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To develop a ready-to-drink (RTD) milk coffee that retains the original coffee flavor, the effects of manufacturing processing conditions on retronasal-aroma (RA) odorants were investigated by gas chromatography-olfactometry (CharmAnalysis™) using an RA simulator (RAS). Twenty-nine of 33 odorants detected in the RAS effluent (RAS odorants) were identified. The detected odorants were classified into 19 odor-description groups. The total odor intensity (charm value, CMV) of all coffee RAS odorants decreased approximately 68% following pH adjustment, whereas the total CMV increased 6% to 7% following ultra-high-temperature sterilization. The total CMV ratio (about 83%) of the milk coffee produced using a new blending-after-sterilization (BAS) process without pH adjustment of the coffee was greater than that (approximately 56%) prepared using a conventional blending-before-sterilization (BBS) process with pH adjustment. In BAS-processed milk coffees, the total CMV ratio (91%) with infusion (INF)-sterilized reconstituted milk (r-milk) was greater than that (83%) of plate (PLT)-sterilized r-milk. Principal component analysis of odor-description CMVs indicated that the effect of coffee pH adjustment on odor characteristics was greater than that of sterilization, that BAS and BBS samples differed, and that BAS milk coffee prepared using INF sterilization was more similar to homemade milk coffee (blending unsterilized coffee without pH adjustment with PLT-sterilized milk) than milk coffee prepared using PLT sterilization. In conclusion, the BAS process using INF sterilization is superior for manufacturing RTD milk coffee that retains odor characteristics similar to targeted homemade milk coffee. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Ready-to-drink milk coffee beverages produced using conventional blending-before-sterilization methods do not retain their original coffee flavor following adjustment of the pH of the coffee during manufacturing. The use of newly developed blending-after-sterilization methods, by contrast, produces ready-to-drink milk coffee with an aroma more similar to that of homemade milk coffee, as demonstrated using an analytical system for characterizing food product aromas. The blending-after-sterilization process is now being used in Japan to produce ready-to-drink milk coffee beverages.

To develop a ready-to-drink (RTD) milk coffee that retains the original coffee flavor, the effects of manufacturing processing conditions on retronasal-aroma (RA) odorants were investigated by gas chromatography-olfactometry (CharmAnalysis™) using an RA simulator (RAS). Twenty-nine of 33 odorants detected in the RAS effluent (RAS odorants) were identified. The detected odorants were classified into 19 odor-description groups. The total odor intensity (charm value, CMV) of all coffee RAS odorants decreased approximately 68% following pH adjustment, whereas the total CMV increased 6% to 7% following ultra-high-temperature sterilization. The total CMV ratio (about 83%) of the milk coffee produced using a new blending-after-sterilization (BAS) process without pH adjustment of the coffee was greater than that (approximately 56%) prepared using a conventional blending-before-sterilization (BBS) process with pH adjustment. In BAS-processed milk coffees, the total CMV ratio (91%) with infusion (INF)-sterilized reconstituted milk (r-milk) was greater than that (83%) of plate (PLT)-sterilized r-milk. Principal component analysis of odor-description CMVs indicated that the effect of coffee pH adjustment on odor characteristics was greater than that of sterilization, that BAS and BBS samples differed, and that BAS milk coffee prepared using INF sterilization was more similar to homemade milk coffee (blending unsterilized coffee without pH adjustment with PLT-sterilized milk) than milk coffee prepared using PLT sterilization. In conclusion, the BAS process using INF sterilization is superior for manufacturing RTD milk coffee that retains odor characteristics similar to targeted homemade milk coffee. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Ready-to-drink milk coffee beverages produced using conventional blending-before-sterilization methods do not retain their original coffee flavor following adjustment of the pH of the coffee during manufacturing. The use of newly developed blending-after-sterilization methods, by contrast, produces ready-to-drink milk coffee with an aroma more similar to that of homemade milk coffee, as demonstrated using an analytical system for characterizing food product aromas. The blending-after-sterilization process is now being used in Japan to produce ready-to-drink milk coffee beverages.

Summary Differences in tree species may lead to contrasting soil environments via differences in litter chemical quality and physical environmental factors, such as soil type and soil moisture. However, separating the effects of litter quality and physical environment is difficult under field conditions. Both litter quality and soil environment affect the species composition of the soil animal community. A diversity gradient of canopy tree species (11–25 species) located on homogeneous soil substrate at Tomakomai Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University was used to analyse the relationship between tree species diversity and oribatid mite community structure. Soil samples were collected from three levels of tree species richness (high, intermediate and low) with three replicates each, in July 2000. Leaf area index (LAI) was positively correlated with tree species diversity suggesting higher litter input into the soils with increasing tree diversity. However, the tree species diversity gradient affected neither accumulation of litter on the forest floor nor abundance and species richness of oribatid mites. Canopy and understory plant species richness, LAI, total soil carbon and biomass of epigeic and endogeic earthworms did not significantly affect mite community structure as indicated by redundancy analysis (RDA). The results suggest that oribatid mite community structure is minimally affected by tree species diversity and associated changes in litter diversity.

One of the serious problems for hospital pharmacy is a long waiting time of outpatients and it is a very uncomfortable time for them.In 1989, we brought a new system into our pharmacy for shortening the waiting time of them.Next year we interviewed a total of 300 outpatients at dispensing counter and asked about their desirable waiting time to verify the new system.Outpatients were classified as three groups consisting of each hundred of them, women (group I), men (group II), and the mothers who took their babies to the pediatric department (group III) The ratios of the desirable waiting time within twenty minutes in each group were 44% in group I, 46% in group II, and 65% in goup M.Then we conducted another investigation on the waiting time that outpatients experienced it at the pharmacy lobby. We selected a total of 800 outpatients at random and asked about it.It was found that 72.5% of them got their medicines within five minutes, and 91.6% of them got within 10 minutes. We can conclude from our investigations that group III wants shorter time to get their medicines than other two groups and the adopted new system have been bringing about good results.