We made a questionnaire survey on a cosmetics and toiletry shop in Japan, which gives strong messages to their consumers to help them form Responsible Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors. We focused on the effect of their messages, especially to their clients - most of them are younger women and analyzed the relationships between their behavior and the message from the shop. We used logit regression to clarify who purchased the products. Our result is clients who are members of environmental groups, who know many items related to the environment are not significant variables to purchase. Respondents who recognized much appeals of the shop tend to buy.

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A mathematical technique for macroscopic social systems modeling is proposed. The main consideration is devoted to detecting structural changes from actual data. The proposals are a simultaneous analysis of data classification and regression, and a fuzzy modeling technique, in the course of which the structural differences between regions are detected and modeled convincingly. A concrete example presented is related to the world population. With a relatively new data covering the world, a fuzzy model consisting of three rules is developed and applied to time series data of Japan to show the effectiveness of the model when used for long-term prediction whereas the used data are obtained in only short period. The paper also discusses some issues on development of time-series models, detection of non-linear substructures, selection of adequate explanatory variables, and prediction of uncertain future.

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We have established a convenient method for the determination of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) in plants with an ELISA system. We obtained standard DNA containing CPD by irradiation of λ phage DNA with monochromatic UV light (260 nm). CPD increased linearly with increasing UV exposure until 6 J m^-2. Growth inhibition of the UV-irradiated cucumber primary leaves was observed at all UV-B exposure levels (1.5, 4 and 12 h d^-1). Visible injury to the leaves and concomitant CPD accumulations were observed when the plants were irradiated for 4 and 12 h d^-1. We can detect the biological effects of UV-B in plants by measuring the accumulation of CPD.

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A model was presented for simulating the load of pesticides discharged from golf links during storm runoff. The model consisted of two components. The hydrological component which was based on a model with a series of non-linear tanks estimated the rate of surface flow and interflow in the basin. The chemical component estimated the chemical load on the golf links by the function of the application amount, the amount retained in the soil, and the discharge rate from the soil. In this paper Simazine [2-chloro-4, 6-bis(ethylamino)-1, 3, 5-triazine], a herbicide widely used in Japan was analyzed. The experimental basin included 52.9 ha of the golf links and 26.6 ha of the neighboring upstream forested basin. The values simulated on an hourly basis during a precipitation event of 36.5 mm on May 23-25, 1991 were consistent with those observed. The discharging load of Simazine was strongly affected by the rainfall intensity, the application ammount, and the capacity of regulating pondage.

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When precipitation passes through forest canopies, some ion concentration may increase while others may decrease in the throughfall. The enrichment phenomena result from the heavy metal ions leaching from plant tissue and the removal of dry deposition, while decrease in heavy metal ions concentration is due to heavy metal ions absorption into plant tissue. This phenomena seems to be emphasized by increasing H⁺ concentration in the rain. This study was carried out to make clear how chemistry of the simulated rain water solution was changed when epiphytic lichens were submerged at varing acidity and time. Fe, Mn, Zn and Cd was leached from the thallus to the solution above a peculiar ranges of H⁺ concentration of simulated rain water, while absorbed from the solution to the thallus bellow the ranges of concentration. The peculiar pH range was 2.7-3.1 for Fe, 3.4-3.6 for Mn, 3.1-3.3 for Zn and 2.4 for Cd. Cu was absorbed to the thallus at range of pH 2.1-6.5. Leaching velocity (k₁) and half life period(r)of metal ion from the thallus at pH 2.1 were as follows; Fe (k₁=2.0×10-2min^-1, τ=34.3 min.), Mn (k₁=15.6×10^-2 min^-1, τ=4.5 min.) and Zn (k₁=4.2×10^-2min^-1, τ=16.6 min.). The other hand, absorption velocity (k₁) and half life period(τ) of metal ion to the thallus at pH 3 .9 were as follows; Fe (k₁= -5.3×10^-2min^-1, τ=13.0 min.), Mn (k1= -15.7×10-2min-1, τ=4.1 min.), Zn (k₁= - 9.6×10^-2min^-1, τ=7.3 min.) and Cu (k₁= -8 .3× 10^-2min^-1, τ=8.4 min.). Leaching rate of K⁺, Mg⁺² and Ca²⁺ from the thallus and absorption rate of NH₄⁺ and N03- to the thallus were increased in the presence of heavy metal ions.

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Ethylene evolution was induced in 0₃-treated tomato plants and activities of ACC synthase and ACC oxidase were suggested to be rate-limiting steps. We isolated cDNA fragements encoding ACC synthase (LEOSY 1 and LEOSY 2) and ACC oxidase (LEOOX 1 and LEOOX 2) from 0₃-treated tomato leaves. The sequences of LEOSY 1, LEOSY2 and LEOOX 1 were different from those of known ACC synthase and ACC oxidase. Furthermore, the transcripts encoding LEOSY 1 and LEOOX 1 considerably increased in O₃-treated leaves. These results suggest that ethylene evolution enhanced by 0₃ treatment was mediated by LEOSY 1 and LEOOX 1 which were induced by O₃ treatment.

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An application of high sensitive non-suppressor ion chromatography (IC) was examined for analysis of anions in absorption solutions and rinse solutions of SO₂ auto-monitor (electrical conductivity type) collected by fractional collector for every one hour (209 samples) in May and Oct., 1993 and Apr., 1994. In consequence, determination of Cl^-, NO₂^-, NO₃^- and SO₄^2- concentrations in absorption solutions and rinse solutions were made possible by means of 1000μl injection of sample solution to IC. By comparing the SO₂ concentration between SO2 auto-monitor and IC method, the former SO₂ concentrations were higher than the latter by 1.0-1.8ppb on the average and 8ppb at the maximum. Such a descrepancy was considered to be caused by evaporation of absorption solutions and effects of interference gases. It was found that apparent increase of the SO₂ concentrations caused by the evaporation were estimated to be 1.5ppb higher and effects of interference gases such as HCI, HNO₂, HNO₃ and NO₂ were large.

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