Effect of Heat on Antioxidant Activity of Some Tropical Leafy Vegetables

The present study examined the effect of different cooking times on total phenolics, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid content and antioxidant properties of seven tropical leafy vegetables: Pterocarpus mildbraedii, Gongronema latifolium, Ocimum gratissimum, Solanecio biafrae, Piper guineense, Celosia argentea and Solanum melongena. The thermal treatments employed were both long simmer (20 minutes at 80oC) and short simmer (5 minutes at 80oC). The result show that both short and long simmer results to a significant decrease (P< 0.05) in the ascorbic acid content in all the vegetables. There was a significant increase in the total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPH radical scavenging ability, reducing property, Fe2+ chelating ability and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability. In like manner, short simmer treatment enhances the total antioxidant activities of all the vegetables. These results suggest that although thermal treatments enhances the nutritional value of vegetables by increasing the bio-accessible phenolic content and total antioxidant activity, long simmer treatment results in the disruption of the phytochemicals constituents present. The study therefore concludes that short time simmer treatment may result to optimum yield of antioxidant activities in leafy vegetables.Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Ascorbic acid, Leafy vegetables, Total flavonoids, Total phenolic

Training Needs Assessment of Cocoa Farmers Association Members on Soil Management Techniques in Cross River State of Nigeria

The influence of soil fertility on the performance of any crop cannot be overemphasized. The study assessed cocoa farmers’ training needs on soil management techniques in Cross River State of Nigeria. Study data were obtained from random sample of farmers belonging to Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) in Cross River State. Average age of respondents was 54.4 years while many (53%) were between ages 41–60 years. On soil management practices, 67.9% did not spend any money to maintain soil on their cocoa farms. Majority (83.4%) did not use any inorganic fertilizer to increase soil fertility. The findings also revealed that cocoa farmers need high level of training in the area of use of simple soil analysis tool to determine soil fertility (74.2%), handling of diseased and mummified pods removed from the farms (67.9%), record keeping on the soil management activities on the farm (87.5%) and appropriate methods of soil replenishment to encourage better yield (63.8%). Study’s analysis showed that significant relationship exists between farmers’ farming experience (r=0.56, p=0.03), farmers’ income/ha from cocoa (r=0.45, p=0.00), farmers’ educational status (r=0.35, p=0.04) and cocoa farmers’ training needs on soil management practices in Cross River State, Nigeria. Study concluded that farmers need adequate information on how to manage soil for better yield and higher profit from cocoa farms.Key words: Cocoa, soil, training needs, Cross River, management techniques and Nigeri

The acquisition of phonology by Cantonese-speaking children.

Little is known about the acquisition of phonology by children learning Cantonese as their first language. This paper describes the phoneme repertoires and phonological error patterns used by 268 Cantonese-speaking children aged 2;0 to 6;0, as well as a longitudinal study of tone acquisition by four children aged 1;2 to 2;0. Children had mastered the contrastive use of tones and vowels by two years. While the order of acquisition of consonants was similar to that reported for English, the rate of acquisition was more rapid. The developmental error patterns used by more than 10% of children are also reported as common in other languages. However, specific rules associated with Cantonese phonology were also identified. Few phonological errors were made after age four. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the ambient language influences the implementation of universal tendencies in phonological acquisition.published_or_final_versio

Increases in absenteeism among health care workers in Hong Kong during influenza epidemics, 2004–2009

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Genetic Comparison of Stemness of Human Umbilical Cord and Dental Pulp

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A Smart Card-Based Electronic School Absenteeism System for Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance in Hong Kong: Design, Implementation, and Feasibility Assessment

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Population-Based Pediatric Hospitalization Burden of Lineage-Specific Influenza B in Hong Kong, 2004–2014

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Population-Based Hospitalization Burden of Influenza A Virus Subtypes and Antigenic Drift Variants in Children in Hong Kong (2004-2011)

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Diurnal differences in human muscle isometric force and rate of force development in vivo are associated with differential phosphorylation of sarcomeric M-band proteins.

The maximum force of skeletal muscle exhibits circadian variation that is associated with time-of-day differences in athletic performance. We investigated whether the diurnal difference in force is associated with the post-translational state of muscle proteins. Twenty physically active men (mean ± SD; age 26.0 ± 4.4 y, height 177.3 ± 6.8 cm, body mass 75.1 ± 8.2.8 kg) completed 5 familiarisation sessions where-in they practiced all maximal efforts. Thereafter they performed experimental sessions, in the morning (08:00 h) and evening (17:00 h), counterbalanced in order of administration and separated by at least 72 h. Rectal, skin, muscle temperatures and ratings of perceived effort measurements where made after the subjects had reclined for 30 min (rest) and after the 5-min cycle ergometry warm-ups and prior to the measurement of knee extensor maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC; including twitch-interpolation) and peak rate of force development (RFD). Data handling: 10 subjects from the cohort of 20 volunteered for muscle biopsy procedures, hence only their data is reported for temperature, MVIC and RFD to align with proteomic analyses. Samples of vastus lateralis were collected immediately after exercise and were analysed by ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ proteomic methods. Rectal and muscle temperatures were higher at rest in the evening (mean difference of 0.51°C and 0.69°C; p<0.05) than in the morning. MVIC force in the evening was significantly greater than in the morning (mean difference of 67 N, 9.3%; p<0.05), similarly peak RFD (mean difference of 1080 N/s, 15.3%; p<0.05) was improved in the evening. 2D gel analysis encompassed 122 proteoforms and discovered 6 statistically significant (p<0.05; false discovery rate [FDR] = 10%) diurnal differences. Phosphopeptide analysis identified 1,693 phosphopeptides and detected 140 phosphopeptides from 104 proteins that were more phosphorylated (p<0.05, FDR=22%) in the morning vs. evening. Myomesin 2, muscle creatine kinase and the C-terminus of titin, exhibited the most robust (FDR<10%) diurnal differences. In summary, the effects of time of day where seen in measures of rectal and muscle temperature and muscle performance. Exercise in the morning, compared to the evening, coincided with greater phosphorylation of M-band-associated proteins in human muscle. These protein modifications may alter M-band structure and disrupt force transmission, thus potentially explaining the lower force output in the morning

Protective efficacy against pandemic influenza of seasonal influenza vaccination in children in Hong Kong: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccination against 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) remains unclear. METHODS: One child aged 6-17 years in each of 796 households was randomized to receive 2009-2010 seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) or saline placebo between August 2009 and February 2010. Households were followed up with serology, symptom diaries, and collection of respiratory specimens during illnesses. The primary outcomes were influenza infection confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or a >/=4-fold rise in serum antibody titer measured by hemagglutination inhibition assay. RESULTS: Receipt of TIV led to 8-13-fold mean geometric rises in antibody titers against seasonal A and B viruses, but only 1.5-fold mean geometric rises against the pandemic A(H1N1) virus that was not included in the vaccine. Children who received TIV had a reduced risk of seasonal influenza B confirmed by RT-PCR, with a vaccine efficacy estimate of 66% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31%-83%). Children who received TIV also a had reduced risk of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) indicated by serology, with a vaccine efficacy estimate of 47% (95% CI, 15%-67%). CONCLUSIONS: Seasonal TIV prevented pandemic influenza A(H1N1) and influenza B infections in children. Pandemic A(H1N1) circulated at the time of vaccination and for a short time afterward with no substantial seasonal influenza activity during that period. The potential mechanism for seasonal TIV to provide protection, possibly short lived, for children against pandemic A(H1N1) infection despite poor cross-reactive serologic response deserves further investigation. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00792051.postprin