The daily intake of total dietary fiber (TDF) was evaluated from data of the National Nutrition Survey in Japan for 41 years since 1947. Relationships between the nutrient intake, including TDF, and the rate of mortality or prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) were calculated by a time-series correlation coefficient.
1) TDF intake per capita decreased rapidly from 27.4 g in 1947 to 15.8 g in 1963, and subsequently decreased by a lesser extent to 15.3 g in 1987.
2) The prevalence of DM shows a significant positive correlation with both the intake of animal protein and of total fat. The time-series analysis indicates that the prevalence of DM was negatively correlated with TDF with a 6-to 17-year delay, the maximum correlation existing with a 10-year lag (γ=-0.939, ρ<0.001). The TDF intake was less than 16.0 g in 1965, and at about the same time, the prevalence of DM increased rapidly.
3) The crude mortality from DM was negatively correlated with TDF with a 0 to 17-year delay, reaching a maximum correlation with a 17-year lag. The TDF intake was less than 16.5 g in 1962, and at about the same time, the crude mortality from DM increased rapidly.
It is suggested that the cause of the increased prevalence of DM in Japan is positively related to the increased intake of fat and protein. In addition, the decrease in TDF intake has accelerated the prevalence and mortality of DM after a time lag.

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The weakness of aqueous polysaccharide gels prepared from jelly fig was investigated. The following results were obtained.
Molecular weight distribution of aqueous polysaccharide solution prepared from jelly fig was measured by using gel permeation chromatography. The peak of molecular weight distribution of the solution shifted to low molecular weight side with increasing the storage time. Aqueous polysaccharide of jelly fig showed the wide distribution of molecular weight. The liberated methanol contents increased and the reducing sugar contents in the solution increased by the increase of storage time. Observation of jelly fig gels by cryo-scanning electron microscope showed that network structure of gels stored for a long time seemed to be looser than those of gels stored for a short time. The melting temperature of jelly fig gels shifted to higher temperatures with the increase in the concentration of aqueous polysaccharide. The syneresis of jelly fig gels after freezing-thawing was extremely higher compared with low methoxyl pectin gels.

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Awa-bancha, Goishi-cha and Ishizuchi-kurocha produced in a part of Shikoku area are a kind of the post-heating fermented tea. The present investigation was undertaken to report on the characterization of microorganisms that were isolated and identified from the process of the manufacture in these post-heating fermented teas. Aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms and fungi, such as Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus and others were found. And also, carried out to examine the optimum temperature, the optimum pH and the heat resistance for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. cepacia that were isolated from Awa-bancha and Goishi-cha. The optimum temperatures and the optimum pH were 40°C and pH 5.5 for P. aeruginosa, and 37°C and pH 5.0-7.0 for P. cepacia, respectively. P. aeruginosa and P. cepacia could grow after heating up to 70 and 80°C respectively.

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A questionnaire survey was conducted in 1991 on 339 female college students to reveal the relationship between dietary consciousness of young women and their attitude to housekeeping. Data were analyzed by a correlation analysis and Hayashi's quantification II method. Those respondents who have not regularly prepared daily meals, but done light work expressed their desire to make cakes, bread, cushions, etc. by themselves. Many of them have learned food preparation and serving from their mothers, and making cakes from cookery books or magazines. The respondents who feel happy to dine together with their family usually attend to daily household duties and make traditional dishes at home. It is concluded that the inclination toward dining with family, which is important factor in the family bond, has been encouraged by the preparation of special dishes for the year's events at home or for the celebrations of family birthday.

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The effect of alkyl group in acid azo dyes on the fading and degradation of the dyed nylon fabrics by light exposure was investigated.
The photo-fading of the nylon fabrics was evaluated by color difference, ΔE. The fading was accelerated in the presence of the dye having n-dodecyl group (C12).
The initial fading rate of the dyes on nylon film was found to be expressed apparently by a pseudo-first order reaction assumption.
The degradation of the nylon fabrics by light exposure was accelerated in the presence of C12.

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On the properties of wetness and steam of disposable diapers for infant use, I had already concluded that the fundamental problems with diapers originated from temperature and humidity. So I tried to measure the correlations between hourly changes of temperature, wetness, mass and thickness of the diapers and discomfort, by using artificial urine on an adult's hand.
Temperature inside the disposable diapers increased with time. In the case of small volume of urinous influx, the temperature inside the disposal diapers increased with time. However, it sometimes fell when the volume was increased to large amount. The relative humidity inside the diapers reached at almost 90% one hour after the influx of urine, irrespective of the volume, except the permeable diapers.
Significant negative correlations were observed between the feeling of wetness and the temperature inside the diapers, and also between the temprature of influx and the passage of time. However, when the largest volume of urine was used, the correlation between the feeling of wetness and the temperature was significantly positive.
Evaluation of touch and comfort of the disposable diapers became worse with the increase of the volume of the urine.
The feeling of the disposable diapers were almost 'wet slightly' or 'wet.' This shows that many of the users feel wetness irrespective of the volume of urine.

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We studied the effects of cooling the upper torso by frozen gel strip on thermophysiological responses and clothing microclimate in female subjects wearing protective clothing for pesticide during exercise and rest at an ambient temperature of 30°C, the average summer temperature during the daytime in Nagano. Five healthy female students volunteered as subjects. They wore two kinds of protective clothing : one with and the other without frozen gel strip.After resting for 15 min on a chair, the subjects repeated 15 min exercise by a bicycle ergometer (50 W) and 5 min rest 3 times under the circumstances of an ambient temperature of 30 ± 0.3°C and a relative humidity of 50 ± 5%. Main results were as follows : 1) Cooling the upper torso inhibited an increase of the forearm sweat rate during exercise. 2) The mean skin temperature and clothing microclimate (temperature, humidity) at trunk were significantly lower by cooling. 3) Thermal sensation was improved by cooling. It was concluded that cooling the upper torso could reduce the physiological strain in the working subjects wearing protective clothing for pesticide at warm ambient temperature of 30°C.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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