Supporting command and control training functions in the emergency management domain using cognitive systems engineering

The design and implementation of MERMAIDS, a computer-based training system in the domain of emergency command and control, is described. The research investigates the use of cognitive systems engineering and information management tools for modelling and representing training knowledge of emergency system operators. We propose a decision-centric human-computer interface as a new method of supporting computer-based modelling in the domain of emergency systems. Several interacting themes in information management relevant to emergency response planning are discussed.     

Physical,chemical and microbiological changes during green plant juice fermentation

Protein was precipitated from alfalfa juice by fermentation at 30°C, 35°C and 40°C.During fermentation there was a decrease in the pH, the total non-structural carbohydrate and the solid content while there was an increase in the lactic acid concentration and the population of the lactic acid bacteria in the juice. The lactic acid bacteria, which were initially only about 0·1% to 1·0% of the total bacteria count in the juice, predominated after a period of fermentation, producing mostly lactic acid and considerable amounts of acetic acid but only trace amounts of other volatile fatty acids.The addition of some lactic acid bacteria cultures—Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus cereviseae—to the juice at the beginning of fermentation substantially reduced the lag phase and the final pH of the juice.     

Design for comfort in Nigeria — a bioclimatic approach

Most of the previous analyses of climate of Nigeria have been for agricultural use or weather prediction purposes. They have little or no application for building design. This paper examines and analyses the climate of Nigeria with respect to building design parameters — temperature, relative humidity, air velocity and solar radiation, with a view to providing design recommendations for the achievement of physiological comfort. It accesses the current methods of climatic analysis with respect to building design. It then develops bioclimatic charts for various cities for the country using a combination of a general atmospheric circulation model approach and control potential techniques. Finally, design recommendations are then suggested for typical cities in the country.     

Effect of Peptide Size on Antioxidant Properties of African Yam Bean Seed (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) Protein Hydrolysate Fractions

Enzymatic hydrolysate of African yam bean seed protein isolate was prepared by treatment with alcalase. The hydrolysate was further fractionated into peptide sizes of <1, 1-3, 3-5 and 5-10 kDa using membrane ultrafiltration. The protein hydrolysate (APH) and its membrane ultrafiltration fractions were assayed for in vitro antioxidant activities. The <1 kDa peptides exhibited significantly better (p < 0.05) ferric reducing power, diphenyl-1-picryhydradzyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities when compared to peptide fractions of higher molecular weights. The high activity of <1 kDa peptides in these antioxidant assay systems may be related to the high levels of total hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids. In comparison to glutathione (GSH), the APH and its membrane fractions had significantly higher (p < 0.05) ability to chelate metal ions. In contrast, GSH had significantly greater (p < 0.05) ferric reducing power and free radical scavenging activities than APH and its membrane fractions. The APH and its membrane fractions effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation, results that were concentration dependent. The activity of APH and its membrane fractions against linoleic acid oxidation was higher when compared to that of GSH but lower than that of butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT). The results show potential use of APH and its membrane fractions as antioxidants in the management of oxidative stress-related metabolic disorders and in the prevention of lipid oxidation in food products.     

Processing Factors Affecting the Yield and Physicochemical Properties of Starch from Cassava Chips and Flour

Three processing factors, namely, raw materials type (RMT) (i.e. chips and flour) and raw material drying mode (RDM) (i.e. sun‐ and oven‐drying at 55 °C) were related to the yield and some physicochemical properties of starch in a 2³ factorial experiment. The quality characteristics investigated were: moisture content, pH, crude fiber content, peak viscosity and pasting temperature. Starch yields from oven‐dried chips and flour were significantly higher (at 5%) than from sun‐dried materials. The optimal yield of 55.9 g (per 70 g of dried product or 79.9%) was obtained from oven‐dried starch extracted from oven‐dried flour. The peak viscosities (PV) of starches extracted from flour and chips were similar while the observed pasting temperatures of flour‐extracted starches were not significantly different from those derived from chips.     

Hybrid neurofuzzy investigation of short-term variability of wind resource in site suitability analysis: a case study in South Africa

Neural Computing and Applications - Energy generation from wind resources is now a mature technology with the ability to compete with traditional energy sources at utility scales in many countries,...     

A review on the physicochemical properties and potential food applications of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) starch

Cowpea is a food legume with high protein and carbohydrate contents, which could be explored in addressing food and nutritional challenges in many parts of the world. However, some cowpea varieties are difficult to cook, resulting in high energy requirements and greater loss of nutrients. Since the bulk of carbohydrate in cowpea is starch, this component may be explored as an alternative starch source for various industrial applications, especially because cowpea starch is rich in resistant starch with several beneficial physiological effects. Hence, this review summarises the present knowledge on the isolation, composition, physicochemical properties and modification methods of cowpea starch. Future studies that are required to produce cowpea starch with novel properties were highlighted and the need to apply modified cowpea starch in food systems were also noted.