Abstract:The effects of rainfall conditions and the morphological characteristics of leaves on the moisture dynamics of litter layers were investigated. Maximum water storage capacity and interception storage capacity under various rainfall conditions were evaluated for two contrasting litter types: a needle-leaf type, represented by Cryptomeria japonica leaves; and a broad-leaf type, represented by Lithocarpus edulis leaves. An artificial rainfall simulator was applied to measure each litter type's interception storage capacity under various rainfall intensities. Our results indicated that (1) the maximum water storage capacity of each litter layer was proportional to the litter mass (kg/m 2 ) regardless of layer thickness; (2) the litter interception storage capacity increased with rainfall intensity in the range of realistic rainfall conditions (under 50 mm/h); (3) the broad-leaf litter of L. edulis intercepted more rainwater than the needle-leaf litter of C. japonica; and (4) the rainwater moved laterally in the litter layer of L. edulis whereas it moved directly down in the litter layer of C. japonica. These results show that not only the litter mass but also the rainfall conditions and leaf shapes are important in evaluating the moisture dynamics of litter layers.

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The histology of ovarian tumors exhibits a wide variety of histological features. The histological classification of ovarian tumors by the World Health Organization (WHO) is based on histogenetic principles, and this classification categorizes ovarian tumors with regard to their derivation from coelomic surface epithelial cells, germ cells, and mesenchyme (the stroma and the sex cord). Epithelial ovarian tumors, which are the majority of malignant ovarian tumors, are further grouped into histological types as follows: serous, mucinous, endometrioid, clear cell, transitional cell tumors (Brenner tumors), carcinosarcoma, mixed epithelial tumor, undifferentiated carcinoma, and others. Clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas are highly associated with endometriosis. In stage distribution, serous carcinoma is found predominantly is stage III or IV. In contrast, clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas tend to remain confined to the ovary. Clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas may be unique histological types compared with serous carcinomas with respect to stage distribution and association with endometriosis.

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[1] Although coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of stream ecosystems in forested areas, the processes of CWD distribution, transport, and retention have not been clarified. In this study the distribution process of CWD pieces shorter than the bankfull width (S-CWD) is discussed using an in situ field experiment of log transport and a field survey of CWD distribution in mountain streams. The transport experiment showed that transport distance has a close relation to flow depth and also implied that the magnitude and sequence of a series of flows were important factors for S-CWD transport and retention in streams. The survey of CWD distribution indicated that in-stream obstructions played an important role in the S-CWD retention in deeper channels where S-CWD pieces were potentially transported distances more than spacing between trapping sites of CWD. Overall, the in situ field experiment and the segment-to reach-scaled analysis using h* (=depth/diameter) helped us understand the actual movement and distribution of CWD.

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Effects of discharge level on the load of dissolved and particulate components of stream nitrogen and phosphorus from a small afforested watershed of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) Abstract The behavior of dissolved and particulate components of stream nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were measured for 2 years in a small mountainous watershed covered primarily with a plantation forest of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). The load of dissolved N and P bore a consistent relationship to discharge while the load of particulate N and P varied by up to two orders of magnitude at a given discharge level. Most N was exported in a dissolved form (DN) while most P was exported in a particulate form (PP), which bears similarity to loads from agricultural watersheds. Owing to the different behaviors of DN and PP, changes in the total nitrogen (TN) load were primarily attributed to variations in discharge unlike changes in the total phosphorus (TP) load. High fl ow conditions, resulting from heavy rainfall, displayed PP release significantly larger than expected. The TP load in high fl ow conditions was severely underestimated using a regression equation expressed as a function of discharge, which was based on the weekly sampling data biased toward low fl ow conditions. In addition, the TN load during peak discharges in heavy rain events was underestimated by the regression equation because of unpredictable increases in the particulate component. Our study shows that the particulate component ratio determines whether discharge can explain changes in load regardless of chemical species. The results suggest that plantation forests in rainy regions can be a diffuse source of particulate nutrients depending on soil surface conditions.