“Nikogori” gel extracted from cooked fish is a traditional food in Japan. In this study, chicken was substituted for fish and the Nikogori sol was prepared under various heating times and temperatures. Investigation of the rheological properties of chicken Nikogori was focused on the change in elastic modulus during gelation, ageing, and melting processes, and breaking characteristics of the gels. The change in the rheological properties was investigated using the data on the change in the extracted amounts of collagen and the molecular weight distribution investigated with SDS-PAGE and size exclusion chromatography. Chicken Nikogori formed stronger gels with higher heating temperature and longer heating time. The molecular weight of proteins in the Nikogori sol became smaller with longer heating time by thermal hydrolysis of extracted gelatin.

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Chinese noodles with a specific texture different from Japanese noodles, which were used as the control, were prepared. Chinese noodles consisting of hard wheat flour with 45% added water and 1% kansui powder (35% K₂CO₃+55% Na₂CO₃+10% NaHPO₃. 12H₂O) were made with a hand-powered noodle machine and boiled in water for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 min. The physical properties of the Chinese noodles were examined by a rheometer and subjected to a sensory test. The breaking stress of the Chinese noodles was higher than that of the Japanese noodles. The sensory evaluation showed that the Chinese noodles were harder and rougher than the Japanese noodles. The degree of gelatinization of the Chinese noodles was lower than that of the Japanese noodles. The addition of “kansui” resulted in fluidity of gluten as observed by an optical microscope. The solution ratio of the protein in wet gluten stirred at various pH values was higher at pH 2 and in the alkaline range (kansui, pH 11.2) than in a neutral solution.

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The effects on the quality of Bavarian cream of the number of beating stages for whipping cream and the mixing temperature of the gelatin sol were investigated. The maximum stress or viscosity of the whipping cream approached closest to that of the gelatin sol when the cream was at whipping stage 6 and the gelatin sol temperature was 18°C and 16°C. The Bavarian cream at whipping stage 6 did not show any separation of the top and lower layers when the gelatin sol temperature was 16°C, 18°C and 20°C, while the cream at whipping stages 8 and 10 did not show any separation when the gelatin sol temperature was 16°C and 18°C. Bavarian cream with the most homogeneous quality was made when whipping cream at stage 6 and stage 8 was mixed with the gelatin sol at 16°C and 18°C.

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The comfort of sanitary napkins was examined by means of a questionnaire and through a wearing test. In the wearing test, the microclimate, both the temperature and humidity inside and outside of sanitary napkins, were measured every 10 seconds for 2h. Subjects consisted of 15 young healthy women who sat on chairs for 60 min, then stood and walked for 3 min, and again sat for 57 min under the experimental condition of 26°C and 60% RH. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The questionnaire showed that more than 60% of the subjects complained of sultriness discomfort during the menstruation period; 2) The wearing test showed that a high-humidity climate was formed in the space between the napkin and the skin, which caused subjective discomfort; 3) The correlation between the discomfort from the sanitary napkins and the difference in absolute humidity inside and outside of the napkins suggested that the discomfort from napkins could be reduced by a freer flow of water vapor.

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This paper aims to explain the construction and historical trends of the living space concentrating on the so-called Adanoma found in Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The investigation depended mainly on a field survey of 158 homes spread over 7 districts in Goto City. The objectives were three items: the floor plan and age of the houses under investigation, and the colloquial names for each part of the living space. In connection with the third item, the daily as well as special use of each part of the living space such as for festivities and reception of guests were analyzed. Particular attention was paid to the appellation of Adanoma, i.e., why it is named as such, how it is connected to the over rooms, and how it borders with the earthen floor. The results of the above study may be summarized as follows: 1. House with Adanoma was found in all of the seven districts. 2. The oldest of them are the four-room houses in Sakiyama District built in 1924. 3. Adjacent to Zasiki or living-cum-bed room with reed-matted floor and to Naisho or inner room, Adanoma is daily used for receiving visitors. A household Shinto shrine is located in Adanoma. 4. Ada of Adanoma means “outer” as against Nai of Naisho means “inner.” In other words, Adanoma is an outermost room while Naisho is an innermost room. 5. In conclusion, Adanoma is a room that borders the earthen floor with the entrance.

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The different effects of ingesting ukogi (Acanthopanax sieboldianum) tea on the intestinal environment and small intestinal tissues were investigated in mice fed with control and non-dietary fiber diets. The mice were divided into 4 groups (control water, control ukogi tea, non-dietary fiber water, and non-dietary fiber ukogi tea) according to the diet and drink administered. The fecal excretion by the control ukogi tea group was significantly higher than that by the two non-dietary fiber groups. In addition, the fecal cholesterol content of the control ukogi tea group was significantly higher than that of other three groups, while the fecal cholesterol excretion by the non-dietary fiber group was the lowest. The serum cholesterol level of the control ukogi tea group was the lowest among the four groups, and the total short-chain fatty acid level in the cecum of the control ukogi tea group was significantly higher than that of the other three groups. Finally, the small intestinal villus length of the control ukogi tea group was significantly greater than that of the other three groups. These results indicate that the intestinal environment of the mice was improved by the ukogi tea intake. This ameliorative action might have been induced by soluble dietary fiber in the ukogi tea and seems to have been increased by the synergistic effect of insoluble dietary fiber being included in the diet.

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