Methods for assessing quality characteristics of non-grain starch staples. (Part 3. Laboratory methods.)

This manual sets out in a four-part publication the main methods necessary to evaluate the quality characteristics of nongrain starch staple (NGSS) food crops (cassava, sweet potato, banana, plantain, yam and cocoyam) and their processed products. It is designed to be a reference source and laboratory guide for food analysis laboratories and those concerned with the quality of NGSS. It is hoped that the provision of this manual and its active promotion through workshops will assist in the uptake of quality assessment methodologies, the setting of quality standards and to the improved quality of fresh material and their processed products. It is expected that the audience for this manual will be wide ranging and include: • public sector research and development establishments such as universities, colleges and research institutes-this would include bodies responsible for NGSS breeding programmes and food and nutrition programmes; • bureaux of standards/quality standards boards and other bodies responsible for setting and monitoring the standard of foods and raw materials within the NGSS sector; and • private sector quality control laboratories wishing to implement quality assurance systems utilizing NGSS or their by-products as raw materials for food or industrial applications. Different groups may wish to use different parts of the manual. The manual is divided into four parts: • Part 1 Introductory section; • Part 2 Field methods: methods that require a minimum of equipment and are suitable for use in situations where a laboratory is not readily available; • Part 3 Laboratory methods: this part brings together most of the standard laboratory methods for the analysis of NGSS food crops; and • Part 4 Advanced methods: in this part a diverse range of techniques is brought together. It includes methods of a more advanced nature and possibly requiring more sophisticated equipment than described in Part 3. This section may be used for research purposes

Methods for assessing quality characteristics of non-grain starch staples. (Part 2. Field Methods.)

This manual sets out in a four-part publication the main methods necessary to evaluate the quality characteristics of nongrain starch staple (NGSS) food crops (cassava, sweet potato, banana, plantain, yam and cocoyam) and their processed products. It is designed to be a reference source and laboratory guide for food analysis laboratories and those concerned with the quality of NGSS. It is hoped that the provision of this manual and its active promotion through workshops will assist in the uptake of quality assessment methodologies, the setting of quality standards and to the improved quality of fresh material and their processed products. It is expected that the audience for this manual will be wide ranging and include: • public sector research and development establishments such as universities, colleges and research institutes-this would include bodies responsible for NGSS breeding programmes and food and nutrition programmes; • bureaux of standards/quality standards boards and other bodies responsible for setting and monitoring the standard of foods and raw materials within the NGSS sector; and • private sector quality control laboratories wishing to implement quality assurance systems utilizing NGSS or their by-products as raw materials for food or industrial applications. Different groups may wish to use different parts of the manual. The manual is divided into four parts: • Part 1 Introductory section; • Part 2 Field methods: methods that require a minimum of equipment and are suitable for use in situations where a laboratory is not readily available; • Part 3 Laboratory methods: this part brings together most of the standard laboratory methods for the analysis of NGSS food crops; and • Part 4 Advanced methods: in this part a diverse range of techniques is brought together. It includes methods of a more advanced nature and possibly requiring more sophisticated equipment than described in Part 3. This section may be used for research purposes

Consumer acceptance of provitamin A orange maize in rural Zambia:

This study analyzes consumer acceptance of biofortified orange maize in rural Zambia by eliciting consumers' willingness to pay. It attempts to examine the impact of nutrition information, comparing the use of simulated radio versus community leaders in transmitting the nutrition message, on consumer acceptance. Finally, it assesses whether product experience in a home-use setting influences the magnitude of premiums or discounts. The results suggest that (a) the negative perception of yellow maize does not affect orange maize which is well liked, (b) there is a premium for orange maize with nutrition information, (c) the mode of nutritional-message dissemination does not have a large impact on consumer acceptance, and (d) product experience does not translate into lower willingness to pay for orange maize.maize, willingness to pay, consumer acceptance,

Methods for assessing quality characteristics of non-grain starch staples. (Part 1. Introduction.)

This manual sets out in a four-part publication the main methods necessary to evaluate the quality characteristics of nongrain starch staple (NGSS) food crops (cassava, sweet potato, banana, plantain, yam and cocoyam) and their processed products. It is designed to be a reference source and laboratory guide for food analysis laboratories and those concerned with the quality of NGSS. It is hoped that the provision of this manual and its active promotion through workshops will assist in the uptake of quality assessment methodologies, the setting of quality standards and to the improved quality of fresh material and their processed products. It is expected that the audience for this manual will be wide ranging and include: • public sector research and development establishments such as universities, colleges and research institutes-this would include bodies responsible for NGSS breeding programmes and food and nutrition programmes; • bureaux of standards/quality standards boards and other bodies responsible for setting and monitoring the standard of foods and raw materials within the NGSS sector; and • private sector quality control laboratories wishing to implement quality assurance systems utilizing NGSS or their by-products as raw materials for food or industrial applications. Different groups may wish to use different parts of the manual. The manual is divided into four parts: • Part 1 Introductory section; • Part 2 Field methods: methods that require a minimum of equipment and are suitable for use in situations where a laboratory is not readily available; • Part 3 Laboratory methods: this part brings together most of the standard laboratory methods for the analysis of NGSS food crops; and • Part 4 Advanced methods: in this part a diverse range of techniques is brought together. It includes methods of a more advanced nature and possibly requiring more sophisticated equipment than described in Part 3. This section may be used for research purposes

Discovery and Characterization of Recurrent Gene Fusions in Prostate Cancer.

Recurrent chromosomal rearrangements have been well characterized in hematologic and mesenchymal malignancies, but not in common carcinomas. A novel bioinformatics algorithm termed Cancer Outlier Profile Analysis (COPA) was developed to analyze DNA microarray data for genes markedly over-expressed (“outliers”) in a subset of cases. COPA identified the ETS family members ERG and ETV1 as high-ranking outliers in multiple prostate cancer profiling studies. In cases with outlier expression of ERG or ETV1, recurrent gene fusions of the 5’ untranslated region of the prostate-specific, androgen-induced gene TMPRSS2 to the respective ETS family member were identified. In vitro studies in cancer cell lines demonstrated that androgen-responsive promoter elements of TMPRSS2 mediate the aberrant ETS family member over-expression. Subsequent interrogation of all ETS family members in prostate cancer profiling studies identified outlier expression of ETV4 in two of 98 cases. In one such case, ETV4 over-expression was confirmed and a fusion of the TMPRSS2 and ETV4 loci was identified. A large scale profiling and integrated molecular concepts analysis demonstrated that ETS rearrangement-positive and -negative tumors have distinct transcriptional programs, with loss at 6q21 as a possible defining genetic event in ETS negative prostate cancers. While TMPRSS2:ERG fusions are predominant, fewer TMPRSS2:ETV1 cases were identified than would be expected based on the frequency of ETV1 outlier expression. Through characterizing additional ETV1 outlier cases, novel 5’ fusion partners defining distinct functional classes of ETS gene rearrangements were identified. These include fusions involving androgen-stimulated, androgen-repressed and androgen-insensitive 5’ partners. As the commonality of ETS rearrangements is aberrant over-expression, in vitro and in vivo recapitulation demonstrated that ETV1 or ERG over-expression in benign prostate cells and the mouse prostate confers neoplastic phenotypes. Together, this work suggests a pathogenetically important role for recurrent chromosomal rearrangements in a common epithelial tumor and has important implications in the molecular diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Deregulation of ETS family member expression through gene fusions appears to be a generalized mechanism for prostate cancer development in the majority of cases. Additionally, other common epithelial tumors may be driven by uncharacterized gene rearrangements.Ph.D.Molecular & Cellular PathologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57601/2/tomlinss_1.pd

Bio-preservative activities of Lactobacillus plantarum strains in fermenting Casssava ‘fufu’

The growth of three pathogens, namely Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhii were investigated in fermenting and non-fermenting cassava. The pH of the steeped cassava was also examined during fermentation. Antimicrobial effects of the Lactobacillus plantarum on the pathogens were also determined by agar diffusion method. All the pathogens were inhibited by L. plantarum strains with Staph. aureus having the highest inhibitory zone followed by E. coli and S. thyphii. However, in the fermenting cassava, the pathogens increased in population within the first 36 h of the process and decreased to complete extinction after the 96 h of fermentation. The L. plantarum exhibited high but varying degree of inhibition on the pathogens. The findings justify the bio-preservative roles of lactic acid bacteria in traditional cassava products.Key words: Bio-preservation, Lactobacillus plantarum, fermentation, cassava and pathogens

Informing a risk prediction model for binary outcomes with external coefficient information

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146799/1/rssc12306-sup-0001-SupInfo.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146799/2/rssc12306_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146799/3/rssc12306.pd

Consumer acceptance of provitamin A orange maize in rural Zambia (HarvestPlus Working Paper No.4)

This study analyzes consumer acceptance of biofortified orange maize in rural Zambia by eliciting consumers’ willingness to pay. It attempts to examine the impact of nutrition information, comparing the use of simulated radio versus community leaders in transmitting the nutrition message, on consumer acceptance. Finally, it assesses whether product experience in a home-use setting influences the magnitude of premiums or discounts. The results suggest that (a) the negative perception of yellow maize does not affect orange maize which is well liked, (b) there is a premium for orange maize with nutrition information, (c) the mode of nutritional-message dissemination does not have a large impact on consumer acceptance, and (d) product experience does not translate into lower willingness to pay for orange maize