The analysis conducted on the sea bottom sediments at the several points of Hiro Bay affected by the pulp mill drainage water. The sediment samples (0_??_20cm layer) from Hiro Bay were determined for fatty acids, carbohydrates, volatile acids, and total carbon and nitrogen. Glucose was found to be the major components of the carbohydrates in the sediments in Hiro Bay. The fatty acids identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were straight-chain saturated (C₁₂_??_C₂₄), unsaturated (C₁₆₌₁, C₁₈₌₁, C₁₈₌₂) and branched-chain saturated (iso, anteiso) acids.
The abundance of fatty acids and glucose decreases with sediments depth. The vertical profile of the acetic acids is similar to those of fatty acids and carbohydrates.

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Effects of homopolyribonucleotides on the Cu²⁺-catalyzed oxidation of noradrenaline and the concomitant breakage of homopolyribonucleotide chains were examined.
1. Poly A, poly G and poly C remarkably stimulated the oxidation of noradrenaline at pH 5.7. At initial stage of the reaction, poly G was the most powerful stimulant, and poly C was more active than poly A. However, as poly G and poly A gradually supressed the oxidation after the prolonged reaction, poly C exhibited the most stimulative potency on the oxidation in a 2-hour reaction. Poly U had no effect on the oxidation of noradrenaline.
2. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration revealed that poly C was most remarkably broken by noradrenaline-Cu²⁺ mixture. Poly A or poly G was obviously less sensitive to the mixture. Poly U was scarcely broken by noradrenaline and Cu²⁺. It was suggested by the use of Sephadex G-75 and G-200 that poly C having the average molecular weigh of 2500 K daltons broken to the fragments whose molecular weights were extensively distributed, however, the most abundant molecular species were still highly polymerised (more than several tens K daltons).
3. The amount of the oxidized noradrenaline bound to homopolyribonucleotides was a molecular per 3_??_7 nucleotides for any homopolyribonucleotide.

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Ferric ion in acidic solution gives a stable yellowish red complex with maltol. The authors developed a simple and rapid method for determination of iron in sugars using the above principle.
The disadvantage of the o-phenanthroline method which has been widely used lies in the total reduction of the ferric ions to ferrous ions. The operation time of this method is considerably shorter than that of the o-phenanthroline method.

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S-PI which was an acid protease inhibitor and obtained from Streptomyces naniwaensis did inhibit the growth of Rhodotorula glutinis at higher temperature, but accerelated it at lower temperature. To elucidate this phenomenon, screening of antagonistic substances for growth inhibition by S-PI was carried out. Calcium chloride was effective to restore the growth in the presence of S-PI. Although considerable amount of calcium ion existed in the polypepton medium, the calcium ion in the medium existed in the bounded form to amino acids or peptides and not effective for restoration of the growth in the presence of S-PI. When calcium chloride and amino acid such as Gly, Ala, Arg, Lys, Ser and Val were added simultaneously to the medium, the growth of Rh. glutinis in the presence of S-PI was almost equal to that of control. From these results, the role of acid protease and calcium ion was discussed.

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The essential oil was obtained in 0.042% yield by steam distillation from the fresh flowers of Yucca gloriosa L., which were collected in Higashiosaka-shi in May 1976. The essential oil was separated into three parts by chemical treatment: neutral, sodium carbonate soluble and sodium hydroxide soluble parts. The neutral part was chromatographed on activated alumina, using n-hexane, benzene, ethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol successively. Each fraction was investigated by gas chromatography, instrumental analysis and each component was identified by comparison with authentic samples.
As a result, it was found that the neutral part of the essential oil contained α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, 1-p-menthene, limonene, p-cymene, terpinolene, α-copaene, γ-gurjunene, aromadendrene, α-muurolene, γ-muurolene, δ-cadinene, γ-cadinene, n-heptadecane, cis-8-heptadecene, n-nonadecane, cis-9-nonadecene, n-hexanol, 3-hexen-l-ol, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, linalool, α-terpineol, citronellol and aliphatic hydrocarbons of C₁₀_??_C₃₂. The sodium carbonate part contained aliphatic fatty acids of C₃_??_C₁₈. The sodium hydroxide part contained guaiacol, phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, eugenol, carvacrol and chavicol.
The hydrocarbons such as n-heptadecane, cis-8-heptadecene, n-nonadecane and cis-9-nonadecene were the characteristic constituents of this essential oil.

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Culture conditions for the formation of dehydroacetic acid hydrolase (DHA hydrolase) and triacetic acid lactone hydrolase (TAL hydrolase) by Pseudomonas sp. C-5-1, and some properties of their enzymes were investigated.
DHA in the culture medium was necessary for the enzyme formation and the optimum medium was determined as follows: DHA-Na, 0.2%; KH₂•PO₄, 0.1%; MgSO₄•7H₂O, 0.05%; NH₄NO₃, 0.1%; yeast extract, 0.1%. Both enzymes have been partially purified by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. Optimum pH and temperature for DHA hydrolase activity were 5.0 and 55_??_60°C, respectively, and the effect of metal ions such as Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺ Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺ on the activity was not determined.
On the other hand, optimum pH and temperature for TAL hydrolase activity were found to be 6.0_??_7.5 and 50°C, respectively. This enzyme was activated by the addition of Mn²⁺, but was completely inhibited with EDTA, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Hg²⁺.

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The authors have examined the essential oil of Mentha gentilis L. containing (+)-1-acetoxymenthone (1.7%) as a characteristic component. As a result, thirty-four compounds accompanied with the following two terpenic alcohols were detected as the constituents of the oil: (+)-(1R:4S)-4-hydroxyisomenthone (0.1%) and lavandulol (0.1%). The former was newly isolated as a natural substance which was identical with the product derived from (+)-4-hydroxypiperitone or (+)-pulegone, and the latter, as a new component of the gentilis oil.
From the seasonal variation of the contents identified in the oil, the biochemical properties of this strain were also discussed.

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