Nutritional enhancement of Ghanaian weaning foods using the orange flesh sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas)

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in Ghana. Research on the orange flesh sweetpotato root has been given prominence because of its high β-carotene content as a means to enhance the nutritive value and vitamin A content of the traditional diets of Ghanaian children as a long-term intervention towards combating VAD. Two Ghanaian cereal-legume weaning foods: roasted maize- soy blend and fermented maize-soy blend were added to Orange Flesh Sweetpotato (OFS) flour from the variety, Beauregard, to develop four weaning food formulations. To each product formulation preparation, 25% and 50% OFS flour was added to the basic cereal-legume meals, and mixed thoroughly. The four weaning formulations were evaluated for chemical composition, sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability. All samples had a range of protein (12.1% - 15%), fat (4.8% - 6.4%), carbohydrate (71.1% – 75.1%), energy (380 - 390 kcal/100g) and minerals (calcium, iron and phosphorus) to ensure good nutrient density, while the moisture content was low (5.3% - 6.1%) for storage stability. The contribution of β-carotene (55.18–115.55 ug/g) by the OFS in the formulations further enhanced the nutritive value of all the blends and is enough to meet the daily β-carotene needs of the children (1-6 yrs of 400-450ug/100g). A higher level of β-carotene was seen in the roasted maize meal weaning foods which makes them a better potential blend for combating VAD. Also, sensory evaluation of the products indicated the highest consumer acceptability score (87%) for the roasted maize meal porridge formulation containing 25% OFS. It is, therefore, concluded that OFS flour has the potential to be used at 25% replacement level in the soy-fortified roasted maize meal formulation, and OFS is a useful ingredient with the potential to improve the β-carotene or vitamin A content of such formulations. This will help alleviate vitamin A deficiency of children in Ghana and other countries with similar problems. It is, therefore, recommended that the orange flesh sweetpotato flour be used by mothers as an entry point for enhancing the traditional weaning food preparations.Key words: β-carotene, sweetpotato flour, weaning food

Proposal for a Retirement Home Garden

The purpose of this proposal is to construct, with the permission of the owner of a local retirement home, a handicap-accessible garden. Our aim is to make the proposal personal, relevant, and practical for the target audience--the owner of the retirement home. Before writing the proposal, we had to conduct research to investigate the budget, garden logistics, and practical support that would be required for successful implementation. One challenge we faced was the need to convince our audience that a handicap-accessible garden would be plausible. We accomplish this in our plan by implementing, among other accommodations, raised garden beds at various levels to assist those that would be otherwise unable to participate. We begin with a formal yet personal introduction to show that we are familiar with the retirement home and to demonstrate our investment in the project. To prove that the idea is practical, we anticipate and address potential objections and challenges. In order to show the relevance of the project, we supply the owner with a list of potential benefits, including developing a reputation for his facility for providing exemplary care. Through our preliminary research, we learned that a handicap-accessible garden could be made possible by innovative tools and garden designs. We also discovered the benefits that such a garden can provide for both individual users and communities

An Assessment of Microlending Programs in the Alabama Black Belt Region

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the impact of selected socioeconomic factors on microlending in the Alabama Black Belt. It used logistic regression to identify the link between borrower socioeconomic characteristics and loan repayment rate from existing and previous microloan programs. It was hypothesized that borrower gender, age, level of education, household income, and credit score has a major impact on loan repayment. The results of study indicated that only credit score had a statistically significant effect on loan repayment. This finding underscores the importance of credit score and credit repair management in existing microloan programs, given the socioeconomic characteristics of microloan program participants in the Alabama Black Belt. It was recommended that microloan programs should incorporate the requisite personal finance management outreach and Extension components due to the need to rebuild credit for those interested in microloans for personal or business use. Keywords: Black Belt, Microlending, Socioeconomic Characteristic

Determinants of Consumer Preference for and Expenditure on Rice in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

The primary objective of the study was to examine determinants of consumer preferences for and expenditure on rice in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Data were collected from a random sample of 230 participants, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analyses. The descriptive statistics revealed that domestic rice was preferred by a majority of the participants over imported rice. The most important attribute for consumers was aroma, followed by taste, cleanness, and price. The logistic regression analysis showed that price of a substitute, quality, and household size had significant effects on preference for rice, domestic or imported. The OLS analysis revealed that the price of rice, income, frequency of consumption, and household size had significant effects on expenditure on rice. It is suggested that domestic rice should be promoted, and influential factors should be considered in any consumption and policy changes in the rice industry

Formation of ultracold RbCs molecules by photoassociation

The formation of ultracold metastable RbCs molecules is observed in a double species magneto-optical trap through photoassociation below the ^85Rb(5S_1/2)+^133Cs(6P_3/2) dissociation limit followed by spontaneous emission. The molecules are detected by resonance enhanced two-photon ionization. Using accurate quantum chemistry calculations of the potential energy curves and transition dipole moment, we interpret the observed photoassociation process as occurring at short internuclear distance, in contrast with most previous cold atom photoassociation studies. The vibrational levels excited by photoassociation belong to the 5th 0^+ or the 4th 0^- electronic states correlated to the Rb(5P_1/2,3/2)+Cs(6S_1/2) dissociation limit. The computed vibrational distribution of the produced molecules shows that they are stabilized in deeply bound vibrational states of the lowest triplet state. We also predict that a noticeable fraction of molecules is produced in the lowest level of the electronic ground state