scholarly journals Ensete ventricosum: A Multipurpose Crop against Hunger in Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Getahun Yemata

Ensete ventricosum is a traditional multipurpose crop mainly used as a staple/co-staple food for over 20 million people in Ethiopia. Despite this, scientific information about the crop is scarce. Three types of food, viz., Kocho (fermented product from scraped pseudostem and grated corm), Bulla (dehydrated juice), and Amicho (boiled corm) can be prepared from enset. These products are particularly rich in carbohydrates, minerals, fibres, and phenolics, but poor in proteins. Such meals are usually served with meat and cheese to supplement proteins. As a food crop, it has useful attributes such as foods can be stored for long time, grows in wide range of environments, produces high yield per unit area, and tolerates drought. It has an irreplaceable role as a feed for animals. Enset starch is found to have higher or comparable quality to potato and maize starch and widely used as a tablet binder and disintegrant and also in pharmaceutical gelling, drug loading, and release processes. Moreover, enset shows high genetic diversity within a population which in turn renders resilience and food security against the ever-changing environmental factors and land use dynamics. Therefore, more research attention and funding should be given to magnify and make wider use of the crop.

Author(s):  
Eshettu Tesfaye Retta ◽  

Enset (Enseteventricosum) is a traditional multi-purpose crop mainly used as a staple/co-staple food crop over 20 million people in Ethiopia. The Gurage are sedentary agricultural people of patrilineal persuasion who speak a Semetic language and inhabit in a sparsely fertile semi-mountainous regionin south-central Ethiopia. Enset, their staple food crop, commonly called the “false banana plant”, is produced in abundance by each Gurage homestead. The objective of this study was to document the socio-cultural values of enset plant among the Gurage. In this study, a qualitative methodological approach is employed in extracting information from different sources on the subject in question. The study relied mainly on primary and secondary sources.According to findings, three types of food, viz, Kocho(fermented product from scraped pseudo stem grafted corm), Bulla(dehydrated juice), and Amicho (boiled corm) can be prepared from enset. As a food crop, it has useful attributes such as foods can be stored for long time, grow in wide range of environments, produces high yield per unit area and tolerates drought. It has irreplaceable role as a feed for animals. Enset starch is found to have higher and widely used as a tablet binder and dis-integrant and also in pharmaceutical gelling, drug loading and release processes. Moreover, enset shows high genetic diversity within a population which in turn renders resilience and food security against the ever-changing environmental factors and land use dynamics.Enset is totally involved in every aspects of the daily social and ritual life of the Gurage, who, with other several tribes in southwest Ethiopia, form what has been termed “the EnsetCulture Complex Area”. From birth, when the umbilicus is tied off with a fiber drawn from enset fronds, the life of the Gurage is enmeshed with various uses of enset, not the least of which is nutritional.


Author(s):  
Evgeny Pererva

Introduction. The paper is devoted to the examination of craniological materials of the late middle age originating from the Shareniy Bugor archaeological complex. Methods and materials. A complete series which includes 33 individual remains is now kept by the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University. The access to scientific information on the series has been opened for the first time. The series consists of 24 male skulls, 4 female brain capsules, two childrens and 3 adolescent craniums. Analysis. The standard assessment program of pathological conditions on postcranial skeleton and skull bones developed by A.P. Buzhilova (1995, 1998) was applied in the course of examination of the anthropological material. Results. A wide range of cranium anomalies, various dentition diseases, endocrine disease markers, signs of exposure to low temperatures, episodic stress traces and numerous injuries were recorded as a result of the examination of the bone material. Conclusions. The series under consideration does not meet the paleopopulation criteria, i.e. cannot be a prototype of a really existing group of medieval urban population. Signs of unintentional artificial deformity of the occipital type were recorded on the skulls of the studied sample. The identified stress markers indicate that the urban population of the Volga Delta was exposed to the pressure of negative factors due to the natural and social environment including cold temperatures, hunger, war, etc. The population group originating from Shareniy Bugor settlement probably specialized in living in the river area, which led to a specific diet and the appearance of cases of diseases typical for people spending a long time in a cold water environment. Extremely high rates of injuries, including combat near-death and lethal ones, wounds to the skull facial area characterize the studied part of the population as a group that actively participated in hostilities. A series of skulls originating from Shareniy Bugor settlement probably belongs to a specific social stratum or the handicraft part of the population of the Golden Horde city of Khadzhi-Tarkhan which was engaged in river fishing and whose appearance (hairstyle and constantly worn headdress) was very different from most townspeople; they probably actively defended the city during the raids of enemies.


2008 ◽  
pp. 61-76
Author(s):  
A. Porshakov ◽  
A. Ponomarenko

The role of monetary factor in generating inflationary processes in Russia has stimulated various debates in social and scientific circles for a relatively long time. The authors show that identification of the specificity of relationship between money and inflation requires a complex approach based on statistical modeling and involving a wide range of indicators relevant for the price changes in the economy. As a result a model of inflation for Russia implying the decomposition of inflation dynamics into demand-side and supply-side factors is suggested. The main conclusion drawn is that during the recent years the volume of inflationary pressures in the Russian economy has been determined by the deviation of money supply from money demand, rather than by money supply alone. At the same time, monetary factor has a long-run spread over time impact on inflation.


Author(s):  
Kathryn Kellett ◽  
Brendan M. Duggan ◽  
Michael Gilson

We have described simple, high-yield, protocols, which require only commonly accessible equipment, to synthesize a wide range of β-CD derivatives mono-substituted at the secondary face. These derivatives may be useful in their own right, and they are also scaffolds for further modification, and examples of the far broader array of derivatives that may be accessed by these procedures.


Author(s):  
Dr. Jyotsna Sankpal ◽  
Dr. Jyotsna Takalikar

Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana is branch of the ancient Indian medical science based on herbs and herbo-mineral preparation. Tankana has been described under Uparasa Tankana, which is one among the Kshara Trayas has been used since very long time in Ayurveda. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, including diseases like Varna (ulcers), Shvasa (asthma), Kasa (cough), Hrudya (beneficial to heart disease), Streepushpajanana (menstrual disorders) etc. It is used in the form of compound formulations like Parpati, Kupipakwa, Khalvee Rasayana, Churna, Vati, Lepa etc. In this paper Tankana Shodhana procedure, different synonyms, dose, Anupana, indications and different formulations containing Tankana Bhasma has been discussed.


Nanophotonics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1831-1853
Author(s):  
Jaeho Jeon ◽  
Yajie Yang ◽  
Haeju Choi ◽  
Jin-Hong Park ◽  
Byoung Hun Lee ◽  
...  

AbstractTwo-dimensional (2D) layers of transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides, collectively referred to as MXenes, are considered as the new family of 2D materials for the development of functional building blocks for optoelectronic and photonic device applications. Their advantages are based on their unique and tunable electronic and optical properties, which depend on the modulation of transition metal elements or surface functional groups. In this paper, we have presented a comprehensive review of MXenes to suggest an insightful perspective on future nanophotonic and optoelectronic device applications based on advanced synthesis processes and theoretically predicted or experimentally verified material properties. Recently developed optoelectronic and photonic devices, such as photodetectors, solar cells, fiber lasers, and light-emitting diodes are summarized in this review. Wide-spectrum photodetection with high photoresponsivity, high-yield solar cells, and effective saturable absorption were achieved by exploiting different MXenes. Further, the great potential of MXenes as an electrode material is predicted with a controllable work function in a wide range (1.6–8 eV) and high conductivity (~104 S/cm), and their potential as active channel material by generating a tunable energy bandgap is likewise shown. MXene can provide new functional building blocks for future generation nanophotonic device applications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Hasanzadeh Kafshgari ◽  
Delf Kah ◽  
Anca Mazare ◽  
Nhat Truong Nguyen ◽  
Monica Distaso ◽  
...  

Abstract Hollow titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes offer substantially higher drug loading capacity and slower drug release kinetics compared to solid drug nanocarriers of comparable size. In this report, we load TiO2 nanotubes with iron oxide nanoparticles to facilitate site-specific magnetic guidance and drug delivery. We generate magnetic TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2NTs) by incorporating a ferrofluid containing Ø ≈ 10 nm iron oxide nanoparticles in planar sheets of weakly connected TiO2 nanotubes. After thermal annealing, the magnetic tubular arrays are loaded with therapeutic drugs and then sonicated to separate the nanotubes. We demonstrate that magnetic TiO2NTs are non-toxic for HeLa cells at therapeutic concentrations (≤200 µg/mL). Adhesion and endocytosis of magnetic nanotubes to a layer of HeLa cells are increased in the presence of a magnetic gradient field. As a proof-of-concept, we load the nanotubes with the topoisomerase inhibitor camptothecin and achieve a 90% killing efficiency. We also load the nanotubes with oligonucleotides for cell transfection and achieve 100% cellular uptake efficiency. Our results demonstrate the potential of magnetic TiO2NTs for a wide range of biomedical applications, including site-specific delivery of therapeutic drugs.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1396
Author(s):  
Z. N. Diyana ◽  
R. Jumaidin ◽  
Mohd Zulkefli Selamat ◽  
Ihwan Ghazali ◽  
Norliza Julmohammad ◽  
...  

Thermoplastic starch composites have attracted significant attention due to the rise of environmental pollutions induced by the use of synthetic petroleum-based polymer materials. The degradation of traditional plastics requires an unusually long time, which may lead to high cost and secondary pollution. To solve these difficulties, more petroleum-based plastics should be substituted with sustainable bio-based plastics. Renewable and natural materials that are abundant in nature are potential candidates for a wide range of polymers, which can be used to replace their synthetic counterparts. This paper focuses on some aspects of biopolymers and their classes, providing a description of starch as a main component of biopolymers, composites, and potential applications of thermoplastics starch-based in packaging application. Currently, biopolymer composites blended with other components have exhibited several enhanced qualities. The same behavior is also observed when natural fibre is incorporated with biopolymers. However, it should be noted that the degree of compatibility between starch and other biopolymers extensively varies depending on the specific biopolymer. Although their efficacy is yet to reach the level of their fossil fuel counterparts, biopolymers have made a distinguishing mark, which will continue to inspire the creation of novel substances for many years to come.


Author(s):  
Shuaibu Babaji Sanusi ◽  
Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar ◽  
Maryati Mohamed ◽  
Siti Fatimah Sabran ◽  
Muhammad Murtala Mainasara

The genus Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) has been utilized in folk medicine for a long time in India and Southeast Asia countries. They are used in the treatment of leprosy, cholera, night blindness, gastrointestinal discomfort, dysentery, stomachache, and bed-wetting among others. This review highlights the ethnobotanical uses, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activities of both crude extracts and pure bioactive compounds of Nepenthes spp. The phytochemical compounds isolated from Nepenthes species include flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, and steroids among other phytochemicals. A wide range of pharmacological activities was exhibited by the crude extracts and pure bioactive components such as antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiosteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, and hypolipidemic activities. This review revealed that many active compounds are present in Nepenthes spp. However, many pharmacological screenings such as anticancer, antiviral, wound healing, antihelminthic, antidiarrheal properties, among others have not been carried out yet. Therefore, more biological investigations and phytochemical screenings are required to fully explore the genus Nepenthes which may lead to development of new therapeutic agents.  


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Shimizu ◽  
Shigeo Morimoto ◽  
Masayuki Sanada ◽  
Yukinori Inoue

The optimal design of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors requires a long time because finite element analysis (FEA) is performed repeatedly. To solve this problem, many researchers have used artificial intelligence to construct a prediction model that can replace FEA. However, because the training data are generated by FEA, it takes a very long time to obtain a sufficient amount of data, making it impossible to train a large-scale prediction model. Here, we propose a method for generating a large amount of data from a small number of FEA results using machine learning. An automatic design system with a deep generative model and a convolutional neural network is then constructed. With its sufficient data, the proposed system can handle three topologies and three motor parameters in a wide range of current vector regions. The proposed system was applied to multi-objective optimization design, with the optimization completed in 13-15 seconds.


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