1) Activities of α- and β-amylase, degree of gelatinization and content of reducing sugar in rice were determined during cooking of rice by an electric rice cooker.
2) Reducing sugar in rice increased remarkably during cooking, but this change of reducing sugar was not always depend on the degree of gelatinization and amylase activity.
3) α-Amylase was the most active when internal temperature reached 50°C during cooking, while activity of β-amylase (saccharogenic activity) decreased with the rise of the temperature.
4) The enzymatic properties of maltose-forming amylase active in cooked rice were also described in comparison with those of uncooked rice.

View full abstract

The influences of storage conditions especially of the storage period and temperature, on the rheological properties of buckwheat-flour dough were investigated.
The rheological changes were obviously observed with flour stored for 1 week, irrespective of the sotrage temperature, and these changes were remarkable with dough of 50% absorption.
The falling down of hardness was also conspicuous between the textural figures investigated, this falling down was rapid at the beginning of the storage and after 1 week storage, the rate became small.
Amylogram with long storage flour showed an increase of gelatinization temperature and a decrease of cooling viscosity.
The influence of temperature of water employed for the kneading was checked. The higher values were obtained on the farinogram with dough kneaded at 20°C, as compared with the values obtained at 30°C.
Temperature of kneading water also influenced specifically on the adhesiveness.

View full abstract

It has been reported that marinading is effective to make meat tender. To elucidate the degradation mechanism of meat protein in marinading, the effect of cathepsin D on myofibrillar protein was investigated. Cathepsin D, which is optimally active at pH 4.0, degraded some myofibrillar protein under marinading conditions. By comparing SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns, it was observed that all myofibrillar proteins except tropomyosin were partially degraded at 37°C and especially myosin, actin and troponin were easily degraded even at 5°C. It was assumed that cathepsin D might have a possible role responsible for tenderizing meat at low pH and low temperature, or more specifically under marinading conditions.

View full abstract

Streptococcus faecalis R. ATCC 8043, a strain used for the microbiological assay of amino acids and vitamin B₆, grew well on a synthetic amino acid medium containing alanine isomers without addition of vitamin B₆.
Alanine isomers in place of vitamin B₆ supported the growth of Str. faecalis R. with replaceable potencies of DL- > D- > L-alanine at levels lower than 5 μg per ml, and DL- > L- > D-alanine at levels higher than 20 μg per ml. A seed culture induced on DL- or L-alanine responded similarly to alanine isomers and to pyridoxamine (PAM), but a seed culture induced on D-alanine was more sensitive to both D- and L-alanine than were L- or DL-alanine grown cells.
The growth of Str. faecalis R. on PAM was inhibited completely by an addition of D-cycloserine, and slightly inhibited by isoniazid and penicillamine. However, the growth on alanine isomers was only slightly inhibited by addition of D-cycloserine.
Thus, the biological role of alanine isomers in the growth of Str. faecalis R. substantially differs from the role of PAM.
A comparable apo-transaminase activity was detected in cells grown on the vitamin B₆-free medium supplemented with alanine isomers to that in cells grown on vitamin B₆.

View full abstract

In order to establish a method for collecting practically reasonable amount of formaldehyde liberated from resin finished fabrics on the skin surface in comparison with the restricted value (75 μg/g material) on the basis of the medical allowance for the allergic dermatitis, a minute investigation was carried out for capturing the liberated formaldehyde which affects the skin surface.
The result was summarized as follows :
1. It was found that formaldehyde liberated from resin finished fabrics on the skin surface diffused and distributed into 3 portions, i.e., retained in the fabrics, vaporized into the atmosphere and absorbed by the skin dummy, respectively.
2. The total amount of liberated formaldehyde increases with the elapse of time, but a portion retained in the fabrics decreases and the vaporized portion rapidly increases, while the portion absorbed by the skin dummy shows a peak at 30-60 min after the initiation of contact with fabrics.
It is considered that the retained and vaporized portions give little effect on the skin and only the absorbed portion will affect the skin. Therefore, it seems more reasonable to compare this peak value of the absorbed portion with the restricted value rather than with the amount obtained by the JIS method.

View full abstract

Due to the strict regulation for formaldehyde liberated from resin finished fabrics, the amount of formaldehyde detected in the commercial fabrics has been reduced remarkably, accompanying, at the same time, considerable decrease in crease resistant property, and such change will be due to much reduction in the amount of formaldehyde to be added for resin finishing to improve additional properties including crease resistance.
It has been found that such unfavorable phenomenon will be analized better by using the peak value of the absorbed and dissolved portion in the skin surface instead of the value obtained by the JIS method as described in the previous paper.
In this case, the use of liquid phase extraction seems to be most recommendable to obtain this peak value since the simplest method for collecting formaldehyde is to extract materials in the liquid phase.
Careful investigations with a large number of samples have led us to a conclusion that the amount of formaldehyde detected by extracting resin finished fabrics with water for 10-15 min at room temperature (20-30°C) agrees well with the above mentioned peak values.
The amount of free formaldehyde thus determined is much reduced and therefore, favorable crease resistance will be maintained with the limit not harmful to the skin surface.

View full abstract

Kusetori is a technique to iron plain textile fabrics into cubic ones without sewing.
In this study, we carried out experiments with eight kinds of textile fabrics fitting to a curved surface of the waist part of the body. We evaluated the curved fabrics made by Kusetori by sensory tests and tested the mutual relation among facility of Kusetori, appearance of the curved fabrics, and mechanical properties of the fabrics by principal Component and Correlative Analyses.
The following are the results :
1) The mechanical properties of fabrics concerning facility of the technique are as follows.
(1) The low resistances to tensile, bias and shear deformation and high critical angle in shear deformation.
(2) Thick yarns, low weave density and high percentage of yarn interlace.
(3) Proper weave contraction and high twist contraction.
2) Mechanical properties of fabrics concerning the appearance are as follows.
(1) Mechanical properties of above-mentioned (1), (2), (3).
(2) High critical stress in shear deformation and the high percentage of residual stress.

View full abstract

For the purpose of obtaining the necessary ease of clothing in body motion, experimental cotton clothes composed of no ease waist pattern and sleeve pattern were made.
Four young women putting on these experimental clothes were examined on their arm hole lines and waist lines using cross-cut method.
As a result, vertical ease across the arm-pit and the waist line was required. Part and quantity of the ease varied according as posture and motion changed.

View full abstract

To research the necessary ease of clothing in motion, the experimental clothes were made with cotton cloth, by pants patterns without ease. To make the clothes with the shorts length, we cut the clothes at half the femur length, the keen length, the calf length and the ankle length.
Four young women were tested with these experimental clothes and examined the motion analysis and the slip quantity. Next they were tested with the clothes which cross-cut on the hip ditch line and the keen line.
As the result, we observed the experimental clothes with the shorts length had the best possible movement and the ones with the ankle length had only 54-80% possible movement of the shorts length. But the ones with the ankle length using the cross-cut method, gained 70-90% possible movement of the shorts length.

View full abstract

I have made a series of measuring experiments on the Relative Metabolic Rate (RMR) of dish-washing tasks, changing various heights of sink bottoms, in order to make clear the most suitable height for these items. At the same time, I have compared the results of the RMR with an evaluation given by selected subjects who were asked to give their opinions as to the most suitable height for working.
The results are as follows :
1. Sixty cm and below is not a suitable height for dishwashing, because the RMR becomes very high and, additionally, the evaluation given by the subjects was low.
2. Some gaps are observed when the suitable height estimated by the RMR is compared with that given in the subjects' evaluation.
3. If we estimate the height of sinks in ratio to the subjects' stature, the desirable height of sink bottoms is presumed to be in the range of about 40-50% of it.
4. The height of the sink rim produces certain effects on the RMR and the subjects' evaluation of a suitable height, especially in relation to the low height of sink bottoms.

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract