Microbiological and chemical compositions of agbarati and ogiri Igbo, popular foods of south eastern Nigerians

The microbial and chemical compositions of two indigenous foods of South eastern Nigeria were investigated. The TAPC of ogiri Igbo ranged from 1.2 x 1010 to 2.4 x1011cfu/g, the coliform count was 2.8 x 102 to 7.0 x 106cfu/g, and fungal count was 1.0 x 108 to 3.3 x 1011cfu/g. Agbarati had a TAPC of 1.1 x 109 to 1.2 x 1011cfu/g, coliform count of 3.9 x 105 to 2.7 x 106cfu/g, and fungal count of 1.9 x 107 to 2.4 x 107cfu/g. Species of Bacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Geotrichum, Mucor, Rhizopus and Saccharomyces were prevalent in the samples. The chemical analysis of the food samples indicated the presence of saponin, tannin, alkaloid, flavonoid, oxalate and cyanide in varied amounts. The nutritional analysis revealed that agbarati and ogiri had moisture contents of 11.40 and 36.12%, Fat contents of 39.10 and 30.24 %, Fiber contents of 2.91 and 3.65%, Protein contents of 29.63 and 12.75%, Ash contents of 4.25 and 1.62% and Carbohydrate contents of 12.71 and 15.62, respectively. These traditional foods are good sources of nutrients however, their microbial loads above 106 tolerant limits and the presence of coliforms calls for concern, adequate hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) measure and effective good manufacturing practice (GMP) is imperative in the production of these local foods

Environment-Driven Shifts in Inter-Individual Variation and Phenotypic Integration within Subnetworks of the Mussel Transcriptome and Proteome

The environment can alter the magnitude of phenotypic variation among individuals, potentially influencing evolutionary trajectories. However, environmental influences on variation are complex and remain understudied. Populations in heterogeneous environments might exhibit more variation, the amount of variation could differ between benign and stressful conditions, and/or variation might manifest in different ways among stages of the gene-to-protein expression cascade or among physiological functions. Here, we explore these three issues by quantifying patterns of inter-individual variation in both transcript and protein expression levels among California mussels, Mytilus californianus Conrad. Mussels were exposed to five ecologically relevant treatments that varied in the mean and inter-individual heterogeneity of body temperature. To target a diverse set of physiological functions, we assessed variation within 19 expression subnetworks, including canonical stress-response pathways and empirically derived co-expression clusters that represent a diffuse set of cellular processes. Variation in expression was particularly pronounced in the treatments with high mean and heterogeneous body temperatures. However, with few exceptions, environment-dependent shifts of variation in the transcriptome were not reflected in the proteome. A metric of phenotypic integration provided evidence for a greater degree of constraint on relative expression levels (i.e., stronger correlation) within expression subnetworks in benign, homogeneous environments. Our results suggest that environments that are more stressful on average – and which also tend to be more heterogeneous – can relax these expression constraints and reduce phenotypic integration within biochemical subnetworks. Context-dependent \u27unmasking\u27 of functional variation may contribute to inter-individual differences in physiological phenotype and performance in stressful environments

Evaluation of Microbial and Nutritional Qualities of Aniga and Epiti Moin: Prestige Foods of South Eastern Nigeria

Investigation on the microbiological and nutritional qualities of aniga and epiti moin moin two cultural foods of South eastern Nigeria reveals that the TAPC of aniga ranged from 1.40 x 104 to 1.70 x108cfu/g, the coliform count was < 10 to 2.70 x 104cfu/g and fungal count was 1.60 x 103 to 1.90 x 108cfu/g. Epiti moin moin had a TAPC of 3.40 x 105 to 4.50 x 1010cfu/g, coliform count of 2.00 x 103 to 1.10 x 105cfu/g, and fungal count of 1.17 x 105 to 1.60 x 108cfu/g. The predominant bacterial and fungal isolates included species of Bacillus, Enterobacter, Aspergillus and Saccharomyces. However, species of Corynebacterium, Mucor, and Penicillium were also recovered from epiti moin moin. Varied concentrations of the phytochemicals saponin, tannin, alkaloid, flavonoid, oxalate and cyanide were detected and the proximate analysis shows that aniga and epiti moin moin had moisture contents of 68.55 and 68.41%, Carbohydrate contents of 23.17 and 21.61%, Protein contents of 5.08 and 5.67% and Fat contents of 1.73 and 2.87% respectively. Aniga and Epiti moin moin are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals; they are foods that could be used to augment the nutritional need of man. It is advanced that the application of good manufacturing practices (GMP) and effective hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) in the production of these foods will be necessary to curtail microbial contaminants, standardize the processing procedures and thus optimize the foods for wider consumer acceptabilit

Multi-omics Reveals Largely Distinct Transcript- and Protein-Level Responses to the Environment in an Intertidal Mussel

Organismal responses to stressful environments are influenced by numerous transcript- and protein-level mechanisms, and the relationships between expression changes at these levels are not always straightforward. Here, we used paired transcriptomic and proteomic datasets from two previous studies from gill of the California mussel, Mytilus californianus, to explore how simultaneous transcript and protein abundance patterns may diverge under different environmental scenarios. Field-acclimatized mussels were sampled from two disparate intertidal sites; individuals from one site were subjected to three further treatments (common garden, low-intertidal or high-intertidal outplant) that vary in temperature and feeding time. Assessing 1519 genes shared between the two datasets revealed that both transcript and protein expression patterns differentiated the treatments at a global level, despite numerous underlying discrepancies. There were far more instances of differential expression between treatments in transcript only (1451) or protein only (226) than of the two levels shifting expression concordantly (68 instances). Upregulated expression of cilium-associated transcripts (likely related to feeding) was associated with relatively benign field treatments. In the most stressful treatment, transcripts, but not proteins, for several molecular chaperones (including heat shock proteins and endoplasmic reticulum chaperones) were more abundant, consistent with a threshold model for induction of translation of constitutively available mRNAs. Overall, these results suggest that the relative importance of transcript- and protein-level regulation (translation and/or turnover) differs among cellular functions and across specific microhabitats or environmental contexts. Furthermore, the degree of concordance between transcript and protein expression can vary across benign versus acutely stressful environmental conditions

The function, assay and preparation of galactin, a lactation stimulating hormone of the anterior pituitary and an investigation of the factors responsible for the control of normal lactation

Publication authorized May 16, 1933."This bulletin presents the dissertation of William U. Gardner submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the University of Missouri, June 1933"--P. [4].Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references (pages 58-61)

Large Scale Production of Densified Hydrogen Using Integrated Refrigeration and Storage

Recent demonstration of advanced liquid hydrogen storage techniques using Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) technology at NASA Kennedy Space Center led to the production of large quantities of solid densified liquid and slush hydrogen in a 125,000 L tank. Production of densified hydrogen was performed at three different liquid levels and LH2 temperatures were measured by twenty silicon diode temperature sensors. System energy balances and solid mass fractions are calculated. Experimental data reveal hydrogen temperatures dropped well below the triple point during testing (up to 1 K), and were continuing to trend downward prior to system shutdown. Sub-triple point temperatures were seen to evolve in a time dependent manner along the length of the horizontal, cylindrical vessel. Twenty silicon diode temperature sensors were recorded over approximately one month for testing at two different fill levels (33 67). The phenomenon, observed at both two fill levels, is described and presented detailed and explained herein., and The implications of using IRAS for energy storage, propellant densification, and future cryofuel systems are discussed

Economies of scale in federally-funded state-organized public health programs: results from the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Programs

This study investigates the existence of economies of scale in the provision of breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services by state National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) grantees. A translog cost function is estimated as a system with input factor share equations. The estimated cost function is then used to determine output levels for which average costs are decreasing (i.e., economies of scale exist). Data were collected from all state NBCCEDP programs and District of Columbia for program years 2006–2007, 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 (N =147). Costs included all programmatic and in-kind contributions from federal and non-federal sources, allocated to breast and cervical cancer screening activities. Output was measured by women served, women screened and cancers detected, separately by breast and cervical services for each measure. Inputs included labor, rent and utilities, clinical services, and quasi-fixed factors (e.g., percent of women eligible for screening by the NBCCEDP). 144 out of 147 program-years demonstrated significant economies of scale for women served and women screened; 136 out of 145 program-years displayed significant economies of scale for cancers detected. The cost data were self-reported by the NBCCEDP State programs. Quasi-fixed inputs were allowed to affect costs but not economies of scale or the share equations. The main analysis accounted for clustering of observations within State programs, but it did not make full use of the panel data. The average cost of providing breast and cervical cancer screening services decreases as the number of women screened and served increases

Overview of Saturn lightning observations

The lightning activity in Saturn's atmosphere has been monitored by Cassini for more than six years. The continuous observations of the radio signatures called SEDs (Saturn Electrostatic Discharges) combine favorably with imaging observations of related cloud features as well as direct observations of flash-illuminated cloud tops. The Cassini RPWS (Radio and Plasma Wave Science) instrument and ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) in orbit around Saturn also received ground-based support: The intense SED radio waves were also detected by the giant UTR-2 radio telescope, and committed amateurs observed SED-related white spots with their backyard optical telescopes. Furthermore, the Cassini VIMS (Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and CIRS (Composite Infrared Spectrometer) instruments have provided some information on chemical constituents possibly created by the lightning discharges and transported upward to Saturn's upper atmosphere by vertical convection. In this paper we summarize the main results on Saturn lightning provided by this multi-instrumental approach and compare Saturn lightning to lightning on Jupiter and Earth.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables; Proc. PRE VII conference Graz Sept. 201

Accelerated cosmological expansion due to a scalar field whose potential has a positive lower bound

In many cases a nonlinear scalar field with potential $V$ can lead to accelerated expansion in cosmological models. This paper contains mathematical results on this subject for homogeneous spacetimes. It is shown that, under the assumption that $V$ has a strictly positive minimum, Wald's theorem on spacetimes with positive cosmological constant can be generalized to a wide class of potentials. In some cases detailed information on late-time asymptotics is obtained. Results on the behaviour in the past time direction are also presented.Comment: 16 page