Vaccination in cats with non adjuvanted vaccines protect against vaccination site sarcoma.(VSS)

Injections may be more dangerous for cats than for dogs. This may be because some pet vaccines and drugs contain substances called adjuvants to make them more effective. Adjuvants may be chemicals, parts of microbes or mammalian proteins that may overly irritate a cat's body. Adjuvants are safe for dogs, people and other pet species,but injections containing adjuvants may be the cause of a type of malignant tumor called "vaccine site sarcoma" (VSS).Vaccines containing small amounts of live viruses are among the most powerful in causing the immune system to create virus-battling antibodies. The immune system also modifies cells to aid in the fight against a virus when exposed to a live form. Some forms of live viruses in vaccines can infect pets so to avoid this problem and protect immune systems, veterinarians often use vaccines that are based on weaker killed or modified viruses. Another modified live-virus vaccine. Manufacturers boost the efficacy of vaccines containing modified viruses by adding adjuvants. Adjuvants are materials added to vaccines ,with the function of keeping the vaccine within the skin for a period of time after the vaccine is administered thus allowing the immune system to be properly stimulated. Adjuvants can also directly stimulate the immune system,although certain cats are genetically predisposed to forming VSS. Its documented that out of every 10,000 cats injected with a vaccine containing an adjuvant, only one to two develop cancerous tumors at the injection site. Cats will commonly develop a lump at the site of a vaccination, typically caused by inflammation and local immune stimulation. These lumps are benign and will resolve spontaneously a few weeks after they are evolve. A pet owner whose cat receives an adjuvanted injection should monitor the injection site for about three months, but cat -parent should visit a veterinarian if swelling grows progressively larger by a month following injection. It is recommended to visit the vet for a biopsy if 1) the lump is still present 3 months from the time of vaccination, 2) the lump is greater than 2 cm in diameter regardless of the duration of time of the vaccination. 3) the lump progressively increases in size over the course of one month since the time it was discovered. The strict compliance to the specific protocols regarding where vaccines should be administered is also important to prevent adverse reactions. The following depicts correct sites for the necessary vaccinations in cat; 1) rabies vaccines should be given as far down on the right hind limb . 2) feline leukemia vaccines should be given as far down on the left hind limb . 3) other vaccines should be given as far down on the right front leg . Vaccinations should never be given between the shoulder blades.

Nestle Purina, TerraVia partners in pet nutrition

Nestle Purina PetCare and San Francisco-based TerraVia, a leading provider of algae-based food nutrition and specialty ingredients, entered a joint development agreement to bring algae-based nutrition products to the companion animal health and wellness market. The agreement “spans multiple years,” the companies said in a news release. TerraVia has developed a range of algae-based ingredients over more than a decade. Products include a line of healthy oils and lipids, whole algae proteins and omega-3 based ingredients among other products. The agreement will leverage certain commercially available algae-based advanced nutrition ingredients developed by TerraVia in addition to product innovations in TerraVia’s development pipeline. Jonathan Wolfson, chairman and CEO of TerraVia, said in a news release that they are excited to partner with Nestlé Purina, a global leader and innovator in pet care and nutrition, to help develop the next generation of nutritious, sustainable pet foods that are better for the planet and our pets .

How to purify water using banana peels.

Banana peels are full of acids and other purifying molecules that have no toxic effect on humans and animals. Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, copper, iron, and other naturally occurring metals are deposited into our water sources by both natural and man-made means such as agriculture. The build up of these metals especially lead and mercury are very dangerous to man and animals leading to nervous conditions ,with resultant damage to the brain. The benefit of using banana peels as purifier stems from the fact they contain sulfur,nitrogen and carboxylic acids,these bind to the heavy metals in the water source and makes the water safe for drinking. The peels can be utilized in the raw state or it can be minced or blended/chopped into cubes and used for the process. The beauty of the process is that its fast, cheap and material( banana peels) are easily available. The same banana peels can be used up to 11 times for the purification without losing its efficacy,thus making it super cost-effective.

AGRIBUSINESS: how to use banana peels as a water purifier.

AGRIBUSINESS: how to use banana peels as a water purifier. Banana peels --can be used for polishing silverware, leather shoes, and the leaves of house plants . Scientists have shown that purification of drinking water contaminated with potentially toxic metals can be done with a 100% success with minced banana peels. AGRIBUSINESS: how to use banana peels as a water purifier. Contamination of water sources is a great concern in many countries especially runoff from farms, and industrial wastes can all put heavy metals, such as lead and copper, into waterways. Heavy metals can have adverse health and environmental effects. and several steps and processes have been initiated to purify the water sources. The use of coconut fibers have been employed,also chemical processes have been used but with the disadvantage of cost and the toxic nature of certain chemicals used. Research from various quarters has been on-going to find a cheaper alternative without any toxic effect. Gustavo Castro and colleagues have utilized minced banana peel to quickly remove lead and copper from river water . A purification apparatus made of banana peels can be used up to 11 times without losing its metal-binding properties. The team adds that banana peels are very attractive as water purifiers because of their low cost and because they don't have to be chemically modified in order to be functional.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to reuse wastewater for agriculture.

Researchers have developed an economic model that demonstrates how flexible wastewater treatment processes which blend varying levels of treated effluent can create a water supply that benefits crops and is affordable.

 Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed an economic model that demonstrates how flexible wastewater treatment processes which blend varying levels of treated effluent can be optimized to produce a water supply that is affordable, and meets and surpasses a variety of water quality requirements.

 The reuse of treated wastewater is not a new concept, concerns over the rising demand for water from population growth, coupled with both economic and environmental challenges, have made this option more attractive," wrote Quynh K. Tran, a UCR Ph.D. student in chemical and environmental engineering; Kurt Schwabe, professor of environmental economics and policy; and David Jassby, assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering.


 The reuse model the research team developed assumes that wastewater has been treated to meet state standards for removing pathogens and focuses on producing irrigation water with chemical properties tailored for use on specific crops and grasses.

Blending wastewater from various treatment processes could produce water with nutrients that are beneficial to specific crops, which would reduce fertilizer costs and increase the affordability of recycled wastewater. Raw wastewater typically contains high levels of nutrients, specifically nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can be utilized by plants.





Using citrus and turfgrass to test the economic model, the UC Riverside team estimated and compared the costs and water-quality characteristics of treated wastewater under a variety of treatment combinations. By utilizing this blending technique as an alternative irrigation source for agriculture, freshwater resources would be reserved to cope with drought-induced extreme water scarcity.

Saving irrigation water with superabsorbent polymers.

Soil conditioners called superabsorbent polymers have the potential to reduce irrigation needs for agricultural crops by storing water and nutrients and then releasing them in drought conditions. A recent paper published in the Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science (JTAS),explains that Soil conditioners called superabsorbent polymers have the potential to reduce irrigation needs for agricultural crops by storing water and nutrients and then releasing them in drought conditions. Drought is the largest abiotic stress that can reduce crop yields, and its frequency and severity are expected to increase in the face of climate change. Meanwhile, a lack of water supply is an issue for many countries. Adding this to increasing population growth, water demands are predicted to rise even further. Therefore, finding new ways to improve water efficiency in the agricultural sector is necessary. One way of doing this is to use superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). These are soil conditioners that have the capacity to absorb and retain 1,000 times more water than their size and weight. SAPs are currently used in various sectors including agriculture, horticulture, pharmaceuticals, food packaging, oil drilling and so on. Superabsorbent hydrogels (SAHs) are superior to SAPs due to their unique properties but the extension of their application is limited because of high production costs and their impact on the environment. Davoud Khodadadi Dehkordi of Islamic Azad University in Iran looked at the effects of SAPs and SAHs on soils and plants, suitable usage rates and the amount of irrigation water that can be saved by using superabsorbent polymers. He found that these materials could store water and nutrients and release them in light soils, enabling plants to produce grain and increase their biomass under limited irrigation water and nutrient conditions. What's more, their water storage capacity lasts for up to five years. They also improve seed germination rates and root growth while decreasing drought or transplanting stresses in plants. Furthermore, superabsorbent materials could reduce soil contamination by preventing pollutants from passing through the soil and thereby improving the quality of drainage water. However, excessive use of SAPs and SAHs could reduce soil ventilation or expose plants to diseases but using superabsorbent materials could improve the characteristics of light soils and allow cultivation with less water.

IoT and bumper harvest.

Alvarez Technology Group is planning to double down on Internet of Things (IoT) deployment in the agriculture industry. Luis Alvarez, the CEO, spoke to The Channel Company at XChange 2016 about the developments and challenges. In the world of agriculture, Alvarez claims the most important customer considerations are cost savings and operational efficiencies. In the next five years, the firm wants to reduce the head-count on farms, which has already declined enormously in the past 50 years, by half. Alvarez customers want to see an 100 percent increase in yields from the same plants. IoT sensors for agriculture are able to plot more efficiently and reduce the amount of water and soil needed. Data analytics is another area where Alvarez customers are intrigued, according to the CEO, “we brought in 20 or 25 agriculture leaders in our community and talked to them about data analytics, and in their survey form, almost every single one of them said I want to talk more about this.” IoT sensors provide a wealth of data, but without analytics a person must surf through and find relevant info. Pushing that to a cloud analytics platform could “actionable intelligence” at a much faster rate, allowing farmers to recognize issues and fix them immediately. A challenge for Alvarez in IoT is data security. Speaking to farmers, Alvarez noted that hardly any new the risks of IoT deployment and most were shocked at the possibility of a hacker holding their farm for ransom. more