The purpose of this study is to clarify the present state and problems related to risk management in family life.
We related family events and resources to risk management after reexamining the conceptual framework, so as to investigate how the family events were recognized as risk and what measures were taken to prevent the recurrence of such events or minimize their efects.
In 1996 the questionnaire was collected from 779 families with kindergarten, junior high school, and university students. The families were in Nagoya and other areas in Aichi Prefecture.
The results were as follows :
1) There was a gap between recognition and preparation for risk. Ironicaly, it was usually the case that preparation was not adequate for those items considered to decrease over time while preparation was more than sufficiently made for those items considered not to decrease so much.
2) The aging society did not seem to be high in the agenda in those families; neither recognition nor preparation for risk in this regard was made so much.
From this survey, we conclude that it is important to make lifelong planning and prepare total resources for better life, present and future.

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A series of studies were carried out to obtain information on the effects of the concentration and heat treatment on the spinnability of raw and freeze-dried yams.
Mashed raw and freeze-dried yams were tested undiluted (100%) and diluted with pure water to 50, 33 and 25% (w/w) on the basis of the raw concentration. The spinning distance and stress for spinning at each tensile velocity (0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mm/s) were measured by means of a rheometer. Nagaimo yam (100%), and Ichouimo and Tsukuneimo yams (50%) gave the longest spinning distances at a tensile velocity of 5.0 mm/s. The spinning distance of the freeze-dried samples was less than that of the raw samples.
The spinning distance after pre-heating at different temperatures (22, 40, 60 and 70°C) was alsoexamined, and decreased with increasing pre-heating temperature for both the raw and freeze-dried samples.
The value of maximum stress and spinning energy was in the order of Nagaimo, Ichouimo and Tsukuneimo yams.
The spinning distance, maximum stress and spinning energy were each reduced as a result of the freeze-drying treatment. This may have been due to changes in the mucilage configuration.

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Structural changes by heating in the mantle connective tissues of frozen-thawed long-finned squid (Loligo edulis), Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus), flying squid (Ommastrephes bartrami), cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), and arrow squid (Loligo bleekert) were observed by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). TEM observation of the heated muscles showed the structure of muscle cells to be indistinct, with an amorphous structure appearing between adjacent cells. SEM observation after 10% NaOH maceration showed a clearly defined three-dimensional structure of the extracellular materials. The results of an amino acid analysis indicated the main component of the material to be collagen. SEM observation of the heated muscles after 10% NaOH maceration showed the thin collagen fibrils to be coagulated. TEM observation of the heated muscles after NaOH maceration indicated the connective tissues to be partially disintegrated.
These results show that disintegration of the connective tissue by heating leads to tenderization of the squid mantle.

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The cooking and processing characteristics of pregelatinized hydroxypropylated wheat starch were studied by determining the physicochemical properties of viscosity and gelling. The effects of adding pregelatinized hydroxypropylated wheat starch to sponge cake were then measured in terms of viscosity, texture and a sensory evaluation.
A thermal analysis in excess water indicated that, compared with unmodified wheat starch, the hydroxypropylated wheat starch had a lower pasting temperature range and a pasting energy reduced to about 1/2. These data suggest that the hydroxypropylated wheat starch could be easily pasted. Viscography indicated that the hydroxypropylated wheat starch had an onset temperature for viscosity increase that was lower by about 27°C than that of unmodified wheat starch, with a maximum viscosity about twice as high. The addition of sucrose caused a significant increase in viscosity, while the addition of an acid caused an initial increase in viscosity and then a decrease in stability while heating and stirring. Little difference was observed in viscosity in the concentration range of 5.0-8.0%, suggesting some restricted swelling of the little-modified starch at high concentrations. The viscosity of the pregelatinized hydroxypropylated wheat starch paste was decreased by adding an acid or sucrose. With cake batter, the viscosity was elevated with increasing addition of pregelatinized hydroxypropylated wheat starch. Compared with a control sample, the sponge cake prepared by adding pregelatinized hydroxypropylated wheat starch had a soft texture, good moisture retention and little increase in firmness during cold storage. The sensory evaluation showed no significant difference in likeability between the control and test samples.

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Fourteen mothers along with their young children participated in this study to investigate the preferred temperatures, the seasonal variation in comfort levels, and thermophysiological responses. The test room temperature was preset at 25°C and was thereafter continually increased or decreased in increments of 0.4°C every minute. The direction of change was controllable by the mother subject who could achieve thermal comfort. The test duration was 40 min. While no significant differences were noted in the preferred and maximum temperatures between the summer and winter seasons, there are significantly seasonal differences in thermal sensation and physiological responses. The subjects reported that they felt cool during the summer experiments and warm during the winter experiments. The T_sk (mean skin temperature) for both the mothers and children were observed significantly higher in the summer than the winter under preferred temperatures. Also, thermal comfort and thermophysiological responses were compared at 25 t to investigate the age difference, menstrual cycle of the women, and sex difference of children between the summer and winter seasons. TS (thermal sensation) and CS (comfort sensation) in the summer were reported cooler and more comfortable than that in the winter at 25 °C. The T_sk of the children was observed significantly higher than that of the mother at 25°C.

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This study aims to analyze the demographic trends of Osaka Prefecture in the 10 years from 1980 to 1990 in relation to the regional housing factors.
1) In terms of age structure, Osaka's demographic trends are influenced mainly by the population under the age of fifty centering around those in their thirties.
2) Osaka is classified into 4 groups (Normal, A, B, and others) on the basis of the population change of those in their thirties and those in their fifties. Group Normal represents the areas where average change was recorded; Group A represents the areas where those in their thirties increased; Group B represents the areas where those in their fifties decreased; and the areas difficult to define were classified “others.” In Group A, change is mainly caused by those in their thirties, and the mesh data show that the mesh itself increases. In Group B, on the other hand, the mesh population decreases.
3) The area and housing factors were studied to clarify the demographic trends in Groups A and B, and the study shows that more housing factors than area factors are related to the population change in those groups. It was further clarified that the floor area per household in Group A averaged greater than that in other groups, and that it is notably large despite the low independent-house ratio in the areas where the population within its mesh has the population of over ten thousand.

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In the previous paper we reported that natural indigo products can be discriminated from synthetic indigo products by detecting red pigments contained as contaminants in indigo dyestuffs by means of HPLC. However, the HPLC method is difficult to put into practical use due to the high cost of equipment. Herein, the capability of TLC to discriminate between the two was investigated. The red pigment contained as a contaminant only in sukumo, Japanese natural indigo dye, and another red pigment contained as a contaminant only in synthetic indigo could be separated and detected on TLC.
This means that the simple TLC method is capable of discriminating between natural indigo dyeing and synthetic indigo dyeing.

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Effects of pressure-stimulation on salivary secretion were examined in three women aged 23, 38, and 41 years old from a hygienic point of view. Pressure was applied evenly to the subjects' waists using a waistband 2.5 cm in width. Pressure stimuli of 2-min duration were applied twice at 4-min intervals and their intensities ranged from 3.3 to 14.3 mmHg. Waistband-pressures, developed between the waistband and the abdominal skin, were measured using a hydrostatic pressure-balanced method. In all subjects, the amount of whole saliva secreted in the mouth decreased when their waists were pressed. Minimum intensities of pressure necessary to decrease salivary secretion differed among individuals, ranging from 4.3 to 9.2 mmHg, and were estimated at 1.2 to 3.1 on a ratio scale, in which “perfect fit” and “very tight” were standardized as 1 and 10, respectively. The analysis of salivary secretion described in this study was useful to examine the effects of weak pressure on the human body.

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The fatty acid composition and vitamin E content of 12 commercially available brands of margarine and fat spread, mayonnaise and salad dressing were measured.
The fat contents of margarine and fat spread, mayonnaise, and salad dressing ranged widely from 25.13 to 80.61%, 32.79 to 78.93%, 9.50 to 35.02%, respectively.
An analysis of the fatty acid composition showed that many samples contained vegitable oils rich in C18 : 1, C18 : 2, and C16 : 0. In some samples of margarine and fat spread were detected small amount of C18 : 2 although being labelled as “rich in linoleic acid” on the package. Mean values of P/S and n-3/n-6 of margarine and fat spread, mayonnaise and salad dressing were 1.9 and 0.09, 3.8 and 0.23, 4.5 and 0.27, respectively.
The vitamin E content and E/PUFA varied with sample, being 5.5-35.3 and 0.40-1.40 mg/100 g for margarine and fat spread, 2.2-31.6 and 0.36-2.59 mg/100 g for mayonnaise and salad dressing.
The results show that commercial products of margarine and fat spread, mayonnaise and salad dressing with reduced energy and fat content have increased in the market, although there was not enough information available about their fatty acids or vitamin E content.

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