The Effects of Mother-Plant Irrigation Schedule on the Quality Of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) Seed

A study was carried out to examine the quality of seeds of two tomato cultivars (‘Ibadan Local’ and ‘Ife 1’) produced under irrigation intervals of 2, 4, 6 and 8 days at the Federal University of Technology, Minna. Fruits were harvested when fully ripe and the seed/juice mixture (pulp) was removed immediately and left to ferment for four days after which the seeds were washed under running tap water and dried at room temperature. Seeds of the two cultivars were spread in open plastic Petri dishes and stored in a growth chamber at 30oC and about 70% relative humidity to accelerate ageing for 16 weeks. Seed samples were drawn and tested for germination, seedling emergence, seedling height and number of leaves per seedling, at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks of storage. Results showed that seeds of “Ibadan Local” were significantly heavier than those of “Ife 1” but the trait was not significantly affected by irrigation interval. Seed viability declined as storage period increased irrespective of irrigation treatment in both cultivars. There was no consistent superiority of one irrigation interval over the other in respect of seed longevity over time. A general increase in seedling height and number of leaves per seedling was recorded as storage period progressed before a decline sets in at different ages. Generally, performance was best with seeds produced under 4 and 6 days irrigation intervals in both cultivars. Keywords: Mother-plant, irrigation schedule, seed quality, tomatoJ. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. June, 2012, Vol. 16 (2) 185 - 18

Massive subgaleal haematoma in a 5 year old child – A case report

Subgaleal haematoma (SH) is a collection of blood between the bony skull and the loose connective tissue. It is almost a diagnosis confined to the neonatal age group with very few occurring beyond the age. Presentation could be sudden or chronic as deterioration in the cardio pulmonary status,shock, skin changes, airway obstruction and neurological sequealae.While assisted delivery with birth trauma are recognized causal factorsin the neonate, trauma to the head and blood related disorders have been reported to be major causes in older children and adults. Usually, the Small SH resolves spontaneously while the massive ones require active management; often with neuro surgical intervention. It also needs identifying the cause so as to treat and prevent a recurrence. We present a case of massive SH in a 5 year old mentally subnormal child with seizure disorder with a favourable outcome

Reference values of haematological parameters of healthy adults in the north central zone of Nigeria

Background: Haematological parameters differ from one population to another due to several factors. To determine the clinical implication of the blood parameters of an individual in the state of health or disease, we need to have the knowledge of the normal reference range for that locality.Objectives: To determine the reference values of haematological parameters of apparently healthy adults in Ilorin.Design: A descriptive cross sectional study.Setting: Ilorin, North Central zone of NigeriaSubjects: Nine hundred and ten (443 males and 467 females) randomly selected normal, HIV negative individuals aged 18-65 yearsResults: The red blood cell count, Haemoglobin concentration, PCV and MCHC were significantly higher among males than females while the platelet count, total WBC count and absolute neutrophil count were significantly higher in females than in males. There was however no significant gender difference in the values of MCV, MCH and absolute lymphocyte count. The normal reference values obtained in this study were notably different from those that are used currently in the hospital.Conclusion: The normal reference value obtained in this study was notable different from those that are currently used in the hospital. These findings will have clinical implications regarding the adjustment of our current reference values and definitely add value to the management of patients in this part of the country

Stress modulation as a means to improve yeasts for lignocellulose bioconversion

The second-generation (2G) fermentation environment for lignocellulose conversion presents unique challenges to the fermentative organism that do not necessarily exist in other industrial fermentations. While extreme osmotic, heat, and nutrient starvation stresses are observed in sugar- and starch-based fermentation environments, additional pre-treatment-derived inhibitor stress, potentially exacerbated by stresses such as pH and product tolerance, exist in the 2G environment. Furthermore, in a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) context, the organism is also challenged to secrete enzymes that may themselves lead to unfolded protein response and other stresses. This review will discuss responses of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to 2G-specific stresses and stress modulation strategies that can be followed to improve yeasts for this application. We also explore published –omics data and discuss relevant rational engineering, reverse engineering, and adaptation strategies, with the view of identifying genes or alleles that will make positive contributions to the overall robustness of 2G industrial strains

Effect of Honey as Partial Sugar Substitute on Pasting Properties, Consumer Preference and Shelf Stability of Cassava-Wheat Composite Bread

The effect of partial substitution of sugar with liquid honey on the pasting properties of cooked dough made from cassava-wheat composite (10:90) flour as well as the sensory preference and shelf stability of its bread wasinvestigated. Sucrose (S) in the bread recipe formulation was substituted with honey (H) at levels 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%, respectively to give 6 treatments, namely 0H:100S, 10H:90S, 20H:80S, 30H:70S, 40H:60S and 50H:50S. Amylograph pasting properties of the dried crumbs were determined using standard analytical procedures. Fresh bread samples were subjected to sensory evaluation and fungal count during storage (6 days). Peak, final and setback viscosities of bread crumb decreased (32.29 to 25.33, 58.54 to 43.00 and 30.96 to 23.66 RVU), respectively as the level of honey inclusion increased. Honey substitution levels used did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect aroma and texture of the bread samples but composite bread with 20% level of honey substitution was most preferred in terms of colour while composite bread with 30% level of honey substitution was most acceptable in terms of taste and overall acceptability. Fungal count in stored honey-cassava-wheat bread varied significantly (p < 0.05) from 0.6 to 4.0 × 102, 1.0 to 6.9 × 102, 2.2 to 57.0×102, 32.0 to 135.7×102, 34.0 to 140.0×102 and 42.0 to 159.3 ×102) cfu/ml from day 1 to day 6, respectively. From the study, it was concluded that substitution of sugar with honey in dough formulations significantly (p < 0.05) affects dough pasting properties, improves acceptability of the composite bread and reduces staling rate.Keywords: Honey, sucrose sugar, cassava-wheat bread, dough, pasting properties