Enantiomeric differentiation of three key volatile compounds in three different palm wines (Elaeis guineensis, Borassus flabellifer and Nypa fruticans)

The contents and enantiomeric distributions of three chiral compounds, linalool, phenylethanol and acetoin, were investigated in three different palm wines (i.e. Elaeis guineensis, Borassus flabellifer, and Nypa fruticans). While N. fruticans and B. flabellifer wines were predominated with the (S)-enantiomers of linalool, phenylethanol and acetoin, respectively, E. guineensis wine contained acetoin primarily as (R)-enantiomers in addition to the (S)-forms of linalool and phenylethanol. Interestingly, results revealed a high level of acetoin in all wines with concentrations ranging from 2437 to 6611 µg/L and an average ratio of S/R of 4:96–100:0. Moreover, noticeable differences occurred in the enantiomeric ratios and concentrations of enantiomers of the chiral compounds during storage. In all the wines, concentration of the (S)-form decreased during storage, whereas those of the (R)-form increased

Study on the Bending Strength of Solid and Glue-Laminated Timber from Three Selected Nigerian Timber Species

Structural timber is desirable for lightness, aesthetics and environmental friendliness. However harnessing timber for structural application can be daunting. Over decades, developed societies modified their sawn timber species by way of gluing in the forms of glued laminated beams and columns. In Nigeria, sawn timber is yet to be explored along these lines. This paper therefore assessed the suitability of Funtumia africana, Alstonia congensis and Antiaris toxicaria Nigerian timber species in the production of glue- laminated timber elements using polyvinyl acetate glue.  The glueability, physical and mechanical properties of solid and glue-laminated species were assessed and compared.  Bending strength and characteristic values of bending strength were determined. Results showed that the timber species were glueable and bending strength across the species was 65.22 N/mm2 vs 36.44 N/mm2; 26.15 N/mm2 vs 25 N/mm2; 14 N/mm2 vs 20 N/mm2 in solid vs glued laminated Funtumia Africana, Alstonia congensis and Antiaris toxicaria beams respectively in edge wise bending. The glued laminated elements across the species developed 55%, 95% and 143% of the solid wood strength. It was shown that the timber species were structurally glueable using polyvinyl acetate glue. The study has shown that the bending strengths of glue-laminated Nigerian timber species were of structural significance given the bending strength of 36.44 N/mm2, 25 N/mm2 and 20 N/mm2 in Funtumia africana (Ire), Alstonia congensis(Awun) and Antiaris toxicaria (Oriro). Keywords: Glueability, Glued laminated timber, Nigerian timber species, bending strengt

Effect of solid-state fermentation and drying methods on the physicochemical properties of flour of two plantain cultivars grown in Malaysia

The present work assessed the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) and drying methods [hot air drying (HAD) and hot air drying assisted by microwave finish drying (MFD)] on the physicochemical, functional and gelatinisation properties of flours of Nangka and Tanduk plantain cultivars. Drying methods and SSF did not affect the fat, dietary fibre and carbohydrate contents of the plantain flours. However, both treatments significantly affected the pH and titratable acidity of the flours. In addition, SSF coupled with MFD significantly increased the water absorption and oil absorption capacities of the flours more than the flours obtained from the hot air drying. Similar trend was observed with the swelling characteristics of the flours. Fermented and MFD flours had higher swelling power than flours obtained by hot air drying. Optical microscopy revealed that drying methods employed in the present work did not significantly alter the starch granules birefringence of the plantains

Correlations between Work Environment, Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitments of Library Personnel in Public University Libraries in South-West Nigeria

Abstract Personnel commitment to their organisations on an emotional, normative, and long-term basis is crucial to achieving organisational goals and objectives. Working circumstances for employees in any business, particularly university libraries are crucial to achieving these levels of dedication. The impact of the work environment on the affective, normative, and long-term commitments of library staff in Nigeria\u27s South-West area was investigated in this paper. A total of 427 people participated in the study. The findings revealed that the work environment is related to affective commitment (R2 =.014; p.05), normative commitment (R2 =.004; p.05), continuance commitment (R2 =.033; p.05), and the entirety of organisational commitment (R2 =.021; p.05) of library personnel in government-owned university libraries in Nigeria\u27s South-West. As a result, the discussion concluded that the work environment is critical in ensuring and maintaining library personnel\u27s dedication to their university libraries. It was suggested that the management of the libraries offer a pleasant working environment for library employees. As a result, organisational commitment would improve a positive working environment in all aspects

Effect of glycerol and stearic acid on the performance of chickpea starch-based coatings applied to fresh-cut papaya

This study examined the potential of incorporating stearic acid in starch-based edible coating formulations in order to increase the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut papaya (“Sekaki” variety). Glycerol was employed as plasticizer and stearic acid was incorporated in proportions of; 0 %, 1%, 2%, and 3% (w/w). Film with 30% glycerol, 1% stearic acid, 5 g of starch, and 5% aloe Vera was chosen because it had low film solubility and water vapour permeability (29.54 ± 0.21, 2.99 ± 0.21), respectively. Furthermore, this film had slightly darker L* value (78.19 ± 1.21) which is an advantage because it will be able to reduce the loss of ascorbic acid (AA) which is sensitive to light and acceptable level of mechanical property The properties of the fresh-cut papayas were analysed during 12 days of storage at 10°C. The results obtained showed that the edible coating (i.e. film with 30% glycerol, 1% stearic acid, 5 g of starch, and 5% aloe Vera) significantly improved the physiochemical properties of fresh-cut papaya in terms of reduced weight loss, better firmness, better colour retention, and a slight decrease in AA content during storage. Furthermore, the microbial analysis showed that, the coating was able to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut papaya up to 12 days at refrigerated conditions

Classification of different pineapple varieties grown in Malaysia based on volatile fingerprinting and sensory analysis

Background: Pineapple is highly relished for its attractive sweet favour and it is widely consumed in both fresh and canned forms. Pineapple favour is a blend of a number of volatile and non-volatile compounds that are present in small amounts and in complex mixtures. The aroma compounds composition may be used for purposes of quality control as well as for authentication and classifcation of pineapple varieties. Results: The key volatile compounds and aroma profle of six pineapple varieties grown in Malaysia were investigated by gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC-O), gas-chromatography–mass spectrometry and qualitative descriptive sensory analysis. A total of 59 compounds were determined by GC-O and aroma extract dilution analysis. Among these compounds, methyl-2-methylbutanoate, methyl hexanoate, methyl-3-(methylthiol)-propanoate, methyl octanoate, 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone, δ-octalactone, 2-methoxy-4-vinyl phenol, and δ-undecalactone contributed greatly to the aroma quality of the pineapple varieties, due to their high favour dilution factor. The aroma of the pineapples was described by seven sensory terms as sweet, foral, fruity, fresh, green, woody and apple-like. Conclusion: Inter-relationship between the aroma-active compounds and the pineapples revealed that ‘Moris’ and ‘MD2’ covaried majorly with the fruity esters, and the other varieties correlated with lesser numbers of the fruity esters. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to establish similarities among the pineapples and the results revealed three main groups of pineapples

Effect of processing and flavour fine-tuning techniques on the volatile flavour constituents of pseudocereals and some minor cereals

Different processing techniques have been used for many centuries to increase the amount of bioactive components and the subsequent fine-tuning of flavour compounds of pseudocereals and the lesser cereals. After an introduction into the different processing methods that leads to the formation of characteristic flavours in pseudocereal and the lesser cereal products, results of studies aimed at indicating the influence of biotechnical processes (e.g. germination and malting), sourdough/sourslurry fermentation and thermal processing on the final aroma of pseudocereal and the lesser cereal products are summarized in this review. Also, the characteristic flavour compounds in both the native and the products of the pseudocereals and the lesser cereals coupled with their stability are highlighted with respect to their contribution to the overall aroma

Effect of chitosan and carrageenan-based edible coatings on post-harvested longan (Dimocarpus longan) fruits

The effect of chitosan/carrageenan and glycerol as edible coating materials in preserving the fresh longan fruits stored at ambient temperature was evaluated. The concentration of coating components played an important role in the process of controlling quality changes and quantity losses. Changes in fruits’ weight loss, respiration rate and color were used as a measure of the coating’s effectiveness. Results have shown that increase in the chitosan or carrageenan concentration led to significant (p 1.19%) of the carrageenan resulted in slight increases in water and weight losses. From the multiple response optimization analysis, a combination of 1.29% (w/v) chitosan with 0.42% glycerol and 1.49% (w/v) carrageenan with 0.03% glycerol were predicted to give the desired coating because they were able to preserve the longan by showing minimal quality changes and quantity losses

Pre-Vocational, Pre-Technical and Pre-Professional Programmes: Basic Tools for Vocational Technical Education and Training

It is noted that various institutions of learning such as primary schools, secondary schools, technical colleges, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities adopt different programmes and methods in training their pupils and students. The chosen programmes by these institutions depend on the ability and interest of the students in various institutions. These programmes are the basic tools for vocational technical education and training in various countries of the world. The training required depends on the level of institution of learning. The training starts from primary school level to higher institutions .The study focuses on the meaning of pre-vocational, pre-technical, pre-profession, technical education and vocational education. It also focuses on the occupational competencies required for training vocational technical education students. The study also contained the measures to improve on the training of vocational technical education students. Keywords: Pre-vocational Education, Pre-technical Education, Pre-professional Education, Vocational Technical Education and Training DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-26-09 Publication date:September 30th 201

Ocular injuries caused by improvised explosion devices-case series of patients seen in National Eye Centre, Kaduna Nigeria

Aim: To highlight the pattern of ocular injuries as a result of improvised explosive devises by insurgents in Kaduna metropolis.Background: Ocular trauma is a cause of blindness in approximately half a million people worldwide and many more have suffered partial loss of sight. Trauma is the most important cause of unilateral loss of vision, particularly in developing countries. An improvised explosive device, also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. In line with the insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria, there is need to identify the common associated ocular injuries with the view to recommending preventive measures and providing adequate resources to managing the challenges.Methodology: Consecutive patients who presented with bomb blast associated ocular injuries and consented to the study from December 2011 through November 2012 were prospectively followed up. Demographic, clinical and operative data was entered into preformed questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS V16.Results: Seven eyes of five patients (2 bilateral) met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 20 years (7-29 years), male to female ratio of 1.5: 1. Only one of the seven affected eyes had presenting VA of 6/60, 2 had NPL and 4 HM. Open globe injury was present in 3 eyes (1-ruptured, 2 corneal laceration) and retinal detachment in two eyes.Conclusion: Bomb blast explosion is associated with catastrophic blinding ocular pathology thus the need to providing needed equipment/manpower to contain it  and seek lasting solutions to the wave violent insurgency