Comparative Assessment of the Proximate and Mineral Composition of <i>Cucumis sativus</i>L. and <i>Solanum aethiopicum</i>L. Fruit Samples Grown in South Eastern and North Central Regions of Nigeria Respectively

Studies were carried out to comparatively assess the proximate and mineral composition of Solanum aethiopicum L. and Cucumis sativus L. fruit samples grown in the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria respectively, following standard analytical procedures and instrumentation. The mineral elements (Na, K, Zn and Ca) were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after wet digestion of the samples while the proximate parameters (ash content, moisture content, crude fibre content, crude protein content, crude fat content and carbohydrate content) were determined in accordance with standard analytical procedures. The mean range of the moisture, crude fibre, crude protein, crude fat, ash and carbohydrate contents in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples grown in the North Central and South Eastern regions of Nigeria were 72.49 - 88.23, 2.15 - 3.67, 1.31 - 1.85, 0.43 - 0.76, 0.51 - 0.84 and 3.18% - 5.72% respectively. Additionally, the moisture, crude fibre, crude protein, crude fat, ash and carbohydrate contents in the Cucumis sativus L. fruit samples grown in the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria, had mean range of values of 93.60 - 98.76, 0.53 - 0.77, 2.14 - 2.84, 0.29 - 0.46, 0.90 - 1.14 and 3.88% - 4.66% respectively. The range of mean values of Na, K, Zn and Ca in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples from the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria were 0.36 - 0.57, 1.92 - 2.80, 0.84 - 1.01 and 0.43 - 0.61 μg/g respectively. Also, Na, K, Zn and Ca had mean range of values of 1.36 - 4.08, 10.16 - 13.09, 0.45 - 0.66 and 5.85 - 9.3 μg/g respectively in the C. sativus L. fruit samples grown in the South Eastern and North Central regions in Nigeria. The levels of the determined proximate of parameters and mineral elements in the studied fruit samples from the investigated regions of Nigeria were statistically significant. This therefore indicates that the geographical locations where these fruit samples grew could have significantly impacted on their nutrient content levels. The levels of the determined proximate parameters from the selected regions of Nigeria shows that consumption of the fruit samples (S aethiopicum L. and C. sativus L.) especially regularly, would help supply the essential nutrients and minerals required for a healthy living.

Comparative Assessment of the Phytochemical and Selected Heavy Metal Levels in <i>Cucumis sativus</i>L. and <i>Solanum aethiopicum</i>L. Fruit Sample Grown in South Eastern and North Central Regions of Nigeria Respectively

Studies were carried out to comparatively assess the phytochemical and heavy metal levels in Solanum aethiopicum L. and Cucumis sativus L. fruit samples grown in the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria respectively using standard analytical procedures and instrumentation. The fruit samples were assayed for selected heavy metals (Pb, Cd and Cu) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after wet digestion of the samples. The five detected phytochemicals (flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides) were present at varying amounts in the investigated fruit samples from the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria. The range of mean values of flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples from the two studied regions were 0.50 - 0.57, 0.53 - 1.26, 0.44 - 0.78, 1.12 - 1.93 and 0.40 - 0.50 mg/g respectively. The range of mean values of flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the two studied regions of Nigeria were 1.27 - 1.69, 0.53 - 0.55, 0.96 - 1.51, 0.41 - 0.83 and 0.90 - 1.74 mg/g respectively. The range of mean vales of Pb, Cd, and Cu in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples from the two studied regions were 0.15 - 0.24, 0 - 0.01, 0.78 - 1.12 μg/g respectively. 0.31 - 0.40, 0.02 - 0.05 and 0.62 - 0.96 μg/g were the range of mean values of Pb, Cd and Cu respectively in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the two studied regions of Nigeria. Of the three investigated heavy metals, only Cd was at toxic levels in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria. This is therefore a health concern to the fruit consumers that includes these fruits in their habitual daily fruit diets. Although the therapeutic and pharmaceutical benefits that would be derived from consuming, the investigated fruit samples has been shown in this study, there is therefore a possible risk of undue exposure to environmental pollutants such as heavy metal, especially through growing these fruits in polluted soils resulting from unwholesome anthropogenic practices. For fruit consumers to derive maximum health benefits from consuming these fruits, pollutants like heavy metals must be at non-toxic levels and this can only be achieved by ensuring that these fruits samples are grown and harvested in environments with less anthropogenic activities.

Legal-Ease:China’s Central Regions—Developing Foreign Investment Inland

Foreign investors need to be keeping an eye on developments in west China and the recently launched Investor Going West Campaign.As the coastal regions get more expensive,pure economics encourages savvy international investors to look inland

Legal-Ease China’s Central Regions:Developing Foreign Investment Inland

The operational cost of positioning an export company to inland China may effectively double the overheads. The fact that it is more expensive in terms of additional transport costs is

Legal-Ease China's Central Regions:Developing Foreign Investment Inland

This is the second in a series of articles on this topic, the first of which appears in Issue No. 19 We now look at the cost of land. Here we have contacted the most popular local development zone in each city and taken their quotes for renting

Eurasia Continental Bridge——An Important Link of the Coordinated Development between China's Eastern,Central and Western Regions

The new Eurasia Continental Bridgeruns from East China to Central andWest China, crossing 11 provincesand regions, namely Jiangsu, Shandong,Hubei, Anhui, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi,Sichuan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Ningxia.The total area is 3.6 million sq km and thepopulation is about 300 million, accountingfor a third and a quarter of the whole countryrespectively. The area is very rich in naturalresources, so it is called an "Economic goldbelt" and "Gold corridor". Aerial remote-control survey indicates that along thecontinental bridge from Lianyungang to theAla Mountains within China’s boundary,

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Innovation Ecosystems in the Industrial Sector, Central Region, Kampala, Uganda: A Review

This review explores entrepreneurial orientation and innovation ecosystems in the industrial sector of the Central Region, Kampala, Uganda, through an analysis of ten scholarly articles. The study contextualizes the research within the regional landscape and establishes a theoretical framework through a focused literature review. Key findings highlight the intersection of entrepreneurial activities and innovation dynamics, emphasizing the region’s unique contributions to the broader field. Discussions on discrepancies and unexplored territories within the articles offer insights into limitations and research gaps. The manuscript concludes by identifying future research avenues, providing a roadmap for ongoing inquiry into the entrepreneurial and innovative dimensions of the Central Region’s industrial sector. This synthesis underscores the importance of cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative innovation strategies for sustainable industrial development in the region.

Characteristics of seismic reflections in central region of the South China Sea and their geological significance

More than 4 000 km 48-channel seismic reflection data from the central region of the South China Sea have been interpreted. Five seismic interfaces have been distinguished, named T1, T2, T4, T6 and Tg respectively Meanwhile, five seismic sequences numbered I - V have been divided with the ages of Quaternary and Pliocene, Later Mocene, Earlier and Middle Miocene, Oligocene and Pre- Oligocene separately. Sequences I-II overlie all parts of the area. In the continental slope and island slope, Sequences III-V are mainly found in the grabens. Sequence III is found at moot profiles of the deep-sea basin, and Sequnce IV is seen not only at the margins of the east subbasin but also at the margins of the southwest subbasin. Strong reflection from Moho is found at most profiles of the deep-sea basin. The depth of Moho varies between 10 and 12 km, with a thickness of 6- 8 km for the crust. Calculated by age-basement depth correlation formula, the age of basaltic basement in the southwest subbasin is 51-39 Ma. It is indicated that the evolution of the southwest subbasin is simultaneous with or earlier than that of the east subbasin.

Spatial Heterogeneity Analysis of PM2.5 Concentration in Central Plains Economic Region

The research of the spatial heterogeneity of PM2.5 concentration in an area, is of great significance for understanding its regional spatial distribution structure, exploring the transmission relationship between regions, in order to formulate joint prevention and control measures within the entire area. Based on the daily monitoring data of PM2.5 concentration in the Central Plains Economic Region in 2019, this paper utilizes cluster analysis to divide the regional PM2.5 concentration into 5 classes, builds their spatial semi-variogram model, and then utilizes interpolation analysis method to study the regional overall distribution characteristics and transmission law. The results show that the PM2.5 concentration in the Central Plains Economic Region has a medium or higher spatial autocorrelation. The critical value of the overall PM2.5 concentration in the area is 150 μg/m3, as the overall PM2.5 concentration less than the value, the PM2.5 in a region mainly comes from local emissions, as the overall PM2.5 concentration higher than the value, the influence of spatial structure on the distribution of PM2.5 concentration is gradually obvious. PM2.5 has a certain degree of spatial transmission, which mainly includes two routes as Puyang-Xingtai and Puyang-Zhengzhou, and the transmission intensity of the former is greater than the latter.

Features of isostatic gravity anomaly and seismic activity in the Central Asian region

In this paper, the lithospheric isostatic gravity anomaly with its distribution features in the Central Asian region (30°～70°N, 50°～140°E), according to the research of the lithospheric isostatic principle, is discussed. Moreover, some primary structures and seismic activities in this region are discussed.

Microsurgical resection of bilateral falcine meningiomas in central gyrus region

Objective To investigate microsurgical techniques in bilateral falcine meningiomas of central gyrus region surgery. Methods Sixteen patients with bilateral falcine meningiomas in central gyrus region were treateded with a series of microsurgical techniques,including midline crossing craniotomy,dural cut in a strip fashion

Environmental Impact Assessment of Onshore Wind Farms in the Region of Central Greece Using a Modified RIAM Method

Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.

Human activity over natural inputs determines the bacterial community in an ice core from the Muztag ata glacier

Ice core provides a valuable vertical timeline of past climates and anthropogenic activities.Environmental proxies have been widely used in these studies,but there are few biological indicators available.To address this gap,we investigated the bacterial community from a 74 m ice core of Muztag ata glacier on the Tibetan Plateau to link biological indicators with past climate and anthropogenic activities.By analyzing the portion of the ice core with environmental proxies available(corresponding to 1907 to 1991),we observed an increase in bacterial richness throughout the ice core,which was associated with higher NH_(4)^(+),an indicator of agricultural development.The bacterial community was jointly determined by human activity,natural input,and air temperature,with a strong human influence after the 1950s.Furthermore,the relative abundance of animal gut-associated bacteria,including Aerococcaceae,Nocardiaceae,Muribaculaceae,and Lachnospiraceae,was associated with livestock number changes in the Central Asian region.Together with other bacterial lineages,they jointly explained 59.8%of the livestock number changes.This study provides quantitative evidence of the associations between bacterial indicators and past climate and human activities,highlighting the potential of using bacterial proxies for ice core studies.

Central region design for a 10 MeV internal ion source cyclotron

Internal ion sources are widely adopted in commercial cyclotrons used for short-life isotopes production. Without beam manipulation provided by the external beam injection line, the central region of this type of cyclotron is more sensitive and should be carefully designed. A design study and beam dynamics simulation for the central region of a 10 MeV compact cyclotron is presented. The OPERA3D/TOSCA code was used to calculate the electric field from a parameterized three dimensional （3D） central region model. With iterative structure optimizations of the central region, the beam centering and vertical focusing is well controlled, and the RF phase acceptance is around 25°. A c＋＋ code for beam simulation in the central region was developed and tested.

Vertical focusing study in the central region of the CYCIAE-100 cyclotron

The vertical focusing is one of the primary problems in the central region of cyclotrons. This focusing effect brought about by the magnetic field is inclined to be weak near the center of the machine due to the fact that the flutter is small, while the electric focusing forces incurred from the dee gaps become very strong. Since the electric focusing effect is dependent on the RF phase, we have proceeded to carry out analytical calculations and numerical simulation about the vertical focusing in the central region of CYCIAE100, including magnetic focusing, electric focusing and the defocusing effect from the space charge effect. All the results have been used for the design of the central region for CYCIAE-100 and a good vertical focusing has been obtained.

Vegetation succession and environmental changes in Central India during Early Cenozoic

In order to infer the climate and the floral changes during the early Cenozoic of central India, a critical analysis has been made of the generic composition of Deccan Intertrappean series of India, which is now known to a greater extent. Most of the information regarding Deccan Intertrappean flora is derived from the assemblages from Vidharbha-Chhindwara region and Mandla District in central India. The Vidharbha-Chhindwara region constituted by taxa representing all major groups of plant kingdom belonging to different habitats like(i) marine(3 genera of doubtful marine alga)(ii) estuarine(27 species of palms, Nypa and Viracorpon like Pandanaceous fruits, Sonneratia, Cocos like plants)(iii) fresh water(6 genera of fresh water algae, water ferns, Eichhornia, Nymphea like hydrophytic angiosperms)(iv) marshy(5 genera of bryophytes, water ferns, Selaginella and Equisetum like pteridophytes and many angiospermic plants showing aerenchymatous tissue and few parts infected by fungal spores) and(v) terrestrial(2 families of gymnosperms and 15 families of arborescent angiosperms). Mandla-Dindori District mainly comprise angiospermous flora. These constitute 15 species of palm woods and woods of 25 dicot families indicating terrestrial dry habitat. The fossil flora so far recovered from these beds indicate that the tropical evergreen to semi-evergreen type forests with some moist deciduous plants, similar to the present day forests of Western Ghats, and northeast India, were flourshing around Vidharbha, Chhindwara and Mandla area of Central India during Upper Cretaceous-Lower Tertiary period, in contrast to the present day dry deciduous to moist deciduous types of forest. This flora was well represented in India in the past but has become restricted to Burma and Andaman-Nicobar Islands due to change in the climatic conditions. The comparison of the temperature data from these fossiliferous localities and the comparable modern areas clearly indicates that the climate in Central India was much more uniform throughout the year.

Seasonal and geographical distribution of bacillary dysentery(shigellosis)and associated climate risk factors in Kon Tum Province in Vietnam from 1999 to 2013

Background:Bacillary dysentery(BD)is an acute bacterial infection of the intestine caused by Shigella spp.,with clinical symptoms ranging from fever to bloody diarrhoea to abdominal cramps to tenesmus.In Vietnam,enteric bacterial pathogens are an important cause of diarrhoea and most cases in children under 5 years of age are due to Shigella strains.The serogroups S.flexneri and S.sonnei are considered to be the most common.The main objective of this study was to,for the first time,assess the seasonal patterns and geographic distribution of BD in Vietnam,and to determine the climate risk factors associated with the incidence of BD in Kon Tum Province,where the highest rate of bacillary dysentery was observed from 1999 to 2013.Methods:The seasonal patterns and geographic distribution of BD was assessed in Vietnam using a seasonaltrend decomposition procedure based on loess.In addition,negative binomial regression models were used to determine the climate risk factors associated with the incidence of BD in Kon Tum Province,from 1999 to 2013.Results:Overall,incidence rates of BD have slightly decreased over time(except for an extremely high incidence in 2012 in the north of Vietnam).The central regions(north/south central coast and central highlands)had relatively high incidence rates,whereas the northwest/east and Red River Delta regions had low incidence rates.Overall,seasonal plots showed a high peak in the mid-rainy reason and a second smaller peak in the early or late rainy season.The incidence rates significantly increased between May and October(“wet season”)across the country.In Kon Tum Province,temperature,humidity,and precipitation were found to be positively associated with the incidence of BD.Conclusions:Our findings provide insights into the seasonal patterns and geographic distribution of BD in Vietnam and its associated climate risk factors in Kon Tum Province.This study may help clinicians and the general public to better understand the timings of outbreaks and therefore equip them with the knowledge to plan better interventions(such as improving water,sanitation,and hygiene conditions)during peak seasons.This can,in turn,prevent or reduce outbreaks and onwards transmission during an outbreak.

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Thin Strip Temper Rolling Process

To reveal the basic deformation mechanisms under the conditions of high friction, small reduction, and long contact length in thin strip temper rolling process, an elastoplastic finite element analysis of plane strain upsetting was made based on the FEM software Marc. The results indicated that a near flat ＇zero reduction＇ region was present in the center of the contact arc. The simulation results about the effect of rolling parameters on the central flat region showed that any change of increasing the rolling force could result in or enlarge the central flat region in the deformation zone. Stress distribution results illustrated that the metal was in triaxial compression state. Although the maximum and minimum principal stresses were all much larger than the yield stress of the strip, the equivalent stress became lower than that, and no further plastic strain, even a small elastic spring-back occurred in the central flat region. That was the problem of ‘hydrostatic pressure＇ in thin strip temper rolling.