Hydrogen Peroxide Pretreatment Mitigates Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress in L.: An Intrinsic Study on Antioxidant Defense and Glyoxalase Systems.

Cadmium (Cd) is considered as one of the most toxic metals for plant growth and development. In the present study, we investigated the role of externally applied hydrogen peroxide (HO) in regulating the antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems in conferring Cd-induced oxidative stress tolerance in rapeseed ( L.).

Spatiotemporal trend analysis of recent river water quality conditions in Japan.

In order to promote pollutant monitoring and preservation of water resources, we evaluate the spatiotemporal trends in recent water quality conditions in Japanese rivers. Trend analysis is conducted on the 92 major rivers in Japan using the available water quality data recorded from 1992 to 2005 and the characteristics of major pollutants in these rivers are analyzed. Spatial and temporal analysis of trends for six water quality indicators is conducted using the Mann Kendall test, a non-parametric statistical method.

The role of forest stand density in controlling soil erosion: implications to sediment-related disasters in Japan.

The role of forest stand density in controlling soil erosion was investigated in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The main objective was to compare soil erosion under different forest conditions including forest type, species composition, and stand density as influenced by thinning operations. Relative yield index (Ry) was used as an indicator of stand density to reflect the degree of management operations in the watershed.