Troop size,habitat quality,and home range area in Japanese macaques

Summary The correlation between troop size (N) and home range area (R) is examined in terms of habitat quality with 32 data sets for the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) from its entire distribution range. The habitat quality is represented by the vegetation type and the degree the habitat is disturbed. A proportional relationship is found between N and R when the two major vegetation types (deciduous and evergreen) are discriminated and only the data from relatively undisturbed habitats are considered. This result is discussed in relation to bioenergetics.     

Food nitrogen footprint reductions related to a balanced Japanese diet

Dietary choices largely affect human-induced reactive nitrogen accumulation in the environment and resultant environmental problems. A nitrogen footprint (NF) is an indicator of how an individual’s consumption patterns impact nitrogen pollution. Here, we examined the impact of changes in the Japanese diet from 1961 to 2011 and the effect of alternative diets (the recommended protein diet, a pescetarian diet, a low-NF food diet, and a balanced Japanese diet) on the food NF. The annual per capita Japanese food NF has increased by 55% as a result of dietary changes since 1961. The 1975 Japanese diet, a balanced omnivorous diet that reportedly delays senescence, with a protein content similar to the current level, reduced the current food NF (15.2 kg N) to 12.6 kg N, which is comparable to the level in the recommended protein diet (12.3 kg N). These findings will help consumers make dietary choices to reduce their impacts on nitrogen pollution.     

Estrus cycle asynchrony in wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Although estrous synchrony has been reported in a number of mammalian species, most often among primates, methodological and analytical problems make it difficult to interpret these results. We developed a novel estrous synchrony index and employed a randomization procedure to analyze long-term observations of female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) estrous cycles at the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Our results revealed that female chimpanzees at Mahale avoid synchronizing their estrous periods with each other. We also found that birthrates decreased as the breeding sex ratio increased. We suggest that estrous asynchrony decreases female–female competition for mates. Asynchrony may also reduce the potential for male sexual coercion by nonpreferred mating partners.     

Environmental-economic models for total emission control of regional environmental pollution — input-output approach

This paper deals with a Leontief-type dynamic input-output analysis for total emission control of pollution. A dynamic input-output model can be described as a linear programming problem. In this paper an objective function to be minimized is chosen as the sum of pollutants emitted in a regional area throughout the planning period. It is assumed that consumption grows with a constant growth rate throughout the planning period. With this model, we can tell how to assign the elimination rate of pollutants to each production sector, under the constraint that the total emission standard is satisfied in each term of the planning period.     

Development of a accelerated solvent extraction and gel permeation chromatography analytical method for measuring persistent organohalogen compounds in adipose and organ tissue analysis

A new analytical method has been developed for the quantification of 59 different persistent organohalogen compounds, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), PCB metabolites, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in biological organ tissues. The optimum extraction and cleanup procedures were examined using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), automated gel permeation chromatography (GPC) on Biobeads S-X3 and automated solid phase extraction (SPE) on silica-gel. The target compounds were divided into two fractions, non-polar compounds and more polar compounds, which in the latter fraction was subsequently methylated using diazomethane. Detection can be achieved by GC/MS in negative chemical ionization (NCI) mode. The average recoveries of the compounds spiked in swine liver, heart, kidney, and cattle adipose tissues were considered satisfactory, and it was confirmed that the method could be used in routine analysis.     

Bacterial communities in different locations, seasons and segments of a dairy wastewater treatment system consisting of six segments

A dairy wastewater treatment system composed of the 1st segment (no aeration) equipped with a facility for the destruction of milk fat particles, four successive aerobic treatment segments with activated sludge and a final sludge settlement segment was developed. The activated sludge is circulated through the six segments by settling sediments (activated sludge) in the 6th segment and sending the sediments beck to the 1st and 2nd segments. Microbiota was examined using samples from the non-aerated 1st and aerated 2nd segments obtained from two farms using the same system in summer or winter. Principal component analysis showed that the change in microbiota from the 1st to 2nd segments concomitant with effective wastewater treatment is affected by the concentrations of activated sludge and organic matter (biological oxygen demand [BOD]), and dissolved oxygen (DO) content. Microbiota from five segments (1st and four successive aerobic segments) in one location was also examined. Although the activated sludge is circulating throughout all the segments, microbiota fluctuation was observed. The observed successive changes in microbiota reflected the changes in the concentrations of organic matter and other physicochemical conditions (such as DO), suggesting that the microbiota is flexibly changeable depending on the environmental condition in the segments. The genera Dechloromonas, Zoogloea and Leptothrix are frequently observed in this wastewater treatment system throughout the analyses of microbiota in this study.     

日本城市土壤的重金属污染研究

采用X-射线光谱法测定了一些日本城市公园土壤样品中的Pb,Zn,Cu,Cr,Ni,As,Fe,Ti,Mn,K,Ca,Rb和Sr共13种元素,结果发现Pb和Zn的含量在土壤剖面中从上至下有明显下降的趋势,并显示出Pb与Zn污染有一定的相关关系。同时,也探讨了一种判断土壤污染的方法。      

Molding Method, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Jute/PLA Injection Molding

Natural composites have been important materials system due to preservation of earth environments. Natural fibers such as jute, hemp, bagasse and so on are very good candidate of natural composites as reinforcements. On the other hand regarding matrix parts thermosetting polymer and thermoplastic polymer deriver form petrochemical products are not environmental friendly material, even if thermoplastic polymer can be recycled. In order to create fully environmental friendly material (FEFM) biodegradable polymer which can be deriver from natural resources is needed. Therefore poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer is very good material for the FEFM. In this paper jute fiber filled PLA resin (jute/PLA) composites was fabricated by injection moldings and mechanical properties were measured. It is believable that industries will have much attention to FEFM, so that injection molding was adopted to fabricate the composites. Long fiber pellet fabricated by pultrusion technique was adopted to prepare jute/PLA pellet. Because it is able to fabricate composite pellets with relative long length fibers for injection molding process, where, jute yarns were continuously pulled and coated with PLA resin. Here two kinds of PLA materials were used including the one with mold releasing agent and the other without it. After pass through a heated die whereby PLA resin impregnates into the jute yarns and sufficient cooling, the impregnated jute yarns were cut into pellets. Then jute/PLA pellets were fed into injection machine to make dumbbell shape specimens. In current study, the effects of temperature of PLA melting temperature i.e. impregnation temperature and the kinds of PLA were focused to get optimum molding condition. The volume fractions of jute fiber in pellet were measured by several measuring method including image analyzing, density measurement and dissolution methods. Additionally, thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. It is found that 250° is much suitable for jute/PLA long fiber pultrusion process because of its less heat degradation of jute, better impregnation, acceptable mechanical property and higher production efficiency. Additionally the jute fibers seem much effective to increase deflection temperature under load, tensile modulus and Izod strength.