Alternative Sources Research Articles

Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities of Powders, Methanol Extracts, and Essential Oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Thymus ciliatus Desf. Benth.

Chemical residues in food pose health risks such as cancer and liver issues. This has driven the search for safer natural alternatives to synthetic fungicides and preservatives. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of the essential oils (EO), determine the polyphenolic contents, and evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and antifungal activities of methanol extracts (ME), essential oils (EO), and powders from Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) and Thymus ciliatus (Desf) Benth. (thyme) from the M'sila region, Algeria. The chemical composition of the EOs was determined by GC-MS. R. officinalis EO was composed of 31 components, mainly camphor (41.22%), camphene (18.14%), and α-pinene (17.49%); T. ciliatus EO was composed of 58 components, mainly, in percentage, α-pinene (22.18), myrcene (13.13), β-pinene (7.73), β-caryophyllene (10.21), and germacrene D (9.90). The total phenols and flavonoids were determined spectrophotometrically, and the rosemary ME was found to possess the highest polyphenolic content (127.1 ± 2.40 µg GAE/mg), while the thyme ME had the highest flavonoid content (48.01 ± 0.99 µg QE/mg). The antioxidant activity was assessed using three methods: rosemary ME was the most potent, followed by DPPH (IC50 = 13.43 ± 0.14 µg/mL), β-carotene/linoleic acid (IC50 = 39.01 ± 2.16 μg/mL), and reducing power (EC50 = 15.03 ± 1.43 µg/mL). Antifungal activity was assessed for 32 pathogenic and foodborne fungi. Four methods were applied to the solid medium. Incorporating the powdered plant into the culture medium (at 10%) reduced the fungal growth to greater than 50% in 21.88% and 6.25% of all fungal isolates, for R. officinalis and T. ciliatus, respectively. The ME, applied by the well diffusion method (0.1 g/mL), was less effective. Different concentrations of EO were tested. Incorporating the EO into the culture medium (1500 μL/L) inhibited 50% of the molds to levels of 50 and 75% for R. officinalis and T. ciliatus, respectively, with the complete inhibition of four fungi. Fumigated EO (15 μL) inhibited 65% of the molds to levels of 65 and 81.25% for R. officinalis and T. ciliatus, respectively, with the complete inhibition of five fungi. There was little to no sporulation in conjunction with the inhibition. Our results revealed some of the potential of the studied plants to fight foodborne molds and presented their promising characteristics as a source of alternatives to chemical pesticides and synthetic preservatives. Further studies are needed to find adequate application techniques in the food safety area.

Review on Nutritional Potential of Underutilized Millets as a Miracle Grain.

The current situation, which includes changes in eating habits, an increasing population, and the unrestricted use of natural resources, has resulted in a lack of resources that could be used to provide nourishing food to everyone. Natural plant resources are quickly being depleted, so it is necessary to consider new alternatives. In addition to the staple grains of rice and wheat, many other crops are being consumed that need to be utilized to their full potential and have the potential to replace the staple crops. Millets are one of the most important underutilized crops that have the potential to be used as a nutricereal. Millets have a high nutritional value, do not produce acids, do not contain gluten, and can contribute to a healthy diet. Due to a lack of awareness regarding the nutritional value of millets, their consumption is still restricted to the population that adheres to conventional diets and is economically disadvantaged even though millets contain a significant amount of nutrients. Millets are becoming increasingly unpopular due to a lack of processing technologies, food subsidies, and the inconvenience of preparing food with millets. Millets are a Nutricereal rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, energy, essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamin B, and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. These nutrients help to protect against post-translational diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and celiac disease, among others. Millets are beneficial for controlling blood pressure, blood sugar level, and thyroid function; however, despite these functional properties, millets consumption has declined. Utilizing millets and other staple food crops to develop alternative food sources has become a new area of focus for businesses in the food industry. In addition, millet consumption can help foster immunity and health, which is essential in strengthening our fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents. In this article, the authors examine the potential of millets in terms of their nutricereal qualities.

A Comparative Approach to Sustainable Fish Meal: Prussian carp meal (Carassius gibelio Bloch, 1782)

In the present study, the usability of Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) meal (PCM) as an alternative animal protein source in fish feeds was investigated by comparing it with anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) meals in terms of their biochemical, fatty acid, amino acid and element compositions. Prussian carp were obtained by fishing and made into a meal (PCM). Anchovy (AM), and sprat (SM) meals were purchased from a commercial company. The amino acid analysis results show that PCM's total, essential, and non-essential amino acid values were lower than that of AM and SM (P < 0.05). The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and Omega-6 values of PCM were higher than AM and SM; and lower than saturated fatty acids (SFA), Omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), atherogenicity index (AI) values (P < 0.05). According to the element analysis, the P and Ca values of the PCM were higher than the AM and SM (P < 0.05), and the Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Se values were lower. According to the results of the present study, PCM can be utilized in the feed industry to boost the sustainability of fish meals used in feed production, which in turn will reduce the foreign dependency on vegetable and fish meals, and lower feed costs.

The Effect Of Substituting Butterfly Pea Extract As A Natural Dye In Mochi Production

Mochi is a traditional Japanese food made from glutinous rice flour with a sweet taste and a distinctive soft texture that turns chewy when eaten. Mochi is typically round in shape, filled with peanut paste, and coated with roasted cornstarch. In Indonesia, mochi has various variations, one of which involves modifying the mochi's outer layer by adding food coloring to the dough. As time progresses, people have become more aware of the negative effects of synthetic ingredients, leading consumers to shift towards using natural food colorings. Butterfly pea flowers are one alternative source of natural food coloring. These flowers contain anthocyanin compounds that can produce a blue color. The use of butterfly pea flowers does not affect the taste of food products since it only contains anthocyanins. The purpose of this study is to analyze the quality of mochi with the addition of butterfly pea flower extract. The research method employed is a pure experiment, using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three repetitions. Data was collected by surveying a limited group of panelists, who are Family Welfare Science lecturers with a concentration in Culinary Arts at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Universitas Negeri Padang. Data was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and if F-value > F-table, then the Duncan test was conducted. The research results indicate a significant effect on color quality. However, the shape (neat and uniform), aroma, texture, and taste did not show a significant effect. The highest overall scores were as follows: neat shape 3.11 (X1), uniform shape 3.11 (X1), blue color 3.44 (X1), pleasant aroma 3.33 (X0), chewy texture 3.67 (X1), and sweet taste 3.33 (X1). The best result in this study was treatment (X1) with a 50% substitution of butterfly pea flower extract.

Increased Stigma, and Physical and Sexual Violence Against Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Analyzing Social and Structural Barriers to HIV Testing and Coping Behaviors

ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa, accessing HIV testing services is a significant challenge for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). In this qualitative evidence synthesis, our aim is to understand social and structural barriers and how they hinder MSM’s and TGW’s access to HIV testing services in sub-Saharan African countries. We searched four selective databases (PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL complemented with Google Scholar) for qualitative studies, published in English between January 2005 and December 2023, generated 1507 articles, of which 22 were included. Thematic synthesis was conducted for data synthesis. This led to five barriers that hinder HIV test uptake among MSM and TGW, which included: non-availability of tailored HIV testing services, stigma, lack of trust among service providers, sexual and physical violence, and criminalization of same sex relationship. To navigate these social and structural barriers and cope with fears of discrimination and criminalization, MSM and TGW engaged into riskier behaviors, including avoiding HIV testing, non-disclosure, or relying on informal or alternative sources of HIV testing. Decriminalization of same-sex relationship and peer-led HIV testing services were noted to address structural barriers, including stigma and poor access, and subsequently increase the participation in HIV testing services.

Decarbonization of shipping: Hydrogen and fuel cells legislation in the maritime industry

The maritime industry is a significant component of the transportation sector. Ships are the major element of the maritime industry, and propulsion power comes from fossil fuels, such as heavy fuel oil or marine diesel oil. These fossil fuels are used in conventional marine diesel engines and result in high levels of harmful emissions. These emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming, which is why efforts have been made to regulate and limit them within specific boundaries through various rules and regulations. However, with current technology, it is not possible to stay within these regulations. Therefore, the maritime sector has embarked on the quest for alternative power sources, and as a result, alternative fuels and fuel cells have gained importance. Hydrogen, one of these alternative fuels, is a promising solution with a carbon-free structure for the maritime industry to move toward sustainability. However, ships are considered high-risk areas, which is why specific standards need to be established for the use of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in ships. Hydrogen bunkering, onboard storage, and power system design, limits, and operational aspects must be properly elaborated. Although there are several substantial international standards and regulations for gas, liquid, and dangerous cargo, there is a lack of specific and detailed regulations for the use of fuel cells and hydrogen fuel onboard ships. This paper reviews the relevant regulations and standards while showing the regulatory gap concerning hydrogen and fuel cells by discussing the main barriers and highlights the current and future agenda of the industry toward decarbonization vision.

Control energy management system for photovoltaic with bidirectional converter using deep neural network

Rapid population growth propels technological advancement, heightening electricity demand. Obsolete fossil fuel-based power facilities necessitate alternative energy sources. Photovoltaic (PV) energy relies on weather conditions, posing challenges for constant energy consumption. This hybrid energy source system (HESS) prototype employs extreme learning machine (ELM) power management to oversee PV, fossil fuel, and battery sources. ELM optimally selects power sources, adapting to varying conditions. A bidirectional converter (BDC) efficiently manages battery charging, discharging, and secondary power distribution. HESS ensures continuous load supply and swift response for system reliability. The optimal HESS design incorporates a single renewable source (PV), conventional energy (PNL and genset), and energy storage (battery). Supported by a BDC with over 80% efficiency in buck and boost modes, it stabilizes voltage and supplies power through flawless ELM-free logic verification. Google Colab online testing and hardware implementation with Arduino demonstrate ELM's reliability, maintaining a direct current (DC) 24 V interface voltage and ensuring its applicability for optimal HESS.

Anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects of mouth gel containing kaempulchraol K from Kaempferia galanga rhizomes

Ethnopharmacological relevanceKaempferia galanga L. is one of the important medicinal plants and has been used in Thailand for treating inflammation and wound. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the compound from K. galanga on wound healing and anti-inflammatory activities and develop a new product in gel form to maximize the benefits of this plant. Materials and methodThe mouth gel containing kaempulchraol K (KG2) was prepared by using 1.5% carbopol 934 as a gelling agent. Formulations of mouth gel containing KG2 at 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% w/w were evaluated for color, smell, pH values, viscosity, and separation. Also, the chemical and biological stabilities of mouth gel containing KG2 were evaluated by heating-cooling test. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested against RAW 264.7 cells nitric oxide (NO) production and wound healing assay was performed using human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). ResultsCompound KG2 exhibited anti-NO production with an IC50 value of 66.8 μM and the wound healing activity of compound KG2 showed cell viability in the range of 90.9–111.4%. In addition, compound KG2 at a concentration of 3 μM induced the highest proportion of cell migration on day 3 at 90.2 ± 2.4%. The mouth gel containing KG2 both before and after the heating-cooling test exhibited good consistency, with pH values in the range of 6.64–6.71 (before) and 6.63–6.68 (after). Meanwhile, the viscosity was 81,700–96,700 cP (before) and 78,300–93,300 cP (after). For the chemical stability test of the active ingredient of mouth gel, the compound showed good stability after mixing with the gel base. The mouth gel exhibited anti-inflammation with IC50 values > 1000 μg/ml both before and after accelerating conditions. The wound healing activity of mouth gel containing KG2 (0.50% w/w) showed the highest % cell viability at 128.6% (before) and 123.8% (after). For cell migration, the result suggested that the mouth gel containing KG2 at 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% w/w (3 μg/ml) on day 3 enhanced cell migration higher than that of the positive controls both before (85.0–96.8%) and after (and 84.4–94.3%) the accelerating conditions. ConclusionThe present study shows that mouth gel containing 0.50% KG2 is the most appropriate with good physical, chemical, and biological stabilities and might be one of the alternative sources for treatment of mouth ulcers (oral stomatitis) derived from aphthous ulcers, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy treatments.

Predicting Battery Storage of Residential PV Using Long Short-Term Memory

Solar power panels, or photovoltaic (PV), have recently grown rapidly as a renewable alternative energy source, especially since the increase in the basic electricity tariff. PV technology can be employed instead of the state electricity company to reduce the electricity used. Indonesia is one of the countries that have great potential in producing electricity from PV technology, considering that most of Indonesia's territory gets sunlight for most of the year and has a large land area. Considering the benefits of PV technology, it is necessary to carry out predictive monitoring and analysis of the energy generated by PV technology to maximize energy utilization in the future. The Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing system was developed in this research to monitor and collect data in real-time within 27 days and obtained 7831 data for each parameter that affects PV production. These data include data on the light intensity, temperature, and humidity at the location where the PV system is installed. The feature selection results using Pearson correlation revealed that the light intensity parameter significantly impacted the PV production system. This research used the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method to predict future PV production. By tuning hyperparameters using 3000 epochs, the resulting RMSE value was 171.5720. The results indicated a significant change in the RMSE value compared to 100 epochs of 422.5780. This model can be applied as a forecasting system model at electric vehicle charging stations, given the increasing use of electric vehicles in the future.    Keywords— Forecasting; energy; Photovoltaic; LSTM; Internet of Thing.Â

Granulated fertilizers are more efficient in reducing potassium leaching losses than combining biosolids with inorganic sources

ABSTRACT Widespread use of soluble mineral fertilizers derived from non-renewable sources has raised concerns about environmental impacts, energy expenditures, and sustainability. Combining biosolid and mineral sources of phosphorus and potassium to produce organomineral fertilizers (OMF) can be used as an alternative nutrient source while reducing the environmental impact of sewage residues. As this approach simultaneously provides nutrients and incorporates organic matter, we hypothesized the presence of an organic source (biosolid) granulated with mineral sources of potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) would reduce leaching due to the benefits of the organic source and the slower release caused by granulation. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of different OMFs on the leaching losses of nutrients. Two forms of isolated N, P, and K sources (granulated and non-granulated), five OMFs with different NPK proportions (1-2-0, 1-4-0, 1-0-2, 1-2-2, 1-2-4), and a control (unfertilized) were evaluated over ten weeks in a leaching column experiment. Non-granulated potassium sulfate exhibited the highest K leaching and did not differ from OMFs with K in their formulation (granulated PS, 1-0-2, 1-2-2, and 1-4-2). Planned contrasts showed that granulation was particularly effective at reducing K leaching, resulting in a 70 % reduction compared to non-granulated PS. While formulation and granulation showed a trend of potential benefits in reducing N-(NO 3 - + NO 2 - ) leaching, the effect was not statistically significant. Interaction between fertilizer treatments and leaching events was marginally significant for NH 4 + leaching, indicating temporal variations of OMFs in nutrient dynamics may be influenced by mineralization. As granulation modulated how OMFs affected nutrient leaching dynamics, this highlights the importance of the physical characteristics of fertilizers for effective nutrient management.

Investigation of the electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells with methanol internal reforming

Hydrogen is a sought-after environmentally friendly energy source for the fuel of SOFC. However, it is difficult to liquefy, has low energy density, and is flammable, making it difficult to promote its use. Methanol is easy to obtain, can be stored as a liquid, and has a high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. This makes it an ideal alternative hydrogen energy source. To assess the advantages and disadvantages of using methanol as the SOFC fuel, a comparison was made between methanol-fueled SOFC and hydrogen-fueled SOFC. The maximum power of the hydrogen SOFC is only slightly higher than that of the methanol SOFC. The study also analyzed the effects of key influencing factors on current density, component distribution temperature, and other factors. The inlet temperature of 1173 K differs by up to 0.1 V from the activation overpotential at 1073 K. The water-to-carbon ratio has a greater impact on the performance of the fuel cell. At the inlet temperature of 800℃, the power density is 4630 W/m2 higher when the carbon-to-water ratio is 1 than when that is 4. At the fuel flow rate of 0.25 m/s, the fuel utilization rate can reach 100%. These findings are important for understanding and optimizing energy conversion systems for SOFC technologies based on internal reforming.

Exploring the Attitudes and Practices Regarding Alternative Revenue Streams among Indian Dental Professionals - A cross-sectional analysis

Background: This study aimed to explore the attitudes and practices of dental professionals regarding alternative sources of revenue through a descriptive cross-sectional design and to explore other demographic factors which influence them. Materials and Methods: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional study was conducted among 400 dental professionals selected using stratified random sampling and were approached either personally or through electronic medium to fill a pre-tested validated questionnaire assessing their attitudes and practices towards alternative sources of revenue. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26.0. Cross tabulations were made and statistical significance was assessed using Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. A Binary Logistic Regression model was developed to predict the practice of alternative sources of revenue based on gender, qualification, occupation, and experience. Results: The results showed that about 36% of the participants are currently pursuing alternative sources of income with a significantly higher percentage of females involved (p=0.005). Most of the participants (37.6%) reported investing in stocks and finance followed by real estate, food industry, career guidance, product development etc. Around two-thirds of females reported being unsatisfied with their current income from dentistry and they have 1.76 times the odds of pursuing alternative sources compared to males (p=0.022). Undergraduate dentists have 2.51 times the odds of practicing other means of revenue. Conclusions: The study concludes that a substantial percentage of respondents had pursued alternative sources of revenue. Policymakers and educators can use these findings to develop strategies to promote entrepreneurship and financial literacy among dental professionals. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.23 (Special Issue) 2024 p.S9-S19

Improving irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) production with saline agricultural drainage water using drip irrigation system and organic mulches: Field study and simulation modelling

Due to the scarcity of fresh water in dry areas, including Egypt, emphasis has been placed on the importance of studying non-traditional water sources as an alternative source of irrigation. Therefore, this research aimed at investigating the impact of saline agricultural drainage water, drip irrigation and organic mulching using rice straw on maize water productivity under Egypt’s arid condition. The field experiment included sixteen treatments during two seasons, 2022 and 2023. Irrigation systems were [Furrow irrigation system (FIS) and drip irrigation system (DIS)] while saline agricultural drainage water strategies were [FW (0.55 dS/m), SW1 (1.35 dS/m), SW2 (3 dS/m) and SW3 (5 dS/m)] represented as sub main plot and organic mulching using rice straw (OMRS) was also investigated. The highest MY values were achieved with DIS with FW and also with irrigation with salty agricultural drainage water, with the necessity of using organic mulches of rice straw. The highest MY values were achieved as a result of achieving the best water-salt balance within the root propagation zone. The highest values were 10.89 t/ha with FW and there were no significant differences between them and the values of 10.83 t/ha when irrigated with saline agricultural drainage water for 2022 and the similar results were achieved during the 2023 season. Based on the above, SW1 can be used directly without mixing with FW1 if the ability of the grown plant to tolerate the level of salinity concentration, with the necessity of using organic mulches. The SALTMED model simulated reasonably well the soil moisture and soil salinity as well as maize yield and for all treatments, with R2 of 0.87, 0.98 and 0.96, respectively.

Effects of Phytase Enzyme Supplementation on Protein Digestibility, Efficiency of Feed Utilization, Growth and Carcass Protein Content of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)

The success of intensive cultivation of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) is largely determined by the availability of high-quality feed. High-quality fish diets consist of fish meal produced from animal-based proteins in order to provide fish with the protein requirement. In intensive farming systems, feed costs account for 60–70% of total production costs. Due to fish meal's increasing cost; hence, less expensive ingredients are required to substitute fish meal. Soybean meal can be used as an alternative source of protein to substitute for fish meal due to its lower price and high protein content in fish diet. Phytate acid, one of the antinutritional materials contained within soybean meal, may decrease the nutrient content of feed by affecting with the fish's ability to absorb nutrients. The research aimed to examine the effect of adding the phytase enzyme to diet feed on increasing protein digestibility, efficiency of feed utilization and growth of tambaqui fish. The fingerlings of tambaqui used as test fish had an average weight of 3.85 ± 0.08 g/fish. The diet treatments in this study were phytase enzyme addition in diet with different doses, namely: A (0 FTU/kg feed), B (250 FTU/kg feed), C (500 FTU/kg feed), D (750 FTU/kg feed) and E (1000 FTU/kg feed). The results showed that phytase enzyme addition in diet significantly increased protein digestibility, efficiency of feed utilization, growth, and carcass protein content of tambaqui fish. The most effectiveness phytase enzyme dose for tambaqui fish was 1000 FTU/kg feed, which resulted in highest values of ADCp, PER, FCR, and RGR at 68.46±0.28%, 2.27±0.05, 1.53±0.04, 74.59±0.45%, and 6.01±0.19%/day, respectively.

Nutrient composition of Sorghum-Based Rations and their effect on growth of Improved Indigenous Chicken in Western Kenya

Improved indigenous chicken contributes to the nutrition of farmers in rural communities. The use of maize as an energy source in chicken diets is becoming unacceptable due to competition from humans, resulting in high feed costs. Alternative energy sources like low-tannin sorghum can be grown in Western Kenya. The objective of the study was to determine the nutrient composition of sorghum-based diets and the growth of improved indigenous chicken in Busia and Siaya Counties. Dietary treatments consisted of 50% (T1), 75% (T2) sorghum inclusion, and control (commercial diet) (T3). Farmers on semi-intensive were provided dietary treatments, and free-range (T4) was not provided. Feed samples were subjected to laboratory analysis for proximate composition, amino acids, and tannin content. Growth characteristics were collected biweekly. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and then means that differed significantly were separated using Tukey’s test in Genstat 14th edition. For proximate composition, dry matter was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (91.9%) and T3 (92.1%) compared to T1 (91.4%). Crude fat was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (9.54%) than in T1 (6.84%) and T3 (6.57%). The crude fibre was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T3 (14.3%) compared to T1 (3.37%) and T2 (3.62%). Crude protein was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (15.8%) and T1 (15.2%) compared to T3 (12.6%). Metabolisable energy was significantly (p<0.05) lower in T3 (2723 Kcal/Kg) compared to T1 (3569 Kcal/Kg) and T2 (3684 Kcal/Kg). Amino acids (lysine, methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan) content in diets T2 and T3 were significantly (p<0.05) higher than T1. The tannin content of the sorghum variety C26 was 1.24%. T1 had a significantly high (p<0.05) mean final weight (970 g), body weight gain (804 g), daily weight gain (14.4 g), and feed conversion ratio (5.57). Mortality was highest at T4 (17.1%). It was concluded that the inclusion of 50% low tannin sorghum meets chicken feed nutritional requirements and is best for growth performance. The study recommended that farmers rearing chicken should plant low tannin sorghum to be utilized as feed ingredient to cut the cost of production

Manipulated ants: inducing loyalty to sugar feeders with an alkaloid.

Wood ants are promising biocontrol agents in fruit plantations because they prey on pest insects and inhibit plant diseases. However, these ants also attend plant-feeding homopterans to harvest their honeydew secretions, thereby increasing their numbers. This problem can be solved by offering ants alternative sugar sources that are more attractive than honeydew. From natural interactions, it is known that some species manipulate mutualistic partners toward loyalty by adding alkaloids to the food they offer their mutualists. Inspired by this, the addition of alkaloids might be used to make ants loyal to artificial sugar feeders and thus used to reduce populations of ant-farmed homopterans in ant-mediated biological control. We aimed to explore whether wood ants (Formica polyctena) would develop a taste preference for morphine-containing sugar solutions in two-choice laboratory tests. After having fed on a morphine/sugar solution for 1 week, ants showed a significant preference for morphine solutions compared with equal concentration sugar solutions without morphine. Furthermore, ants lost this preference after 6-9 days on a morphine-free diet. The results show that wood ants react to morphine in their food, enabling chemical manipulation of their behavior, most likely through a taste preference. Thus, ants are susceptible to manipulation by mutualistic partners in natural interactions and furthermore may be manipulated artificially in biocontrol programs to avoid ant-mediated build-up of homopteran populations. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Perioperative treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease in children

The aim of this work: to evaluate the eff ectiveness of the developed methods of perioperative treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease in children. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the 2nd SamMI clinic in the period from 2002 to 2022. The obtained data were compared by correlation analysis with clinical and laboratory indices and with changes in solar activity by Wolf’s numbers of the period of child embryogenesis, data of Murmansk Department of HMP). Results. The results of the study of the activity of redox enzymes have established the following. When comparing the enzyme spectrum of the affected intestine and intact muscle, only a difference in the activity of SDH and LDH is revealed. Taking into account the activity of all enzymes in relation to the activity of SDH, it can be noted that alternative energy sources have a greater specific weight in the intestinal mucosa than in the muscle.

Probiotics screening from selected Nigerian prebiotics: Alternative starter culture sources for yoghurt production

The rise of functional foods has expanded food production, offering not just essential nutrition but also potential health and longevity benefits. This study aimed to identify probiotics from common Nigerian fermented foods as potential starter cultures for yogurt production. Ten local fermented food were screened for suitable starter culture(probiotics) for yogurt production, including fresh milk from cow (CM), sheep (SM), and goat (GM), as well as pap made from maize, millet, sorghum, cassava products (garri, fufu, and lafun), and Kunuzaki. Probiotic isolates with desired characteristics underwent tests for tolerance to acidic pH and bile conditions; antioxidative properties. Test yogurt was produced using Lactobacillus (LAB) isolates and physicochemical and organoleptic scores were determined for the yogurt samples. LAB species from CM, SM, and Lafun samples showed tolerance to both acidic pH (pH 3.0) and 0.5 percent bile. CM isolates exhibited strong antioxidant effects comparable to vitamin C. Yogurt samples had pH ranging from 4.77 to 5.45 and titratable acidity from 5.56 to 8.06. Sensory characteristics of the test yogurt did not significantly differ from commercial yogurt (p ≤ 0.05). Thus, probiotics (LAB) from common Nigerian fermented foods like CM, SM, and lafun could serve as cost-effective, nutrient-rich alternatives for yogurt starter cultures.

Predicting Ghana’s Daily Natural Gas Consumption Using Time Series Models

In recent years, natural gas utilisation has seen a considerable increase because, it presents an alternative energy source that is reliable, economical and environmentally friendly for consumers. In Ghana, natural gas consumption has over the years increased due to mainly the rise in industrial and residential demands. Accurate prediction of natural gas consumption will provide stakeholders with vital information needed for planning and making informed policy decisions. This paper explores the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) to predict Ghana's daily natural gas consumption. The data employed for the study is daily natural gas consumption in Ghana from 2020 to 2022. The results show that both ARIMA and SARIMA models can predict the consumption of natural gas in Ghana with a good degree of accuracy. The SARIMA model slightly outperforms the ARIMA model, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 22.25 and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 6.96%, compared to an RMSE of 23.27 and a MAPE of 7.29% for the ARIMA model. The model forecast suggests a steady natural gas consumption in Ghana but with some intermittent fluctuations.

Power System Integration of Electric Vehicles: A Review on Impacts and Contributions to the Smart Grid

In recent years, electric vehicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular, bringing about fundamental shifts in transportation to reduce greenhouse effects and accelerate progress toward decarbonization. The role of EVs has also experienced a paradigm shift for future energy networks as an active player in the form of vehicle-to-grid, grid-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to-vehicle technologies. EVs spend a significant part of the day parked and have a remarkable potential to contribute to energy sustainability as backup power units. In this way, EVs can be connected to the grid as stationary power units, providing a range of services to the power grid to increase its reliability and resilience. The available systems show that EVs can be used as alternative energy sources for various network systems like smart grids, microgrids, and virtual power plants besides transportation. While the grid–EV connection offers various contributions, it also has some limitations and effects. In this context, the current study highlights the power system impacts and key contributions of EVs connected to smart grids. Regarding the power system impacts in case of EV integration into smart grids, the challenges and difficulties are categorized under the power system stability, voltage/current distortions, load profile, and power losses. Voltage/current distortions like sags, unbalances, harmonics, and supraharmonics are also detailed in the study. Subsequently, the key contributions to the smart grid in terms of energy management, grid-quality support, grid balancing, and socio-economic impacts are explained. In the energy management part, issues such as power flow, load balancing, and renewable energy integration are elaborated. Then, the fault ride-through capability, reactive power compensation, harmonic mitigation, and grid loss reduction are presented to provide information on power quality enhancement. Lastly, the socio-economic impacts in terms of employment, net billing fees, integration with renewable energy sources, and environmental effects are elucidated in the present study.