Synthesis and Characterization of Doped Magnesium Hydroxide for Medium Heat Storage Application

The amount of waste heat generated annually in the UK exceeds the total annual electricity demand. Hence, it is crucial to effectively harness all available sources of waste heat based on their varying temperatures. Through suitable technologies, a substantial portion of this waste heat has the potential to be recovered for reutilization. Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) provides the best opportunities to recover waste heat at various temperatures for long-term storage and application. The potential of TCES with magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, has been established, but it has a relatively high dehydration temperature, thus limiting its potential for medium-temperature heat storage applications, which account for a vast proportion of industrial waste heat. To this end, samples of doped Mg(OH)2 with varying proportions (5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) of potassium nitrate (KNO3) have been developed and characterized for evaluation. The results showed that the Mg(OH)2 sample with 5 wt% KNO3 achieved the best outcome and was able to lower the dehydration temperature of the pure Mg(OH)2 from about 317 °C to 293 °C with an increase in the energy storage capacity from 1246 J/g to 1317 J/g. It also showed a monodisperse surface topology and thermal stability in the non-isothermal test conducted on the sample and therefore appears to have the potential for medium heat storage applications ranging from 293 °C to 400 °C

Spices and Condiments in Ghana: Their Utilization in Comminuted Meat Products

Local spices were collected from seven major markets across Ghana, compiled and identified by their Scientific, Common and Local names, properties, part used and area found. Seven fresh pork sausages prepared using differing compositions of these spices were sensorily evaluated in a pre-trial and four selected and further evaluated in triplicate to determine their acceptability. A 10 member panel assessed the external appearance of uncooked products, internal colour, aroma, taste and the overall acceptability of cooked products. The data was analysed as a completely randomized block design using the nonparametric analysis as employed in Friedman’s method and Wilcoxon’s signed rank test. A total of fourteen local spices were collected. A 1.52% level of inclusion of the different composite spice mixes in the products was acceptable. The prekese based product was significantly judged the most acceptable (P=.05) while the dawadawa based product the least acceptable. In conclusion, preparing Ready to use composite-spice mixes from local spices to promote comminuted meat processing among meat handlers is feasible but must be done safely in order to keep the health value of the meat products

Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Corn Dough From Selected Corn Wet Milling Plants in Mankessim

The chemical contaminants in corn dough systematically sampled from five corn wet milling plants were assessed using 3 experimental and 2 control groups. Samples were analyzed at regular intervals using QuEchERS, AAS, HPLC, gravimetric and cold maceration analytical methods. Hundred consumers and 5 wet mill operators were conveniently sampled and interviewed to obtain information on the milling process. The steps involved in preparing corn dough were observed to identify possible practices that introduced contaminants into the dough. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and results presented in frequency and percentage tables. Contaminants identified in the dough were grease, aflatoxins, lead, iron and zinc. T-test was used to determine any significant difference in chemical contaminants in corn dough sampled from selected corn wet milling plants. Significant differences (p≥0.05) existed between contaminants obtained from selected corn wet milling plants. Cleaning materials, old locally- made grinding plates, petroleumbased lubricants, unwashed bare hands for lubrication and dirty milling plants were found to be highly contaminated above acceptable Ghanaian and International standards. Introduced interventions along the production line greatly reduced contaminants in the corn wet milling plants. From the findings, it can be concluded that levels of certain metals and substances found in some corn dough samples suggest possible health risk when consumed. Strict hygiene measures could help reduce this risk

An Assessment of the Nutritional Status of under Five Children in Four Districts in the Central Region of Ghana

The study determined the nutritional status of under five children in Komenda Edina EguafoAbirem (KEEA) districts in Central region, Ghana. Weight and height measurements for 120 children selected from 4 clusters were taken and survey data collected by structured questionnaire from mothers of the selected children. Prevalence of underweight/severely underweight stunting/severely stunted and wasting/severely wasted was 13.3%, 34.2% and 10.8% respectively. Results also indicated that stunting, wasting and underweight were more prevalent in girls than in boys and in children aged >2 - 5 years than those <2 years. Wasting only occurred in a small percentage of the boys and girls, and children <2 years.Survey revealed that there is a significant association between nutritional status of children and mothers’ age, education, nutrition knowledge and feeding practices. Wald statistics and confidence intervals after adjusting for mother’s age, education, occupation, father’s occupation and feeding practices showed mothers nutrition knowledge, feeding practices and mothers’ education as predictors of children nutrition status.Curbing teenage pregnancy, encouraging girls to pursue education, developing and implementing a comprehensive nutrition education programme for mothers with emphasis on providing quality nutritious and adequate food to children is highly recommended

Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Corn Dough From Selected Corn Wet Milling Plants in Mankessim

The chemical contaminants in corn dough systematically sampled from five corn wet milling plants were assessed using 3 experimental and 2 control groups. Samples were analyzed at regular intervals using QuEchERS, AAS, HPLC, gravimetric and cold maceration analytical methods. Hundred consumers and 5 wet mill operators were conveniently sampled and interviewed to obtain information on the milling process. The steps involved in preparing corn dough were observed to identify possible practices that introduced contaminants into the dough. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and results presented in frequency and percentage tables. Contaminants identified in the dough were grease, aflatoxins, lead, iron and zinc. T-test was used to determine any significant difference in chemical contaminants in corn dough sampled from selected corn wet milling plants. Significant differences (p≥0.05) existed between contaminants obtained from selected corn wet milling plants. Cleaning materials, old locally- made grinding plates, petroleumbased lubricants, unwashed bare hands for lubrication and dirty milling plants were found to be highly contaminated above acceptable Ghanaian and International standards. Introduced interventions along the production line greatly reduced contaminants in the corn wet milling plants. From the findings, it can be concluded that levels of certain metals and substances found in some corn dough samples suggest possible health risk when consumed. Strict hygiene measures could help reduce this risk

Nutritional Quality, Functional Properties and Sensory Acceptability of an Orange - fleshed Sweet Potato - based Complementary Food

The study focuses on the development of a complementary food (CF) with the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) to help address the public health problem of vitamin A deficiency among infants. Experimental research design was used for the study. Fifty six infants aged between 6 and 24 months were purposively sampled, together with their mothers, to evaluate three complementary food (CF) products and a control, code-named GAD, PEA, SAB and KAN respectively. The CF products were formulated from orange fleshed sweet potato, anchovies, onion and tomatoes; and the nutrients and functional properties were determined.&nbsp; A questionnaire and an interview guide were used to collect data to assess the sensory attributes and overall acceptability of the formulated CF products. The results showed that the three complementary foods were nutrient dense, with the moisture content being highest in PEA and lowest in GAD.&nbsp; GAD, PEA and SAB were all high in protein and fibre but low in fat and carbohydrate. KAN (control) was the most acceptable with respect to all the sensory attributes of a complementary food, although its overall acceptability was not significantly different from that of the other three CF products - GAD, PEA and SAB

Characterizing prostate cancer risk through multi-ancestry genome-wide discovery of 187 novel risk variants.

The transferability and clinical value of genetic risk scores (GRSs) across populations remain limited due to an imbalance in genetic studies across ancestrally diverse populations. Here we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 156,319 prostate cancer cases and 788,443 controls of European, African, Asian and Hispanic men, reflecting a 57% increase in the number of non-European cases over previous prostate cancer genome-wide association studies. We identified 187 novel risk variants for prostate cancer, increasing the total number of risk variants to 451. An externally replicated multi-ancestry GRS was associated with risk that ranged from 1.8 (per standard deviation) in African ancestry men to 2.2 in European ancestry men. The GRS was associated with a greater risk of aggressive versus non-aggressive disease in men of African ancestry (P = 0.03). Our study presents novel prostate cancer susceptibility loci and a GRS with effective risk stratification across ancestry groups