Corn,milk protein and precision medicine for children.

Medicines for children can be a challenge when taste and texture is concerned,this has prompted professor Om Perumal at South Dakota State University, and co-founder , chief scientific officer of Tranzderm Solutions, to adapt his corn protein-based drug delivery method to oral pediatric formulations. The theory behind this is to encapsulate drugs in corn protein nanoparticles and then cover them milk protein to make children’s medications better tasting and safer. The patented drug delivery system uses zein, a protein found in dried distillers grain, a co-product of ethanol production, to encapsulate the medication. The nanoparticles are approximately 500 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

Precision medicine.

The concept of precision public health is relatively new. Of course, the precision medicine movement has taken off in the past few years, especially with the implementation of the precision medicine initiative in the US. If the goal of precision medicine is to deliver the right health intervention to the right person at the right time, the ultimate goal of precision public health is to develop and implement health interventions that can benefit the right populations at the right time. While implicit in the precision medicine concept is the use of genomic, behavioral, and environmental data in developing new and targeted interventions, more often than not, the discourse is about developing new drugs for treating cancer and other diseases. There is much less emphasis on joining biological with social/environmental determinants of health to develop and implement precision approaches to keep individuals and communities healthy. more

Dangote to launch 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme.

Dangote to launch 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme. Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, is set to launch in Sokoto, Sokoto state its multi-million naira 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme with a prospect of hundreds of thousand of employment opportunities for the rural communities inhabitants. The President of the Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed at the weekend that the Company will on Wednesday flag off with a pilot project of 500ha by Gonroyo Dam in Goronyo community. Gonroyo Dam is the second largest in the country, after Kainji Dam. continue

Mobile finance holds potential for agribusiness.

Mobile finance holds great potential for promoting financial inclusion in agribusiness especially with mobile phones increasingly becoming affordable, Dr Berty Annan, the Country Manager, Agribusiness Systems International (ASI) has said. She explained that access to finance was a major challenge in the agricultural sector; and that it was expensive to build bank branches in rural areas coupled with difficulty in convincing the ‘unbanked’ to use formal banks.more

Uganda makes strides with biofortified crops.

Nsereko’s farm sits on 360 acres of land. On it is a ranch and gardens of watermelon and coffee, the things he has traditionally kept there.In 2015, however, Nsereko decided to start to grow beans on a large scale, but not the ordinary beans. These are called biofortified beans. Through crossbreeding, scientists at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Namulonge have increased the iron content in them. “Crosses are made between preferred varieties that have low iron content with another variety with high iron content but that may not have the characteristics that farmers and the market want,” says Dr Stanley Nkalubo, a bean breeder and Team Leader for Legumes Research at NaCRRI. Nsereko’s beans – named NARO1, NARO2 and NARO3 – the names mainly emphasize that the beans are from the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO). The NARO bean two is the best as it is high yielding. The idea of biologically adding iron in beans is to help communities like ours, which are not into processed and packed foods, and so much into eating beans, access iron in good quantities. NaCRRI, a seed breeder; Nsereko, a seed multiplier; and CEDO, a seed distributor, are in a chain of individuals and organisations that target to feed a billion of the world’s people with biofortified foods by 2030. By the end of 2015, more than 100 biofortified varieties across 10 crops had been released in 30 countries, according to Howarth Bouis, the man who founded HarvesPlus 14 years ago and winner of the 2016 World Food Prize for his pioneering work in biofortified foods.In Uganda farmers mainly grow iron rich beans and orange fleshed sweet potatoes enriched with Vitamin A. More

Brothers earning millions from cabbage.

Gimogo Mohamubi, 36, Difasi Webisa, 40, and Wambehde Kamilu, 45, who are residents of Kasubi Central in Bardege Division, Gulu Municipality, are commercial farmers growing mostly cabbages. Before they were farmers, the three brothers were businessmen based in Mbale dealing in agricultural produce. They regularly came to Gulu to sell onions, carrots and matooke but due to losses they occasionally encountered they decided to involve themselves directly in commercial farming. They hired one acre of land at Shs 500,000 a year and bought cabbage seeds from an agro-input shop, then prepared seed beds and added manure to the soil. After three weeks, they planted the seeds in the seed bed. When they germinated, they applied pesticides and fertilisers such as NPK. A month later, the seedlings were transplanted to the main garden. It is important to transplant in the evening when it is cooler to avoid the seedlings from being affected by heat from the sun,they ensure the garden is weed free because these compete with the vegetables for soil nutrients. It is also very important to spray the cabbages with pesticides twice a month, because insects damage the cabbages when they eat the leaves. The crops are watered every morning and evenings during dry season because cabbages needs water to grow. Cabbages take about three months from when they are planted in the main garden to harvest. Currently, they earn about Shs12m from the cabbages and harvest twice a year,continue

20 Ways to Make $25,000 per month running an Agricultural Business.

Josephine Kiiza, director of St Jude Family Projects at Busense, Kabonera subcounty in Masaka, is of the most successful farmers in Uganda. At St. Jude family agricultural projects, they practice and train farmers in modern Integrated Organic Farming, a technology where various items on the farm - plants, animals, water and soils, are in such a way contributes directly or indirectly to the other. This is how a young farmer, can earn 50 million ($25,000) or even earn more money from your agricultural business;

Vital links between brain tumors and epileptic seizures.

A research by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital and which is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, report that the emergence of specific brain cells during brain tumor progression in a mouse model marked the onset of seizures and brain tumor invasion. This study opens the possibility of detecting brain tumors at the earliest possible stage and eliminating them before seizures begin.An improved understanding of how brain tumors cause seizures can potentially lead to strategies to prevent them or treat them. Astrocytes are often broadly categorized as one cell type, a lot of diversity exists in the functions carried out by these cells. The brain has billions of cells of which only 30 percent are neurons and the astrocytes are the predominant cell type of the remaining 70 percent. Astrocytes play diverse roles in the brain, from supporting the functions of neurons, participating in synapse formation and function and in the release of neurotransmitters, to making the blood-brain barrier and other functions. The researchers compared the ability of the different subpopulations of astrocytes to support the formation and function of synapses between neurons. Astrocytes are associated with numerous neurological conditions such as injury, multiple sclerosis, autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and brain tumors.

Removal of ovaries during hysterectomy linked to increase in heart disease, cancer and premature death.

A study led by the University of Warwick and published in the BMJ has found a link between the removal of ovaries during hysterectomy and an increase in heart disease, cancer and premature death. More than 113,000 hysterectomy cases were studied and the ovaries were removed in about a third of these. The study covered a ten year period where it compared women who were treated for a benign disease who had both ovaries removed with those who had one or none removed.The work looked at 113,679 cases of women aged 35-45 during the period April 2004 to March 2014. A third of the patients studied had both ovaries removed. The study showed that women who had one or no ovaries removed were less likely to develop ischaemic heart disease ,a coronary artery disease or cancer after hysterectomy than those who had both ovaries removed. The researchers also found that fewer women who retained one or both ovaries compared to those who had both removed died within the duration of the study -- 0.6% compared to 1.01%.

Genetically modified tobacco plants produce antibodies to treat rabies.

Smoking tobacco is bad for your health, but a genetically altered version of the plant might provide an inexpensive cure for the deadly rabies virus. Scientists have produced a monoclonal antibody in transgenic tobacco plants shown to neutralize the rabies virus. This antibody works by preventing the virus from attaching to nerve endings around the bite site and keeping the virus from traveling to the brain. The research finding appeared in The FASEB Journal, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology shows the efficacy of the tobacco plant to produce the vaccine. Rabies is a public health concern in developing countries where majority of pets are not vaccinated and a dog-bite incidence is always fatal because of high cost of vaccine and accessibility. The Production of an inexpensive antibody in transgenic plants opens the prospect of adequate rabies prevention for low-income families in developing countries.

Two major groups of rabies virus display distinct evolutionary trends.

Genome data reveal the evolutionary patterns that underlie jumps between rabies host species.Using hundreds of viral genome sequences, scientists have shown that two major groups of rabies virus have unique evolutionary tendencies and their findings are presented in a study published in PLOS Pathogens. Diseases that jump from other vertebrate hosts to humans are a major public health threat, but the evolutionary mechanisms behind these jumps are poorly understood. With its long history of jumping between host species, the rabies virus offers a good opportunity to identify evolutionary patterns associated with such shifts. The scientists compared 321 viral genome sequences collected from 66 countries over 65 years. The analysis revealed very different evolutionary patterns for bat-related rabies, which is found in bats and some carnivores; versus dog-related rabies, which is responsible for almost all human cases of rabies and is found in both dogs and wild carnivores. The data suggest that different subgroups of bat-related rabies do not evolve uniformly, but dog-related rabies usually evolves at a steady rate. For dog-related rabies, host jumping was linked to multiple evolutionary patterns, such as parallel changes in amino acid sequences between different host species. The data also suggest that dog-related rabies may not need to evolve much to jump to new carnivore hosts.

Golden Retriever Is Obsessed With Giving People Hugs.

Whenever Cesar Fernandez-Chavez walks his dog Louboutina in Manhattan, it's never an ordinary walk. Within minutes of hitting the sidewalks, Louboutina (or Loubie for short) wants to stop, greet people and then hug them, wrapping her forelegs around their knees. "It's just not a regular walk," Fernandez-Chavez says "It's a walk with hugging. So we don't get to go too far." continue

Zoos, animal handling and public feeding.

The pictures of tigers in a Chinese zoo has been making rounds and various animal groups and sectors of the society have different views. There are actually several problems with these photos, which were taken at the Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin City, China. The most obvious issue is that these animals are being fed in excess which could predispose them to certain diseases and conditions. The zoo allows visitors to feed the animals and are doing most of the excessive feeding, according to some reports. The visitors are reportedly feeding the tigers live chickens, where people can buy a chicken and throw it them. When many tigers are kept in a confined space, there would be few opportunities for exercise, which could exacerbate the health issues related to obesity.When animals are denied the opportunity to work for their food, as they would in the wild by foraging and hunting, they end up with underdeveloped muscles and deposition of fat. more

How to fix a broken snail shell.

The life of one little snail in the world might not amount to much for some people, but it means everything to him.The veterinarian fixes all creatures great and small.Veterinarians from the HaClinica animal hospital, in Tel Aviv, Israel, recently offered their life-saving services to the humble garden snail after a mishap in a local woman's yard. The woman accidentally stepped on him shattering his brittle shell ,rather than leave the snail to fend for himself with his suddenly broken home, the woman actually rushed him to get the help he needed. This is how the veterinarian put the shell back together, piece by piece using glue. more

Dubai Dental Authority And 3D Printing Teeth .

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced plans to advance the use of 3D printing in dentistry and healthcare at this weeks Arab Health Congress (AHC) in Dubai. This includes plans for the Dental Services department to make greater use of 3D printing for dentistry by the end of this year. The Arab Health Congress also saw a number of 3D printing companies showcase new innovations. In order to understand these ambitious plans from DHA, we take a look at current dental 3D printing technology. There is strong potential for 3D printing in the dental industry and we’ve seen many different companies approaching the market. continue

3D printing and personalized medicine.

Professor Jukka Rantanen is from the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. His seminar at the 3D Medical Expo 2017 focused on Designing compartmental pharmaceutical products based on 3D printing. In the talk, Professor Rantanen details the opportunity to 3D print pills with inner geometries, i.e. one drug forms the outer shell of a tablet and another fills the inside. The advantages of developing this type of drug are that it gives more control over how and when a particular treatment is released into the body. Developing the means to produce what Professor Rantanen terms “two layer” drugs is of course a substantial challenge to researchers. Additionally, Professor Rantanen points out that marketing & distribution is one of the biggest challenges to 3D printed pharmaceuticals. continue

3D Printing the Future of Surgery.

3D printing has had and will continue to have impacts on many areas. One of the most hotly anticipated areas for 3D printing to impact is medicine. By 3D printing medical models, students, doctors and other staff members can get a hands-on learning experience of a pathology, organ or a part of the human anatomy. 3D prints can be made illustrating all manner of conditions or states. These models can be touched, passed around, discussed and are used as a learning tool worldwide. They can be used by residents, medical students, nurses or even to help patients understand their condition or operation. Initially 3D printed medical prototypes were high end and often hand painted affairs. They cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and competed with hand made models. Now desktop 3D printed medical prototypes are providing for an extremely low cost alternative.continue

Antibiotic resistance can occur naturally in soil bacteria.

Scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in prairie soils that had little or no exposure to human or animal activity.U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in prairie soils that had little or no exposure to human or animal activity. Antibiotics have effectively treated bacterial diseases for years, but some bacteria have developed resistance to the antibiotics that once killed them.Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers are investigating agriculture-related antibiotic resistance and developing solutions to address food safety, animal production and protection, and the environment. Part of their efforts involves looking at antibiotic resistance in soils. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes found in soils where manure was deposited by animals can provide valuable information about what is currently present in a sample site, such as a feedlot. However, the concern is that even if bacteria in manure are dead, their genes can persist in soils. The team examined native prairie soils that had little human impact and no animal grazing during the past 20 years. They collected soil samples from the sites and screened them for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They found that all prairies contained bacteria that were resistant to tetracycline and cefotaxime -- two commonly prescribed antibiotics that treat a wide variety of infections -- and nearly half of the samples contained bacteria resistant to two or more antibiotics.

Brazilian peppertree Can knock out antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Scientists at Emory University have discovered that the red berries of the Brazilian peppertree ,a weedy, invasive species common in Florida contain an extract with the power to disarm dangerous antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria. The journal Scientific Reports published the finding made in the Emory's Center for the Study of Human Health and in the School of Medicine's Department of Dermatology.Traditional healers in the Amazon have used the Brazilian peppertree for hundreds of years to treat infections of the skin and soft tissues. The researchers showed that a refined, flavone-rich composition extracted from the berries inhibits formation of skin lesions in mice infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus auereus (MRSA). The compound works not by killing the MRSA bacteria, but by repressing a gene that allows the bacteria cells to communicate with one another. Blocking that communication prevents the cells from taking collective action, a mechanism known as quorum quenching. The compound essentially disarms the MRSA bacteria, preventing it from excreting the toxins it uses as weapons to damage tissues, so the body's normal immune system then stands a better chance of healing a wound.

Model assesses interventions for bovine tuberculosis in Morocco.

Researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have used a disease modeling approach to analyze the cost and effectiveness of interventions aimed at bovine tuberculosis among cattle in Morocco. In many developing countries, a significant fraction of the tuberculosis burden comes potentially from the tuberculosis bacteria carried by animals, essentially cattle. The efforts to reduce the tuberculosis burden therefore, must include strategies to reduce incidence of the bacteria in animals using "One Health" approach. Around 18 percent of cattle in Morocco carry Mycobacterim bovis, which can cause tuberculosis in humans who catch the bacteria from consuming raw milk or being in contact with infected animals. One previous study found that 17.8% of drug resistant TB among humans in Morocco was due to M. bovis rather than the classic Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The main strategy to control bovine tuberculosis (BTB)in Morocco is based on a test and slaughter scheme, but testing is not mandatory. In the study,researchers used a mathematical model of Bovine tuberculosis transmission from cattle to cattle and cattle to humans in order to assess the disease cost and simulate interventions. They assumed a prevalence of 18% among cattle and used annual data on cattle numbers collected by the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture. The model showed that the time for bovine tuberculosis elimination ranged from 12 years -- with a hundred percent tested -- to 75 years -- when only 20 percent of cattle were tested annually.The simulation also suggested that using a more conservative cutoff for a positive skin test for Bovine tuberculosis would result in cheaper and quicker elimination of the disease.

FRESH-AIR MEAT.

Fresh air meat refers to products derived from pastured livestock,animals raised by sustainable methods.This is the story of a farm raising animals in a sustainable manner ,with increased yield and profit. Continue

AVIAN INFLUENZA: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

In 1996, an H5 avian influenza was identified in geese in Guangdong, China. Almost 20 years later, a variation of that virus wiped out 48 million birds in the U.S. How did the virus get from China to the U.S.? Why did it take 20 years? And how did it spread so rapidly? Those are questions that Travis Schaal, internal technical services manager at Hy-Line International, is trying to answer to ensure that the devastation caused by the virus from 2014 to 2015 isn’t repeated again. continue

COW FERTILITY, SOIL HEALTH, AND COW EFFICIENCY.

Cow fertility: This is one of the left-behind traits of the cattle industry, says Megan Rolf, an animal breeding professor at Kansas State University. While many cattle traits, such as daily gain and muscle quality, have benefited greatly from research, fertility traits like pregnancy rate and calving percentage have stayed fairly stagnant over many years. “What we need to do is find out how to get more cow pregnancies early in the breeding season, and then maintain more of them to term,” says Rolf. A growing database of genomic information on animals assists her and colleagues at other colleges have a project that will use the power of data and computers to plan matings of cows and bulls to eliminate some that could have a lethal ending because of a recessive gene trait. This would enhance fertility – more cows that get bred stay bred. The cattle breed associations control most of this genetic data and will impact how soon this system makes its way to your ranch. A group of animal geneticists from around the country is conducting a study to find if there is a genetic connection to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), the biggest disease scourge to the beef industry. Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California-Davis tells beef producers that 1.4% of feedlot cattle die before harvest, many of them of BRD. Continue

3 circular principles for healthy agriculture.

3 circular principles for healthy agriculture.Proponents of the regenerative economy are realizing that it is dependent on the circular economy of soil. The soil is one of the key natural capitals on which we all depend. Its loss is our demise. Three ways to move towards regenerative agriculture: 1) return farming systems to harmony with nature’s cycles. 2) make and use biochar. 3)implement holistic management across the world’s grasslands. Most of the climate crisis results from burning fossil fuels, but almost a quarter of the problem derives from agriculture. After 150 years of unsustainable practices, the earth’s soil has been depleted. Modern agriculture worsens climate change. Unchecked, climate change will destroy our tenuous ability to feed ourselves. For every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature above the norm, yields of wheat, rice and corn drop 10 percent. Given that more than a billion people in the world already suffer from malnutrition. Soil that has been de-carbonized (lost its organic matter) requires large amounts of fossil fuel-based fertilizer if it is to grow crops at industrial scale. Petrochemical use in fertilizer releases greenhouse gasses (GHGs), especially nitrous oxide, a gas 300 times more potent per ton in causing global warming than CO2. Plowing and poor nutrient management release the nitrogen from soils in quantities. When out of place, both carbon and nitrogen, key building blocks of life in nature, are serious threats to the stability of the climate. continue

PetLife Pharmaceuticals Producing Cancer Drug From Venom Of The Caribbean Blue Scorpion.

PetLife Pharmaceuticals, Inc a developer of a new generation of high potency veterinary cancer medications and nutraceuticals for pets. PetLife Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (OTC:PTLF) is launching a new generation of all natural veterinary cancer medications and nutraceuticals, based on the venom of the Caribbean Blue Scorpion. This treatment is based on the same patented formula and production processes used in the human formulation known as Escozine™. PetLife's mission is to bring its new, scientifically proven, non-toxic, potentiated bioactive nutraceuticals and prescription medication, Vitalzul™, to the world of veterinary oncology—with the ultimate goal of preventing cancer and extending the life of pets suffering from cancer while improving their quality of life. In the US alone, consumer spending on domestic companion animals reached over $60 billion in 2015 with over $29 billion spent on veterinary care and medications. WHAT IS VITALZUL™? see more

Fish oil asthma benefits may be blocked by medication

Fish oil asthma benefits may be blocked by medication: Omega-3 fatty acids could reduce the production of antibodies that cause allergic reactions and asthma symptoms. But the possible benefits are reduced by asthma medication, say researchers.

How bacteria develop antibiotic resistance.

A study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has shown how bacteria evolve and resist antibiotics. The scientists Using quantitative approaches from physics, biophysicists discovered a surprising way that bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics. 

 The new research published in the journal Science, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem report a startling alternative path to the evolution of resistance in bacteria.The bacteria evolve a sleeping mechanism after which the bacteria can then wake up and evolve resistance 20 times faster than normal -- at which point continuing to administer antibiotics won't kill the bacteria. 

 The results indicate that tolerance may play a crucial role in the evolution of resistance in bacterial populations under cyclic exposures to high antibiotic concentrations. To investigate this evolutionary process a group of biophysicists,exposed bacterial populations to a daily dose of antibiotics in controlled laboratory conditions, until resistance was established. 

By tracking the bacteria along the evolutionary process, they found that the lethal antibiotic dosage gave rise to bacteria that were transiently dormant, and were therefore protected from several types of antibiotics that target actively growing bacteria. 

 Once bacteria acquired the ability to go dormant, which is termed tolerance, they rapidly acquired mutations to resistance and were able to overcome the antibiotic treatment. First the bacteria evolved to sleep for most of the antibiotic treatment, and then this "sleeping mode" not only transiently protected them from the lethal action of the drug, but also actually worked as a stepping stone for the later acquisition of resistance factors.

Improving plant biosecurity in Africa.

Plant biosecurity management can be a boon to agricultural economies in sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia has a wealth of expertise to share. That’s the logic behind a mentoring program that helps the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Plant Biosecurity CRC partner with fellows working at agricultural institutions in 10 African countries. The resulting program, the Australia-Africa Plant Biosecurity Partnership, aims to transfer skills in designing, delivering and managing plant biosecurity — measures to safeguard plants from pests and diseases. continue

Nigeria seeks reversal of EU’s ban on beans export.

Plans are in top gear by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) to get the European Union EU lift its ban on exportation of beans from Nigeria to its member countries. The Coordinating Director of the agency, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, who disclosed this at the opening of a two- day training workshop on Plant Health Inspection and Certification of Vegetables for exporters and farmers, said all hands are on deck to ensure that the EU lifts the ban before 2019. Noting that the EU ban on Nigerian beans has severely affected the economy, Isegbe said there was a need to avoid future rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural commodities even as he pointed out that the agency is doing its best to revert the situation. continue

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 25 Amazing Veterinary Breakthroughs in the Last 10 Years.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: 25 Amazing Veterinary Breakthroughs in the Last 10 Years. As medicinal breakthroughs in human health are made, so too do the advances of veterinary medicine,from surgeries to the latest advancements in therapies. The list below says it all; 1) Stem Cell Therapy Not just a point of conversation and debate for human medicine, it is available in veterinary medicine as well. Its goal is to stimulate and activate dormant stem cells ensuring maximum uptake achieving best possible results. It is offered by many practices, including Medivet. 2) Cancer Vaccine In this aspect, veterinary medicine seems leaps ahead of human. This vaccine is intended for melanoma, or a type of skin cancer. Since dogs spend most of their time exposed to the sun without any kind of sunscreen, they can be susceptible to melanoma. 3)Laser Surgery Not just for corrective eye surgery in humans anymore. Concentrated light sources can be used in spays and neuters, declaws, ear surgery, and many more. continue

A German startup is using technology to help Indian farmers.

Progressive Environmental and Agricultural Technologies (PEAT) has, over the last couple of years, been working with 30,000 Indian farmers. Agriculture today is a $500 billion opportunity and there are more than 30 Indian startups that are using technology to solve problems in the industry. According to the World Bank, India has 395 million acres of land available for cultivation, of which only 215 million acres are cultivated. PEAT was set up in 2015. But it all started in South America. Four of PEAT's seven founders met during a German-Brazilian five-year research project in Amazonia, dealing with greenhouse gases (GHG), sustainability and land use change. There main research topic was the emission of GHG induced by land use change and options for action to mitigate them. PEAT’s India entry was through International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which has its global headquarters in Hyderabad. ICRISAT, which works on improving their mandate crops (mainly pulses) around the world, started work on digital agriculture. This year, PEAT, along with ICRISAT, has rolled out Plantix, a free app for farmers in South India. The app is adapted to important crops in the region and is offered in local languages.continue

India to help Nigerian farmers plant pulses for export.

The Head of Chancery, High Commission of India, in Lagos, Mr Jagdeep Kapoor, on Thursday announced his government’s plans to encourage Nigerian farmers to plant more pulses that would be exported to India. Kapoor said in Lagos that the initiative would create a source of income for Nigerian farmers, as well as ensure steady flow of the produce to India. The Indian Official said that the project would be a priority in India and Nigeria’s 2017 Civil Aviation and Agriculture Cooperation Agreements, that would soon be formalised by both governments. He said, “Nigeria and India’s fresh areas of cooperation in 2017 would focus mostly on the signing of the Civil Aviation and Agriculture Agreements, that would soon be formalised by our two governments.more

How Pets Support People With Mental Illness.

Researchers from the University of Manchester interviewed 54 people with long-term mental health problems regarding the role of pets in their lives. They were given a diagram with three concentric circles surrounding a square meant to represent themselves and asked to fill in their sources of support (with the most important sources filling in the closest circle and then radiating outward). Nearly half of the participants included pets (dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish and more were part of the study) as part of their social network. Among them, 60 percent placed pets in the closest circle while 20 percent put them in the second closest. The participants noted many benefits of pet ownership, including being a source of physical contact and comfort, as well as providing a way to channel emotional energy. Many participants reported that their pets intuitively know when they're feeling unwell and act accordingly. The relationship between owners and their pets was so strong that it provided a distraction from negative feelings and symptoms, such as hearing voices among a person with schizophrenia. The researchers suggested pets could provide a therapeutic role in distracting their owners from suicidal ideation, feelings of loneliness and other symptoms of mental illness. In other cases, pets provided a much-need source of levity and humor. The participants noted their pets provided a source of unconditional love, accepted them for who they were without judgement or resentment. Among those with mental illness, many of whom feel stigmatized even by friends and family, this was invaluable. Many also noted the human-animal bond as being a reciprocal relationship, whereas human relationships in their lives were not regarded that way. Some even believed their pets to be struggling with similar symptoms (such as post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), which helped alleviate feelings of isolation and alienation. It's noteworthy, also, that many of the participants were unemployed and struggling with daily life. The pets had a positive effect here, too, as owners felt pride and validation about successfully caring for the pet, keeping him healthy and teaching him tricks. The caring for pets helped the participants to develop routines and gain a sense of control over their lives.

Deadly cat virus outbreak.

A viral disease that was thought to have disappeared has caused the death of scores of cats in Sydney in recent weeks, according to investigations into the outbreak . DNA sequencing by Professor Vanessa Barrs from the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science and Marie Bashir Institute, has confirmed that the strain of virus causing the outbreak in Australia is feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). It coincides with several large outbreaks of parvovirus in dogs in NSW, around the Shoalhaven area as well as the Riverina region and Tamworth. The symptoms of FPV are fever, lethargy and loss of appetite which is usually followed by vomiting and diarrhoea,but in severe cases cats can die suddenly without exhibiting any warning signs The .disease in cats is caused by parvoviruses, which are small DNA viruses,but the main one is feline panleukopenia virus. The parvoviruses that infect dogs can also cause the disease in cats,so petlovers with cats and dogs must ensure vaccination. FPV, also known as feline enteritis, is a deadly viral infection of cats that was first discovered more than 100 years ago,but with vaccinations the disease virtually disappeared from Australia in the mid 1970s. There is no risk for humans as the disease is not zoonotic and cannot be passed on to them. source.

Meat scientist: nitrates good for body

Meat scientist: nitrates good for body: Nitrates benefit human health and are present in far greater quantities in leafy vegetables than in processed meats, contrary to recent media coverage.

Nutritional upgrade: Changes to diet may address depression: Study

Nutritional upgrade: Changes to diet may address depression: Study: Tweaks to a diet’s nutritional make-up may provide an effective strategy for depression, says a study detailing extended benefits towards the management of associated disorders.

Dual pouch project helps child nutrition in South Africa

Dual pouch project helps child nutrition in South Africa: A functional food pilot in South African schools, using an innovative dual pouch system which allows students to mix water and food powder, has boosted attendance according to its organisers.

Turning smartphones into personal, real-time pollution monitors.

A study reported in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, has shown how scientists have used smartphone and sensing technology to better pinpoint where and when pollution is at its worst. When local pollution levels go up, the associated health risks also increase, especially for children and seniors. But air pollution varies widely over the course of a day and by location, even within the same city. The researchers equipped more than 50 school children with smartphones that could track their location and physical activity. The children also received sensors that continuously measured the ambient levels of black carbon, a component of soot. Although most children spent less than 4 percent of their day traveling to and from school, commuting contributed to 13 percent of their total potential black carbon exposure. The researchers conclude that mobile technologies could contribute valuable new insights into air pollution exposure.

Air pollution linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes in obese Latino children.

Air pollution linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes in obese Latino children. Latino children who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution have a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes. Scientists tracked children's health and respective levels of residential air pollution for about 3.5 years before associating chronic unhealthy air exposure to a breakdown in beta cells, special pancreatic cells that secrete insulin and maintain the appropriate sugar level in the bloodstream. By the time the children turned 18, their insulin-creating pancreatic cells were 13 percent less efficient than normal, making these individuals more prone to eventually developing Type 2 diabetes. The children lived in neighborhoods that, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, had excess nitrogen dioxide and tiny air pollution particles that are generated by automobiles and power plants, formally called particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). Researchers found that the beta cells that were still functional were overworking to compensate for the damaged cells, leading to burn out. As the cells failed to secrete insulin efficiently, regulation of sugar in the bloodstream overwhelmed the system, heightening the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Chinese agriculture experts conclude 2-year mission in Namibia.

Namibia's agriculture ministry on Wednesday bade farewell to 15 Chinese experts who completed a two-year program teaching farming skills in the southern African country. The 15 Chinese agriculture experts were part of the Tripartite Agreement on South to South Cooperation (SSC) entered into between Namibia, China and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on June 2014. Under the agreement, China deployed 15 experts from various agricultural fields, who for the past two years provided technical assistance to Namibia's irrigation projects, veterinary laboratories and research stations. John Mutorwa, minister of Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), said the ministry also hosted a debriefing meeting on the project Wednesday in the presence of delegates from FAO and the Chinese embassy as the first phase of the SSC that was implemented under the agreement is nearing completion on Apr. 30.continue

FG confirms fresh Lassa fever cases in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi.

The Federal Government has confirmed fresh Lassa fever cases in Edo, Ondo and Bauci states. The government also said that 44 cases of Lassa fever had been confirmed since December 2016 in nine states including Ogun, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ebonyi and Ondo A Director at the NCDC, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Elsie Ilori, said there should be proper sensitisation at all levels based on the evidence that Lassa fever was seasonal and could be endemic The Federal Government on Wednesday 8th February said that 44 cases of Lassa fever have been confirmed since December 2016 in nine states including Ogun, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ebonyi and Ondo, with some of the cases reported as probable. The Punch reports that the government also announced that seven new cases of Lassa fever had been reported and confirmed in Edo, Ondo, and Bauchi states. While four of the seven new cases were reported in Edo state, two was reported in Ondo while Bauchi had one case reported in the weekly report collated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. continue

A Deadly Virus is Killing Saiga Antelope in Mongolia.

Saiga antelope have been dying over the last two months in alarming numbers in the Great Lakes Depression of western Mongolia bordered by the Altai Mountains and China. WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) scientists working at the site with Mongolian and international partners believe around 2,500 saiga have died since December 2016 in the Durgun steppe and Khuisiin Gobi of Khovd and Gobi-Altai Provinces of Mongolia. Currently, the population of the Mongolian saiga, a unique subspecies Saiga tatarica mongolica, is only estimated to be around 10,000, so this event represents an immediate loss of 25 percent of the Mongolian saiga population. The cause: a livestock virus known as PPR or Peste des Petits Ruminants. Scientists believe the disease affecting the Mongolian saiga was first transmitted from goats and sheep in the saiga range area in September 2016, and subsequently spilled over to saiga antelope. PPR was diagnosed in Mongolia for the first time in September 2016 in livestock and for the first time in Mongolian saiga in January 2017. Livestock in affected areas have undergone vaccinations; herd immunity level is an important indicator of effective vaccination and needs to be well monitored “This is the first deadly infectious disease outbreak known to have occurred in the Mongolian saiga,” said Dr. Amanda Fine, a veterinarian and Associate Director of the WCS Wildlife Health Program in Asia. “In the past, pasteurellosis was recorded as a cause of mortality in some saiga but never with such rapid spread and deadly results. The situation is tragic and widespread. Along with the impact to the saiga population, this event has the potential to produce cascading catastrophic consequences on the ecosystem. For example, ibex and argali may be affected and rare snow leopards may suffer the effects of a diminished prey base.” continue

The agriculture daily.

This is a daily publication of agricultural news,agribusiness,funding and job opportunities. Read ; 1)Weed 101: Colorado agriculture agency shares pot know-how 2)The key challenges of utilising robotics for farming 3) World Bank Group and Government of Sudan Launch Public-Private Partnership Support Program for Sudan and many more here;

A case of medicinal marijuana in cats.

When Lisa Mastramico needed relief for her ailing tabby, Little Kitty, she turned to an unlikely source: marijuana. At 12 years old, the cat had arthritis. For a long while she spent her days hiding in a closet, where Ms. Mastramico had built her a bed of plush blankets. After trying various supplements that proved ineffectual, she went to a meeting for Women Grow, an industry group for cannabis entrepreneurs. She was not sold on the idea right away. “My concern was that it’s not my place to get my cat high,” said Ms. Mastramico, the director of a public access television network in Long Beach, Calif. But with Little Kitty becoming increasingly isolated, it was time to give it a try. She got a medical marijuana card and purchased two edible oils made for pets and derived from cannabis that she squirts into her pet’s mouth. Little Kitty doesn’t hide anymore. In fact, she’s more like her old self: sunbathing on the living room carpet, playing with Ms. Mastramico’s other cat, Valentina. “When I’ve given it to her, she’s never acted high: falling face-first into her food bowl, chowing down,” Ms. Mastramico said. “She comes out and socializes, wants to be in your lap, wants to be petted. It’s a very noticeable difference.” Other animal lovers who have turned to cannabis-based products to alleviate a host of pet maladies, including seizures, inflammation, anxiety and pain, are reporting similar results. Although they have not been approved by regulators, marijuana-based treatments are being used not only for cats and dogs, but for pigs, horses and domesticated wild animals.source

Mothers in Argentina Illegally Grow Marijuana to help their kids.

Argentinian mothers of kids with severe diseases have banded together to illegally cultivate marijuana and fight for medical cannabis law reform. Despite their country’s prohibition of medical marijuana, a group of Argentine mothers are growing marijuana and producing cannabis oil illegally in an effort to help their children that have been diagnosed with diseases like epilepsy and autism. In a recent interview with VOA News, mother Valeria Salech explained that she’s given her 10-year-old son Emiliano cannabis oil since December 2015. The cannabis, she claimed, has helped to control his epileptic seizures. She said that just a few hours after administering the cannabis oil, Emiliano went from being in a catatonic state to making eye contact and smiling. Research has shown cannabis to be effective for reducing or even eliminating seizures. A 2015 study published in Epilepsy Behavior found CBD-enriched cannabis to reduce seizure frequency in 85 percent of children with epilepsy, with 14 percent reporting complete seizure freedom. Studies also indicate that marijuana can be beneficial for children with autism. A 2010 study found THC to reduce the hyperactivity, irritability, lethargy and inappropriate speech symptoms associated with condition. continue

13 Cannabis Medical Research Projects to be Funded by Israel..

13 Cannabis Medical Research Projects to be Funded by Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will be financing a collection of cannabis biochemistry and medical projects, The Times of Israel reports. The Agriculture Ministry, in collection with the Health Ministry, has reportedly allocated 8 million shekels ($2.1 million) to fund the selected projects. Israel has long established itself as a global leader in medical cannabis research. Israeli scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam was one of the first researchers to identify the cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the 1960s and pediatric neurologist Dr. Adi Eran just last month obtained permits to study medicinal cannabis’ effects on autistic children and adults. This is the first time, however, the government has financially backed that Israeli research projects. The Health Ministry had published a call for research proposals and eventually selected 13 projects to receive funding. Seven of the studies will investigate biochemistry and medicine, including the potential therapeutic effects of cannabis on visual function, colon cancer, and multiple sclerosis, as well as the detection and characterization of new materials in medical cannabis strains. Other projects will explore cannabis’ effect on metabolic syndrome, its possible use to inhibit the development of harmful bacteria, and its potential ability to prevent organ rejection following transplants. The six remaining projects will be aimed at improving cannabis cultivation practices. The studies will explore methods for combating diseases and pests, planting and reproducing cannabis, and developing irrigation and fertilization technologies. Other projects will work at establishing a national genetic database for strains of medicinal cannabis and genetic engineering. continue

Israeli gov't to fund medical cannabis research.

Israeli gov't to fund medical cannabis research. The Ministries of Agriculture and Health will provide NIS 8 million in funding for 13 medical cannabis studies. The measure is the first cooperative effort of its kind between the Ministry of Health medical cannabis unit and the Ministry of Agriculture chief scientist unit. The studies, which will be financed through a fund operated by the chief scientist unit, will deal with biochemical and medical aspects, as well as improving medical cannabis crop yields.continue

Rare super cute dog breeds.

1) The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, purebred dog originating from Norway. The Norwegian Lundehund is known for being super alert, protective, energetic, and loyal. Most of these pups have either black, grey, red, white, or yellow fur. Their life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years, and they are comparable to the very popular Shiba Inu breed in size and appearance. 2)The Finnish Spitz is a medium-sized, purebred dog that is known for being intelligent, loyal, multi-talented, and playful. Besides looking like a tiny adorable fox, the Finnish Spitz has a number of other great qualities. They make wonderful watchdogs, are moderately easy to train, and are good with kids. 3)The Finnish Lapphund is a medium purebred dog known for its affectionate, courageous, gentle, and cheerful demeanor. These dogs are usually black, black and tan, brown, gray, red, or white in color. Not only are these dogs totally adorable, they are also very easy to train, great with kids, and known for being friendly, loving, loyal, quiet, and sweet. 4) At this point it seems like all the cutest dogs are from Scandinavia! The Norwegian Buhund is a medium purebred known for being energetic, alert, cheerful, and courageous. These pups are super low maintenance, very active, and good with kids. They also apparently make the cutest puppies of all time. more

The new antibiotics regulation for use in livestock.

The regulations require producers who raise cattle, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and other animals to obtain a veterinarian’s approval before using any antibiotics that also are important to human health. And antibiotics may no longer be used in healthy animals as a feed additive to increase weight. The routine use of antibiotics in animals that are also used in human drugs has been a growing concern of consumers and health professionals. The goal is to ensure these medically important antimicrobials that are given to food-producing animals in medicated feed and drinking water are used judiciously. The problem is that the more frequently antibiotics are used, the more quickly bacteria can develop resistance to them, rendering the lifesaving drugs less effective or ineffective. Health professionals and consumer groups have pressed the FDA and the livestock industry to avoid unnecessary or inappropriate uses of antibiotics. The regulation also require producers, vets and feed mills to document the use of prescribed antibiotics and keep those records on hand for several years.

Public Private Partnership : a platform for livestock economics and globalization of veterinary medicine.

Disease, Livestock Economics, and the Globalization of Veterinary Medicine offers a new and exciting comparative approach to the complex interrelationships of microbes, markets, and medicine in the global economy. 

It draws upon fourteen case studies from the Americas, western Europe, and the European and Japanese colonies to illustrate how the rapid growth of the international trade in animals through the nineteenth century engendered the spread of infectious diseases, sometimes with devastating consequences for indigenous pastoral societies. 

 At different times and across much of the globe, livestock epidemics have challenged social order and provoked state interventions, which were sometimes opposed by pastoralists.

 The intensification of agriculture has transformed environments, with consequences for animal and human health. But the last two centuries have also witnessed major changes in the way societies have conceptualized diseases and sought to control them. 

The rise of germ theories and the discovery of vaccines against some infections made it possible to move beyond the blunt tools of animal culls and restrictive quarantines of the past.

 Nevertheless, these older methods have remained important to strategies of control and prevention, as demonstrated during the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain in 2001. 

 From the late nineteenth century, advances in veterinary technologies afforded veterinary scientists a new professional status and allowed them to wield greater political influence.

 In the European and Japanese colonies, state support for biomedical veterinary science often led to coercive policies for managing the livestock economies of the colonized peoples. 

   In western Europe and North America, public responses to veterinary interventions were often unenthusiastic and reflected a latent distrust of outside interference and state regulation. 

Politics, economics, and science inform these essays on the history of animal diseases and the expansion in veterinary medicine. read