Derivation of a yearly transition probability matrix for land-use dynamics and its applications

Transition matrices have often been used in landscape ecology and GIS studies of land-use to quantitatively estimate the rate of change. When transition matrices for different observation periods are compared, the observation intervals often differ because satellite images or photographs of the research site taken at constant time intervals may not be available. If the observation intervals differ, the transition probabilities cannot be compared without calculating a transition matrix with the normalized observation interval. For such calculation, several previous studies have utilized a linear algebra formula of the power root of matrices. However, three difficulties may arise when applying this formula to a practical dataset from photographs of a research site. We examined the first difficulty, namely that plural solutions could exist for a yearly transition matrix, which implies that there could be multiple scenarios for the same transition in land-use change. Using data for the Abukuma Mountains in Japan and the Selva el Ocote Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, we then looked at the second difficulty, in which we may obtain no positive Markovian matrix and only a matrix partially consisting of negative numbers. We propose a way to calibrate a matrix with some negative transition elements and to estimate the prediction error. Finally, we discuss the third difficulty that arises when a new land-use category appears at the end of the observation period and how to solve it. We developed a computer program to calculate and calibrate the yearly matrices and to estimate the prediction error.     

Sterols from bivalves <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calyptogena soyoae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymodiolus septemdierum</Emphasis> living in deep sea

From the two species of bivalves, Calyptogena soyoae around a cold seep and Bathymodiolus septemdierum near hydrothermal vents in the sea, sterols were isolated using high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of the lipid fraction guided by characteristic ¹H NMR signals of the sterol skeleton. The minor sterol composition of C. soyoae included 24-methylenecycloartanal, cycloeucalenol, and obutusifoliol, which are known phytosterols. From B. Septemdierum, lathosterol and cholesterol as main sterols together with more diverse sterols were obtained. The difference between these species and their sterol contents is most likely because of feeding modes and metabolism of nutrients from their habitat.     

Development of an optimizing method for the operation rule curves of a multipurpose reservoir in a Southeast Asian watershed

Paddy and Water Environment - Water scarcity and flooding constitute major problems for developing countries located within the tropical climatic region of Southeast Asia. In addition, regional...     

Spontaneous Adenosquamous Carcinoma with Rapid Growth and EMT-like Changes in the Mammary Gland of a Young Adult Female BALB/c Mouse

This study histopathologically and immunohistochemically investigated a spontaneously occurring single mass subcutaneously located in the left lower abdomen of a female BALB/cAJcl−nu/+ mouse at 10 weeks of age. The mass was about 20 × 15 × 10 mm in size after formalin fixation; nevertheless, it was not detected by clinical observations at 9 weeks of age. H&E staining revealed the tumor origin was epithelial and probably arose from the mammary gland, and the tumor cells demonstrated a squamous, acinar or polyhedral/basal pattern. A cell kinetics analysis revealed that many of the tumor cells of the squamous, acinar or polyhedral/basal component were positive for PCNA and cyclin D1, although there were a few of TUNEL-positive tumor cells in all of the components. An epithelial/mesenchymal analysis demonstrated that most of the tumor cells of the squamous and acinar components contained keratin and E-cadherin; however, most of the tumor cells of the polyhedral/basal component were less or very weakly positive for these markers. The tumor cells of the squamous component were negative for vimentin and SMA; however, many of the tumor cells of the polyhedral/basal component exhibited vimentin. In addition, expression of SMA was confirmed in some tumor cells of the acinar and basal components. Based on the microscopic and immunohistochemical characterizations, the tumor was diagnosed to be adenosquamous carcinoma that originated from the mammary gland with rapid growth, and the tumor cells demonstrated epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like changes.     

Genetic analysis of variations in the sugar chain composition at the C-3 position of soybean seed saponins

Saponins are sterols or triterpene glycosides that are widely distributed in plants. The biosynthesis of soybean saponins is thought to involve many kinds of glycosyltransferases, which is reflected in their structural diversity. Here, we performed linkage analyses of the Sg-3 and Sg-4 loci, which may control the sugar chain composition at the C-3 sugar moieties of the soybean saponin aglycones soyasapogenols A and B. The Sg-3 locus, which controls the production of group A saponin Af, was mapped to chromosome (Chr-) 10. The Sg-4 locus, which controls the production of DDMP saponin βa, was mapped to Chr-1. To elucidate the preference of sugar chain formation at the C-3 and C-22 positions, we analyzed the F₂ population derived from a cross between a mutant variety, Kinusayaka (sg-1⁰), for the sugar chain structure at C-22 position, and Mikuriya-ao (sg-3), with respect to the segregation of the composition of the group A saponins, and found that the formation of these sugar chains was independently regulated. Furthermore, a novel saponin, predicted to be A0-γg, 3-O-[β-d-galactopyranosyl (1→2)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl]-22-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-soyasapogenol A, appeared in the hypocotyl of F₂ individuals with genotype sg-1⁰/sg-1⁰ sg-3/sg-3.     

Cutaneous plasmacytoma in three golden hamsters (Mesocrietus auratus)

Spontaneously occurring cutaneous tumours in three golden hamsters were characterized using histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Histologically, the tumours were composed of sheets of round to oval plasmacytoid cells with eccentrically placed nuclei. Tissue sections were weakly positive for anti-B lymphocyte antigen (BLA) staining. Ultrastructurally, large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm were observed. BLA positivity and characteristics of ultrastructure showed the plasma cell origin.     

Effect of Oxidizing Power of Roots on Iodine Uptake by Rice Plants

Although iodine is harmful to plants, rice plants ( Oryza sativa L.) absorbed iodine more selectively than bromine. To explain this selective absorption, the authors proposed the following hypothesis based on the fact that the standard redox potential for (I₂+ 2e = 2I⁻) is lower than that for (Br₂+ 2e = 2Br⁻) and (Fe³⁺+ e = Fe²⁺), and the roots of rice plants are able to oxidize ferrous ion (Fe²⁺) into ferric ion (Fe³⁺), namely rice plants oxidize iodide ion (I⁻) to form molecular iodine (I₂) via the oxidizing power of their roots, and absorb the molecular iodine formed more selectively than iodide ion. Bromine, by contrast, is absorbed by rice plants only in the form of ion (Br⁻). According to this hypothesis, there should be a significant correlation between the oxidizing power of the rice roots and the amount of iodine absorbed. Therefore, the relationship between the oxidizing power of the roots and the concentration of iodine absorbed was studied in a water culture using 8 varieties of rice plants. Rice seedlings, 14 d after germination, were cultured in a solution containing 1 mg L⁻¹ each of iodide and bromide ions for 3 d. The oxidizing power of the rice roots was evaluated based on the amount of 1-naphthylamine oxidized by the roots. A significant correlation (0.78, n = 16, 0.1% significant level) was found between the oxidizing power and the concentration of iodine absorbed by the roots. However, no relationship was found between the oxidizing power of the roots and the amount of bromine absorbed.     

Purification and characterization of polyphenol oxidase from garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.)

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.) was purified approximately 32-fold with a recovery rate of 16% by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion exchange chromatography, hydrophobic chromatography, and gel filtration. The purified enzyme appeared as a single band on PAGE and SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 47000 and 45000 by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, respectively. The purified enzyme quickly oxidized chlorogenic acid and (-)-epicatechin. The K(m) value (Michaelis constant) of the enzyme was 2.0 mM for chlorogenic acid (pH 4.0, 30 degrees C) and 10.0 mM for (-)-epicatechin (pH 8.0, 40 degrees C). The optimum pH was 4.0 for chlorogenic acid oxidase (ChO) and 8.0 for (-)-epicatechin oxidase (EpO). In the pH range from 5 to 11, their activities were quite stable at 5 degrees C for 22 h. The optimum temperatures of ChO and EpO activities were 30 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Both activities were stable at up to 50 degrees C after heat treatment for 30 min. The purified enzyme was strongly inhibited by l-ascorbic acid and l-cysteine at 1 mM.     

Effects of exogenous lactoferrin on characteristics and functions of bovine epididymal,ejaculated and frozen-thawed sperm

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of addition of lactoferrin on characteristics and functions of bovine epididymal, ejaculated, and frozen-thawed sperm. The addition of lactoferrin was significantly (p < .05) effective on increasing values of progressive motility, straightness, and linearity in caput epididymal sperm and values of motility in cauda epididymal sperm. When ejaculated sperm were incubated in capacitation medium, percentages of motile and progressively motile sperm decreased largely within the first period of 30 min, followed by only minor changes. However, the addition of lactoferrin significantly lessened the early decreases of these parameters and additionally promoted capacitation-dependent changes of chlortetracycline staining patterns (from F pattern to B pattern). In other experiments, when ejaculated sperm were exposed to oxidative stress with 100-µM H₂O₂, the addition of lactoferrin partially protected them from dysfunction of flagellar movement and loss of progressive movement. In final experiments with frozen-thawed samples incubated in the capacitation medium, the addition of lactoferrin effectively survived dying sperm and suppressed occurrence of sperm agglutination. These results may suggest biological and biotechnological potentials of lactoferrin for modulation of bovine sperm viability, motility, capacitation state, and preservation in vitro.