Graduate Agriculture Scheme to promote food security.

The federal government of Nigeria is set to launch a graduate agriculture scheme in 12 River Basins in the country as 50 graduates are expected to be trained per river basin in varied areas of agricultural production. The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this in Lokoja, during a courtesy visit on Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. He explained that his mission in Kogi state is to launch our programme on Graduate Agriculture Scheme which was initiated by this administration to support the new initiative towards food security and self-sustenance in this country The minister noted that one of the quickest ways to support the policy thrust of agriculture in this administration was to support revitalization of River Basins, an issue which according to him has been discussed exhaustively in various Federal Executive Council meetings. He said the council has come up with the initiative to make agriculture very attractive to teeming unemployed graduates in the country and integrate them into agric businesses. The minister explained that the ministry of water resources had this year taken some practical steps to revive the River Basin by signing Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Songhai farm based in Benin Republic for cross fertilization of ideas on river basin operations. He noted that the historical importance of the state and confluence of rivers Niger and Benue in Lokoja has made it strategic to the economic diversification drive of the present administration. continue

Ted Cruz to Hold ‘Agriculture Round Table' After Breitbart Farming Coverage

Cotton has a $4 billion annual economic impact within a 100-mile radius of Lubbock. Breitbart Texas previously reported the region could lose 25 percent of its cotton producers if late fall harvest prices are in the range of 65 cents per pound. Calls for a Farm Bill re-write in 2017 are reaching fever pitch in major agriculture sectors across rural America. Presently federal spending on farm policy is less than half of 1 percent. Many see Cruz, who will reportedly run for re-election in 2018, as a crucial player behind the scenes for Texas agriculture, which exceeds $100 billion economic impact annually, while rural lands comprise over 80 percent of the state’s geography, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.more

Dogs and" eye-language"

Your dog is sending you messages with his eyes e.g the Gray Wolves adapted gaze signals to help them hunt in packs. According to a Japanese study your dog is communicating with his canine friends and foes using his eyes alone. The fact is some of his facial features may be designed specifically for that purpose, including the coloring around his eyes, the shape of the eyes, and the color and shape of the iris and pupil. These are all elements of the canine eye-based communication system. Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology at Kyoto University in Japan compared 25 different types of canines and separated them into 3 groups based on their facial coloration and gaze: • Group A... species with clearly visible pupils and eye position (example: gray wolf) • Group B... species with clearly defined eye placement but camouflaged pupils (fennec fox) • Group C... species with fully camouflaged eyes and pupils (bush dog) The researchers theorize that the species in Group A adapted “gaze signals” to help them hunt in packs and live cooperatively in groups. Group B canines, including foxes, only use eye communication some of the time. The all-dark eyes of animals in Group C, such as bush dogs, blend in with their facial coloring. According to the researchers, it is typical of various types of predators to obscure their eyes to improve their hunting prowess. (If a prey animal can’t tell where his predator is looking, he can’t predict what might happen next.) The researchers speculate that the whites of the eyes (sclera) of the Group A canines evolved to amplify the appearance of the darker iris and pupil. This applies to wolves, dogs, and also humans. According to the researchers, gaze communication may be a very useful tool for other canines as well, including the family dog. Prior studies have shown that domestic dogs are more likely to make direct eye contact with humans than wolves raised in the same environment. Continue

Mental health and veterinary medicine.

Study shows that one in 6 veterinarians have considered suicide. First mental health survey of U.S. veterinarians show that they are more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders, experience bouts of depression, and have suicidal thoughts compared with the U.S. adult population. Specifically, these data suggest that nearly one in 10 U.S. veterinarians might experience serious psychological distress, and more than one in six might have contemplated suicide since graduation.More The question remains, why is veterinary medicine so “predisposed” to suicide? People with mental illness or suicidal thoughts frequently suffer more than they have to because they are afraid to speak up. That has to stop, nobody should have to suffer or die for fear of speaking out. There is nothing shameful about mental illness or suicide ,opined Dr. Justine Lee and Dr. Garret Pachtinger and they decided to run a suicide awareness programme to help, watch

Hacking the brain of the veterinarian.

Dr. Jane Smith owns a large companion animal practice in Nirvana Corners, USA. She’s a high producer. She’s beloved by clients. Staff members call her brilliant. She is also called her “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” behind her back. They say she’s dismissive. She throws frequent tantrums. She’ll cut you to the bone with insensitive comments. Turnover in her clinic is high. New hires are cautioned by those who stay to be careful. The psychology of change in veterinary profession ,continue

LASUTH performs another successful Kidney transplants .

The Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Professor Wale Oke, yesterday announced the 2nd successful kidney transplants performed by a team of indigenous medical experts in the hospital. Oke who explained that the feat was the second successful kidney transplant by the hospital said the institution has perfected plans to make the it a routine. According to him, “60 percent of patients seen on wheel chair at international airport here in Lagos have to do with kidney issues, and most of them are going to India or the US for transplant. A lot of foreign exchange are also involved. “One thing unique about this exercise is that the experts were all Nigerians and from LASUTH apart from one” The elated Chief Medical Director who explained that a total of two successful transplants were carried out at an affordable cost. The elated Chief Medical Director who explained that a total of two successful transplants were carried out at an affordable cost. He disclosed that the surgery was not free but at minimal cost of about N4.5 million compare to N8 million charged elsewhere. Warning that LASUTH would not accept commercial donors for organ transplant, said right now the cost of the surgery covers cost of drugs for a period of six months. The leader of the team, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist, Dr Olugbenga. Awobusuyi said the team is not limiting services to kidney transplant but expanding to heart and other organ transplants. He said the two transplants which involved four patients lasted for about seven hours. Awobusuyi said the patients are recuperating in the ward and would be discharge by next week.He

Cannabis Tampons .

Women who suffer from painful menstrual cramps sympathize with the debilitating discomfort that arrives monthly like clockwork. Motrin, Midol and Advil can take a back seat, however, because there’s apparently a new remedy for cramps: Cannabis tampons. The company Foria, makers of marijuana-infused personal lubricant, created “relief suppositories” made out of cannabis. According to Foria’s site, these suppositories “maximize the muscle relaxing and pain relieving properties of cannabis without inducing a psychotropic ‘high.'” Foria’s tampons, which cost $44 for a 4-pack, are made with only three ingredients: cocoa butter, distilled THC Oil and CBD Isolate (99.99%) from organically-grown hemp. CBD Isolate is one of “two key active cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis,” the other being THC, Foria explains on its website. One reviewer of the suppositories claims that the pill “smells like cookie dough and cocoa butter.” Foria says their primary focus is on relieving pain, with an intention to “share the powerful medicinal properties of this plant while utilizing modern extraction techniques to standardize purity and potency.” Creating a tampon, rather than a pill per se, helps “deliver the medicine directly to where it is needed most.” continue