Color (*a** values) of 10 Brazilian soybean varieties was determined. The color depended on the varieties, and generally the red color was stronger than Japanese soybeans. A boiled bean paste made from one Brazilian variety (BRS 213) was yellow, and this color seemed to be preferable as a food base. It was shown that soil of the cultivating region affected the color of the beans, but the effect was less than that of soybean varieties. Washing twice during soaking caused no significant change in color. Using acetic acid at a concentration of 0.1% for soaking slightly decreased the red tone of soymilk. However, when the concentration of acetic acid was higher than 0.5%, it caused deterioration in the smell of soymilk and boiled soybean, and the boiled soybean became harder at the same time. The color of soybeans was shown to be dominated by varieties and soil types of the cultivating region, and it was difficult to improve the color by a washing procedure during soaking.

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Skin color has routinely been measured using a contact type colorimeter with a white light source such as a xenon lamp. However, it is difficult to reduce the weight of the apparatus due to its structure, and compression of the skin during colorimetry tended to induce changes in skin blood flow or morphological changes in the skin surface, resulting in measurement errors. Therefore, a colorimeter appropriate for colorimetry of the skin has been needed. We have developed a small light colorimeter (RGB sensor) using LEDs with the three primary colors (red, green and blue) as a light source. Comparison of colorimetric accuracy (color chips and actual skin color) between this sensor and the conventional contact type colorimeter revealed a high correlation (skin color chips: L*, R = 0.999; a*, R = 0.998; b*, R = 0.996. skin color L*, R = 0.921; a*, R = 0.892; and b*, R = 0.885). These results suggest that this small lightweight RGB sensor is as efficient and accurate as the conventional colorimeter, and appropriate for measuring skin color.

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The fluorescence intensity of fabric whitened with FBA increased as the number of fabric layer increased, and reached to the constant value that was intrinsic to the sample fabric. The higher lightness of background used and the larger amount of FBA on fabric, the less effect of FBA on fluorescence intensity of fabric was observed.
The psychometric lightness L^* of fabric in CIE colorimetric system was affected by fabric structure and not by the degree of whiteness with increasing the number of fabric layer. Psychometric chroma coordinates a^*b^* showed the various loci depending on a degree of whitening or blueing of fabric. For the fabric overdyed by FBA or processed blueing, a^*b^* linearly converged on the intrinsic point of the fabric. For the fabric whitened only with FBA however, b^* maximum was determined at the region 2-4 layers before converging. The psychometric chroma coordinates a^*b^* mechanically measured by 2-4 fabric layers agreed with visual whiteness.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the role of protein of human submandibular-sublingual saliva in the retention and stability of dentures. This study was performed by analyzing how changes in protein affect viscosity.
Submandibular-sublingual saliva samples obtained from 15 subjects, each with a healthy oral cavity and good general condition, were studied. A Kuette type rotary viscometer Low-Shear 30 (Contraves) was used to determine viscosity. The analysis of salivary proteins was achieved by combining microscale twodimensional SDS-PAGE with silver staining.
In high viscosity saliva, 44 protein spots were detected. These spots appeared in the range of pI 3.8-10.0 and estimated molecular weight of 15, 000-1, 000, 000. In low viscosity saliva, approximately 30 protein spots were detected. These spots appeared in the range of pI 3.8-10.0 and estimated molecular weight of 15, 000-1, 000, 000.
There was a significant correlation between the concentration of high molecular weight proteins with an estimated weight of more than 700, 000 and viscosity (r=071, p<0.01). High molecular weight proteins (with an estimated weight of more than 700, 000) were characterized into five groups to the isoelectric point. The two groups (more than pI 7.0 and pI 4.1-5.1) showed significant correlations with high viscosity of human submandibular-sublingual saliva (r=0.73 and p<001 for both groups).To standardize the reproducibility of the color of composite resin, the color range and tendency of photopolymerized composite resin were investigated. The color of single and multiple layer A 1 and A 3.5 were compared and analyzed using the *a** color system. The results were as follows:
1. The color range of the single layer photopolymerized composite resin was Opaque: L*=73.78 to 84.50, a*=0.47 to 4.01, and b*=11.96 to 19.59; Dentine: L*=50.47 to 63.95, a*=-3.75 to -1.68, and b*=-2.65 to 6.92; and Enamel: L*=38.02 to 42.33, a*=-1.67 to -0.51, and b*=-14.56 to -12.49.
2. The color of triple-layer resin measured by L* and a* decreased when the thickness of dentine was increased from 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm and that of enamel was increased from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. However, the color of A 3.5 measured by a* was high when the thickness of enamel was between 0.1 and 0.2 mm. H^ab° fluctuated within the YR and Y range in A 1 and within the YR range in A 3.5.
3. The thickness of resin that is required for color expression in triple-layer photopolymerized composite resin was more than 0.6 mm of dentine and more than 0.2 mm enamel in A 1, and more than 0.6 mm of dentine and more than 0.1 mm of enamel in A 3.5.

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The new world energy policy is influenced by climate changes, narrow range of operation of Thermal Power Plants, potential risks of Nuclear Power Plants and limited resources of oil, gas and coal. Taking into account that renewable energy, solar and wind power particularly are very dependent on the climate, Hydro Power takes a new role in energy systems. Electricity conversion and storage in periods of lower consumption and electricity production from the stored energy in periods of higher demand or reduced production, are crucial for the maintenance of stable and efficient electrical system. This requirement has especially strengthened nowadays due to the expansion of integration of new wind and solar plants. These renewable sources are characterized with inherent intermittent production both in daily periods and periods of several days, weeks or even months. A number of technologies might be considered for the electricity conversion and storage, but the only nature and high capacity available technology is based on the pumped storage plants. This article studies the potential of the pumped storage plants as the effective and economically competitive technology for the storage of wind, solar, run-of-river and other environmentally friendly energies. Nuclear and coal fired plants can change power output to achieve demand but only at the price of extremely high maintenance cost. In addition, natural gas generators contribute to climate change and pollution only slightly less than coal. The pumped storage method is the most common storage system in the electricity sector. It is traditionally dependent on natural conditions, usually making use of rivers or lakes. However, some innovative methods such as the use of the sea as the lower reservoir, or a proposal to use a surface reservoir as the upper reservoir and an underground reservoir as the lower have emerged. Analyses indicate that there is a strong economic incentive for further investment in pumped-storage installations when other hydro storages and sites are not available.

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  The sporophyte-gametophyte junction in G. orbicularis is examined by means of LM and TEM, focusing especially on the characteristics considered to be of evolutionary and biological significance in mosses. The placenta of this species, although in general terms corresponding to a bryalean model, also exhibits some differences, in particular the presence of labyrinthine wall ingrowths in non-epidermal foot cells, and a variability in the nature of tissue connecting the foot and the gametophyte strand of hydroids.

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屋外の圃場において撮影した画像では，環境の変化やデジタルカメラの設定などにより色情報が大きく変化する．画像通信を使用して的確な育成診断を行うためには，圃場で観察した色により近い表示が重要である．本稿では，普段農作物の生育判断に用いられているカラーチャートを利用して，均等色空間における小領域での，高精度かつ自動的に色補正を行う手法について提案する．提案手法により高精度に補正が可能であること，および診断精度の向上について示した．

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  The stomatal complex in Bryophyta is morphologically more uniform than in vascular plants. Nevertheless there are many species without data about the morphology, physiology and ontogeny of their stomata. We present here a morphological and histochemical study of the stomatal complex in ten species of Crossidium, Didymodon, Pottia and Tortula (Pottiaceae).The number of stomata per capsule, their size, orientation, location, neighbouring cells, morphological type and the results of the histochemical tests for the guard and adjacent cells for starch, callose, cellulose and pectin are described. The results suggest that the morphological features of the stomata in these ten species have not any taxonomical value.

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Microscopy is the primary technique for identifying the origin plant of a starch sample but requires operators with highly proficient skills and experience, and is unsuitable for discriminating modified starches such as pregelatinized starches. The plant species from which the starch is isolated is reflected in the characteristic color of the iodine-starch reaction solution. However, visual observation is subjective and vague because color perception is organoleptic and color is expressed by ambiguous names such as “orange-red” and “deep blue”. Quality management using the color of samples is gaining wider acceptance in the field of natural products as well as industrial products because simple, easy to use, high-performance spectrophotometers are now widely used. In this study, the color of iodine-starch reaction solution of 31 kinds of starches and pregelatinized starches from maize, wheat, potato and rice were measured spectrophotometrically and the color was numerically described using the *a^** color system. The characteristic (a^*, b^*) values grouped together on the color system according to the origin plant for each starch, suggesting that numerical information on the color reaction is useful for estimating the origins of starches.

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Sulfur dioxides and sulfites are registered in "The Japan's Specifications and Standards for Food Additives" mainly used as bleach and anti-oxidants, and Food Sanitation Law prohibits the use to sesame, legumes and vegetables. In China, sulfur fumigation is performed for the purpose of bleaching, drying, insecticide and antibacterial to some crude drugs. Recently, it has been reported that large quantities of sulfur dioxides are detected from sulfur fumigated crude drugs. In the course of our study of the survey of impurity in herbal materials, we analyzed the content of sulfur dioxides for 31 kinds of crude drugs (5 companies, 151 crude drugs) purchased from the Japanese market. In this study, be aimed for development of a new simple method for the measurement of sulfur dioxides, we investigated correlation between the color value obtained by a hand-held spectrophotometer and the sulfur dioxides content in 19 kinds of crude drugs. As the results, the good correlation between the color index L^* value and the sulfur dioxide content and the good inverse correlation between the color index C^* value and the content were observed in four powdered crude drugs (Pueraria Root, Gastrodia Tuber, Lilium Bulb and Moutan Bark). Therefore, the color index L^* and C^* values may be suitable as the screening index of sulfur dioxide content in the these powdered crude drugs.

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