ANALYSIS OF NUTRITIONAL LABEL USE ON PACKAGED FOODS AMONG URBAN HOMEMAKERS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

This paper presents the type of food label information used by homemakers in Abeokuta while pur- chasing packaged foods and the socio-economic characteristics influencing its usage. Structured questionnaire was use to elicit information from 149 homemakers drawn by multi-stage sampling tech- niques. The study found that majority (87.20%) of the homemakers were females with mean age of 40.2 years. About two-third (65.40%) of the homemakers considered information on food labels before purchasing packaged foods. The most commonly considered food label information was found to be the NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) number (63.8%), fol- lowed by the expiry date (59.1 %), brand name (57%), country of manufacture (51.7%) and nutritional facts (51.0%). Results from logit regression models showed that sex, education, marital status, occu- pation, income and health status were the key factors that significantly (p<0.05) influenced nutritional label use

Atherosclerosis imaging with 18F-sodium fluoride PET: state-of-the-art review

Purpose: We examined the literature to elucidate the role of 18F-sodium fluoride (NaF)-PET in atherosclerosis. Methods: Following a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library included articles underwent subjective quality assessment with categories low, medium, and high. Of 2811 records, 1780 remained after removal of duplicates. Screening by title and abstract left 41 potentially eligible full-text articles, of which 8 (about the aortic valve (n = 1), PET/MRI feasibility (n = 1), aortic aneurysms (n = 1), or quantification methodology (n = 5)) were dismissed, leaving 33 published 2010-2012 (n = 6), 2013-2015 (n = 11), and 2016-2018 (n = 16) for analysis. Results: They focused on coronary (n = 8), carotid (n = 7), and femoral arteries (n = 1), thoracic aorta (n = 1), and infrarenal aorta (n = 1). The remaining 15 studies examined more than one arterial segment. The literature was heterogeneous: few studies were designed to investigate atherosclerosis, 13 were retrospective, 9 applied both FDG and NaF as tracers, 24 NaF only. Subjective quality was low in one, medium in 13, and high in 19 studies. The literature indicates that NaF is a very specific tracer that mimics active arterial wall microcalcification, which is positively associated with cardiovascular risk. Arterial NaF uptake often presents before CT-calcification, tends to decrease with increasing density of CT-calcification, and appears, rather than FDG-avid foci, to progress to CT-calcification. It is mainly surface localized, increases with age with a wide scatter but without an obvious sex difference. NaF-avid microcalcification can occur in fatty streaks, but the degree of progression to CT-calcification is unknown. It remains unknown whether medical therapy influences microcalcification. The literature held no therapeutic or randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The literature was heterogeneous and with few clear cut messages. NaF-PET is a new approach to detect and quantify microcalcification in early-stage atherosclerosis. NaF uptake correlates with cardiovascular risk factors and appears to be a good measure of the body's atherosclerotic burden, potentially suited also for assessment of anti-atherosclerotic therapy

Analisis Kepuasan Pelanggan Menggunakan Atribut Pelayanan Prima Dengan Mengintegrasikan Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) Dan Quality Function Deployment (Qfd) (Studi Kasus: PT. Sang Hyang Seri (Persero)-malang)

Kenaikan produksi padi tidak lepas dari semakin banyaknya penggunaan benih padi bersertifikat oleh petani. Kondisi ini berdampak pada perluasan pasar di Indonesia yang mengakibatkan persaingan industri perbenihan semakin tinggi serta setiap Perusahaan berpacu untuk mencari pelanggan termasuk PT.SHS. PT.SHS singkatan dari PT.Sang Hyang Seri adalah Perusahaan yang bergerak dibidang perbenihan. PT.SHS dituntut untuk memperbaiki mutu pelayanan.Pelayanan prima dianggap tepat sebagai USAha mencapai kepuasan pelanggan. Dalam penelitian ini digunakan integrasi Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) dan Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Dari hasil IPA dapat diketahui 11 atribut yang diprioritaskan pada kuadran satu ”Concentrate Here” yaitu kemampuan berkomunikasi,pegawai bertanggung awab atas pelayanannya,tersedia fasilitas penunjang, penampilan fisik pegawai rapi,sikap pegawai menghargai,sopan kepada pelanggan, pegawai mendengarkan,memahami kebutuhan pelanggan, pegawai bekerja sesuai prosedur,merespon keluhan yang disampaikan pelanggan,pegawai melayani kebutuhan pelanggan dan pegawai mencurahkan perhatian kepada pelanggan. Berdasarkan hasil analisis QFD, prioritas utama rekomendasi perbaikan yang dapat dilakukan PT.SHS yaitu pelaksanaan training pelayanan karyawan

Perbaikan Fasilitas Rumah Kos Dengan Menggunakan Integrasi Metode Service Quality Dan Quality Function Deployment

Kota Malang menjadi salah satu kota yang memiliki perguruan tinggi dengan daya tampung yang cukup tinggi. Hal tersebut menjadi faktor banyaknya pendatang yang menjadi mahasiswa baru di universitas tersebut. Oleh karena itu, mereka membutuhkan tempat tinggal selama mereka menempuh studi di perguruan tinggi. Dalam penelitian ini, objek yang digunakan sebagai penelitian adalah rumah kos di Jalan Kertowaluyo, Kelurahan Ketawanggede, Lowokwaru, Kota Malang.Dari hasil survei awal yang dilakukan, didapatkan kekurangan dari segi kualitas dan kuantitas fasilitas yang disediakan. Dalam penelitian ini digunakan integrasi Service Quality dan Quality Function Deployment. Dari hasil Service Quality dapat diketahui 16 atribut yang menjadi voice of customeryang kemudian dilakukan analisis gap yaitu kelengkapan fasilitas kamar kos, tempat parkir yang lus, kebersihan kamar mandi, jumlah kamar mandi yang cukup,kasur, bantal, dan guling yang nyaman, kebersihan lingkungan rumah kos, kesesuaian biaya kos dengan fasilitas yang didapatkan, penjaga kos membersihkan lingkungan rumah kos setiap pagi, tindakan tanggap penjaga kos saat air kamar mandi habis, penjaga kos yang cekatan dalam melayani kebutuhan penghuni kos, keamanan lingkungan rumah kos, pagar digembok saat jam malam, tempat parkir yang aman, lemari dan meja yang kokoh, keramahan penjaga kos, penjaga kos yang bersedia memberi perawatan pada penghuni kos yang sakit. Berdasarkan hasil analisis Quality Function Deployment, prioritas utama rekomendasi perbaikan yang dapat dilakukan yaitu menyediakan fasilitas rumah kos dengan jumlah dan kualitas yang sama

NEMATICIDAL POTENTIAL OF EXTRACTS OF NEEM (Azadirachta indica) AND LEMON GRASS (Cymbopogon citratus) ON ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES (Meloidogyne spp) INFECTING SWEET POTATO

The nematicidal potential of extracts of Azadirachta indica (neem) leaves and Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) on root-knot nematodes infecting sweet potato was evaluated between the months of June and November, 2012 at the Botanical Nursery of the University of Jos. The root-knot nematodes were obtained from galled roots of tomato and potato in Jos farms. A total of forty (40) sweet potato cultivar TIS 87/0087 were raised in steam-sterilized soil in clay pots and used for the study. Thirty (30) of the test plants were inoculated with 2250 juveniles of root-knot nematodes each while 10 were not inoculated serving as positive control. Ten of the inoculated plants were treated with extracts of neem leaves, 10 were treated with extracts of lemon grass while 10 were not treated, they served as negative control. Growth and yield parameters were then measured from 42 days after planting to 120 DAP using agronomic traits as a measure of growth and yield. Growth and yield parameters such as number of leaves, length of vines, number of tubers, weight of tubers etc were highest in the positive control, followed by sweet potato infected with nematodes and treated with lemon grass extract, then those treated with Neem leaves extract while those not treated with extract had the least growth and yield. Statistical analysis showed that the positive control produced significantly higher (P˂ 0.05) growth and yield parameters than all the other treatments. Infected plants treated with the extracts were also found to have significantly higher growth and yield parameters than the plants that were infected but not treated with extracts (negative control) at 0.05 level of probability. Number of galls was highest among the plants from the negative control, followed by plants treated with lemon grass extracts. The findings indicated that extracts of Lemon grass and Neem leaves improved growth and yield data of nematodes infected sweet potato and thus could be utilized in the control of root-knot nematodes in garden

Effect of Thiamin Status on the Metabolism of Linamarin in Rats

The effect of graded levels of thiamin on the metabolism of linamarin was investigated in rats. It was observed that on a diet deficient in thiamin, a large amount of linamarin was recovered unchanged in the urine, together with significantly more thiocyanate (SCN–) relative to the control. The least amount of thiocyanate (p < 0.05 relative to control) was found in animals receiving the highest amount (twice daily requirement) of thiamin in the diet; but the amount of unmetabolized linamarin was similar to the control. It is suggested that thiamin deficiency may be implicated in the aetiology of tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN) through the thiocyanate overload in people eating large amounts of cassava and cassava derivatives which contain linamari

TOPAZ4: an ocean-sea ice data assimilation system for the North Atlantic and Arctic

We present a detailed description of TOPAZ4, the latest version of TOPAZ – a coupled ocean-sea ice data assimilation system for the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic. It is the only operational, large-scale ocean data assimilation system that uses the ensemble Kalman filter. This means that TOPAZ features a time-evolving, state-dependent estimate of the state error covariance. Based on results from the pilot MyOcean reanalysis for 2003–2008, we demonstrate that TOPAZ4 produces a realistic estimate of the ocean circulation in the North Atlantic and the sea-ice variability in the Arctic. We find that the ensemble spread for temperature and sea-level remains fairly constant throughout the reanalysis demonstrating that the data assimilation system is robust to ensemble collapse. Moreover, the ensemble spread for ice concentration is well correlated with the actual errors. This indicates that the ensemble statistics provide reliable state-dependent error estimates – a feature that is unique to ensemble-based data assimilation systems. We demonstrate that the quality of the reanalysis changes when different sea surface temperature products are assimilated, or when in-situ profiles below the ice in the Arctic Ocean are assimilated. We find that data assimilation improves the match to independent observations compared to a free model. Improvements are particularly noticeable for ice thickness, salinity in the Arctic, and temperature in the Fram Strait, but not for transport estimates or underwater temperature. At the same time, the pilot reanalysis has revealed several flaws in the system that have degraded its performance. Finally, we show that a simple bias estimation scheme can effectively detect the seasonal or constant bias in temperature and sea-level

EFFECTS OF SUBSTITUTION OF FAT WITH MELON SEED MEAL ON QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF PORK SAUSAGES

A study was conducted in which melon seed meal (MSM) replaced fat at 0, 33, 66, and 100% levels in four batches of pork sausages. The chemical and storage properties, cooking weight losses, and sensory properties, of the sausages were determined in the meat processing laboratory. The results showed that MSM increased both ash and crude protein contents. The highest ether extract (36%) was obtained for batch 1 (control) while the lowest value (25.50%) was recorded for batch 4. The values obtained for refrigeration weight losses increased with increase in MSM while the results for dry matter were statistically insignificant. Batch 3 had the highest cooking weight loss of 0.83% whilebatch one had the lowest value of 0.30%. The values obtained for sensory properties increased with increase in the level of MSM up to 66%. It was concluded that pork back fat can be replaced with MSM in pork sausage without adverse effect on processing yield