Kokugakuin Junior College

Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) during the foetal and postnatal periods is known to have adverse effects on children's development. However, little attention has been paid to MeHg exposure during early childhood in Japan. To examine the regional differences in MeHg exposure and seafood consumption and the association between MeHg exposure and seafood consumption and dental metal restorations, we measured the total mercury (T-Hg) concentration in hair as an MeHg exposure index, and using questionnaires, we measured the frequency and amount of seafood consumption and the presence of dental metal restorations in 118 children aged 3-6years in five regions of Japan. The arithmetic and geometric means of the T-Hg concentrations in hair were 1.03 and 0.87ppm, respectively, and approximately 40% of the children exceeded the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommendation of 1.0ppm. Significant regional differences in the hair T-Hg concentrations were found among the five regions, and the regional differences were consistent with the traditional regional patterns of eating fatty fish. According to the regression analysis, the consumption of fatty fish, particularly tuna/swordfish, had a significant effect on hair T-Hg concentrations, whereas age, sex, the materials used for dental metal restorations, and other types of seafood or fish/shellfish had no significant effects.

The effect of blend ratio and pH on the physical properties of surimi-gelatin composite films was investigated. Tensile strength (TS), film water solubility and soluble proteins of composite films increased with the increasing proportion of gelatin, while elongation at break (EAB) decreased. The TS of neutral films with the same ratio of surimi and gelatin were lowest, while increased at acidic or alkaline conditions. Similar tendency was also found in protein solubility and surface hydrophobicity of the film-forming solutions. On the other hand, the film water solubility and soluble proteins of neutral composite films were higher than those of acidic and alkaline films. Furthermore, it was revealed that the dissolved surimi and gelatin proteins could form strong composite films, which were insoluble in water. These results suggested that dissolved proteins were mainly involved in the formation of surimi-gelatin composite films.

目的 前報と同じく, 多面的感情状態測定尺度を用いて, 女子学生を対象に, 着装によって生起する感情状態を測定した.本報では, 「卒業記念パーティ」, 「通学」, 「レジャーランドへの小旅行」, 「会社訪問」の各場面において, 「ふさわしい/ふさはしくない」あるいは「着たい/着たくない」と評価した衣服を着用したときに生起する「快活・爽快」, 「充実」, 「優越」, 「安らぎ」および「抑欝・動揺」, 「董恥」, 「圧迫・緊張」の各感情を測定し, 衣服の評価とその衣服を着たときに喚起する感情との関係を求めることを目的としている.成果 「ふさわしい/ふさわしくない」と「着たい/着たくない」の2つの尺度 (それぞれ5水準) によって評価された衣服を着装したときに生起する感情の状態を比較すると, 2つの尺度ともその評価に対応して7感情が生起していることがわかった.場面にふさわしい, 着たいと評価された衣服を着用した場合に, 「快活・爽快」の感情は各場面で強く生起し, 特にレジャーランドへの小旅行, 通学の場面でより強く生起している.「優越」の感情は卒業パーティで, 「充実」の感情は会社訪問, 卒業パーティで, 「安らぎ」の感情は小旅行, 通学の場面で強く生起している.一方, 場面にふさわしくない, 着たくないと評価された衣服を着用した場合には, 各場面とも「羞恥」の感情が特に強く生起し, 「抑欝・動揺」の感情が次いで強く生起している.「圧迫・緊張」の感情はふさわしい, 着たいと評価された衣服を着用した場合においても, 場面によって感情の生起に大きな違いがあることがわかった.