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The main purpose of this paper is to determine the content of amino acids, fatty acids and minerals in seven indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) in Ghana.

Leaves from plants growing near Kumasi were milled to a fine powder, dried to constant weight in a vacuum desiccator, and analyzed for their content of the afore‐mentioned nutrients. The plants were: Hibiscus sabdarifa, Hibiscus cannabinus, Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus oliforius, Solanum macrocarpon, Xanthomosa sagittifolium and Vigna unguiculatus.

All seven ILVs contained a large amount of protein (15.5‐22.8 percent), which compared favorably to the essential amino acid pattern of a WHO standard. They all contained nutritionally useful amounts of α‐linolenic acid and had an omega‐6/omega‐3 ratio of 0.1‐0.9. The seven ILVs contained quantities of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc that could contribute significantly to satisfying an individual's need for these elements.

The presence of relatively large amounts of various nutritionally essential macro‐ and micronutrients in these seven ILVs does not necessarily mean these nutrients are bioavailable. Future research is required to determine the amounts of anti‐nutrients (e.g. protease inhibitors, chelators) in these vegetables, and the extent to which their protein, lipid and mineral constituents are digested and/or absorbed.

Since malnutrition (e.g. iron‐deficiency anemia, rickets, zinc deficiency, protein‐calorie malnutrition) is common in sub‐Saharan Africa, the information which is provided should increase awareness among agricultural and public health officials of the nutritional value of seven underappreciated and underutilized ILVs that are indigenous to Ghana and many other parts of Africa.

The purpose of this paper was to determine and compare nutritional composition of different parts of citrus fruits, namely, Citrus aurantium (peel: albedo, flavedo and pulp: juice, pomace) . This study was conducted through three stages of fruit maturity (green, yellow and orange). Total polyphenols, flavonoids, β-carotene, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, acidity, total soluble solid and the minerals (Ca, Mg, Zn, Na, K, Fe, Mn Cu) were evaluated. Moreover, the relationship between the total polyphenol, flavonoids and the antioxidant activity was determined.

Total polyphenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Flavonoids were assessed by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. K and Na contents were determined by using a flame photometer. Other nutritional composition was determined by volumetric method.

The result showed that the concentrations of antioxidants, total polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, total chlorophyll, total acidity and antioxidant activity (DPPH%) decreased during the maturity of fruit while the value of pH and β-carotene increases. In addition, the concentrations of the most minerals decreased through the maturation of fruit except Na. Anova statistical analysis of all the studied chemical variables was shown significant differences between all the samples. The pH, total soluble solids, β-caroteniod: orange juice had the highest average while green juice had the lowest. Ascorbic acid, total acidity, total chlorophyll: green juice had the highest average while orange juice has the lowest. Total phenol, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn: green flavedo had the highest average while orange juice had the lowest. Flavonoid, antioxidant activity (DPPH%), Ca, Zn: green albedo had the highest average while orange juice had the lowest. Na: orange flavedo had the highest average while green juice had the lowest. The correlations between total polyphenol, flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were significantly higher (R = 0.935 and 0.960, respectively).

The stage of maturity affects nutritional composition in Citrus aurantium fruits (C. aurantium) peel and pulp, where some minerals of composition increased and others decreased, according to the results. This is the first study on comparing the nutritional composition of pulp: juice, pomace and peel: albedo, flavedo of Citrus aurantium L. during maturity in Syria, and it was also not found in previous works.

Within the framework of the valorization of natural resources, a characterization of the biochemical composition of the edible parts of Adansonia Digitata is applied. The antibacterial effect against bacteria is also realized and compared to some synthetic antibiotics.

The biochemical characterization is carried out according to the norms of the French Association of Normalization, methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International) and gas chromatography (GC). The antibacterial activity is tested by disk diffusion on a solid medium. Parametric tests are used to compare the differences between groups and heat maps to show the expression of the mean inhibitions according to the studied parameters. Multivariate logistic modeling is applied to study the effect of extracts and antibiotics on bacteria.

Biochemical characterization showed a variable importance of proteins, fibers and total sugars, with the presence of highly desired fatty acids such as palmitic, oleic, stearic, linoleic and a-linolenic acids. This gives the tested parts important energy values, especially in the seeds very rich in fatty acids. Methanol proved to be a better extraction solvent than dichloromethane. Antibacterial activity showed that pulp and leaves extracted with methanol had quite similar inhibitory activities against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC29212 and that this effect was better than some antibiotics. Multivariate analysis showed that the leaves had a similar effect to antibiotics, and a significant effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213.

This important activity and the attractive nutritional value of this plant could justify its extensive use in the traditional pharmacopoeia.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how factors associated with a sense of community in the workplace are connected with organizational commitment and the quality of services among frontline managers and middle managers in social and health care services in Finland.

A questionnaire designed specifically for this research was sent to 241 lower-level and middle-level managers in social and health care services in central Finland. A total of 136 managers completed the questionnaire (response rate 56 per cent). The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses.

The study showed that feeling a sense of belonging, mutual trust and appreciation, and open interaction among colleagues were connected to organizational commitment for frontline managers and middle managers in social and health care services in Finland. Correspondingly, an open flow of information in the organization, job meaningfulness and appreciation received from managers’ superiors were connected to the quality of services.

This study provides information on the factors that influence social and health care managers’ organizational commitment and on items connected to their experience of the quality of services.

To investigate the potential food, feed and industrial values of some tropical underutilized medicinal plant materials.

Dry‐milled plants, namely: Gongronema latifolium and Vernonia amygdalina were subjected to chemical analysis to determine their proximate, mineral, elemental, fatty acid and amino acid compositions using standard procedures.

Results show that the lipid extract, ash, crude fibre and nitrogen free extractives, oxalate, phytate and tannin of the plants are within expected ranges. They however had unexpectedly high crude protein content: 27.20 and 21.69 per cent, respectively. Potassium, phosphorus, calcium and cobalt were the most abundant mineral elements. G. latifolium and V. amygdalina leaf oils are 50.22 and 24.54 per cent saturated; 39.38 and 65.45 per cent polyunsaturated, respectively. Palmitic and oleic acids were the major monounsaturated fatty acids. Degrees of unsaturation are 0.46 and 0.41, respectively. Major essential amino acids are leucine, valine and phenylalanine. Proportions of essential to non‐essential amino acid are 43.37 and 49.84 per cent, respectively.

The nutritional composition of the plant materials suggests that they may find use in food/feed formulation operations and as industrial raw materials.

This article aims to reinterpret principal preparatory programs to also include the collective learning‐from‐success process (success‐based learning), thus providing a complementary instructional framework on how to prepare principals for today's public school reality.

The discussion reviews the core leadership capacities for today's and tomorrow's principalship and the need to rethink principal preparatory programs accordingly. The interrelationship between problems and learning is described, coupled with the possibilities and limitations of problem‐based learning. Success‐based learning is then described, enumerating its potentials and pitfalls.

The paper finds that focusing on both learning from problems and learning from successes in leadership education may better develop prospective principals' leadership capacities necessary to lead schools in a dynamic environment.

The paper highlights the need to conceptualize and empirically investigate problem‐based learning and success‐based learning as interrelated instructional frameworks that are both necessary to develop effective future leaders.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is highly valued for its delicious edible arils and health benefits. In this study, a comparative study on elemental composition of seven pomegranate cultivars was determined in the fruit rind, mesocarp and arils.

The concentrations of major elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl and Na) and trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Ni, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd, Se, Al, As, Li, Sr, Ti and V) were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES) calibrated with different concentrations of standard solutions of the minerals.

The highest amounts of N, P, S and Cl were found in Bhagwa cultivar, while Arakta, Ruby and Wonderful had the highest amount of Mg, Ca, and Na, respectively. P, Fe, Zn, Ti, V were more in quantity in the edible portion, while the other mineral elements were in larger proportions or in some cases were only found (Co, Al, As) in the non‐edible fractions of fruit. Among the major mineral elements investigated, P had the highest covering of the RDA, ranging from 6.78 to 8.53 per cent contribution to the RDA, followed by K (4.530‐4.95 per cent RDA), S (1.25‐1.54 per cent RDA), Ca (1.04‐1.54 per cent RDA), Mg (4.33‐5.26 per cent RDA), and Na (0.15‐0.17 per cent RDA).

Knowledge of the relative contributions of mineral elements in the edible fruit part (arils) to RDA will assist in nutrition planning against mineral deficiency.

Pomegranate fruit contains edible and non‐edible portions, and this study provided the first detailed report on the distribution of a wide range of trace and major mineral elements in the three parts of the fruit. This study also showed that the edible portion (arils) of pomegranate fruit is a good dietary source of essential nutrients such as K, Ca, Mg, and Se, while the non‐edible parts may provide valuable sources of minerals for other food and bioprocess industries.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential food and industrial values of a tropical and underutilized indigenous plant.

Specimens of a dry‐milled plant, namely: Zizyphus spina‐christi, were subjected to chemical analysis to determine their proximate, mineral, sugar, and amino acid compositions using standard procedures.

The fruit pulp was found to be a good source of energy, carbohydrates and rich in Mg, Ca, Fe and Zn, whereas the seeds are rich in crude fiber. Essential amino acids are 32.96 percent in fruit pulp and 25.22 percent in seeds, whereas non‐essential amino acids are 61.25 percent in fruit pulp and 73 percent in seeds.

The nutritional composition of the plant materials suggests that they may find use in food formulation operations and as industrial raw materials.

Levels of 12 metals (Ca, K, Na, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) were estimated in 19 different imported brands of unexpired and expired canned dry milk available from local markets. The HNO₃/HClO₄‐based wet digestion method was used for the analysis of the samples by the FAAS technique under optimum analytical conditions. Of the macronutrients, Ca showed highest at 1,144 μg/g in the dry milk from Holland. In the case of micronutrients, Fe showed the maximum level at 119.15 μg/kg in the milk from UK. Cr dominated at 23.19 μg/kg compared with other heavy toxic trace elements. The following order of decreasing concentration was observed for both unexpired and expired milk: Ca > Na > K > Mg > Fe > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. All the trace elements were found to have 100 per cent incidence of occurrence. The expired milk samples showed enhanced levels of Fe, Zn, Cr and Pb by a factor of 1.2‐1.6 on average. The results of the metal contents were compared with those for fresh cow milk. The data were statistically evaluated to find bivariate correlation between the metals in pre‐ and post‐expiry milks.