For the study on effects of plates on heating characteristics of different kinds of ovens, the following plates were tested by measuring their temperatures and baking cookies : steel, black enamelcoated steel with and without aluminum foil cover, white enamel-coated steel and pyrex.
1) The temperature of the black enamel-coated plate was much higher than that of air in electric ovens, whereas in the other ovens the plates showed no such phenomenon.
2) A negative correlation (p<0.01 or p< 0.05) was obtained between baking times and apparent heat transfer coefficients, h values (kcal/ (m².hr·°C)), except the case of black enamelcoated plate. In the ovens with low h values, cooking time varied greatly with the plates used.
3) The color of the top surface of cookies depended both on h values and rates of radiation heat, and less affected by plate. On the other hand, the color of the bottom surface depended much on the types of plate, and pyrex plate gave uniform browning.

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In cooking rice, it is necessary to heat rice in an adequate amount of water at a temperature above 98 °C for more than 20 min. This is generally understood as an absolutely necessary condition for gelatinization of starch in rice grains. In this experiment, the relationship between the boiling time and the quality of cooked rice was investigated. Cooked rice samples of five different boiling time (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min) were prepared by controlling the flow rate of fuel gas. The samples were tested physically and chemically, and durations longer than 15 min were found to produce the best results. In all cases, the rice temperature remained above 98°C for a while after turning off the heat. For example, for the boiling time of 15 min, the ricetemperature was above 98 °C for 19.5 min. Thus, rice must be maintained at temperature higher than 98 t for at least 20 min.

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We investigated butter cakes from the day of baking until they were stored for 2 weeks. We concentrated on the effects of different percentages of butter. Three kinds of butter cakes were prepared with varying amounts of butter (100, 75, 50 % butter to the amount of flour).
The texture, the retrogradation of starch, the water contents of the cakes, and the rate of bound water by means of NMR were examined, and sensory tests were performed. These five steps were done after storage for 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 days.
The results were as follows :
1) The textural properties (hardness and shortness) varied greatly in the early period of storage, but the cakes containing more amounts of butter kept their good qualities longer than those containing less amounts of butter during storage.
2) During storage the retrogradation of starch, the water content and the rate of bound water made similar changes in all three kinds of butter cakes.
3) The sensory evaluation of the cakes showed that those containing more amounts of butter tended to be softer and moister after any length of storage.
4) Two kinds of cakes (those with 100, 75 % butter) showed not significant difference within 0-3 days, but the other (50 % butter) showed some significant difference even in the early period of storage and deteriorated in taste.

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The stretch fabric underwear restraint imposed on the body was investigated from the point of garment pressure and resistance induced by wearer's movements. The medium type bodysuit was prepared to measure the restraint at the standing and squatting postures.
To make the indirect measurement of the pressure exerted by bodysuit on the body were used biaxial tensile force of the fabric and radius of curvature at the body, and the direct measurement was made by fluid-filled pressure gauge.
In standing posture, pressure at the upper back bodice, buttocks, and abdomen was about 15 gf/cm², and higher than any other parts. In squatting, pressure had a tendency to increase. Especially the shoulder and the root of the thigh which were located under the rubber-tape, showed to be given highest values.
On the other hand, fabric tension demand to strain and frictional force to slip on the skin were used to calculate for work load. Work load of the wet clothing tended to be higher about 3 times than those measured on the dry state. It is considered that frictional force has a great influence in the interpretation on providing comfort in motion.

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We have made a study on color-preference order of eight colors for summer one-piece dress for aged women and the dominant reason for their color-preference comparing with young women's preference, and also regional difference among three areas.
The normalized rank approach is used for the color-preference order and the semantic differential is employed for the dominant reason.
As a result the following points were cleared.
1) The correlation of color-preference order among aged and young women's groups was so little that no agreement was found.
2) The colors that aged and young women's groups show extreme opposite preference changed in proportion to aging in the color-preference order.
3) No remarkable regional difference was recognized in the preference order and the dominant reason among aged women's group.
4) It has been cleared that aged women's color-preference of clothes is slightly correlated with regional difference but the change in their preference is mainly affected by age.

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In Japan, household work are studied mainly in the field of human-engineering, physiology, standardization of each working systems, etc. But, contemporary situations around them have completely changed. The market and public-sector economies have expanded to the area of household work. We need to take them into our analysis from cultural and social scientific aspect. Even then we should not be involved in the logic of capital or market exchange “economies.” The first reason is that “home” contains many factors of non-market economies. The second. reason is that “Shadow Work” tendencies (I. Illich) have dominated in the market-exchange-economies. Now we should re-consider the starting point of “Home-Economics” originated in U.S.A., and introduce new paradigm of anthropological economics “Substantive Economy (K. Polanyi)” into our home economics.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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