We claim:
1. A method of reducing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising ectopically expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL8-like gene product in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is reduced due to ectopic expression of said nucleic acid molecule.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL8 ortholog.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL8 (SEQ ID NO:2).
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said vascular plant is a woody plant.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said woody plant is selected from the group consisting of Eucalyptus, cottonwood, alder, Douglas fir, Hemlock, pine and spruce.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said vascular plant is a leguminous plant.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said leguminous plant is selected from the group consisting of alfalfa, clover, lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil, Stylosanthes, Lotononis bainessii and sainfoin.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said vascular plant is a forage grass.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said grass is selected from the group consisting of bahiagrass, bermudagrass, dallisgrass, pangolagrass, big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, smooth bromegrass, orchardgrass, timothy, Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue.
10. The method of claim 1, comprising introducing an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL8-like gene product into said vascular plant to produce a transgenic vascular plant characterized by reduced lignification.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL8-like gene product is operatively linked to an exogenous regulatory element.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a constitutive regulatory element.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a tissue-selective regulatory element.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said tissue-selective regulatory element is an AGL1 regulatory element or AGL5 regulatory element.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein said tissue-selective regulatory element is a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element selected from the group consisting of a fiber-selective regulatory element, xylem-selective regulatory element and a tracheid selective regulatory element.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL8 ortholog.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL8 (SEQ ID NO:2).
18. A method of reducing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising suppressing both AGL1 and AGL5 expression in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is reduced.
19. A transgenic vascular plant characterized by reduced lignification, comprising an ectopically expressed nucleic acid molecule comprising a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL8-like gene product.
20. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 19, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL8 ortholog.
21. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 20, wherein said AGL8-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL8 (SEQ ID NO: 2).
22. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 19, wherein said lignified tissue-selective regulatory element is selected from the group consisting of a fiber-selective regulatory element, xylem-selective regulatory element and a tracheid selective regulatory element.
23. A tissue derived from the transgenic vascular plant of claim 19, said transgenic vascular plant comprising an ectopically expressed nucleic acid molecule comprising a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL8-like gene product.
24. A method of enhancing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising ectopically expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL15-like gene product in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is enhanced due to ectopic expression of said nucleic acid molecule.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL1 ortholog.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL1 (SEQ ID NO:4).
27. The method of claim 24, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL5 ortholog.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL5 (SEQ ID NO: 6).
29. The method of claim 24, wherein said vascular plant is a woody plant.
30. The method of claim 24, comprising introducing an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL15-like gene product into said vascular plant to produce a transgenic vascular plant characterized by enhanced lignification.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein said exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL15-like gene product is operatively linked to an exogenous regulatory element.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a constitutive regulatory element.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a tissue-selective regulatory element.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein said tissue-selective regulatory element is an AGL1 regulatory element or AGL5 regulatory element.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein said tissue-selective regulatory element is a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element selected from the group consisting of a fiber-selective regulatory element, xylem-selective regulatory element and a tracheid selective regulatory element.
36. The method of claim 30, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL1 ortholog.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL1 (SEQ ID NO:4).
38. The method of claim 30, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL5 ortholog.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL5 (SEQ ID NO:6).
40. A method of enhancing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising suppressing AGL8-like gene product expression in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is enhanced.
41. A transgenic vascular plant characterized by enhanced lignification, comprising an ectopically expressed nucleic acid molecule comprising a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL15-like gene product.
42. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 41, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL1 ortholog.
43. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 42, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL1 (SEQ ID NO:4).
44. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 41, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an AGL5 ortholog.
45. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 44, wherein said AGL15-like gene product has the amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis AGL5 (SEQ ID NO:6).
46. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 41, wherein said lignified tissue-selective regulatory element is selected from the group consisting of a fiber-selective regulatory element, xylem-selective regulatory element and a tracheid selective regulatory element.
47. A tissue derived from the transgenic vascular plant of claim 43, said transgenic vascular plant comprising an ectopically expressed nucleic acid molecule comprising a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule encoding an AGL15-like gene product.
48. A kit for producing a transgenic vascular plant characterized by altered lignification, comprising a nucleic acid molecule comprising a lignified tissue-selective regulatory element and a nucleic acid molecule encoding a gene product selected from the group consisting of an AGL8-like gene product, an AGL1-like gene product and an AGL5-like gene product.
49. The kit of claim 48, wherein said lignified tissue-selective regulatory element is selected from the group consisting of a xylem-selective regulatory element, tracheid-selective regulatory element and fiber-selective regulatory element.
50. A method of enhancing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising ectopically expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding an R-like bHLH gene product in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is enhanced due to ectopic expression of said nucleic acid molecule.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an R-like bHLH ortholog.
52. The method of claim 51, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:25.
53. The method of claim 50, wherein said vascular plant is a woody plant.
54. The method of claim 50, comprising introducing an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a R-like bHLH gene product into said vascular plant to produce a transgenic vascular plant characterized by enhanced lignification.
55. The method of claim 54, wherein said exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a R-like bHLH gene product is operatively linked to an exogenous regulatory element.
56. The method of claim 55, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a constitutive regulatory element.
57. The method of claim 55, wherein said exogenous regulatory element is a tissue-selective regulatory element.
58. The method of claim 55, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of an R-like bHLH ortholog.
59. The method of claim 58, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:25.
60. A transgenic vascular plant characterized by enhanced lignification, comprising an ectopically expressed nucleic acid molecule comprising a heterologous regulatory element operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a R-like bHLH gene product.
61. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 60, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has substantially the amino acid sequence of a R-like bHLH ortholog.
62. The transgenic vascular plant of claim 61, wherein said R-like bHLH gene product has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:25.
63. A method of reducing lignification in a vascular plant, comprising suppressing R-like bHLH expression in said vascular plant, whereby lignification is reduced.
64. A non-naturally occurring vascular plant characterized by reduced lignification, in which R-like bHLH expression in suppressed, provided that said vascular plant does not ectopically express AGL8 or have suppressed AGL1 and AGL5 expression.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A simulation apparatus that predicts an effect of sending out a direct mail of a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand, comprising:
a planned budget acceptance unit that accepts a planned budget of said campaign;
a customer master table containing properties and turn-away probability of each customer;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts a setting of a sending condition for sending said direct mail;
a number of delivery applicable customers calculation unit that extracts customers corresponding to said sending condition out of said customer master table, and calculates the number of delivery applicable customers to whom said direct mail may be sent;
a number of delivery applicable customers presentation unit that presents the number of delivery applicable customers;
a planned number of delivery target customers acceptance unit that accepts a planned number of delivery target customers to whom said direct mail should be sent, with an upper limit being the number of delivery applicable customers;
an expected conversion rate acceptance unit that accepts an expected conversion rate based on said sending condition;
a number of conversion-expected customers calculation unit that calculates a number of conversion-expected customers, based on the planned number of delivery target customers and said expected conversion rate;
a unit value table that stores therein an earned value unit cost per customer, predetermined according to said properties of each brand of said product and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases;
an expected earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through the conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to said properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said expected earned value based on the number of conversion-expected customers;
an expected ROI calculation unit that calculates an expected ROI based on said planned budget and said expected earned value; and
a prediction presentation unit that presents said expected earned value and said expected ROI.
2. The simulation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a predicted turn-away rate storage unit that stores therein a predicted turn-away rate associated with a behavior pattern of said customer;
a behavior pattern acquisition unit that acquires said behavior pattern of said customer; and
a decision unit that compares said behavior pattern of said customer with a predetermined behavior pattern model thereby deciding said predicted turn-away rate;
wherein said simulation apparatus stores said predicted turn-away rate as said turn-away probability in said customer master table.
3. An effect measurement apparatus that measures an effect of a sales promotion campaign, executed through sending out a direct mail for a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand under a predetermined sending condition and collecting answers to a questionnaire from customers, based on customer information including properties of said customer written on said returned postcard, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires said customer information automatically read out from said postcard;
an actual result database that acquires, from said customer information, conversion classification information indicating to which brand said customer has shifted hisher primary purchase as a result of said campaign, and accumulates such information of each customer;
a budget acceptance unit that accepts an input of a budget of said campaign;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts from said customer information a condition including the properties of said customer who is surveyed;
a number of sending postcards acceptance unit that accepts a number of postcards to be sent out with respect to each condition;
a number of newly converted customers calculation unit that calculates a number of newly converted customers based on said conversion classification information with respect to each condition;
a conversion rate calculation unit that calculates a conversion rate based on the number of newly converted customers and the number of sending postcards, with respect to each condition;
a unit value table that contains an earned value unit cost per customer, predetermined according to the properties of each brand of said product, and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases;
an earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through said conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to the properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said earned value based on the number of newly converted customers;
a ROI calculation unit that calculates a ROI based on said budget and said earned value; and
an actual result presentation unit that presents said earned value and said ROI.
4. The effect measurement apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein said actual result database accumulates, with respect to each customer, in association therewith, a delivery flag indicating whether said direct mail has been sent, a brand that said customer was purchasing before delivery of said direct mail, a brand that said customer has started purchasing after delivery of said direct mail, and a conversion flag indicating whether said customer has converted to a specific brand after delivery of said direct mail; and includes:
a first counting unit that counts out of said actual result database, with respect to each brand classification, a number of first type customers with said delivery flag indicating that said direct mail was sent and said conversion flag indicating that said customer has converted to said specific brand;
a conversion rate by brand calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, conversion rate based on the number of said first type customers and the number of direct mails sent;
a second counting unit that counts out of said actual result database, with respect to each brand classification, a number of second type customers who were purchasing said specific brand before sending said direct mail;
a specific brand purchase rate calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, a purchase rate of an existing specific brand based on the number of said second type customers and the total number of customers in said actual result database;
a real conversion rate calculation unit that calculates a real conversion rate achieved by sending said direct mails, based on said purchase rate and said conversion rate, with respect to each brand classification;
a number of customers calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, a number of customers gained by sending said direct mails, based on said number of postcards sent and said real conversion rate;
an earned value calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, an earned value based on the number of earned customers and said earned value unit cost;
an effect calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, an earned value per direct mail based on said number of postcards sent and said earned value; and
a presentation unit that presents, with respect to each brand classification, said conversion rate, said purchase rate, said real conversion rate, said earned value, and said earned value per direct mail.
5. A sales promotion support system, comprising a simulation apparatus and an effect measurement apparatus,
said simulation apparatus that predicts an effect of sending out a direct mail of a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand, comprising:
a planned budget acceptance unit that accepts a planned budget of said campaign;
a customer master table containing properties and turn-away probability of each customer;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts a setting of a sending condition for sending said direct mail;
a number of delivery applicable customers calculation unit that extracts customers corresponding to said sending condition out of said customer master table, and calculates the number of delivery applicable customers to whom said direct mail may be sent;
a number of delivery applicable customers presentation unit that presents the number of delivery applicable customers;
a planned number of delivery target customers acceptance unit that accepts a planned number of delivery target customers to whom said direct mail should be sent, with an upper limit being the number of delivery applicable customers;
an expected conversion rate acceptance unit that accepts an expected conversion rate based on said sending condition;
a number of conversion-expected customers calculation unit that calculates a number of conversion-expected customers, based on the planned number of delivery target customers and said expected conversion rate;
a unit value table that stores therein an earned value unit cost per customer, predetermined according to said properties of each brand of said product and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases;
an expected earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through the conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to said properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said expected earned value based on the number of conversion-expected customers;
an expected ROI calculation unit that calculates an expected ROI based on said planned budget and said expected earned value; and
a prediction presentation unit that presents said expected earned value and said expected ROI, and
said effect measurement apparatus that measures an effect of a sales promotion campaign, executed through sending out a direct mail for a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand under a predetermined sending condition and collecting answers to a questionnaire from customers, based on customer information including properties of said customer written on said returned postcard, comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires said customer information automatically read out from said postcard;
an actual result database that acquires, from said customer information, conversion classification information indicating to which brand said customer has shifted hisher primary purchase as a result of said campaign, and accumulates such information of each customer;
a budget acceptance unit that accepts an input of a budget of said campaign;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts from said customer information a condition including the properties of said customer who is surveyed;
a number of sending postcards acceptance unit that accepts a number of postcards to be sent out with respect to each condition;
a number of newly converted customers calculation unit that calculates a number of newly converted customers based on said conversion classification information with respect to each condition;
a conversion rate calculation unit that calculates a conversion rate based on the number of newly converted customers and the number of sending postcards, with respect to each condition;
a unit value table that contains an earned value cost per customer, predetermined according to the properties of each brand of said product, and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases;
an earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through said conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to the properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said earned value based on the number of newly converted customers;
a ROI calculation unit that calculates a ROI based on said budget and said earned value; and
an actual result presentation unit that presents said earned value and said ROI.
6. The sales promotion support system according to claim 5,
wherein said effect measurement apparatus includes:
a conversion rate accumulation unit that accumulates said conversion rate under each condition, from said customer information;
a norm value calculation unit that calculates a norm value of said accumulated conversion rate; and
a presentation unit that presents said norm value; and
said expected conversion rate acceptance unit of said simulation apparatus that accepts an expected conversion rate decided and input by a user looking up said norm value of said conversion rate presented by said presentation unit of said effect measurement apparatus.
7. The sales promotion support system according to claim 5,
wherein said number of delivery applicable customers presentation unit and said prediction presentation unit of said simulation apparatus include a first display unit that displays a planning-phase screen;
said actual result presentation unit of said effect measurement apparatus includes a second display unit that displays an actual result screen; and
said planning-phase screen and said actual result screen employs a similar format.
8. A program of predicting an effect of sending out a direct mail for a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand, causing a computer including:
a customer master table including properties and turn-away probability of each customer; and
a unit value table that contains an earned value unit cost per customer, predetermined according to the properties of each brand of said product and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases; to perform as:
a planned budget acceptance unit that accepts a planned budget of said campaign;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts a setting of a sending condition for sending said direct mail;
a number of delivery applicable customers calculation unit that extracts customers corresponding to said sending condition out of said customer master table, and calculates the number of delivery applicable customers to whom said direct mail may be sent;
a number of delivery applicable customers presentation unit that presents the number of delivery applicable customers;
a planned number of delivery target customers acceptance unit that accepts a planned number of delivery target customers to whom said direct mail should be sent, with an upper limit being the number of delivery applicable customers;
an expected conversion rate acceptance unit that accepts an expected conversion rate based on said sending condition;
a number of conversion-expected customers calculation unit that calculates a number of conversion-expected customers, based on the planned number of delivery target customers and said expected conversion rate;
an expected earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through said conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to said properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said expected earned value based on the number of conversion-expected customers;
an expected ROI calculation unit that calculates an expected ROI based on said planned budget and said expected earned value; and
a prediction presentation unit that presents said expected earned value and said expected ROI.
9. A program of measuring an effect of a sales promotion campaign, executed through sending out a direct mail for a sales promotion campaign of a product of a specific brand under a predetermined sending condition and collecting answers to a questionnaire from customers, based on customer information including properties of said customer written on said returned postcard, causing a computer including:
an actual result database that acquires, from said customer information, conversion classification information indicating to which brand said customer has shifted hisher primary purchase as a result of said campaign, and accumulates such information of each customer; and
a unit value table that stores therein an earned value unit cost per customer, predetermined according to said properties of each brand of said product and indicating a value to be earned by a change made through said campaign on said brand that said customer primarily purchases; to perform as:
an acquisition unit that acquires said customer information automatically read out from said postcard;
a budget acceptance unit that accepts an input of a budget of said campaign;
a condition acceptance unit that accepts from said customer information a condition including said properties of said customer who is surveyed;
a number of sending postcards acceptance unit that accepts a number of postcards to be sent out with respect to each condition;
a number of newly converted customers calculation unit that calculates a number of newly converted customers based on said conversion classification information with respect to each condition;
a conversion rate calculation unit that calculates a conversion rate based on the number of newly converted customers and the number of postcards sent, with respect to each condition;
an earned value calculation unit that looks up said unit value table, to acquire said earned value unit cost gained through said conversion to said specific brand, corresponding to the properties of said brand of said product to which said sending condition applies, thereby calculating said earned value based on the number of newly converted customers;
a ROI calculation unit that calculates a ROI based on said budget and said earned value; and
an actual result presentation unit that presents said earned value and said ROI.
10. The sales promotion support system, according to claim 5, wherein said simulation apparatus further comprises:
a predicted turn-away rate storage unit that stores therein a predicted turn-away rate associated with a behavior pattern of said customer;
a behavior pattern acquisition unit that acquires said behavior pattern of said customer; and
a decision unit that compares said behavior pattern of said customer with a predetermined behavior pattern model thereby deciding said predicted turn-away rate;
wherein said simulation apparatus stores said predicted turn-away rate as said turn-away probability in said customer master table.
11. The sales promotion support system, according to claim 5, wherein said actual result database accumulates, with respect to each customer, in association therewith, a delivery flag indicating whether said direct mail has been sent, a brand that said customer was purchasing before delivery of said direct mail, a brand that said customer has started purchasing after delivery of said direct mail, and a conversion flag indicating whether said customer has converted to a specific brand after delivery of said direct mail; and includes:
a first counting unit that counts out of said actual result database, with respect to each brand classification, a number of first type customers with said delivery flag indicating that said direct mail was sent and said conversion flag indicating that said customer has converted to said specific brand;
a conversion rate by brand calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, conversion rate based on the number of said first type customers and the number of direct mails sent;
a second counting unit that counts out of said actual result database, with respect to each brand classification, a number of second type customers who were purchasing said specific brand before sending said direct mail;
a specific brand purchase rate calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, a purchase rate of an existing specific brand based on the number of said second type customers and the total number of customers in said actual result database;
a real conversion rate calculation unit that calculates a real conversion rate achieved by sending said direct mails, based on said purchase rate conversion rate, with respect to each brand classification;
a number of customers calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, a number of customers gained by sending said direct mails, based on said number of postcards sent and said real conversion rate;
an earned value calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, an earned value based on the number of earned customers and said earned value unit cost;
an effect calculation unit that calculates, with respect to each brand classification, an earned value per direct mail based on said number of postcards sent and said earned value; and
a presentation unit that presents, with respect to each brand classification, said conversion rate, said purchase rate, said real conversion rate, said earned value, and said earned value per direct mail.
12. (canceled)
13. The sales promotion support system according to claim 6,
wherein said number of delivery applicable customers presentation unit and said prediction presentation unit of said simulation apparatus include a first display unit that displays a planning-phase screen;
said actual result presentation unit of said effect measurement apparatus includes a second display unit that displays an actual result screen; and
said planning-phase screen and said actual result screen employs a similar format.