The production of vitamin K by Bacillus natto and the plasma vitamin K concentration of subjects after ingesting natto were studied. In contrast to no change in the phylloquinon (vitamin K₁) and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) concentrations, a strong increase in menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was apparent during natto fermentation. The highest content of 1, 750μg of MK-7/100g wet. wt. was found in the Miyagino strain when incubated for 48 h at 37°C. The plasma MK-7 concentration of the subjects was dose-dependent, with a maximum value of 57.1±7.7ng/ml. The effect of natto ingestion on the plasma concentration of MK-7 continued for a long time : 48 h after ingesting 100 g of natto, it was 9 times higher than the control value. Under these conditions, there was no effect on the blood coagulation or fibrinolytic system of the subjects.

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Textural measurements, microscopic observations and a sensory evaluation were carried out in order to clarify the properties of cooked peanuts in comparison with those of cooked soybean and kidney bean. Cooked peanuts showed the highest stickiness and lowest brittleness of all the three legumes. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the lipid bodies in the cotyledon cells of the cooked peanuts were fused with each other to form large lipid droplets. The walls of the cotyledon cells of these three kinds of legumes were fairly different in structure. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the cooked peanuts were significantly stronger in aroma and more easily dispersed in the mouth than the other legumes. Cooked peanuts seasoned in two different ways were both favored by a majority of the evaluation panel.

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A comparative study was made on the textural properties, sensory attributes and microstructure of unsweetened and sweetened “An” (bean paste) prepared from four kinds of legumes, i.e., azuki beans, kidney beans, peanuts and soybeans. Azuki bean “An” had low stickiness and high dispersibility in the mouth, and was evaluated as the most tasty. Kidney bean “An” had significantly high granularity, whereas both peanut “An” and soybean “An” had high stickiness and smoothness. Optical photomicrographs of epoxy resin-embedded sections of the samples showed marked thickenings in partial areas of the cell wall surrounding the granules of kidney bean “An, ” and this phenomenon might have been the cause of the high granularity. Although the “An” granules from both azuki beans and kidney beans were of spherical shape by cryo-SEM observation, the “An” granules from both peanuts and soybeans showed tensionless features. This might have been the cause of the smoother mouth feeling of peanut and soybean “An” than that of azuki bean and kidney bean “An.” Low-vacuum SEM observation showed the presence of intergranular substances in the unsweetened and sweetened “An, ” which accounts for their stickiness. Many lipid droplets oozing out of the “An” granules were apparent in the intergranular substances of sweetened peanut “An, ” which might have been related to the highly rated flavor and smoothness of peanut “An.”

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The swallowing characteristics evaluated by a sensory test and the physical characteristics of textural properties, flow behavior and dynamic viscoelasticity were compared between two types of common liquid foods. One of them had modified starch and the other had guar gum added as the commercial thickening agents. The hardness of each food was adjusted to a value similar to that of plain yoghurt. The apparent viscosity of the modified starch type was lower than that of the guar gum type at a shear rate of 19.15 s^-1. Yield stress and storage modulus of the modified starch type were lower than those of the guar gum type. The loss tangent of the modified starch type was larger than that of the guar gum type. The liquid foods of the modified starch type were thinner, easier to swallow and less remained in the mouth than those of the guar gum type.
Multiple-regression analyses indicated that the swallowing characteristics largely depended on the thickness and on the storage modulus of dynamic viscoelasticity.

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The effects of cooking pot material and heating conditions on the physical and chemical properties of rice gruel were studied.
It was found difficult to adjust the heat input to rice gruel cooked in a yukihira nabe (earthen pot) when the temperature reached over 100°C at the bottom of a pot. Rice gruel cooked rapidly was harder and stickier than when cooked slowly, particularly when a yukihira nabe was used as the pot. Rice gruel cooked slowly had a large amount of reducing sugar, mainly consisting of glucose. Rice gruel that was too sticky was not easy to swallow and was disliked. Rice gruel cooked in an aluminum pot was preferred to that in a yukihira nabe, although the application of the heat retaining method to the latter type of pot was effective.

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Korean delegations came to Japan 12 times from Keicho 12 (1607) to Bunka 8 (1811) during the 200-year Edo period. Banquets for the delegations reflected Japanese prestige, so the records on the banquet meals are valuable to investigate Japanese food culture during Edo period. Records of the banquets for the middle and lower classes of officers in the delegations at Tenna (1682), Shoutoku (1711), Enkyou (1748) and Houreki (1764) from the documents of the Tsushima clan were studied to identify the food and cooking methods used during the Edo period of Japan. There was a great difference in the frequency of use of chicken, pork and venison between the Korean and Japanese diets. Whale meat was not frequently served because it was not eaten in Korea. Meats on the whole tended to be boiled, rather than roasted, while beast meats tended to be roasted rather than boiled.

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A questionnaire survey was conducted annually on the meal times during the first 3 days of New Year for the period 1986-1995. A total of 1, 435 questionnaires to female college students were returned during the 10-year period, and the data were subjected to a time-series analysis.
The ratio of persons eating per responder on each hour were analyzed by the Bayesian smoothing method to identify meal-time trends on a yearly and daily basis.
The meal time on the first day indicated 2 peaks at about 10 A.M. and 7 P.M., and on the second and the third days showed 3 peaks at 9 A.M., 12 A.M. and 7 P.M. These peaks tended to become less prominent year by year.
Special New Year dishes were often eaten at about 10 A.M. on the first day, indicating a different dietary habit in food type and timing from the normal daily one. By the third day, however, the meal time and food type had almost returned to the daily dietary habit. The trend over 10 years moved closer to the daily dietary habit.

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Variability in responses obtained from interval scale comprises not only interindividual differences depending on personality, attitude, values and so on, but also intraindividual ambiguity owing to subjective evaluation. In order to compare the differences and the ambiguity, female college students rated their perceptual awareness to clothing norms on a fuzzy graphic rating scale developed by Hesketh et al. Four photographs of daytime dress style ranging from casual to dressy were used as stimuli and the extent of appropriateness of each dress in four social situations (shopping in a convenience store, attending classes at college, visiting a relative, attending a wedding party) was rated on the fuzzy graphic rating scale with the appropriateness-inappropriateness pair.
The main point score (“most exactly fit point” in the scale) and range of fuzzy ratings on appropriateness were obtained for each of the four types of dress. The mean range of fuzzy ratings corresponding to intraindividual ambiguity became greater in cases in which the main point scores and the extent of appropriateness were intermediate. In addition, the standard deviations of the main point score, corresponding to interindividual differences, were larger than the magnitude of the mean range of the intermediate main point score, whereas they were nearly equal to that of the mean range of the high or low main point score.

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The mineral contents of commercially prepared box lunches (bentou) and daily dishes (souzai) were surveyed and compared with those of home-prepared meals in order to evaluate the nutritional values of commercially prepared meals. More than 50 commercially prepared box lunches (including sushi and university cafeteria meals) and 40 daily dishes were collected from the Kinki area. Calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and copper were each determined by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method. The commercially prepared box lunches contained lower amounts of minerals, except for sodium, than home-prepared meals. This result suggests that daily eating of commercially prepared box lunches cannot satisfy the required intake of calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, and zinc. In addition, the commercially prepared box lunches and daily dishes contained more sodium than the home-prepared equivalents. Attention therefore is needed to avoid calcium deficiency and sodium excess with commercially prepared box lunches and daily dishes.

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This paper discusses a measurement for strain distribution on girdles using motion image analysis. The proposed method allows dynamic measurement of the strain distribution by non-contact measurement that does not affect subjects. In order to evaluate the strain distribution on the girdles, the methods of calculating tensile strain, shear strain and rotation by discrete displacement vector fields are explained. In experiments, we observe that a subject wearing the girdle drawn grid pattern raises the left leg. Grid pattern deformation provides discrete displacement vector fields, so that tensile strain and shear strain are obtained. Principal strain calculated by tensile strain and shear strain on the girdle shows changes of strain distribution after raising a leg. Consequently, it is confirmed that the girdle at the waist is strained when the subject starts to raise the left leg.

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The current status of home economics courses in university general education was surveyed in order to clarify the possibility of incorporating home economics into general education programs. The direction for home economics education was discussed, and ways in which home economics education departments can participate in new courses in faculties of education were investigated.
The following results were obtained :
1) Fifty-nine point five percent of schools surveyed had home economics courses and was each characteristic of the department to which it belonged. In general education departments, interest was relatively high in borderline areas such as “environment” and “welfare.”
2) The level of awareness of, or expectations for, home economics education in general departments is influenced by external conditions, i.e., the existence of home economics or education departments, or administrative organizations.
3) There is consistent support for the validity of home economics in solving many problems related to student life. It is hoped that many students, particularly males, will learn home economics.
4) An increasing number of home economics education departments are offering new courses in faculties of education. For these new courses to contribute to fresh developments in home economics and home economics education, the educational goals must be clear and the courses must respond to the needs of society.

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