The total vitamin C (VC) contents in commercially obtained cut onion and cut carrot were almost the same as these contents in the fresh vegetables, but the dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) contents in the cut vegetables were higher than those in the fresh vegetables. The DHA content and the activities of ascorbate oxidase (EC 1.10.3.3) and ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11) in the cut vegetables were higher for crosswise cutting than for lengthwise cutting. The total VC content differed among tissues of the same vegetable : i.e., the VC content at the mid-layer of the onion bulb, and in the cortex and inner pith of the carrot root were higher than that in the other parts. The pattern of increase in the total VC content of cut vegetables incubated at 25°C was similar to that of the increase in _L-galactono-γ-lactone dehydrogenase (EC 1.32.3) activity. When cut onion was transferred from 25°C to 4°C, increases in the total VC and _L-galactono-γ-lactone dehydrogenase activity stopped, but the DHA content and ascorbate peroxidase activity increased markedly.

View full abstract

Changes in the physical properties and composition of fish bones were examined after cooking them in different solutions to render them edible. Bones of horse mackerel were cooked in either a 1% acetic acid solution, green tea infusion or deionized water at atmospheric pressure or under pressure. The breaking strength of the bones was measured with a rheometer, and the calcium and crude protein contents were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry and by the Kjeldahl method, respectively. Bone apatite was examined by an X-ray diffraction analysis. The breaking energy value of the bones decreased with increasing cooking time; the decrease was greatest in the 1% acetic acid solution. Crude protein and calcium were eluted from the bones into the 1% acetic acid solution during cooking. The apatite crystal of the cooked fish bones was different from that of the untreated fish bones, a long cooking time giving a crystal resembling that of pure hydroxyapatite. Softening of the fish bones during cooking can probably be explained by the elution of crude protein and by the consequent change in the bone structure.

View full abstract

The usage of okara koji (Koji), okara fermented by Aspergillus oryzae, as a new food stuff was tested by preparing cookies and cupcakes, and their textural properties and palatability were studied. The capacity for water-holding and oil-absorption of Koji was respectively 5 times and 2 times higher than that of soft flour. Koji could be substituted for soft flour by up to 10 % in cookies and 5% in cupcakes without any effect on their textural properties and palatability. Koji significantly suppressed the oxidation of lipids in cookies and the retrogradation of starch in cupcakes during storage. These results suggest that Koji could be a useful foodstuff, not only as a substitute for soft flour, but also as a freshness-retaining ingredient in high-fat baked products during storage.

View full abstract

The results of a continuing questionnaire and interview survey in northern Thailand since 1997 on snack-eating habits of children and students are reported.
Marked differences in the frequency for eating snacks by children and students and in the number of different snacks eaten were apparent in the three different areas tested; the Chiang Mai urban area, the Fang country town, and the Samoeng rural area. Children and students in Chiang Mai eat many different kinds of snacks, while those in Samoeng eat fewer types.
The differences in snack-eating habits are considered to be the result of economic (allowances, availability, etc.) and sociocultural factors (regional culture, information, etc.).

View full abstract

Thermal insulation of clothing is usually measured using a standing thermal manikin. In real life, however, people often sit on chairs and thermal insulation of the nude skin surface and that of clothing should be affected by the chairs. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of chairs on thermal insulation of the nude skin surface. Seventeen chairs, usually used in an office, were selected for this study. A thermal manikin was used for the thermal evaluation of the chairs. It was found that the area of the back of the chairs influenced the thermal insulation of the manikin in general and the thermal insulation of the back of the manikin in particular as well as the contact area between the chair and the skin surface.

View full abstract

We obtained annual reports published by consumer affairs centers in Japan (104 in all) and examined them in order to find cases in which clothing was disposed of.
The number of cases in which advice was given totalled 354, 856, of which 33, 105 concerned clothing, 8, 942 cleaning, 15, 925 food, and 29, 414 household articles. We examinedcases of clothing in the “Consulting Service Report” and “Test on Merchandise Report, ” and found that only 480 cases were explained in detail, which is just of a small fraction the 42, 047 reports on clothing which included troubles in cleaning. The number of cases in which advice was sought was arranged in descending order of color (168), wastage (124) and form and appearance (121).
In this paper we propose one type of questionnaire which can easily analyze the large quantity of advice which consumer affairs centers give on clothing.

View full abstract

The aim of the present study was to measure intra-individual consistency in clothing evaluation and to examine its relation to the ratings. A sample of 167 female college students first rated photographs of eight styles of daytime wear on 13 pairs of polar adjectives and again after a 7-day interval.
Discrepancy scores for each subject (the intra-individual consistency in the evaluation) was obtained by computing the absolute arithmetic difference between the two ratings on the same set of scales. Based on the scores, the subjects were classified into three groups : high, medium, and low intra-individual consistency. Analysis of variance of mean ratings by the three groups revealed that significant differences existed in 34 of 104 combinations of the eight styles of clothing and the 13 semantic differential scales. Mean ratings of the subjects with low intra-individual consistency were closer to 4, the neutral rating on the seven point scale, as compared to those of the subjects with high intra-individual consistency.
Mean correlation coefficients for style evaluation subscales, image evaluation subscales, and synthetic evaluation subscales were 0.43, 0.47, and 0.76 respectively. Correlation coefficients for each style of clothing obtained from the mean score of the subjects in each semantic differential scale were around 0.98, indicating that the mean scores of the subjects in each scale could yield excellent stability in clothing evaluation.

View full abstract

As Japan opened the door to the rest of the world in the Meiji Era, the wave of westernization spread rapidly over many sectors of Japanese society. One of the most remarkable impacts it made was on the style of dwelling and here we find that the grassroots-level Christian missionary work in many parts of Japan played an important role. This report is a case study that focuses its attention on the missionary activities of Gurney and Elizabeth Binford. This missionary couple engaged in their preaching activities primarily in Ibaraki Prefecture during the period of 37 years, from the time of their arrival in 1899 until1936 when they left Japan.
They opened up their home to the public to show what the Western style of living was like. They taught the local people not only the Western cooking and housekeeping but also the family management based on love and respect as well as pure life. Their activities attracted the attention of younger people, especially those young women who admired Western culture and were sensitive to new ways of thinking, prompting them to long for improvement in their dwelling life. It should be noted that the Western style of dwelling spread in the Japanese society, keeping pace with the modernization and democratization led by Christian spirits. In later years, the trend was carried on by the efforts of the female members of Omi Mission; it was in Omihachiman in Western Japan where dwelling life saw remarkable improvement.

View full abstract

The rapid change in eating habits prompted us to carry out a taste-recognition-threshold survey on saltiness, sourness, bitterness and sweetness on women's college students in order to examine the possible change in sensitivity to these four fundamental kinds of taste. A comparative study of the results was made between two groups of students : those who were students in 1980 to 1985 and those who were students in 1986 to 1995. No statistically significant difference was apparent between the former and the latter groups of students in the taste-recognition-threshold of saltiness, sourness, bitterness and sweetness. However, the recognition threshold of saltiness, bitterness and sweetness for the latter seemed to be slightly higher than that for the former group, the sweetness value being higher by almost one level. The recognition threshold for sourness by the latter seemed to be slightly lower than that for the former group

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract