Measuring the ecological value of the forests around the kushiro marsh: An empirical study of choice experiments

This paper estimates the ecological value of the forests around the Kushiro marsh using data from choice experiments (CE). CE is one of the environmental valuation techniques and asks individuals to pick from a set of resource management alternatives. The total sample surveyed was 845. Conditional logit and conditional probit models analyzed the CE data for five management plans of the wetland. The results are as follows: (1) The average willingness to pay is 137 dollars / year / household and the aggregate willingness to pay is 301 million dollars / year, when all the land around the wetland (151,361 ha) is protected for the ecosystem. (2) Cost benefit analysis shows that the optimal protection area is Q₄ (91,361 ha). This means that it is important in terms of social welfare to protect not only the wetland itself, but also the forest around the wetland.     

Efficacy of chemotherapy and palliative hypofractionated radiotherapy for cats with nasal lymphoma

Nasal lymphoma (NL) is the most common nasal tumor in cats, and radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these treatments have been described as the treatment for this disease. However, the previous studies included various machines and protocols of radiotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to retrospectively compare the prognosis among cases treated with palliative hypofractionated radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and a combination of them with united machine and protocol of radiotherapy. When compared overall survival and progression free survival, there was no significant difference among these three groups. The data of this study suggested that similar efficacy could be achieved by palliative hypofractionated radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of them.     

Dietary Bacillus subtilis C-3102 Supplementation Enhances the Exclusion of Salmonella enterica from Chickens

Among the reported probiotic Bacillus strains, B. subtilis C-3102 has the unique potential to improve feed uptake under stress conditions in the broilers, piglets, and cows. In this study, we sought to evaluate the protective effect of feed additive probiotic Bacillus subtilis C-3102 against Salmonella enterica infection of specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks in floor pens in two experiments. In the experiment-1, the chicks in the control group (n=32) were fed a basal diet and those in the C-3102 group (n=32) were fed a basal diet supplemented with 1×10⁶ CFU/g of feed for 28 days. On day 7 post-challenge with S. enterica, there was no significant change in the body weight between both the groups throughout the test period, whereas detection rates of S. enterica in the C-3102 group were significantly lower in the cecum and liver on days 21 and 14 post-challenge, respectively. In the experiment-2, minimum dosage of C-3102 cells required to protect Salmonella infection was evaluated using 3 dosages. Chicks were divided into four groups, fed with different dosages of C-3102 (1×10⁶, 5×10⁵, 3×10⁵, and 0 CFU/g of feed), and challenged with S. enterica (2.8×10⁸ CFU/chicken). S. enterica infection was completed within 7 days post- challenge and was almost excluded from the liver and spleen on day 21 post- challenge in the control group. Average values showed a trend for higher infection rates in the control group >3×10⁵>5×10⁵>1×10⁶ CFU/g on days 14 and 21 post-challenge. These results suggest that B. subtilis C-3102 supplementation has the potential to reduce S. enterica infection rates and/or to accelerate the exclusion of S. enterica from the chicks.     

Assessment of emitter discharge in microirrigation system as affected by polluted water

A drip irrigation system has the advantage of maintaining high water content near the plant root. However, its performance depends on water quality as it may induce the emitter clogging. In the Tohaku National Irrigation Project, in western Japan, mist spray emitters are widely used for irrigation in the field and greenhouses for vegetable and orchard crops. Seven emitters of different types were evaluated for the variation in their discharge rate without filter. The statistical analysis of mean discharge ratio and the coefficient of variation of the performance of emitters along a lateral line in the field indicated that the mist spray emitters had the best performance for irrigation in Tohaku area, particularly the new emitters or 1-year old emitters. The results suggest that after using the emitter line for two irrigation seasons it should either be replaced in the third season or washed carefully if further used.     

Direct absorption of acylated anthocyanin in purple-fleshed sweet potato into rats

Absorption of acylated anthocyanins in purple-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki) in rats was studied to obtain evidence that the acylated anthocyanins themselves could exert a physiological function in vivo. Peonidin 3-caffeoylsophoroside-5-glucoside (Pn 3-Caf*sop-5-glc) in purple-fleshed sweet potato was directly absorbed into rat and present as an intact acylated form in plasma. After oral administration of the purple-fleshed sweet potato anthocyanin (PSA) concentrate containing 38.9 micromol of Pn 3-Caf*sop-5-glc/kg of body weight, Pn 3-Caf*sop-5-glc was detected in the plasma, and the C(max) value and t(max) were estimated as 50.0 +/- 6.8 nmol/Lof plasma and 30 min, respectively. Furthermore, the plasma antioxidant capacity was significantly elevated from 58.0 +/- 12.0 to 89.2 +/- 6.8 micromol of Trolox equivalent/L of plasma 30 min after the administration of the PSA concentrate.     

Peroxide Concentrations in Fog Water at Mountainous Sites in Japan

Measurements of peroxide concentrations in fog water were conducted near the summit of Mt. Norikura (altitude, 2770m) in central Japan, and at the midslope of Mt. Oyama (altitude, 680m), southwest of the Kanto Plain. The concentrations of peroxide at Mt. Norikura, far from industrial regions, ranged from 3 to 120 µ M during the summer and early autumn in 1993. The potential capacity for SO₂ oxidation appears to be very high near the summit of Mt. Norikura. Analysis of the chemical composition of three-stage size-fractionated fog water samples collected at Mt. Norikura showed that the concentrations of peroxide were apparently independent of droplet size, whereas the concentrations of chemical constituents mainly derived from secondary aerosols and the acidity were higher in smaller droplets. Peroxide concentrations in fog water were low (< 5 µ M) at Mt. Oyama, located near heavy industrial areas, and lower than those in rain water sampled simultaneously (0.2–33 µ M). Especially, peroxide was scarcely detected in strongly acidic fogs (< 0.2 µ M). Peroxide might have been decomposed by SO₂ (S(IV)) oxidation in the aqueous-phase.