A New Keynesian model of the economy including self-employing households is formulated to examine its behavior over aggregate fluctuations, which is artificially generated by changing the autonomous investment. Then, recent quarterly fluctuations of employment and output around their Hodrick-Prescott trends are examined and compared between Japan and the United States to check the validity of this model. Thus, the present study follows and extends the authors' preceding one (1998). It is found that household employment is countercyclical to offset variations in wage and salary employment. Household expenditures for consumer services and nondurables as well as government expenditures are less variable than other sectors to help stabilize GDP. Furthermore, government investment and imports are countercyclical in Japan, so are national defense and imports in the United States. Thus, the household sector with its large shares in working age population and GDP cooperates with the government to stabilize aggregate fluctuations both in employment and output.

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The effects of using soup-extraction bags on the flavor and extractable components of soup stock from niboshi powder and of different materials for the bags on the extraction process were evaluated. Sensory tests showed that the aroma of the soup stock was improved and the fishy smell was weakened, and that the bitterness and astringency were reduced with no change in the umami taste when using polyester and cupra extraction bags to make soup stock from niboshi powder. There was no clear difference in the results of sensory tests according to the material used for the bag. Soup stock prepared by using an extraction bag resulted in the acidity, amino nitrogen contents and total extractable components of the soup stock reaching equilibrium after 2 min of boiling, the level tending to be less than that in the soup stock prepared without using an extraction bag. The 5'-IMP, 5'-AMP, and free amino acid concentrations also nearly reached equilibrium after 2 min of boiling when using an extraction bag. Compared with the soup stock prepared without using an extraction bag, the amount of these components had reached nearly the same level after 2 min of boiling when a polyester bag was used, but did not reach the level when a cupra bag was used, probably because the hydrophilic cupra fibers absorbed these components. The better aroma and weaker fishy smell of the soup stock prepared by using an extraction bag are considered to have been due to the absorption of lipid and the characteristic smell derived from the oxidation and decomposition of lipid by the extraction bag.

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A new concept for clothing pattern design was created for the three-dimensional (3D) surface shape, introducing a classification for similar tight-fitting pattern (T-pattern) shapes. In this paper, for the purpose of extracting the features of T-pattern curved shapes regardless of size, we proposed a new theory of curved surface geometry by using “Concentrated Gaussian Curvature based on angle (Kc=2π-θ).” A 3D T-pattern closed surface, the same as sewing the 5 darts and covering the holes of 3boundary lines (neck-base line, etc.), was assumed. According to conservation law, the total of Kc of the5 darts and the 3 lines is a consistent 4π (720 deg.), maintaining the theory. As a result of the theory to Total Kc of T-patterns in 203 young women, each total Kc of T-pattern of models was the same value, 720 degrees. Features of 3D curved shape of the T-pattern, regardless of size, such as the bust girth, projection of the back, tightness of the girth, shoulder slope etc. can be understood through the distribution of Kc of each dart and each line. It was indicated that those features were useful data for the classification of similar pattern curved shapes.

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The effects of salt (sodium chloride), sugar (saccharose) and vinegar (acetic acid) on the gelatinization of rice starch was examined by a thermal analysis. A low heating rate resulted in a new endothermic peak appearing at a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the amylose-lipid complex in the presence of either salt or vinegar. This endothermic peak temperature, reflecting the gelatinization of rice starch, was higher in the presence of vinegar. The presence of salt, sugar or vinegar hardly affected the enthalpy for dissolution of the crystalline structure derived from amylopectin, but did affect the thermal behavior of the amylose-lipid complex.

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In spite of playing an very important roles both in quality and quantity, married farm women have not rightly evaluated either humanly, economically or legally. Changing these circumstances, MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) have exhorted farming households to introduce a new tool, that is, Family Management Agreement, these days. Based on case studies having heard directly from the married farm women and mainly referring to representative 2 case studies done in Niigata Prefecture, I'm trying to make clear the following points; for example, the process how to make up consensus to conclude an agreement in the household, the effect to the labor reward and to take part the managing agriculture.

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