The impact of processing technology on microbial community composition and functional properties of Beninese maize ogi.

Traditionally fermented maize starch, called ogi, is produced to prepare akpan, a yoghurt-like street food widely consumed in Benin. Current maize ogi production practices were compared to assess the impact of different processing technologies on the characteristics of the fermented product as a basis to determine best practices. Maize starch slurry samples were collected from processors in five municipalities in southern Benin and analysed before fermentation (starch samples) and after spontaneous fermentation (ogi samples).

OBESITY PHENOTYPE INFLUENCES TREND IN PULMONARY FUNCTION INDICES RECOVERY FOLLOWING ABDOMINAL SURGERY: PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM A NIGERIAN POPULATION.

Background: Obesity phenotypes are known to have varying effects on pulmonary function but their effects on trends of pulmonary function indices' recovery among abdominal surgery patients is unclear.

Objective: To investigate the influence of obesity phenotype on pulmonary function trend among abdominal surgery patients.

Methods: An observational study involving 28 female patients aged 20-60 years who were never-smokers.

Effects of combined aerobics and abdominal strengthening exercises on abdominal adiposity in sedentary adults.

Background: Excess abdominal adiposity has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Though aerobic exercises significantly reduce general adiposity, it has no effect on abdominal adiposity. However the effects of a combination of aerobic and abdominal strengthening exercises on abdominal adiposity are not known.

Physical activity and pattern of blood pressure in postmenopausal women with hypertension in Nigeria.

Background: Hormonal changes during menopause have been attributed to hypertension-a common public health concern. This study investigated physical activity (PA) and pattern of blood pressure (BP) in postmenopausal women newly diagnosed with hypertension and referred for treatment at the medicine outpatient clinic of a tertiary health facility in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. It compared BP pattern and adiposity variables [body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)] between two PA groups.

Liquid film condensation along a vertical surface in a thin porous medium with large anisotropic permeability.

The problems of steady film condensation on a vertical surface embedded in a thin porous medium with anisotropic permeability filled with pure saturated vapour are studied analytically by using the Brinkman-Darcy flow model. The principal axes of anisotropic permeability are oriented in a direction that non-coincident with the gravity force. On the basis of the flow permeability tensor due to the anisotropic properties and the Brinkman-Darcy flow model adopted by considering negligible macroscopic and microscopic inertial terms, boundary-layer approximations in the porous liquid film momentum equation is solved analytically.