the empirical evidence highlighted that energy use, natural resources, and trade openness cause higher levels of CEM. However, the research verified that CEM can be improved through human capital and urban population growth. The study also found that HCI moderates the interaction between NRR and CEM. The causality assessment indicated a one-way interplay between ENG, ERU, NRR, and CEM. The study proposes that to support ecological stability in these regions, policy-makers should concentrate on developing human capital, investing in renewable energy sources, and utilizing contemporary technologies to harness natural resources in the economies of Central Asia.

From leaf to multiscale models of photosynthesis: applications and challenges for crop improvement.

To keep up with the growth of human population and to circumvent deleterious effects of global climate change, it is essential to enhance crop yield to achieve higher production. Here we review mathematical models of oxygenic photosynthesis that are extensively used, and discuss in depth a subset that accounts for diverse approaches providing solutions to our objective. These include models (1) to study different ways to enhance photosynthesis, such as fine-tuning antenna size, photoprotection and electron transport; (2) to bioengineer carbon metabolism; and (3) to evaluate the interactions between the process of photosynthesis and the seasonal crop dynamics, or those that have included statistical whole-genome prediction methods to quantify the impact of photosynthesis traits on the improvement of crop yield. We conclude by emphasizing that the results obtained in these studies clearly demonstrate that mathematical modelling is a key tool to examine different approaches to improve photosynthesis for better productivity, while effective multiscale crop models, especially those that also include remote sensing data, are indispensable to verify different strategies to obtain maximized crop yields.

An investigation into the convergence of economic growth among Indian States and the path ahead

This study offers a comprehensive examination of economic growth and convergence in the Indian States and Union Territories (U.T.) over the period from 1991 to 2020. It investigates absolute, sigma, and conditional convergence within this diverse set of states and utilizes the augmented Solow and extended Solow models to explore conditional convergence dynamics. The empirical findings reveal several significant insights. First, there is no substantial negative correlation between the initial per capita GDP ratio and the average annual growth rate, indicating the absence of absolute convergence across the Indian States and U.T. economies during the study period. These results align with those obtained from sigma convergence analysis, reinforcing the absence of widespread convergence. However, conditional convergence is observed, as evidenced by the rate of conditional convergence (coefficient of initial GDP per capita) estimated at 0.038 among the Indian States and U.T. The presence of conditional convergence implies that while initial conditions matter, other factors, including physical and human capital, population growth, and additional variables, significantly contribute to the growth and convergence of Indian regions. The study concludes that policies aimed at promoting economic growth in the Indian States should prioritize the expansion of the labor force, investments in physical and human capital, and prudent government consumption. Furthermore, fostering an environment that encourages access to new technologies and ideas, maintaining sound macroeconomic management, and increasing investments in human capital formation are essential for sustained growth. Effective resource allocation through prudent budgetary policies and heightened investments in the health sector are recommended. Incentives to reduce fertility rates and adept monetary policy management are also identified as crucial elements for ensuring stability and sustainable growth. In summary, this research underscores the importance of adopting a holistic approach to foster economic growth and convergence in the Indian States. The suggested policy measures create a conducive environment for sustained development and prosperity in this diverse and dynamic region.

Recovery status of coastal vegetation in Mozambique: Insights from floristic composition and soil organic carbon analysis

The growing demand for land for slash-and-burn cultivation, driven by human population growth, has led to the creation of scattered cultivated fields and a mosaic of fallow areas in various stages of regeneration. While tropical forests have demonstrated the ability to rebound regarding tree species diversity and forest structure following disturbances, the extent of recovery in coastal vegetation in southern Africa remains uncertain and poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, our study collected biophysical data from smallholder fields, fallow land, and forests to evaluate the structure and functioning of coastal vegetation in Gaza province, southern Mozambique. We established 90 sample plots of 0.1 ha each at different stages of plant succession using opportunistic sampling approach. Within these plots, we recorded the diameter at breast height, total height, and species name of all trees and shrubs. Litter and soil samples were collected in 1 m² quadrats embedded within the main plot. Our findings indicate a high capacity for regeneration following the disturbance caused by slash-and-burn cultivation. Species composition varied significantly across different stages of succession, with 52 species identified in forests (FL), 34 in old fallow (OF), 29 in middle fallow (MF), 28 in initial fallow (IF), and 15 in cropland (CL). Richness and diversity increased over time after the practice of slash-and-burn cultivation, with a noticeable enhancement from the initial fallow stage. We observed a gradual recovery of soil carbon stocks in young fallow areas, while litter biomass decreased throughout the recovery phase of the fallow lands. Our study highlights that areas abandoned after agriculture can regenerate in terms of structure, floristic composition, and tree carbon content.

Role of integrated pest management in agriculture

Agriculture in India has a pivotal role in promoting food security, livelihoods and sustainable development, especially for the rural poor. However, it is increasingly affected by issues such as degradation of natural resources, increased frequency of extreme weather events and change in rainfall patterns that are linked to climate change. The population is also growing fast, affecting the demand for food and other agricultural products. Due to these factors and given the limited availability of agricultural land, the burden on the farming sector has increased manifold. The various crop plants are greatly affected by multifarious types of pests which not only result in reduced productivity figures but also distress the farmers as they get less revenue due to crop losses to these pests. Pest attack coupled with disease breakout sometimes results in suicidal situations as has been witnessed in our country. As such strong measures have to be taken up for bringing the pest attack to halt forthwith and reduce the incidence of pests. According to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), East Asia (including China) and South Asia together account for more than half of pesticide use in developing countries in the world. Moreover, farmers often apply large quantities of highly toxic pesticide or even use banned or spurious ones, instead of less toxic alternatives. In order to overcome these negative effects Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers an alternative that is safer for human and environmental health. Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests. IPM is the best combination of cultural, biological and chemical measures to manage diseases, insects, weeds and other pests. As the global population is on the rise the demand of growing world population for food and fiber require farmers to produce more crops on existing farm land. IPM is a big part of the solution. Increasingly it is being adopted in both developed and developing countries for long-term, sustainable agriculture that achieves adequate, safe and quality food production. IPM does not, however, consist of any absolute or rigid criteria. As it is a flexible system that makes good use of local resources and the latest research, technology, knowledge and experience. The main of the IPM aims to suppress pest populations below the economic injury level (EIL).

Genomics-assisted speed breeding for crop improvement: present and future

Global agricultural productivity and food security are threatened by climate change, the growing world population, and the difficulties posed by the pandemic era. To overcome these challenges and meet food requirements, breeders have applied and implemented different advanced techniques that accelerate plant development and increase crop selection effectiveness. However, only two or three generations could be advanced annually using these approaches. Speed breeding (SB) is an innovative and promising technology to develop new varieties in a shorter time, utilizing the manipulation of controlled environmental conditions. This strategy can reduce the generation length from 2.5 to 5 times compared to traditional methods and accelerate generation advancement and crop improvement, accommodating multiple generations of crops per year. Beside long breeding cycles, SB can address other challenges related to traditional breeding, such as response to environmental conditions, disease and pest management, genetic uniformity, and improving resource efficiency. Combining genomic approaches such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and genome editing with SB offers the capacity to further enhance breeding efficiency by reducing breeding cycle time, enabling early phenotypic assessment, efficient resource utilization, and increasing selection accuracy and genetic gain per year. Genomics-assisted SB holds the potential to revolutionize plant breeding by significantly accelerating the identification and selection of desirable genetic traits, expediting the development of improved crop varieties crucial for addressing global agricultural challenges.

Comparison of Inclusion of Skimmed Milk and Edible Insects on the Nutritional, Sensory and Microbial Qualities of Enriched High Energy Rice Biscuits

Aims: The growing world population, carbon foot prints of rearing conventional protein sources, issues of protein malnutrition (particularly in developing nations) and the urgent needs of protein-rich food relief materials in crisis situations may necessitate the utilisation of underutilised sustainable, nutritious protein sources. The study was conducted to investigate the possibility of using indigenous food crops and substituting milk powder with edible insects’ powder as a sustainable alternative protein source in high energy rice biscuits.&#x0D; Study Design: Biscuits were produced following the standard USAID recipe for HEB and comparisons were made with the insect biscuits and STD.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, between January 2018 and August 2018.&#x0D; Methodology: The high energy biscuits was evaluated for proximate composition, total sugars using Anthrone reagent, micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), physical properties such as spread ratio, weight, width etc. Microbial and sensory quality of the biscuits were also determined using standard methods.&#x0D; Results: From the findings of the study, rice biscuits with silkworm pupae had outstanding protein (12.76 g/100 g), fat (15.78 g/100 g) and energy (451.38 Kcal/100 g) contents while biscuit with migratory locust powder had slightly higher total ash and CHO. The spread ratios of the biscuits were within acceptable range. In terms of mineral composition, all the insect biscuits were significantly superior to the milk biscuit except for calcium. However, all the rice HEB exceeded the minimum USAID specifications for nutritive elements. The insect biscuits had more than quadruple the recommended pro-vitamin A content (1200. 67 and 2390.05 μg/100 g) and impressive amounts of vitamin C (94.19 and 52.39 mg/100 g). The microbial assessment revealed HEB with remarkable quality signifying wholesome raw materials and hygienic sample preparation. All samples received good sensorial ranking, but HEB with migratory locust was preferred.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results demonstrated that edible insects could serve as alternative protein source in the production of a nutritious high energy biscuit with good organoleptic and microbiological qualities.

Weed Management Using UAV and Remote Sensing in Malaysia Paddy Field: A Review

Controlling weed infestation is pivotal to achieving the maximum yield in paddy fields. At a time of exponential human population growth and depleting arable land mass, finding the solution to this problem is crucial. For a long time, herbicides have been the most favoured approach for weed control due to their efficacy and ease of application. However, adverse effects on the environment due to the excessive use of herbicides have prompted more cautious and effective herbicide usage. Many weed species tend to dominate the field, and the weed thrived in patches, rendering conventional broad herbicide spraying futile. Site-specific weed management (SSWM) consists of two strategies: weed mapping and selective herbicide application. Since its introduction into the agriculture sector, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have become the platform of choice for carrying both the remote sensing system for weed mapping and the selective application of herbicide. Red-Green-Blue (RGB), multispectral and hyperspectral sensors on UAVs enable highly accurate weed mapping. In Malaysia, adopting this technology is highly possible, given the nature of government-administrated rice cultivation. This review provides insight into the weed management practice using remote sensing techniques on UAV platforms with potential applications in Malaysia's paddy field. It also discusses the recent works on weed mapping with imaging remote sensing on a UAV platform.

Optimization of watermelon waste as a bulking agent for sustainable co-composting of livestock manures using response surface methodology

Global human population growth has resulted in significant intensive agricultural activity, posing substantial challenges to waste management and environmental conservation. Watermelon waste (WW), chicken manure (CM) and horse manure (HM) are among the main contributors to agricultural waste due to their abundant waste production. This study aims to manage the daily production of these wastes by utilizing WW as a bulking agent in the co-composting of CM and HM. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to analyze the effects of four independent factors: HM:CM composition, particle size, composting period, and bulking agent amount. Thirty treatments were developed using central composite design and in-vessel composting reactors were employed to study the relationship between the factors involved and compost physicochemical quality parameters. The results demonstrated significant effects on organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), dry matter, moisture content, bulk density, and pH, while the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) and phosphorus level were not affected. The optimized co-composting conditions obtained from RSM were 75:25 for HM:CM composition (%), 0.5 cm for particle size, 40 days for composting period, and 10% of WW, resulting in a compost with 61% OM, 2.5% N, and 2.5% K. These optimal conditions agreed closely with the predicted values; root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) was less than 0.50, revealing the success of RSM in determining optimal process parameters and developing models for predicting responses. Our study demonstrated that WW as a bulking agent in the co-composting of CM and HM has significantly enhanced the organic matter and nutrient levels of the final compost product.

HYBRID OPTIMIZATION FOR INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS INTO SMART GRIDS

The significant increase in the human population, energy consumption in daily living is increasing. One approach is to raise the amount of power produced to match the growth in human population, although this is typically practically unfeasible. By controlling demand, electricity consumption and associated expenses may be reduced. As a consequence, we employ Demand-side Management (DSM) to plan different gadgets on loads to reduce energy usage. Incorporating renewable energy sources and reducing energy costs are two significant roles that the smart grid plays. As a result, we suggest a hybrid swarm based Harris Hawks' optimization (S-HHO) algorithm to overcome the optimization difficulties. The suggested approach includes loads of home and business variety. The proposed technique was compared to binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), wind driven optimization (WDO), and multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGA). Results from simulations were produced using MATLAB software. The results show that the improved hybrid optimization S-HHO reduces the Peak-to-average ratio (PAR) and computational time better than other methods such as WDO, BPSO, MOPSO, and MOGA.

Computational modelling of extrusion process temperatures on the interactions between black soldier fly larvae protein and corn flour starch

Insects such as the black soldier fly (BSF) are recently being studied as food sources to address concerns about how to meet the food demand of the growing world population, as conventional production lines for meat proteins are currently unsustainable sources. Studies have been conducted evaluating the use of insect proteins to produce extruded foods such as expanded snacks and meat analogues. However, this field of study is still quite new and not much has been studied beyond digestibility and growth performance. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the compatibility of protein extracted from BSF flour with corn flour starch within an extruded balanced shrimp feed model through molecular dynamics simulations, for which cohesive energy density and solubility parameter (δ) of both components were determined. The calculations’ results for the protein molecule systems yielded an average δ of 14.961 MPa0.5, while the δ for starch was calculated to be 23.166 MPa0.5. The range of difference between both δ (10 > δ > 7) suggests that the interaction of the BSF protein with corn starch is of a semi-miscible nature. These results suggest that it is possible to obtain a stable starch-protein mixture through the extrusion process.

Amelioration in nanobiosensors for the control of plant diseases: current status and future challenges

The increase in global population has had a tremendous impact on sustainable agri-food practices. With the growth in world population, various modern technologies are being utilized that more often result in the opening of tremendous opportunities in the agriculture and food sectors. Nanotechnology is used in agri-food sectors for a variety of purposes, including enhancing flavor, pest/pathogen diagnosis, production, processing, storage, packaging, and transportation of agricultural products. Plant pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and nematodes have a significant impact on the global economy. In particular, advances in nanotechnology, including nanobiosensors, have been used in the detection of plant diseases and pathogens, the evaluation and examination of infections caused by microorganisms, the management of diseases and, thus, the promotion of food security. Apart from the management of plant diseases, nanobiosensors offer better opportunities for sustainable agri-food production by controlling physical, chemical, and biological processes, thus improving food safety and the agricultural economy. This review outlines the application of nano-integrated nanobiosensors for better agricultural and food practices.

The widespread keeping of wild pets in the Neotropics: An overlooked risk for human, livestock and wildlife health

Abstract Zoonoses constitute a major risk to human health. Comprehensive assessments on the potential emergence of novel disease outbreaks are essential to ensure the effectiveness of sanitary controls and to establish mitigating actions. Through a continental‐scale survey of rural human settlements conducted over 13 years in 15 Neotropical countries, we document the vast extent of poaching to meet the local demand for pets, resulting in thousands of families living with ca. 275 species of wild animals without any sanitary controls. Parrots account for ca. 80% of wild pets, dying mostly from diseases at an average age of 1 year. This culturally rooted tradition, which dates back to pre‐Columbian times, may lead to health risks by bringing wild animals prone to carrying parasites and pathogens into close contact with humans and their exotic pets and livestock. Although animal pathogens and parasites have been transmitted to humans for centuries, the current trend of human population growth and connectivity can increase the risk of zoonotic outbreaks spreading at an unprecedented pace. Similarly, disease transmission from humans and poultry to wild animals is also expected to be facilitated via wild pets, leading to conservation problems. Several studies have highlighted the risk posed by wildlife city markets for cross‐species disease transmission, ignoring the risk associated with widespread pet ownership of wild animals poached locally in rural areas. Given its geographic and social dimensions, a holistic approach is required to reduce this illegal activity as well as to strengthen health surveillance of seized individuals and people in close contact with poached pets, which would benefit both people and wildlife. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Environmental Agenda in the Modern Chinese Sea Policy

The article is devoted to the study of the role of marine ecology protection in the modern political course of China. Today, the ocean has great importance in Chinese development from an economic, energy, and resource point of view. However, its benefits are threatened by the environmental problems caused by anthropogenic pressure due to the development of human society, population growth, and industry. Currently, China faces plastic, waste, and oil pollution, illegal activities leading to the depletion of food resources, increasing ocean acidification due to air pollution, and degradation of the coastal environment. Awareness of the importance of the ocean for domestic and foreign policy forces China to take measures to protect it. At the same time, since the environmental agenda in modern international relations acts both as an instrument of pressure and as a means of political rise, it is effectively used by China in the struggle for global leadership both in the environmental protection sphere and in the world in general. Using the environmental agenda as a peaceful means of rising, China seeks to transform the current global order while showing itself as a responsible world leader.

Water and Wastewater Management in Agriculture

The growing world population requires highly efficient food production methods [...]