Consumer Acceptance and Phytonutrient Assessment of Cold Hardy, Locally Grown Plums

Prunus salicina, Japanese plums, and Prunus domestica, European plums, are naturally rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. Consuming plums can increase overall fruit intake and can be incorporated into part of a healthy diet. Through local plum production, harvesting can be completed without the need for cross-country shipping, which can increase overall acceptability and nutritional quality of the fruit. Furthermore, the increase in local production can help to boost Maine’s economy and creates a market for new plum product production. The first objective of this study was to determine consumer acceptance of locally grown plum cultivars at a tree-ripened stage. Sensory testing was conducted in the Sensory Evaluation Center at the University of Maine on plum cultivars harvested at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, ME. The highest rated cultivar for ‘overall’ acceptability was the Japanese plum, Oblinya, with an average rating of 7.27±1.42. Toka, Kahinta and Superior also had high ‘overall’ acceptability scores with average ratings of, 6.98±1.4, 6.97±1.55 and 6.9±1.37, respectively. European varieties Early Italian and Caselton also had high ‘overall’ acceptability ratings at 6.98±1.46 and 6.76±1.35, respectively. In a similar consumer study, fruit was believed to be accepted among consumers with likeness ratings of \u3e5.0. All cultivars tested in this study outperformed this value. The second objective of this study was to evaluate phytonutrient content of the plum cultivars. Phytochemical constituents were extracted using 80% acidified methanol for twelve locally grown plum cultivars at a tree-ripened stage. Total monomeric anthocyanin, total phenolics, and free radical scavenging ability was measured on the cultivars. The European plum Caselton had the highest anthocyanin content (1242.83±14.05mg /100 g.) Toka had the greatest antioxidant capacity, demonstrating 50% inhibition of the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (1.28±0.14 mg/mL.) Toka also had the highest total phenolic content (1006.04±21.88 mg/ 100g.) Statistically significant differences were found between Japanese and European varieties for total phenolic content and free radical scavenging ability, with Japanese cultivars having higher values in both categories. Cold-hardy plum cultivars that can be produced in Maine were successfully cultivated and were widely accepted among consumers. Producing plums that are well liked by consumers provides a new agricultural sector for Maine’s farmers, in turn boosting local economies and creating a new market for processed plum products. The evaluation of consumer acceptance and bioanalysis of plum cultivars establishes a deeper understanding of novel, tasty, and healthy plums for producers to incorporate into their production programs. This study fills the gap in knowledge of cold-hardy cultivars, and demonstrates that tree-ripened cultivars Oblinya, Toka, Kahinta, Superior and Early Italian all have favorable marketing potential for tree-fruit farmers in Maine

A Hybrid Multi-Distance Phase and Broadband Spatially Resolved Spectrometer and Algorithm for Resolving Absolute Concentrations of Chromophores in the Near-Infrared Light Spectrum

For resolving absolute concentration of tissue chromophores in the human adult brain with near-infrared spectroscopy it is necessary to calculate the light scattering and absorption, at multiple wavelengths with some depth resolution. To achieve this we propose an instrumentation configuration that combines multi-distance frequency and broadband spectrometers to quantify chromophores in turbid media by using a hybrid spatially resolved algorithm. Preliminary results in solid phantoms as well as liquid dynamic homogeneous and inhomogeneous phantoms and in-vivo muscle measurements showed encouraging results

Evaluation Report; YouTube Takeover project (Shift.ms)

One of Shift.ms’ innovative digital interventions was our Twitter takeover: each weekend control of our account was handed to a different person from the MS community. People with MS (MSers) report that interacting with a different individual each week helped reduce feelings of isolation and reinforced a sense of community. This report presents the findings from an evaluation of The YouTube Takeover co-produced by the Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds Beckett University and Shift.ms

Social work as a healing vocation : the exploration of clinicians\u27 trauma histories and implications for practice

This qualitative exploratory study examines the experiences of social workers who believe they came to the vocation in some part due to a personal history with trauma. Thirteen licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) with histories of trauma were interviewed about their clinical practice focusing on career choice, countertransference, and disclosure. Clinicians discussed how personal experiences with trauma influenced and impacted their decisions to enter social work as a profession. Clinicians also discussed working with clients who were survivors of trauma, decisions surrounding self-disclosure, and the impact and importance of therapy and supervision of one\u27s own. Study results indicated that positive past therapeutic relationships were a major factor in clinicians\u27 decisions to pursue social work as a career. With a few exceptions, self-disclosures were rarely made to clients, and when self-disclosures were made, it was highly dependent on the subjective experience and decision making process of the individual clinician. Finally, clinicians with trauma histories generally felt as though personal experiences as survivors benefited treatment of clients with trauma histories making it easier to empathize and understand clients and their experiences

M. L. Elwell Requesting testimonials of Isaac L. Staples to be sent to William Staples

https://digitalmaine.com/arc_me_militia/1076/thumbnail.jp

Measurement of Physical and Chemical Changes Induced During Weathering of A Carbonate Rock Unit

Changes which occurred during weathering of the Iowa Falls Member of the Mississippian Hampton Formation at Iowa Falls, Iowa were investigated quantitatively. The physical properties measured were: a) compressive strength, b) pore sized distribution, c) porosity and d) permeability. Chemically determined calcite and dolomite contents are related to the physical changes by utilization of an extensive sample sequence. The following changes are shown to be associated with the weathering process: 1) pore space and the degree of its interconnectedness increases with weathering, 2) calcite and dolomite are leached out during weathering, and 3) the rate of removal of calcite is twice that of dolomite

Factors influencing oak kill with 2, 4, 5-T in eastern Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Implementing neuroimaging and eye tracking methods to assess neurocognitive development of young infants in low- and middle-income countries

Infants and children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are frequently exposed to a range of environmental risk factors which may negatively affect their neurocognitive development. The mechanisms by which factors such as undernutrition and poverty impact development and cognitive outcomes in early childhood are poorly understood. This lack of knowledge is due in part to a paucity of objective assessment tools which can be implemented across different cultural settings and in very young infants. Over the last decade, technological advances, particularly in neuroimaging, have opened new avenues for research into the developing human brain, allowing us to investigate novel biological associations. This paper presents functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking (ET) as objective, cross-cultural methods for studying infant neurocognitive development in LMICs, and specifically their implementation in rural Gambia, West Africa. These measures are currently included, as part of a broader battery of assessments, in the Brain Imaging for Global Health (BRIGHT) project, which is developing brain function for age curves in Gambian and UK infants from birth to 24 months of age. The BRIGHT project combines fNIRS, EEG and ET with behavioural, growth, health and sociodemographic measures. The implementation of these measures in rural Gambia are discussed, including methodological and technical challenges that needed to be addressed to ensure successful data acquisition. The aim is to provide guidance to other groups seeking to implement similar methods in their research in other LMICs to better understand associations between environmental risk and early neurocognitive development