The purpose of this paper is to make comparative studies of different family saving behaviors at different life stages during the period from 1975 to 1994 by the Chow test as well as the twenty-five-years period from 1969 to 1994 by the cohort analysis.
1) Saving functions were estimated by observing the respective household heads of ten age groups and examining the equality among the selected age groups by the Chow test. The saving behavior of nearly all the age groups was not governed by common relationship; the behavior of the 45-to-49-years-old group differed from the other groups.
2) The result of the cohort analysis of the family savings data is as follows : The effects of the economic change on saving behavior were different among the age groups. The 40-to-49-years-old group sustained the largest damage during the days of depression and enjoyed the least benefits during the days of prosperity.

View full abstract

A long history of casual observations has asserted that households tend to stabilize aggregate fluctuations both in terms of employment and of demands for goods and services. This paper tries to rigorously test the possibility of their stabilizing effects by the standard statistical methods against aggregate data of Japanese economy. In representing secular trends by means of growth functions, the short-term fluctuations in these data are estimated by the deviations from their growth functions.
Their stabilizing effects are analyzed for possibility by means of covariances among these deviations. The estimated results exhibit that the stabilizing effects of household expenditures for services and nondurables exceed the similar effects of government expenditures and government capital formations on the fluctuation of GDE supposedly generated by those in business capital formations, and that the stabilizing effects of persons not in labor force, self-employed and unpaid family workers far exceed the similar effects of the unemployed on the fluctuations of employees.

View full abstract

Intact egg yolk (IY) and mechanically treated yolk (MY), the internal structure of which had been destroyed, were cooked at five different temperatures between 65°C and 98°C, and then examined by a creepmeter, optical microscope, transmission electron microscope and cryo-scanning electron microscope to investigate the relationship between the texture and microstructure of cooked egg yolks. The hardness of both IY and MY was increased as the temperature was raised, whereas the cohesiveness was decreased. The hardness, cohesiveness and gumminess of MY were each greater than those of IY. Although raw egg yolk consisted of tightly packed yolk spheres, no membrane-like structures surrounding the yolk spheres were apparent. When IY was cooked at a temperature higher than 75°C, the yolk spheres solidified into polyhedral shapes, and a pore-like structure was observed in the matrix of the yolk spheres. This pore-like structure was fused and became more swollen as the temperature was raised. Although MY, when cooked, indicated a homogenous structure composed of the destroyed yolk spheres, a pore-like structure was also observed in the matrix. The texture of the hard-cooked yolk was caused by the formation of a network structure surrounding the pores in the yolk spheres as a result of heat denaturation of the yolk proteins and separation of the yolk spheres.

View full abstract

The post-harvest lignification of asparagus was investigated. Spears of asparagus 1 day after harvesting were stored at 15-23°C. Immediately, 3, 7 days after storage, the samples were analyzed for their lignin content, histochemical color reactions were observed and taste tests were carried out. The content of lignin after 7 days of storage was more than twice that of the unstored control sample, even when weight loss during storage was considerd. Four kinds of histochemical color reactions indicated the cell wall lignin of asparagus to be of the guaiacyl-syringyl type for sclerenchyma, bundle sheath and pith parenchyma, and of the guaiacyl type for all other tissues. Lignin deposition on the vessel and sclerenchyma cell walls was detected from the beginning of storage, while deposition occurred on the other tissues in the latter half of storage. The analytical and taste test results clearly show that lignification proceeded from the lower to the upper part of a spear.

View full abstract

The optimum cooking time was determined for leaving a potato to cook after it has been heated to boiling point and the heat input removed. A numerical simulation used a three-dimensional mesh model, and the surface node temperature was determined from the measured values for water. The internal temperature of the sample was calculated by an unsteady three-dimensional heat conduction analysis based on the finite difference method. The softening process was predicted by calculating of softening ratio with the softening rate constant applied. The duration time at boiling point was calculated when the sample center temperature and the softening ratio had reached 70°C and 0.9, respectively. The calculated temperature of the sample center was in fairly good agreement with the experimental value. The time predicted for the boiling duration for non-isothermal cooking was markedly less than that for isothermal cooking at 99.5°C. This simulation elucidates that, even though the sample is undercooked when the heating is stopped, softening is optimized by the residual heat. The residual heat effect was increased by increasing sample size and total weight. The reliability of the prediction was confirmed by the hardness measurements and sensory evaluation.

View full abstract

The double-chain cationic surfactant (dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ; DODAC), is used as a fabric softener or for hair rinsing. The morphology of DODAC aggregates adsorbedon a hydrophilic surface were investigated by electron and atomic force microscopy.
An aqueous DODAC dispersion was dropped on a hydrophilic nitrocellulose membrane which was then observed by transmission electron microscopy using negative-staining. Multilayer vesicles (250 nm in mean diameter) were adsorbed on the hydrophilic surface. Following ultrasonication, small unilamellar vesicles could be seen on the surfaces.
The texture and thickness of vesicles on the mica surface were examined by atomic force electron microscopy. The thickness of ultrasonicated vesicles after drying was 4 nm. Interior water of the vesicles was eliminated by drying, and the closed-shell structure collapsed. And this may have caused the bilayer to take on an interdigitated structure.
By measuring the bending resistance and water absorption, it was found that both properties largely depend on the size of the vesicles. Smaller vesicles are superior for use in fabric softeners.
DODAC molecules do not form monolayers on a hydrophilic surface, but are adsorbed as vesicles.

View full abstract

Indirubin, a red isomer of indigo, is sometimes formed when dyeing with fresh leaves of indigo plants. Herein, conditions for the production of indirubin were investigated. Indirubin was rapidly formed from the reaction of indoxyl acetate with isatin under alkaline conditions. Even without the addition of isatin, indoxyl acetate yields much indirubin under alkaline conditions at higher temperatures. Production of indirubin from indoxyl acetate in silk fabrics could be carried out by pre-treating silk with alkaline solution. Moreover, silk fabrics could be dyed a purplish color from a hydrolyzed solution of indican under alkaline conditions.

View full abstract

We studied the attributes of men's footwear of 16 Chinese ethnic groups using cluster analysis. Footwear was divided into three cultural clusters, merged into cluster I (including Chuang, Pai, Miao, Yi, Naxi, and Chiang), cluster II (including Kazakh, Uygur, Kirghiz, Mongol, Tibetan, Dongxiang, and Xibo), and cluster III (including Han, Daur, and Manchu).
Footwear from southwestern China, merged in cluster I, is suited for agricultural labor in steep and flat arable land. Sandals and slippers characterize this cluster's footwear. Footwear in cluster II, from northwestern China, is suited for stock raising, especially for horseback riding. Most footwear in cluster II consists of long leather boots. Footwear (short boots), from northwestern China, in cluster III, is suited for cold forest hunting. One feature of this footwear is its warmth.
The results of this study show that the attributes of men's footwear in Chinese ethnic groups correctly reflect differences in occupations and living environments.

View full abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the thermoregulatory responses of infants during hot and warm exposures. After the subjects first rested in a thermoneutral room (28°C air temperature, 50 % relative humidity), they were then exposed to a hot (35°C, 70%) or warm (31°C, 50%) condition for 30 min and then returned to the thermoneutral room where they stayed for an additional 30 min. The rectal temperature (T_re), mean skin temperature (T_sk) and total sweat rate (M_{sw, t}) were measured and compared to the responses of their mothers. The T_re of infants rose during the hot exposure, even though their M_{sw, t} was twice that of their mothers, and the infants had higher T_sk than the mothers. This result was supported by our previous study (Tsuzuki-Hayakawa et al., 1995). The rise in T_re of infants was especially rapid during the hot exposure, and was significantly higher at the end of the exposure than that obtained at the end of the warm trial. M_{sw, t} of infants was almost identical at both warm and hot exposures, although the heat loads were clearly different under the conditions of hot and warm. This indicates the thermoregulatory response of infants does not work well and a higher excitability of the sweat centers is evident. Also, infants are more easily dehydrated during warm and hot exposures.

View full abstract

This study aims at determining the consciousness levels of Korean and Japanese female students toward traditional ethnic costumes. It is based on an investigation conducted through the collection and analysis of questionnaires.
The results are as follows :
1) The female students of both countries are highly interested in their respective ethnic costumes, but some differences have been found between them as to their desires and habits of actually possessing and wearing the costumes.
2) The ethnic costumes are greatly esteemed by the students of both countries for their fashionability, beauty and sociability.
3) Korean students tend to be more attached to their ethnic costumes and more proud of them than their Japanese counterparts, as a symbol of their ethnicity, as a sort of spiritual haven and as a product of their traditional culture.
4) The images Korean students have of their ethnic costume are expressed as “gorgeous, ” “bright” and “soft, ” while those of the Japanese include “refined, ” “luxurious” and “stiff.”
5) Korean students want to improve their ethnic costume further in order to make it more suitable to today's life style, while Japanese students have no such desire. It has been found, however, that students of both countries strongly wish to preserve forever the tradition of their ethnic costumes.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify how one's sleep is affected by one's sleep environment as well as daily activities. Six hundred and twenty-three responses were collected to our questionnaire circulated in Toyama Prefecture in 1982 and 548 in 1993.
The results of our investigations may be summarized as follows :
1) The total sleep time was shortened by 18 min in 11 years. The tendency of the majority of people in 1993 was going to bed late at night and getting up late in morning.
2) People made up sleep on weekend.
3) More people depended on alarm clock to wake up in the morning and were less satisfied with their sleep in 1993 than in 1982.
4) The gender gap in terms of the total sleep time and its evaluation became smaller in accordance with the progressive social advancement of women.
5) Young people tended to go to sleep late and get up late with their sleep becoming irregular and less satisfactory.
6) The quality of sleep deteriorated among the older people as they found it difficult to fall asleep while tending to wake up during the night.

View full abstract

In order to grasp the state of possession and use of the durable consumer goods in the house with fixed room arrangement as well as how differently those rooms came to be used, I conducted the present investigation to make a comparative study of the previous investigation made 22 years ago or 1972, and the followings are the results of my study :
1) Of the sunny rooms facing the balcony, regardless of room arrangement, the one close to the kitchen is used as the family's public space. On the other hand, those away from the sunny side are used as the family's private space such as a bedroom and religious service. Room A, in a 3 DK arrangement, is often used as a dining room in most families, but the dining room offers different aspects depending on its size per se, the family makeup, how meal is taken, and how it is connected with other rooms.
2) Room A, where the rate of placing furniture is high, serves also as the porch and the entrance to the bathroom. Together with room B, which is not spacious, Room A poses problems regarding the arrangement of furniture.
3) The possession and arrangement of furniture in respective rooms seem to be correspondingly determined by the living behaviors in those rooms. The dining furniture, sofas and beds are determined by room arrangement and the size of respective rooms.
4) The basic furniture possessed by family is difficult to be affected by the family makeup, size of the family and trend of the time. At the same time, there are the pieces of furniture, acquired in accordance with respective life stage such as the growth of children as well as the aging of the family members. There are also pieces of funiture needed by the change of family lifestyle and use of rooms.
5) It should be noted that there are some equipment with novel functions such as personal computers and word processors. There is a need of space to install those new equipment.
6) The present investigation found a larger number of simple furniture and furniture with plural functions than 22 years ago. Those furniture desinged for sitting lifestyle is disappearing.
7) The above tendency was also observed in the thirteen families who had continued to live at the same place over my previous investigations.

View full abstract