The effect of sesame seeds containing high levels of sesamin and sesamolin (new lines; A538, B305 and B307) on the tocopherol concentration was studied in rats fed on a diet containing 10 mg/kg of α-tocopherol with 2% or 5% sesame seeds for 14 d. The dietary sesame seeds of the new lines significantly elevated the γ-tocopherol concentrations in both the liver and brain, and tended to elevate those in the kidneys and serum. The dietary contents of both sesamin and sesamolin were correlated with the γ-tocopherol concentrations in the liver, kidneys, brain and serum. These data suggest that the new lines of sesame seeds containing high levels of sesamin and sesamolin would be useful for elevating the level of vitamin E, a potent fat-soluble antioxidant, in the body.

View full abstract

The effects of mineral water hardness on the softening of kidney beans and Japanese radish roots during cooking were investigated. Mineral water samples with various levels of hardness were prepared by adding calcium sulfate or/and magnesium sulfate, and the firmness of the vegetables cooked in the water samples was measured by means of a rheometer. The microstructure of the parenchymal tissue of each vegetable was also observed by a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope. The mineral contents in the beans and roots after cooking were measured by the inductively coupled plasma method to evaluate the infiltration of minerals into the cooked vegetables. The greater the amount of minerals in the water sample, the more, minerals infiltrated into the vegetables. The higher the concentration of calcium sulfate, the greater was the suppression of softening of the kidney beans, whereas magnesium sulfate did not suppress softening even when used at a high concentration. The microstructural images of kidney beans cooked in calcium sulfate-added water clearly showed that deformation of the cotyledonary cells had been restrained. When the Japanese radish roots had been cooked, neither of the sulfates suppressed softening, regardless of the hardness of the mineral water sample, and there was no difference in the microstructure of any sample cooked for 20 min at low magnification.

View full abstract

The texture of raw and boiled for 0.5-60 min oval squid, Japanese common squid and arrow squid was examined by a sensory evaluation and rheological measurements. The sensory evaluation showed that a cooking time of 2-5 min for oval squid, 1-5 min for Japanese common squid and 1 min for arrow squid resulted in the toughest and stickiest cooked samples. These cooking times match the time at which the middle of the squid muscle reached 80°C. Each squid sample first became firm and was then softened by cooking. The speed of becoming tough and then tender was fastest with the arrow squid. The Japanese common squid started to soften later than the arrow squid, although almost the same degree of softening was reached in these two samples after 30 min of cooking. The speed of softening after becoming tough was slowest with the oval squid sample.

View full abstract

The torsos of 48 elderly women were measured using a three-dimensional (3D) method. The shape of the torso was represented by a 3D model of torso which was constructed using 126 points on the neck line and shoulder seam line site and the horizontal cross sections of five sites; shoulder, across-back, armpit, bust and waist sections. A model of an average torso of elderly Japanese women was obtained. Compared with the torsos of young women, the elderly women's torsos showed several differences : the neck line was positioned 1.5 cm forward; the front-back depths of the horizontal sections were larger; the widths of the torsos were narrower at the upper sections and wider at the lower sections; the armpit and bust sections were lower; and the angles measured on the torsos indicated a more inclined upper back and less protrusion of the bust. The principal components that characterize individual shapes were obtained, such as the inclination of the upper back, the concavity of the lumbar part, the convexity of the front part, and the wider waist with age in elderly women. These data, which reveal the differences of young and elderly women and individual characteristics of torsos, will help in the making of dress dummies and improve the apparel fit for elderly women.

View full abstract

The restrictive force of the anterior foot portion in a shoe was measured in terms of luminous reflection Y% of pressure-sensitive films as a sensor. Environmental factors which affect the foot were specified with the W values of the restrictive force.
1) The contribution ratio of foot size was high on all toes when the foot was rather wide (maximum, 48.9%) and high on the fibular side of the 5th toe and the 1st and 5th metatarsal heads when the foot was rather narrow (maximum, 40.9%).
2) It was found that the environmental factors which affect the restrictive force were not only foot and shoe sizes, but also shoe material, the presence or absence of stockings, and movements.
3) The restrictive force was high (about 1.0 kg) on the tibial side of the 1st, 2nd and 4th toes, and 5th metatarsal head and especially high (maximum, 3.97 kg) on the fibular side of the 5th toe.
4) Similarity assessment showed mutual influence in terms of restrictive force between the 1st and 2nd toes and between the 3rd and 4th toes but not between the 1st and 5th metatarsal heads and the fibular side of the 5th toe.

View full abstract

The method applying an ultrasonic pulsed wave Doppler shift was used to measure the velocity through the pharynx of swallowed rice that had been boiled with differing water content and of imbibed water. The average vertical component of the velocity was ascertained to be around 0.1 m/s for swallowed rice below 83% of added water (zen-kayu). The average increased gradually in accordance with increase of added water by 0.15 m/s for pure water. The maximum vertical component of the velocity was found to be the highest for pure water by 0.7-0.8 m/s and as low as 0.2 m/s for zen-kayu. Namely, the vertical component of the velocity of swallowed water was faster and more dispersed compared with that of zen-kayu which drifts together with a slower velocity.
Food suitable for dysphagia might be identified by measuring the velocity through the pharynx with the method described in this report.

View full abstract