Connectives in Asur: A North Munda Language

Asur is an endangered North Munda language with fewer than ten thousand speakers which has remained largely unexplored by documentary linguists. This research draws on primary linguistic data of Asur to document and describe the connectives in the language. While the term connective is often treated as synonymous with conjunctions, it encompasses a broader range of grammatical elements, including pre-/post-positions, adverbs, and particles, all of which serve the semantic role of linking constituents within a sentence. The study explores the various constructions in the Asur language that fall under the umbrella term connectives. Within this broad category of connectives, Asur has postpositions, particles, and conjunctive particles that function to connect constituents in a sentence, either through coordination or subordination. The discussion highlights different semantic and syntactic types of connectives in Asur, including additive, adversative, alternative, and illative conjunctions, as well as quotatives, relativizers, and conjunctive participles. Particular attention is given to particles such as ci and hoʔ, which serve as connectives in Asur. In addition to native constructions, the discussion addresses borrowed connective structures and words from Hindi and highlights similarities of connective words and structures (syntactic and sematic) with related Munda languages

Mergers of Voiced and Voiceless Consonants in the Siamese, Lanna and Lao Languages

The voicing of voiceless sonorants (VVS) and the devoicing of voiced obstruents (DVO) in Tai languages not only reduced the number of consonants but also increased tonal distinctions . While DVO in Siamese has been dated to the 1440s–1480s (Tangsiriwattanakul 2020), VVS in Siamese and both VVS and DVO in other Tai languages have received comparatively little attention. This research aims to date the mergers between voiced and voiceless consonants by examining correspondences between graphs and sounds of Siamese, Lanna, and Lao, and analyzing whether graphs attested in inscriptions represented the same or different phonemes. The findings reveal that confusion between graphs representing voiced and voiceless sonorants emerged around the 1370s, while voiced and voiceless obstruents emerged around the 1390s in Siamese. In Lanna, VVS and DVO were evident by the 1410s CE, supported by a 1411 inscription, whereas Lao shows confusions in voiced and voiceless graphs by 1444 CE. Considering that these observed time gaps may stem from limited earlier inscriptions in Lanna and Lao, this study proposes that VVS and DVO likely occurred at approximately the same time across the three languages due to their geographical proximity. These findings align with existing hypotheses (Li 1977; Gedney 1989b; Bickner 1992; Tangsiriwattanakul 2020), which argue that the mergers of voiced and voiceless consonants occurred after the foundation of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya Tai polities in north-central Thailand

Effects of walnut (<em>Juglans regia</em>) green peel extract on growth performance and challenge to enteric redmouth disease (<em>Yersinia ruckeri</em>) in rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of walnut (Juglans regia) green peel extract on growth performance parameters growth performance and challenge to enteric redmouth disease (Yersinia ruckeri) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The triplicate experimental study was performed for 105 days to evaluate the effect of 1, 2, and 4 mg kg^-1^ of walnut green peel extract (WPE). Although there was no significant difference in growth performance between the groups, the growth performance and survival rate of the extract-added groups were slightly better than the control group. Some blood parameters such as mid-range cells (MID), platelet (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), procalcitonin (PCT), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), and cholesterol (CHOL) values significantly improved in walnut green peel extract-added groups. Phagocytic activity (PA), lysozyme activity (LA), and myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) were significantly increased between all groups compared with the untreated group. Although respiratory burst activity (RBA) increased, no significant difference existed between groups. As a result, it was determined that although walnut green peel extract does not directly affect growth performance, it can be used as a feed additive with its immunomodulatory aspect

Identification and characterization of pathogenic <em>Aeromonas hydrophila</em> isolated from clinically diseased Chinese rice-field eel, <em>Monopterus albus</em>

Aeromonas hydrophila is recognized as a prevalent pathogenic bacterium in aquaculture. An outbreak of a disease characterized by a high mortality rate has been reported at a Chinese rice-field fish farm (Monopterus albus) located in Hubei Province. This study isolated a causative A. hydrophila strain (YFI-C1) in diseased Monopterus albus through bacterial isolation and subsequent morphological, physiological, biochemical, evolutionary and molecular biology analysis. Ten virulence genes, including those that encode cytotoxic enterotoxins (act and alt), a quorum sensing-controlled virulence factor (LuxS), a temperature-sensitive protease (eprCAI), serine proteinase (ser), haemolysin-aerolysin (aeraA), nuclease (nuc), hemolysin (hlyA), lipase (lip), flagellin (fla) have been shown to be responsible for YFI-C1's pathogenicity. An artificial infection was utilized to evaluate the pathogenicity of YFI-C1, with a median lethal dose (LD50) of 1 × 106 colony forming units (CFU)/mL. The Kirby-Bauer test was used to measure YFI-C1's sensitivity to ten antibiotics. According to the findings, YFI-C1 was resistant to Cefothiophene but extremely susceptible to six antibiotics: Ciprofloxacin, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, Doxycycline, Enrofloxacin, Compound sulfamethoxazoles, and Flufenicol. The results of this study offer valuable insights for future research on bacterial disease prevention and treatment in Monopterus albus

Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture in the Philippines

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries globally, hailed as a crucial source of aquatic food for human consumption. In the Philippines, a nation with a significant stake in global aquaculture, this sector not only supports food security and provides livelihoods but also boosts the national economy by generating valuable export revenue. However, the rapid expansion of aquaculture in the country has sparked concerns, particularly regarding its environmental footprint. This work critically reviews the environmental impacts of aquaculture in the Philippines by reviewing available literature published from 1918 up to the present on the environmental impacts of Philippine aquaculture using relevant keywords from databases like Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate, and some Philippine government databases like the Philippine Statistics Authority and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. While aquaculture plays a key role in ensuring food security, sustaining livelihoods, and supporting the country’s economic growth, it has also been linked to several environmental issues. These include the destruction of mangrove habitats, degradation of seagrass ecosystems, sediment disruption, water pollution, and declining water quality. Moreover, the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes and residues in farmed species, alongside the introduction of non-native species, has triggered biodiversity imbalances and ecosystem degradation. This review underscores the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address these environmental impacts and proposes actionable solutions. Looking ahead, the future of Philippine aquaculture will depend on how well it balances growth with sustainability, ensuring the sector's continued contribution to the economy and the environment