Through the use of mutation breeding, we developed the cultivar LGC1, which has a low glutelin and high prolamine content, from Nihonmasari. Because of the indigestibility of prolamine, LGC1 can be used as a low-protein rice in practice. It is thus a prospective food for people such as patients with kidney disease who must restrict their protein intake. Furthermore, to reduce the content of easy-to-digest protein in LGC1, we developed two new rice cultivars, ‘LGC-Katsu’ and ‘LGC-Jun’, from a cross between LGC1 and a mutant line of Koshihikari (induced by gamma-irradiation) that was deficient in 26-kDa globulin (another easy-to-digest protein). The glutelin content of these two new cultivars is reduced to about one-third that of regular cultivars, and 26-kDa globulin is completely absent. Consequently, the total amount of easy-to-digest protein in the new cultivars is about half that of regular cultivars, and about 15% less than in LGC1. These cultivars should therefore greatly help in the dietary management of patients with chronic renal failure. We also discussed the genome structures and mechanisms of the seed protein composition mutation.

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Trichothecene mycotoxins are toxic to leukocytes, and one of the leading symptoms of trichothecene toxicosis is leukopenia. In this study, therefore, to elucidate the underlying mechanism of toxicity, we treated promyelocyte (one of the leukocytes) -derived cell line HL60 with a trichothecene mycotoxin nivalenol for 24 h and investigated the toxin's effects. After treatment with 3 or 10 μg/mL nivalenol, morphologic damage was pronounced. The effect of nivalenol on cell proliferation (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation) was examined, and the mean 50% inhibitory concentration was 0.16 μg/mL. At 3 and 10 μg/mL, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, one of the hallmarks of apoptosis, was apparent. Concentrations of nivalenol-caused morphologic damage are in accordance with DNA fragmentation, indicating that nivalenol-caused morphologic change is due to apoptosis. The media of nivalenol-treated cells contained substantial amounts of interleukin (IL)-8, suggesting that IL-8 contributes to the nivalenol-induced phenomena. Conversely, nivalenol decreased monocyte chemotactic protein-1 secretion. We performed BrdU incorporation to assess the effect of 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM), which chelates intracellular calcium ion. BrdU incorporation after concomitant treatment with nivalenol and BAPTA-AM was higher than that after treatment with nivalenol alone. Likewise BAPTA-AM considerably attenuated nivalenol-induced IL-8 secretion. Taking both results together, it appears that nivalenol-caused cytotoxicity depends on intracellular calcium ion.

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Hokuriku 193 is an indica rice cultivar released in Japan in 2007. It is characterized by a long panicle, a small number of panicles, a stiff culm, and a grain length typical of general indica rice cultivars. The mean brown rice yield of Hokuriku 193 was very high (7.65 t/ha) under experimental conditions during the period 1998 to 2005. The mean total air-dry weight was also very high at 20 t/ha. Hokuriku 193 is resistant to leaf and panicle blast and stripe virus and moderately resistant to bacterial leaf blast. It is expected to be useful worldwide not only as a staple food but also as a raw material for whole-crop silage and bioethanol production.

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Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) caused by Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) has been identified in Okinawa Prefecture, a subtropical region in Japan, for the first time in 2007. Infected tomato plants were collected from Tomigusuku City, Uruma City, Yomitan-son, and Nakijin-son on the main island of Okinawa. The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the TYLCV-Israel[Japan:Tomigusuku:2007] (TYLCV-IL[JR:Tom:07]) isolate obtained from Tomigusuku was determined. The sequence comparison with four representative TYLCV isolates in Japan showed that TYLCV-IL[JR:Tom:07] was most closely related to TYLCV-Israel[Japan:Tosa:2005] (TYLCV-IL[JR:Tos:05]), a member of the Israel strain of TYLCV (TYLCV-IL). The phylogenetic relationship analyses were performed based on determined partial nucleotide sequences of approximately 1,400 nt of 14 other isolates collected from 7 distinct locations. All the Okinawa isolates were separated into the cluster including TYLCV-IL[JR:Tos:05] and at least 2 distinct isolates of the TYLCV-IL were introduced onto the main island of Okinawa. These results indicated that the introduction of TYLCV into Okinawa might have been caused by domestic transportation of infected plants.

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Seven Chinese soybean cultivars were used to prepare protein-lipid film (yuba). Protein-lipid film was prepared from soymilk with ohmic heating. It was shown that both protein and lipid concentrations of soymilk affected productivity properties, but protein-lipid ratio was a more important factor for protein-lipid film formation. When the concentration of lipid in soymilk and protein-lipid ratio were 15.0-18.0% and 2.70-3.00 respectively, the yield and film formation rate were high, and the electricity consumption was relatively low. The results were useful for choice of a suitable cultivar of soybean for protein-lipid film production.

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Two cases of cutaneous B cell lymphoma in Holstein cows aged 7 and 9 years are described. The animals, which were not infected with bovine leukemia virus, had neoplastic lesions not only in the skin but also in the abdominal cavity. The neoplastic cells were positive for surface CD79a and CD5 but not for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), which is a marker for precursor T and B cells. The lymphomas, which were considered to be of mature B-1 B cell derivation, might be an adult counterpart of precursor B-1 B cell lymphoma in calves, because the calf lymphoma is similar to the current lymphomas in tissue distribution but expresses TdT as well as CD79a and CD5.

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We investigated the current situation and issues associated with the use of woody biomass in countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as part of a project entitled “Feasibility Studies on Biomass in ASEAN Countries.” The main materials used in sawmills or other wood industries are different in each country because some countries depend on natural forests, whereas others depend on artificial forests. However, in general, almost all woody biomass in ASEAN countries is used as fuel or as low-quality raw materials. These uses are essential for the present social infrastructure. However, in the future, it will be necessary to seek more efficient means to convert energy and to use materials such as unused logging residues or oil palm residues.

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Plant growth and leaf photosynthesis were studied for saplings of two species in the Dipterocarpaceae family planted on open bare ground in the Philippines. The greatest rate of growth in height in the initial 14 months after planting was for Shorea contorta, followed by Dipterocarpus grandiflorus. The light-saturated photosynthetic rate (P_max) for S. contorta and D. grandiflorus was 9.9 ± 0.29 μmol m^-2s^-1 and 5.5 ± 0.28 μmol m^-2s^-1, respectively. Dark respiration and apparent quantum yield efficiency did not differ between them. The daily course of photosynthesis showed the existence of a midday depression in net photosynthesis for S. contorta and D. grandiflorus on open bare ground. When the leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference (L-AirVPD) was abruptly raised to 30 hPa, the decrease in the rate of photosynthesis was the same for potted saplings of S. contorta and D. grandiflorus in the nursery. One reason for the difference in growth between species is thought to be the difference in carbon gain depending on a difference in P_max between the species in the morning, before the leaves suffer from large L-AirVPD at midday.

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A 4-year data set of continuous monitoring of suspended matter and nutrients concentration has been analyzed to evaluate the inter-annual variability and the effects of flood events on the sediment transport and nitrogen, phosphorus loadings from the Yahagi River to Chita Bay, Japan. Nitrogen was mainly loaded in dissolved form, which accounted for 59% to 88% of the annual loads, while phosphorus was mainly loaded in particulate form (45% to 78%). Loads of suspended matter and total phosphorus (T-P) by the historical flood event of the Tokai Heavy Rainfall accounted for 83% and 65% of the annual loads, respectively. Particulate phosphorus (PP) load by the Tokai Heavy Rainfall accounted for up to 1.1 to 3.2 times of the annual T-P load of the other years. Molar ratio of dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) load to dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) load during the observation period varied from 29.5 to 41.1, while the ratio of total nitrogen (T-N) load to T-P load was relatively lower (10.9 to 23.8). The concentrated load of suspended matter which occurs during flood events is found to have a great impact on the nutrients runoff to the coastal sea both in quality and quantity.

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In order to bridge a gap between research results and farmers' needs for agricultural development in the Sahel, we made a study of traditional agricultural production systems derived from what we understood about indigenous knowledge (IK) of Sahelian farmers. The study was conducted in the western part of Niger, West Africa. IK was gathered from interviews among several villages of different generations. Then impartiality was verified. We obtained detailed information on land management and topographical features of farmland and devised a thorough local classification system. Statistical results showed that the obtained information was not significantly different among villages and generations. This result brought recognition that IK was a shared knowledge among local farmers in the study area. The study classified in detail a farmland that was directly or indirectly affected by household economy, the potential of natural resources like organic matter, and the relationship between agriculturalist and pastoralist. Understanding this context for soil fertility management at the village level makes it possible to assess the situation more appropriately than simply looking at actual practices, thereby helping to identify a problematic issue that concerns local farmers.

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Peat samples from typical tropical peat swamp around Narathiwat Province, southern Thailand, were collected from various depths of peat profile (from surface to 210 cm depth), of which dates were established using an accelerator mass spectrometry from 0 to 2600 years BP. The samples were analysed to discuss changes in structural characteristics of lignin in peat samples during peat formation. The samples were fractionated based on pH adjustment into dilute alkali soluble (AL_sol) and insoluble (AL_insol) fractions. Only glucosyl and xylosyl residues were detected in AL_insol fraction, but no monosaccharide in AL_sol fraction. Lignin contents of AL_insol fraction of the peat samples ranged from 73.0 to 83.3%. Lignin was significantly modified during peat formation. The progress of condensation reactions, introduction of carboxyl groups and partially loss of methoxyl groups, cleavage of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether linkage, were confirmed by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation, functional group analysis and analytical ozonation, respectively, due to the microbial activities.
Lignin of the peat samples was isolated by Björkman's procedure to discuss structural feature in detail using spectrometrical procedures as the first trial in the field of geochemistry. The signals around 6.6 and 6.9 ppm in ¹H-NMR were considerably weak compare with those of lignin from fresh wood, suggesting high condensation. The most peaks originating from lignin of fresh wood were also detected in the FTIR spectrum. The ionization difference (ΔE_i) spectrum clearly showed the presence of unconjugated and conjugated phenolic hydroxyl groups. Thus, lignin in peat was modified significantly by microbial activities. It is expected that further modified fragments of lignin would be soluble in water and flow-out to ocean through rivers.

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