Development and Evaluation of Corn-Cowpea Mixtures as Protein Sources for Nigerian Infants.

The feasibility of producing a low cost, easy to use, and flatulence-free product from corn and cowpeas for Nigerian children was investigated. Cowpea slurry was naturally fermented for 48 hours at room temperature. The pH dropped from 6.38 to 4.20. In fermentation with the yeast, pichia guilliermondii Y-2075, for 72 hours at room temperature, the pH dropped to only 5.60. Soaking and wet milling resulted in nutrient losses. Drum drying of the product did not significantly reduce lysine levels, 90% being biologically available in most samples. Products with good biological value as measured by PER in excess of 2.0 were obtained. Results from NPR confirmed the PER trends. Protein levels increased in the corn:cowpea mixtures with increased proportion of cowpeas. Maximum complementary effect on protein quality was achieved when cowpeas contributed between 33 and 40% of the starting material. Beyond this range, protein quality was reduced even though protein content was higher. Fermentation increased protein levels in the blends. The increase was higher following yeast fermentation. Cystine content was significantly reduced in yeast fermented samples, thus lowering total sulfur amino acids. Except for tryptophan, fermentation increased the essential amino acids. Fermentation markedly affected the salt soluble protein units of the blends. SDS gel electrophoretic analysis showed that fermented samples contained only low molecular weight fractions, and the number of protein subunits were few. The degree of protein breakdown also was higher with yeast fermentation. Significant reduction in the levels of raffinose and stachyose was achieved by fermentation of cowpeas, yeast fermentation being more effective than natural fermentation in this regard. Stachyose was completely eliminated in one sample, and reduced more than 90% in others following yeast fermentation

The Mass-Size Relation from Clouds to Cores. I. A new Probe of Structure in Molecular Clouds

We use a new contour-based map analysis technique to measure the mass and size of molecular cloud fragments continuously over a wide range of spatial scales (0.05 < r / pc < 10), i.e., from the scale of dense cores to those of entire clouds. The present paper presents the method via a detailed exploration of the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Dust extinction and emission data are combined to yield reliable scale-dependent measurements of mass. This scale-independent analysis approach is useful for several reasons. First, it provides a more comprehensive characterization of a map (i.e., not biased towards a particular spatial scale). Such a lack of bias is extremely useful for the joint analysis of many data sets taken with different spatial resolution. This includes comparisons between different cloud complexes. Second, the multi-scale mass-size data constitutes a unique resource to derive slopes of mass-size laws (via power-law fits). Such slopes provide singular constraints on large-scale density gradients in clouds.Comment: accepted to ApJ; references updated in new versio

The Difference Between Ghana Cocoa Farmers’ Personal Profile on their Financial Sustainability

In pursuing their enterprises, cocoa farmers now need financial sustainability. This research&nbsp;focuses on financial sustainability because it is linked to the accessibility of agricultural&nbsp;funding and the effect on society for current and future generations in order to guarantee a&nbsp;sustainable livelihood. This study considers the personal profiles of cocoa farmers, which are&nbsp;sex, education level, number of dependents, and farm sizes. The cocoa farmers profile has a&nbsp;divergent view on their financial sustainability. The study is quantitative research andcorrelational design research. The sample population of 1,000 Cocoa farmers was conveniently&nbsp;sampled from the six cocoa-growing regions of Ghana as respondents. The study used selfconstructed questionnaires to measure financial sustainability, which had sub-variables of&nbsp;financial viability, financial self-sufficiency, and financial impact. The statistical analysis for&nbsp;the differences was computed by using SPSS 23 with T’Test and ANOVA. The results of the&nbsp;study revealed that there was no significant difference in a number of dependents and&nbsp;educational level of cocoa farmers on their financial sustainability. Also, farm size and sex&nbsp;proofed to have a significant difference in the financial sustainability of the cocoa farmer. Large&nbsp;farm size indicated a major difference in financial sustainability as compared to small farm&nbsp;size. Male cocoa farmers were better than the female cocoa farmers on their financialsustainability. The dominance of males in cocoa farming in Ghana makes them consider the&nbsp;financial sustainability of the cocoa farming venture more than females. This is because they&nbsp;are mainly supporting the livelihood of their families. Farm Size as a determinant of financialsustainability is evident by the yield larger farm size can give a cocoa farmer. The study&nbsp;recommends that in order to attain financial sustainability for the cocoa farmer, the farm size&nbsp;and sex must be considered.&nbsp

Controlling surface plasmon polaritons in transformed coordinates

Transformational optics allow for a markedly enhanced control of the electromagnetic wave trajectories within metamaterials with interesting applications ranging from perfect lenses to invisibility cloaks, carpets, concentrators and rotators. Here, we present a review of curved anisotropic heterogeneous meta-surfaces designed using the tool of transformational plasmonics, in order to achieve a similar control for surface plasmon polaritons in cylindrical and conical carpets, as well as cylindrical cloaks, concentrators and rotators of a non-convex cross-section. Finally, we provide an asymptotic form of the geometric potential for surface plasmon polaritons on such surfaces in the limit of small curvature.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

The Initial Conditions of Clustered Star Formation III. The Deuterium Fractionation of the Ophiuchus B2 Core

We present N2D+ 3-2 (IRAM) and H2D+ 1_11 - 1_10 and N2H+ 4-3 (JCMT) maps of the small cluster-forming Ophiuchus B2 core in the nearby Ophiuchus molecular cloud. In conjunction with previously published N2H+ 1-0 observations, the N2D+ data reveal the deuterium fractionation in the high density gas across Oph B2. The average deuterium fractionation R_D = N(N2D+)/N(N2H+) ~ 0.03 over Oph B2, with several small scale R_D peaks and a maximum R_D = 0.1. The mean R_D is consistent with previous results in isolated starless and protostellar cores. The column density distributions of both H2D+ and N2D+ show no correlation with total H2 column density. We find, however, an anticorrelation in deuterium fractionation with proximity to the embedded protostars in Oph B2 to distances >= 0.04 pc. Destruction mechanisms for deuterated molecules require gas temperatures greater than those previously determined through NH3 observations of Oph B2 to proceed. We present temperatures calculated for the dense core gas through the equating of non-thermal line widths for molecules (i.e., N2D+ and H2D+) expected to trace the same core regions, but the observed complex line structures in B2 preclude finding a reasonable result in many locations. This method may, however, work well in isolated cores with less complicated velocity structures. Finally, we use R_D and the H2D+ column density across Oph B2 to set a lower limit on the ionization fraction across the core, finding a mean x_e, lim >= few x 10^{-8}. Our results show that care must be taken when using deuterated species as a probe of the physical conditions of dense gas in star-forming regions.Comment: ApJ accepte

Wide field CO J = 3->2 mapping of the Serpens Cloud Core

Context. Outflows provide indirect means to get an insight on diverse star formation associated phenomena. On scales of individual protostellar cores, outflows combined with intrinsic core properties can be used to study the mass accretion/ejection process of heavily embedded protostellar sources. Methods. An area comprising 460"x230" of the Serpens cloud core has been mapped in 12 CO J = 3\to 2 with the HARP-B heterodyne array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; J = 3\to 2 observations are more sensitive tracers of hot outflow gas than lower J CO transitions; combined with the high sensitivity of the HARP-B receptors outflows are sharply outlined, enabling their association with individual protostellar cores. Results. Most of ~20 observed outflows are found to be associated with known protostellar sources in bipolar or unipolar configurations. All but two outflow/core pairs in our sample tend to have a projected orientation spanning roughly NW-SE. The overall momentum driven by outflows in Serpens lies between 3.2 and 5.1 x 10^(-1) M\odot km s^(-1), the kinetic energy from 4.3 to 6.7 x 10^(43) erg and momentum flux is between 2.8 and 4.4 x 10^(-4) M\odot km s^(-1) yr^(-1). Bolometric luminosities of protostellar cores based on Spitzer photometry are found up to an order of magnitude lower than previous estimations derived with IRAS/ISO data. Conclusions. We confirm the validity of the existing correlations between the momentum flux and bolometric luminosity of Class I sources for the homogenous sample of Serpens, though we suggest that they should be revised by a shift to lower luminosities. All protostars classified as Class 0 sources stand well above the known Class I correlations, indicating a decline in momentum flux between the two classes.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Kokybės užtikrinimo plėtra Bosnijos ir Hercegovinos aukštojo mokslo sektoriuje: teksto analizė

Education is the bedrock of any nation. It is essential for individual and societal growth and development. This study investigates the role of quality assurance in achieving the expected outcome of education in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s higher education sector. A textual analysis is used to examine the National Qualification Framework. The study is based on a documented review and descriptive analysis of student enrollment and programs of studies. The textual analysis is largely qualitative in nature. Unlike the global trend, it can be seen that student enrollment is on the decline in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was found that quality assurance is an indispensable tool for strengthening the higher education sector and for achieving the desired change and outcomes that education offers. It was also found that study programs and curricula are pivotal for teaching and learning processes, and that a unified qualification framework is essential for achieving set objectives of education at all levels. The study recommended that sound quality assurance systems as well as an appropriate structure for monitoring and accreditation be put in place and be judiciously followed in order to achieve the desired outcomes in conjunction with the set objectives of higher education in the country. Moreover, certain pressures (i.e., democratic, economic, and systemic) and obstacles are looked at that show signs of epistemological, political, and institutional barriers that Bosnia and Herzegovina faces as a developing country Europeanizing its system of education.Švietimas yra kiekvienos tautos pagrindas, būtinas asmens ir visuomenės augimui bei vystymuisi. Šiame tyrime analizuojamas kokybės užtikrinimo vaidmuo siekiant numatomų Bosnijos ir Hercegovinos aukštojo mokslo sektoriaus rezultatų. Nacionalinė kvalifikacijų sistema nagrinėjama pasitelkiant teksto analizės metodą – tyrimas grindžiamas dokumentuota, daugiausia kokybine studentų priėmimo ir studijų programų apžvalga bei aprašomąja analize. Tyrimas atskleidė, kad skirtingai nuo pasaulinių tendencijų, Bosnijoje ir Hercegovinoje studentų skaičius mažėja. Kokybės užtikrinimas yra nepakeičiama priemonė stiprinant aukštojo mokslo sektorių, taip pat norint pasiekti švietimo inicijuojamus pokyčius ir rezultatus. Atskleista ir tai, kad studijų programos ir ugdymo turinys turi lemiamą reikšmę mokymo ir mokymosi procesams, o unifikuota kvalifikacijų sistema yra būtina siekiant užsibrėžtų švietimo tikslų visais lygiais. Tyrime rekomenduojama įdiegti patikimas kokybės užtikrinimo sistemas, atitinkamą stebėsenos ir akreditavimo struktūrą bei jų apgalvotai laikytis, kad šalyje būtų pasiekti keliamus aukštojo mokslo tikslus atitinkantys rezultatai. Be to, tyrime aptariami labai svarbūs ir nuodugniai išanalizuoti lemiami veiksniai (demokratiniai, ekonominiai ir sisteminiai) ir trikdžiai – jie nusako epistemologinių, politinių ir institucinių kliūčių požymius Bosnijoje ir Hercegovinoje, besivystančioje šalyje, kuri yra švietimo sistemos europinimo pavyzdys

Penyebaran Dan Pembauran Inovasi Gizi Melalui Kegiatan Upgk Di Pedesaan Jawa Barat

Kegiatan Usaha Perbaikan Gizi Keluarga (UPGK) di Pos Pelayanan Terpadu (Posyandu) dapat dipandang sebagai upaya pembaruan perilaku (konsumsi) yang bertujuan agar lambat laun ibu-ibbu anak Balita atas bantuan para kader memiliki kemampuan mandiri dalam memelihara dan meningkatkan derajat kesehatan dan gizi anak Balita serta keluarga mereka. Upaya ini akan mempunyai arti positif jika pada sistem sosial masyarakat bertumbuh dan berkembang proses belajar dan pembaruan perilaku yang mengarah pada tindakan masing-masing keluarga untuk hidup lebih sehat dibanding keadaan sebelumnya. Pencapaian keadaan seperti ini tidak lepas dari fungsi dan peranan para pembina serta kader yang terlibat dalam kegiatan tersebut selaku sumber dan penyalur pesan-pesan inovasi gizi. Kenyataan menunjukkan bahwa pelaksanaan program belum mencapai sasaran sebagaimana yang diharapkan. Dalam tulisan ini dikemukakan beberapa faktor penyebab ketidakberhasilan pencapaian sasaran program UPGK, khususnya di Kabupaten Subang, Jawa Barat, dimana identifikasi masalah dilakukan. kemampuan ekonomi keluarga dan tingkat pendidikan ibu anak Balita yang relatif rendah menjadi kendala utama yang mempengaruhi kadar pengetahuan gizi mereka. Para kader dihadapkan pada masalah kurang mengikuti penataran, cakupan wilayah kerja yang terlalu luas, ketidakjelasan keterikatan mereka dalam kegiatan, dan sistem imbalan, suasana yang kurang memadai di Posyandu sebagai tempat penyuluhan gizi bagi ibu-ibu peserta kegiatan UPGK, keterbatasan kesempatan, dana dan sarana untuk kegiatan kunjungan rumah. Petugas gizi selaku pembina kegiatan di Posyandu menghadapi keterbatasan sarana transportasi, disamping tugas rutin yang cukup banyak menyita perhatian dan waktu

The Mass-Size Relation from Clouds to Cores. II. Solar Neighborhood Clouds

We measure the mass and size of cloud fragments in several molecular clouds continuously over a wide range of spatial scales (0.05 < r / pc < 3). Based on the recently developed "dendrogram-technique", this characterizes dense cores as well as the enveloping clouds. "Larson's 3rd Law" of constant column density, m(r) = C*r^2, is not well suited to describe the derived mass-size data. Solar neighborhood clouds not forming massive stars (< 10 M_sun; Pipe Nebula, Taurus, Perseus, and Ophiuchus) obey m(r) < 870 M_sun (r / pc)^1.33 . In contrast to this, clouds forming massive stars (Orion A, G10.15$-$0.34, G11.11$-$0.12) do exceed the aforementioned relation. Thus, this limiting mass-size relation may approximate a threshold for the formation of massive stars. Across all clouds, cluster-forming cloud fragments are found to be---at given radius---more massive than fragments devoid of clusters. The cluster-bearing fragments are found to roughly obey a mass-size law m = C*r^1.27 (where the exponent is highly uncertain in any given cloud, but is certainly smaller than 1.5).Comment: accepted to the Astrophysical Journa

Realism, Objectivity, and Evaluation

I discuss Benacerraf's epistemological challenge for realism about areas like mathematics, metalogic, and modality, and describe the pluralist response to it. I explain why normative pluralism is peculiarly unsatisfactory, and use this explanation to formulate a radicalization of Moore's Open Question Argument. According to the argument, the facts -- even the normative facts -- fail to settle the practical questions at the center of our normative lives. One lesson is that the concepts of realism and objectivity, which are widely identified, are actually in tension