Utilization of Microvisco-Amylograph to Study Flour,Dough, and Bread Qualities of Hydrocolloid/Flour Blends

Changes in functionality of wheat flour blended with hydrocolloids (alginate, locust bean gum, guar gum, and xanthan) were investigated. Microvisco-amylograph and flour quality analyses were conducted and showed significant (p < 0.05) differences among samples. Correlation of microvisco-amylograph values with other parameters showed that microvisco-amylograph parameters (final viscosity, setback, breakdown, etc.) showed significant (p < 0.05) correlation with other parameters. Microvisco-amylograph breakdown was significantly (p < 0.05) and positively correlated with dough strength and loaf volume. Microvisco-amylograph end of cooling, final viscosity, setback, and breakdown were identified as valuable for determination of flour, dough, and bread qualities as impacted by addition of hydrocolloids.     

Reduced chemistries with the Quantemol database (QDB)

Typical feed gas mixtures used in technological and other plasmas may give rise to reaction networks involving several hundred reactions. Such chemistries are often too large to be used in full reactor simulations and it is therefore desirable to construct reduced chemistry networks which mimic as closely as possible the behavior of the full chemistry but employ far fewer individual reactions and species. Constructed chemistries are available from the Quantemol database (QDB) and two approaches to constructing reduced chemistry from these chemistries based on (a) physical intuition and (b) sensitivity analysis of dominant reaction pathways, are explored. In doing this it is necessary to consider different pressure and power regimes. Reduced chemistry sets are presented for CF₄ /O₂/N₂/H₂, for which 396 reactions and 52 species are reduced to 71 reactions and 26 species, and for pure O₂, for which 45 reactions and 10 species are reduced to 34 reactions.     

Effects of Pretreatment on Properties of Gelatin from Perch (Lates Niloticus) Skin

Fish gelatins obtained from perch fish skin pretreated with various solutions containing acetic acid, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium chloride (NaCl) were successfully characterized for their nanostructure pattern using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Each pretreatment transformed collagen to gelatin with fibril, zigzag cracks, straight rods, and cross-linked rods nanostructure patterns. Pretreatment solutions also affect the gel yield, gel strength, amino acid profile, and functional groups in perch gelatin as analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Samples pretreated with NaCl, NaOH, and acetic acid solution showed the highest gel yield (22.84%) and gel strength (179.84 g). Fourier transform infrared spectra for perch gelatins also revealed weak C–N amide II and III bond stretches as well as weak C=O bond stretch.     

Scattered doses to different parts of cancer patients during radiotherapy treatment in Nigeria

The doses over various parts of the body of 7 patients with cancers of the pharynx, breast and cervix during radiotherapy treatment with a megavoltage 60Co therapy machine were measured using LiF TL dosemeters. The doses on the surface of the patients outside the primary beam were found to vary with a maximum of 366 mGy at the abdomen of a cervix cancer patient to a minimum value of 1.1 mGy at the left arm and left leg of a pharynx cancer patient. The observed variations in the doses were attributed to the difference in patients' tumour location, exposure and anatomy. In the treatment of pregnant women and women of childbearing age, the results presented will be a good starting point for estimation of fetus doses and doses to organs outside the planning region.     

Relative Effectiveness of Project Delivery and Contract Strategies

Project delivery systems define the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in a project. They also establish an execution framework in terms of sequencing of design, procurement, and construction. The decision made in the selection of a project delivery system for a project impacts all phases of execution of the project and greatly impacts the efficiency of project execution. Such decisions should be facilitated by thorough analysis. Structured, quantitative decision analysis processes have been shown to have several benefits over the simplistic, holistic, and informal processes that typically characterize subjective evaluations. However, a dearth of quantitative values of project delivery systems established and validated through research has invariably left project managers with no alternative than to make project delivery selection decisions on the basis of subjective evaluations. Development of the needed quantitative values for application in a decision analysis process would greatly enhance the quality of the decision-making process and provide a defensible rationale for selection of project delivery systems for capital projects. This paper presents research findings that provide the needed quantitative values in this area. Based on the quantitative values defined here, interested parties can develop and implement quantitative evaluation of project delivery alternatives to identify the optimal solution for a given project. Multicriteria decision analysis was found to be the suitable approach for a quantitative, analytical evaluation of project delivery systems. Consequently, the quantitative values presented in this paper were developed in accordance with the requirements of the multicriteria decision analysis technique known as simple multiattribute rating technique with swing weights (SMARTS). Utilizing the quantitative values presented here and applying the analysis technique of SMARTS, a decision support tool has been developed and validated for the Construction Industry Institute. The decision support tool is presently being utilized by member companies of the Construction Industry Institute that were privy to its development. With the presentation of the quantitative values in this paper, other parties interested in developing similar tools would benefit from the research results presented here.     

Quantitative Assessment of Interdisciplinarity in Water Science Programs

Water occupies a prominent role in global environmental change research as a result of its importance in the efficient functioning of the Earth System, and its role in socioeconomic development. Anthropogenic and natural factors have led to unparalleled changes in the global water system, necessitating integrative, interdisciplinary and holistic research paradigm for water resources management. A meta-analysis of water science projects shows that water research activities fall into HUMAN, ECOLOGY, PROCESS, and CLIMATE-BIOGEOCHEMISTRY clusters. Research themes within the clusters suggest that each research project set priorities along the lines of certain scientific disciplines. Statistical analysis further reveals low level of integration between the research clusters. The persistence of a disciplinary perspective could hinder science from effectively informing policy for sustainable water resources management. A proper integration of knowledge generated from different disciplinary epistemologies through partnership and collaboration of research projects is required for effective water management.     

Synthesis and characterization of polylactic acid-lecithin-starch bioplastic film

Plastic-induced environmental issues could be solved using biomaterials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) film. PLA film is a costly solution suggesting the need to add less expensive starch. However, PLA and starch do not mix due to their diverging water behavior. In this study, we evaluated the impact of lecithin as a compatibilizer in varying ratio of PLA and starch film. The results show that inclusion of lecithin in PLA/starch composite leads to enhanced mechanical properties compared with the composite without lecithin. All films' thermal properties were stable but the thermograph of PLA/starch display two peaks whose distance is impacted by lecithin. In addition, morphology and functional group fingerprints revealed that the addition of lecithin improved the interfacial adhesion between the two polymers. Lecithin influenced the positioning and dispersion pattern of starch granules and distinct transmittance characteristics. The improved compatibility of PLA/starch makes the resulting films less susceptible to water penetration and dissolution. This work demonstrated the possibility of using lecithin as emulsifier between PLA and starch which could expand the application of PLA/starch film especially in packaging industries and bale net wrapping.     

The era of sustainable agricultural development in Africa: Understanding the benefits and constraints

Sustainable agriculture has the potential to address some of the fundamental challenges facing agricultural practices in Africa especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The agriculture sector plays an important role as the engine of economic growth in SSA. In this article, we ask the following key question: Can sustainable agriculture save Africa from poverty and food insecurity? To address this fundamental question, we examine and critique evidence of the benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in Africa. Improving agricultural sustainability is fundamental to food security and poverty reduction, particularly in achieving elements of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, but it will not solve all these problems alone. In consort, African governments and the international community must increase their efforts in tackling problems such as conflicts, civil war, political instability, and disease. Therefore, agricultural policy at the national, regional, and local levels and institutional reforms must be designed to benefit food security, poverty reduction, and income growth at the household level.