Genesis and characteristics of brown forest soils derived from Serpentine in Kyushu,Japan

One of the main objects of the present study is to determine what genetic soil types have been formed from ultra-basic rocks such as serpentine under humid, subtropical conditions. Red-Yellow soils, which are important zonal soils in Kyushu, have not been formed from serpentine, but Brown Forest soils have been formed, as will be described in the part 2 of this paper. This fact for the most part has been governed by the mineralogical and chemical peculiarities of serpentine. Therefore the part 1 of this paper deals with the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of serpentine as a parent rock from which Brown Forest soils have developed.     

Heat Treatments of Milled Rice and Properties of the Flours

The effects of autoclave and oven treatments on the gelatinization of rice flour and on the rheological characteristics of its pastes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rapid viscoanalysis (RVA), and rotational viscometry. Flours from autoclave‐treated rice (ATR) and oven‐treated rice (OTR) were prepared, respectively, by heating at 120°C for 60 min and 160°C for 60 min followed by drying (ATR sample), and grinding at 2.2–12.9% moisture content. The rice flour dispersions were adjusted between pH 6.3 and 2.8 using 0.2M citrate buffer. The retort processing of rice flour in water pastes were done at 120°C for 20 min either once or twice. The gelatinization peak temperature (PT and T_o) and the peak temperature corresponding to the amylose‐lipid complexes (T_p3) of ATR increased at pH 6.3 and 2.8 compared with OTR and UTR flour. This indicates that the internal structures of the starch granules in ATR became more stable to heat and acid, even though the damaged starch content of ATR was 23% compared with 16 and 7%, respectively, for untreated rice flour (UTR) and OTR. The OTR flour pastes showed a gel‐like behavior at pH 4.5 after retort processing in water at 120°C for 20 min; however, the ATR mixture behaved more like a liquid paste. Decreases in the reducing sugar content of OTR and ATR pastes suggested that enzymes in the heat‐treated rice were denatured, which retarded the hydrolysis of glucose chains and the rupture of starch granules during pasting.     

Effect of catechins on mutagenesis of Salmonella typhimurium TA 102 elicited by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH)

Green tea, one of the most popular beverages consumed in Asian countries, has been reported to possess anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic properties. The aim in this study is to test the radical scavenging effect of catechins and caffeine, which were major components of green tea, and if they really prevent oxygen radical-induced mutagenesis. We used TA102 strain of Salmonella typhimurium which is sensitive to hydroxyl radical in the Ames mutation assay. We found that caffeine did not show any effects on mutagenesis in this system, but catechin significantly reduced mutagenesis or genotoxicity caused by hydroxyl radical. This radical-scavenging action of catechins may indeed contribute to the anticarcinogenic activity of green tea as has been proposed.     

Roles of the new journal

On publishing the new journal entirely written in English, its expected roles are discussed as a part of WSSJ Society activities. Since weed management is conducted as a part of the practices of agriculture, horticulture and forestry, and also non‐arable land sustainment, its reformation or innovation is inevitably influenced by socioeconomic globalization of those primary industries. The importance of international exchange of information and technology in weed science and technology is emphasized, but investigations on local weed distribution under the local climatic, soil and water conditions are also stressed as fundamental for development and settlement of innovated technologies. On of the major purposes of weed science and technology is to research the biodiversity of weeds by various approaches of relevant fields of sciences such as ecology, biology, physiology, biochemistry and chemical ecology. Biosystemics and gene technology have been preferably introduced for understanding of species biology of weeds. The concept of the biodiversity of weeds implies both their sustainable and species‐specific changeable properties. With weeds resistant to xenobiotics or adaptability of weeds to environmental impacts, active utilization of weeds is indicated as a possible important subject. Exchange of information and technologies in the Asian–Pacific region is discussed especially in terms of an international journal with pre‐review system.     

Minimum alveolar concentration for blunting adrenergic responses (MAC-BAR) of sevoflurane in dogs

It is well known that heart rate or arterial blood pressure may increase in response to surgical stimulation despite the absence of a purposeful movement. However, there is limited information regarding anesthetic requirement for blunting adrenergic response in dogs. This study was designed to compare the minimum alveolar concentrations of sevoflurane required to prevent autonomic response (MAC-BAR) and purposeful movement (MAC) in dogs. Sevoflurane MAC-BAR and MAC were determined in 5 beagle dogs by judging dogs' response to a noxious electrical stimulus applied to the gingiva. The sevoflurane MAC-BAR was significantly higher than MAC (3.33 ± 0.48 vs 2.10 ± 0.28%, P=0.005). These results suggested that autonomic responses occurred at sevoflurane anesthetic concentrations at which purposeful movements were absent.     

First Report of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pepper mottle virus</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis> in Japan

Pepper mottle virus, genus Potyvirus, was first identified in Japan based on particle morphology, host range, aphid transmission, and molecular classification using the nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene and 3-untranslated region.     

Alterations of activities of cytosolic phospholipase A2 and arachidonic acid-metabolizing enzymes in di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate-induced testicular atrophy

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) ligand, alters the lipid composition of rat testis, yet the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of DEHP on the synthesis and metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA), a precursor of eicosanoids, in the testis of prepubertal rats. DEHP (100 and 1,000 mg/kg, 5 days) administration caused a significant reduction in activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), the rate-limiting enzyme in the AA and eicosanoid synthesis pathways. DEHP increased the expression of 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) in rat testis, whereas cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression was not altered. Cytochrome P450 4A1 (CYP4A1), a product of a PPARalpha-regulated gene, was markedly increased in the testis by DEHP administration. Taken together, DEHP suppresses cPLA2 activity and induces the AA metabolizing enzymes such as 12-LOX and CYP4A1, resulting in the reduction of AA level. These data suggest that altered AA metabolic cascades may be related to the decrease of testosterone concentration in DEHP-induced testicular atrophy.