Critical assessment of various techniques for the extraction of carotenoids and co-enzyme Q10 from the Thraustochytrid strain ONC-T18

A variety of techniques for extracting carotenoids from the marine Thraustochytrium sp. ONC-T18 was compared. Specifically, the organic solvents acetone, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether were tested, along with direct and indirect ultrasonic assisted extraction (probe vs bath) methods. Techniques that used petroleum ether/acetone/water (15:75:10, v/v/v) with 3 h of agitation, or 5 min in an ultrasonic bath, produced the highest extraction yields of total carotenoids (29−30.5 μg g^-1). Concentrations up to 11.5 μg g^-1 of canthaxanthin and 17.5 μg g^-1 of β-carotene were detected in extracts stored for 6 weeks. Astaxanthin and echinenone were also detected as minor compounds. Extracts with and without antioxidants showed similar carotenoid concentration profiles. However, total carotenoid concentrations were approximately 8% higher when antioxidants were used. Finally, an easy-to-perform and inexpensive method to detect co-enzymes in ONC-T18 was also developed using silica gel TLC plates. Five percent methanol in toluene as a mobile phase consistently eluted co-enzyme Q10 standards and could separate the co-enzyme fractions present in ONC-T18.

The North-South gap in overweight and obesity in England

Regional differences in overweight and obesity levels in England have mirrored those of CVD, with higher levels in the North. It is unclear whether the increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity over the last 15 years has been consistent in different regions of the country. BMI data from each of the health surveys for England conducted between 1993 and 2004 were analysed. Annual grouped estimates of the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI ≤ 30 kg/m²) for the North and the South of England were produced by appropriately combining regional administrative authorities. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the independence of the geographical effect after adjustment for age and social class. The prevalence of both overweight and obesity in women has risen more quickly in the North than in the South between 1993 and 2004, leading to a widening of inequalities. The prevalence of both overweight and obesity in women in the South has remained reasonably stable since 1997. The prevalence rates of both conditions in men have risen in parallel in the North and the South between 1993 and 2004 by approximately 8%. The OR for obesity for young women increased between 1993/98 and 1998/2004 from 1·07 (1·00, 1·14) to 1·21 (1·13, 1·30). Widening geographical inequalities in overweight and obesity rates in women could lead to widening inequalities in cardiovascular and other diseases.

Repeated-viewing and co-viewing of an animated video : an examination of factors that impact on young children's comprehension of video content

The experiment reported here was concerned with the effect of repeat- viewing and adult co-viewing on the comprehension of an animated feature length movie. Four- to six-year-old children watched a movie on video either once or five times, and either with their mother present or on their own. The findings revealed that, after controlling for language skills and interest in the type of video watched, children who watched five times had higher comprehension scores than children who watched only once. Furthermore, children who watched the video repeatedly were also better at character identification and at identifying the good and bad qualities of one of the main characters in the movie. The presence of a mother, who was explicitly asked to co- view the movie with her child, did not facilitate comprehension. The findings are discussed in terms of the educational benefits of repeat viewing. Theoretical implications are also noted.

Relationship between academic achievement and co-curricular involvement

Girls should increasingly participate in the health benefits of team sports learning opportunities. Boys need to not neglect academic learning goals in favour of team sports rewards that are highly valued by peers. Co-curricularly disengaged boys need to participate in co-curricular learning activities that provide opportunities for boys to succeed.

You have to be pleasing and co-operative : Australia’s vision splendid for post-world war II migrants

This article examines the ‘vision splendid’ that existed for Australian migration following World War II. That vision (championed by the then Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell) was myopic, but is still pertinent to current debates on Australian Migration, particularly in the way that migrants were placed in categories of the desirable. This paper uses a particular migrant group, the Temple Society, to illustrate the concerns of 1940s immigration policy. This group was interned in Australia during World War II and underwent postwar investigations by the then newly formed Department of Immigration.

How dynamic capabilities drive performance in the Indian IT industry : the role of information and co-ordination

This study examines key issues and effects of capability management on a fast-growing area of knowledge-intensive global business services – IT outsourcing and offshoring. An exploratory study is undertaken of Indian companies providing complex process-oriented offshore IT services to their global customers. The analysis of the data related to the service provider side shows that developing dynamic capabilities is strongly driven by management and top-clients and results in the development of business processes and in establishing a strategic partnership with the client organization. Key findings are that information exchange and coordination are the key to a leveraging firm performance.