ANIMAL THERAPY FOR BETTER HEALTH.

Getting around used to be a challenge for 11 year-old Bella Burton. Because of a rare genetic condition called Morquio Syndrome that affects her bones, she couldn't walk without crutches, and often used a wheelchair. That all changed when she got her Great Dane, George. All pets change their owners lives for the better — but the bond between this service dog and his little girl is truly special. Watch the story that has everybody talking: Read more at http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1387/This-Little-Girl-Couldn-t-Walk-Until-She-Met-Her-REALLY-Great-Dane#jIoHXIZ3Zm86xVPz.99 Dr. Paul Weiss, a pediatric dentist from Williamsville, N.Y., has reportedly trained his golden retriever, Brooke, to act as a therapy dog to calm the nerves of his young patients. Read more at http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1386/This-Dentist-Brings-His-Dog-To-Work-To-Calm-Nervous-Children#iL9mRl8AsCJz3VkY.99 "If a child is afraid of getting her teeth cleaned, Brooke can sit next to them in the chair and the kid can have their hand on the dog," Weiss told Buffalo Business First. "The gratification of taking a nervous child and turning them into someone who’s comfortable at a dentist’s office is really something great," he added. Therapy dogs like Brooke can help patients ease tensions, lower blood pressure and increase positive attitudes. Weiss added that Brooke is only called upon if the child wants her in the room, and is always accompanied by another staff member. Read more at http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1386/This-Dentist-Brings-His-Dog-To-Work-To-Calm-Nervous-Children#iL9mRl8AsCJz3VkY.99

XYLITOL DANGER TO DOGS.!!!

The inclusion of xylitol in some peanut butter has raised the red flag on the use as dog treats. Read more here;http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1392/A-New-Ingredient-In-Some-Peanut-Butters-Is-Deadly-To-Dogs-Here-s-What-You-Need-To-Know

BIOTECH KEY TO FOOD SECURITY.

Biotechnology is one of the various ways of using scientific principles and techniques to produce crops that are pure strains and resistant to diseases. Biotechnology,nanotechnology,genetic engineering are all scientific interventions to produce better crops,improve plants,animals and microorganisms to enhance their value. The world today is faced with population explosion; the growth of the population is not at the same rate as food production and processing leaving most developing countries on poverty threshold and food scarcity. The world now is looking at strategies for food security and sustainability to eliminate hunger and eradicate poverty. Biotechnology has actually shown great potential to achieve food security in the agricultural sector where it has been used to develop plant strains that are resistant to pests and diseases. 

Biotechnology has also been employed to improve food processing,nutritional value better flavor and productivity of plants,vegetables and other food crops. Agric biotechnology is the use of scientific techniques to modify and improve crops by selective breeding. Advances in science especially in the field of molecular biology has provided scientist with ability to manipulate food at molecular level referred to as genetic engineering

.The technique employed in genetic engineering is the transfer of DNA from species with specific desired traits into distantly related organisms. Genetic engineering allows the transfer of one or more traits from specific organism,plants,animals and microorganism and introduce them to new strains to come up with genetically modified strains with better productivity. The technology era has brought with it innovation , information , inputs and institutional support to enhance economic growth and development.The use of technology to ensure food security cannot be overemphasized,and so many options are at our fingertips to ensure food sustainability. 

 Food can be cultivated in nutrient media instead of soil, and this is done in a controlled environment this system is referred to as hydroponics /aeroponics depending on the conditions of growth.This system enables farming even in your room or balcony or any small space that can house the system you want to adopt. Technology bringing change in its track; who could have imagined farming without soil or land? can you imagine planting tomatoes or vegetables or even yam in a column -like stand or table? 

Welcome to the world of BIOTECH; feeding the world with ease. Biotech, are you still skeptical?? dont really understand or know the benefits?? 

 A local Hawaiian plant pathologist named Dennis Gonsalves had an idea. He spliced a snippet of the DNA of the virus into the papaya genome — and it worked. It made the papaya resistant to the virus. “His pioneering work is credited with rescuing the papaya industry,” says Ronald. “Twenty years later, no other method is as effective.” 80% of all Hawaiian papaya is now engineered in this way. Next, she brings us to Bangladesh, where a caterpillar pest is ravaging the eggplant crop. “To control this pest, farmers spray insecticides 2 to 3 times a week, sometimes even twice a day,” says Ronald. Of course, this threatens their own health. “It’s estimated that 300,000 people die every year because of exposure and misuse of insecticides.(http://blog.ted.com/why-genetic-engineering-of-plants-is-vital-for-food-security-pamela-ronald-speaks-atgolden rice-ted2015/)

WHY CLAMOR FOR GOLDEN RICE???

Golden rice is rich in beta-carotene. It is also easily processed by your digestive system. In fact, the natural fatty lipids in golden rice aid in the absorption of beta-carotene, even when little or no oil is added to it. When oil is added to rice it helps your body absorb the carotenoids in it, but in the case of golden rice oil is not necessary to reap the benefits. Other benefits of golden rice include: increased energy (which comes from the starch located within the rice) and a low fat content. A diet deficient in vitamin A results in increased risk of life-threatening medical conditions and diseases . Golden Rice Benefits – Lowers Risk of Blindness, Infections, Cancers and Diseases Golden rice has the ability to lower your risk of blindness, infections, cancers and diseases. A vitamin A deficiency can increase your risk of vision impairments, age-related macular degeneration and blindness. It can also worsen infections (measles, HIV, AIDS, chicken pox, etc.), especially in children. Approximately 125 million children, worldwide, exhibit chronically low levels of vitamin A (Wright, Hinchliffe & Adams, 2005). The carotenoids found in golden rice can combat adult degenerative diseases. Other benefits of golden rice include: a lower risk of both a variety of heart diseases and prostate, breast and skin cancers. – Reduces Gastrointestinal Distress Another one of the benefits of golden rice is that it can reduce gastrointestinal distress. In fact, it is considered a beneficial food to eat following an episode of diarrhea, regardless of the cause. Golden rice behaves like a mild astringent in your gastrointestinal system, which supports easy digestion and restores your intestinal mucus following an episode of gastroenteritis and colitis. – Reduces High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol Golden rice is a low-fat and low-sodium food; therefore it is especially beneficial for lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol. High levels of sodium, a mineral, can lead to fluid accumulation, edema (fluid retention) and a spike in blood volume. The excess fluid can increase your risk of high blood pressure. In other words, the more sodium you consume, the higher your blood pressure may soar. Moreover, one of the most valuable benefits of golden rice is that it prevents fiber-related biliary acids from accumulating in your intestines. Biliary acids found in the liver and transported to your intestines, aid cholesterol production. Golden rice contains no fat (i.e. no cholesterol); therefore it has the ability to regulate your unhealthy blood cholesterol levels. http://www.foodpyramid.com/what-is-golden-rice/

GOLDEN RICE AND VITAMIN A.

Golden rice is a form of rice with biosynthesis of beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A). In other words, golden rice is produced through genetic engineering. Beta-carotene gives golden rice its “golden” or “yellow” coloring. White rice, on the other hand, does not contain carotenoids (i.e. beta carotene) and therefore lacks that “golden” coloring. When you consume golden rice, the beta-carotene either accumulates in your fatty tissues or is transformed into vitamin A. It is important to understand that golden rice is genetically modified rice (GMO). It is a fortified food that is produced to combat a vitamin A deficiency in areas where this vitamin is scarce. More and more people are being diagnosed with a vitamin A deficiency. In fact, young children are the most vulnerable to vitamin-related deficiencies. Approximately 1 million children die of a vitamin A deficiency each year. A vitamin A deficiency can severely affect a child’s eyesight; weaken his/her immune system function and increase his/her risk of chronic conditions. Moreover, in underdeveloped countries, approximately half-a-million people, mostly children, develop blindness, associated with a vitamin A deficiency. Approximately 50% of those diagnosed with this type of deficiency-related blindness die a year or two after becoming blind (Wright, Hinchliffe & Adams, 2005). To make matters worse, approximately 10 million children suffer from malnutrition every year. In severe cases, the malnutrition turns deadly (Wright, Hinchliffe & Adams, 2005). The production of new varieties of crop not only ensure food security,but also produce disease resistant strains and crops with medical advantages.The road to food security is mapped by biotech and integration of these techniques in plant and animal production.

GENETIC ENGINEERING AND FOOD SECURITY.

Pamela Ronald talks about her work as a plant geneticist, about her work “studying genes that make plants resistant to disease and tolerant of stress.

”Genetic improvement of plants isn’t new, she says. Ancient corn had a case so hard that it couldn’t be chewed; the ancient banana was full of large seeds; ancient brussels sprouts weren’t actually individual objects.

“To create these crops, breeders used many kinds of genetic techniques,” says Ronald. “Today breeders have even more the options choose from. Some of them are extraordinarily precise.

” She moves on to her own work on rice, “the staple food for more than half the world’s population.” Every year, 40% of the rice harvest is lost to pests and disease.


“Farmers rely on varieties that carry genes for resistance. Read more ;http://blog.ted.com/why-genetic-engineering-of-plants-is-vital-for-food-security-pamela-ronald-speaks-at-ted2015/

ELEPHANT DEATHS IN ZIMBABWE PARK.

Zimbabwe’s environment minister has blamed the poisoning of at least 71 elephants in recent months on disgruntled game rangers and local communities who do not benefit from wildlife revenues. “It was noted that a number of issues such as low staff morale, lack of community benefits and hunting quota anomalies are fueling poaching in Zimbabwe,” Oppah Muchinguri told a meeting of conservationists, government and security officials on Thursday. “We have all heard the devastating news of the cyanide poisoning that has claimed the lives of 71 elephants at Hwange national park in recent weeks,” she said. “We need to motivate our rangers so that they do not engage in poaching activities,” Muchinguri said, calling for improvements in their working conditions. Staff motivation, better wages and good working conditions are so essential in any enterprise; any venture where revenue is generated needs administrators with emotional intelligence to prevent sabotage of the business. The effects of poaching on wildlife is further revealed by this act, read more;http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/12/zimbabwe-blames-disgruntled-rangers-and-villagers-for-elephant-poisonings.