Arsenic (As) uptake and accumulation from agricultural soil to rice vary depending on the soil environmental conditions such as soil pH, redox potential, clay content, and organic matter (OM) content. Therefore, these factors are important in predicting changes in the uptake and accumulation of As in rice plants. Here, we studied the chemical properties of As-contaminated and/or rice straw compost (RSC)-treated soils, the growth responses of RSC-applied rice plants under As-contaminated soils, the changes in As content of soil, and the relationship between As uptake and accumulation from the RSC-treated soils to the rice organs under As-contaminated soils. Rice plants were cultivated in 30 mg kg-1 As-contaminated soils under three RSC treatments: 0 (control), 12, and 24 Mg ha-1. No significant differences were indicated in the chemical properties of pre-experimental (before transplanting rice seedling) soils, with the exception of EC, OM, and available P2O5. As the treatment of RSC under 30 mg kg-1 As-contaminated soils increased, EC, OM, and available P2O5 increased proportionally in soil. Increased soil RSC under As-contaminated soils increased shoot dry weight of rice plants at harvesting stage. As content in roots increased proportionally with RSC content, whereas As content in shoots decreased under As-contaminated soil at all stages of rice plants. Nevertheless, As accumulation were significantly decreased in both roots and shoots of RSC-treated rice plants than those in the plants treated without RSC. These results indicate that the use of RSC can mitigate As phytotoxicity and reduce As accumulation in rice plants under As-contaminated soils. Therefore, RSC can potentially be applied to As-contaminated soil for safe crop and forage rice production.

Generic medicine (GM), which is an alternative drug product for branded medicine (BM), is used less in Japan than in other OECD countries. Therefore, we investigate why the medical consumers of Japan avoid the use of GMs even though the efficacy and safety of the medicines have already been proven. We theorize that effectiveness or risk of GMs are related to the consumer attitude toward GMs is affected by the behavioral approach/activation system (BAS) which promotes actions to reach the desired state, and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) which suppresses behaviors to avoid negative outcomes. To see which of the BAS and BIS dimensions are related to GM usage, we surveyed 374 Japanese consumers and found that Quality, Efficacy, Safety, & Cost-effectiveness with the BAS, and Functional Risk, Financial Risk, Social Risk, Physical Risk, Psychological Risk, & Time Risk with the BIS had a significant effect on consumer attitude to GMs. These results are important in that they 1), confirm the role of BAS/BIS in attitudes to GMs, 2), provide guidelines when marketing GMs, 3), help governments promote the use of GMs as a cost-saving measure, and 4), guide future surveys regarding consumer attitudes to GMs.