The role of energy intensity improvement in the AR4 GHG stabilization scenarios

This study analyzes the role of energy intensity improvement in the short term (to the year 2020) and midterm (to the year 2050) in the context of long-term greenhouse gases (GHG) stabilization scenarios. The data come from the latest Emissions Scenarios Database and were reviewed in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In this study, quantitative decomposition analyses using the extended Kaya identity are applied to the stabilization scenarios in Categories I to IV of Table SPM.5 in the AR4. Furthermore, quantitative decomposition analyses of Category IV scenarios are conducted for major GHG-emitting countries, such as the USA, Western Europe, China, and India, by utilizing the large number of reports in the database. This study provides in-depth analyses of the relationship between energy intensity improvement and other major indicators. One finding is that energy intensity improvement plays an important role in the short term, and the rate of energy intensity improvement is assumed to be around 2% per year as a median value across Categories I–III in the midterm on the global scale. However, achieving stringent stabilization levels requires various other measures regarding the use of less-carbon intensive fossil fuels, the shift to non-fossil fuel energies, and advanced technologies such as carbon capture and storage.

Effects of sulfated fucan,ascophyllan, from the brown Alga Ascophyllum nodosum on various cell lines: A comparative study on ascophyllan and fucoidan

The effects of fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides, ascophyllan and fucoidan, isolated from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum, on the growth of various cell lines (MDCK, Vero, PtK₁, CHO, HeLa, and XC) were investigated. In a colony formation assay, ascophyllan and fucoidan showed potent cytotoxic effects on Vero and XC cells, while other cell lines were relatively resistant to these polysaccharides. Almost no significant effects of these polysaccharides were observed in the cell lines tested using the Alamar blue cytotoxicity assay over 48 h with varying initial cell densities (2500–20,000 cells/well) in growth medium. Interestingly, a significant growth promoting effect of ascophyllan on MDCK cells was observed, whereas treatment with fucoidan showed growth suppressive effects on this cell line under the same experimental conditions. These results suggest that ascophyllan is distinguishable from fucoidan in terms of their bioactivities. This is the first report of the growth promoting effects of a sulfated fucan on a mammalian cell line under normal growth conditions.     

Comparative Effects of Acetylated and Unmodified High‐amylose Maize Starch in Rats

Acetylated, propionylated or butyrylated starches raise the large bowel pools of these short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in rats but their resistant starch (RS) content in vivo is unknown. This content was determined for acetylated starch (Starch A, DS = 0.18) in colectomised rats and compared to a standard maize (control) or high‐amylose (HAMS) maize starch. Digestibilities were 99.8% (control), 47.5% (Starch A) and 58% (HAMS). The effects of Starch A and HAMS were compared also in intact rats, that were fed a fibre‐free diet in which either 200 g/kg of HAMS or 100, 200 or 300 g of Starch A/kg was substituted for the standard maize starch. Caecal SCFA pools were larger in rats fed either RS with the greatest increase being in acetate in rats fed Starch A. Other acids (succinate and formate) appeared with increasing incorporation of RS. However, when the experiment was performed with a commercial diet, feeding Starch A or HAMS did not lead to any great increase in these other acids but SCFA pools expanded. The greatest increase in acetate was in rats fed Starch A. This suggests that other factors were necessary for optimal RS fermentation but not for release of acetate from Starch A. Comparison of the effects of Starch A and HAMS on SCFA suggests that the former was at least 100% more effective than HAMS at equivalent dietary intakes, despite similarities in RS content. Incubation of Starch A with caecal bacterial enzymes confirmed that release of acetate was relatively slow, indicating a capacity of this modified starch for sustained SCFA delivery in vivo.     

Antitermitic activity of extracts from Chamaecyparis obtusa branch heartwood

The antitermitic activity of extracts from the branch heartwood of Chamaecyparis obtusa (hinoki) against Japanese termites (Reticulitermes speratus) was compared with that of the trunk. Samples of branch and trunk heartwood were extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol successively. n-Hexane extracts of branch and trunk heartwood were strongly antitermitic, and branch heartwood contained greater quantities of active n-hexane extracts than trunk heartwood. Germacra-1-(10), 5-dien-4β-ol, t-cadinol, α-cadinol, hinokiresinol, and hinokinin were separated from the branch extracts and the termiticidal and antifeedant activity of these compounds was tested by no-choice and dual-choice test methods. The sesquiterpenoids, germacra-1-(10), 5-dien-4β-ol, t-cadinol and α-cadinol were strongly termiticidal. The norlignan hinokiresinol and lignan hinokinin had weak termiticidal, and strong antifeedant and repellent activity. High concentrations of germacra-1-(10), 5-dien-4β-ol and hinokiresinol were present in branch heartwood. These compounds protect hinoki branches from termites and other harmful organisms. Hinoki branch heartwood, which is usually unused, is a potential source of active antitermitic compounds.     

Prognostic predictor with multiple fuzzy neural models using expression profiles from DNA microarray for metastases of breast cancer

Gene expression profiling data from DNA microarray were analyzed using the fuzzy neural network (FNN) modeling method for predicting the distant metastases of breast cancer. The best model consisting of five genes was able to predict metastases of breast cancer with 94% accuracy. Furthermore, 100% accuracy was achieved by majoritarian decision using only 25 genes from five noninferior models which were constructed independently. From the constructed model, gene expression rules, which may cause distant metastases, were explicitly extracted and 60% of the metastases cases could be explained by this rule. The FNN modeling method described in this paper enables precise extraction of significant biological markers affecting prognosis without prior knowledge.