New Bluetongue Test to Help India's Poor Improve Livestock Productivity.

Researchers at the UK's Pirbright Institute have developed field tests for Indian strains of bluetongue virus (BTV) that are reliable, rapid and simple to use. Bluetongue is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges (Culicoides) that infects cattle, goats, sheep and wild animals such as deer, although sheep tend to be the most severely affected. In India, BTV impacts directly on subsistence level sheep farmers in southern states and is a key limiting factor in development. There are currently 27 different types of bluetongue virus, or serotypes. In India, several serotypes are circulating, making vaccination against BTV especially difficult. Tests that can accurately diagnose these different types of BTV have previously been confined to the laboratory, which causes inevitable delays in diagnosing which strains are circulating and causing disease. Scientists have therefore been keen to identify a diagnostic test that is both rapid and accurate. Joint research by Professor Peter Mertens and his group at The Pirbright Institute and scientists from the LLR University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), in India, has produced two new tests which are able to tell the difference between both the virus types that are currently circulating in India. The technique used by the researchers; called loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), is a portable test which can be used in the field and is rapid and easy to use.

A new app that detects heat stress in cattle..

The US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has launched a new smartphone app that forecasts conditions triggering heat stress in cattle. Compatible with Android and Apple mobile phone, the app issues forecasts one to seven days in advance of extreme heat conditions, along with recommended actions that can protect animals before and during a heat-stress event. In some cattle, distress and discomfort from prolonged exposure to extreme heat cause diminished appetite, reduced growth or weight gain, greater susceptibility to disease and, in some cases, even death. Cattle housed in confined feedlot pens are especially vulnerable to heat-stress events ,in addition to high temperatures, weather-related factors like humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation can also contribute to heat stress, The "Heat Stress" app, which was beta-tested last year, is based on several years of field research conducted by Ms Brown-Brandl and colleagues. Get it here

Locust alert !!!

The federal government has alerted farmers of locusts and quelea birds coming into the country from Niger Republic. Audu Ogbeh, minister of agriculture and rural development, gave the warning in Abuja during an emergency meeting with commissioners for agriculture from 24 states. Ogbeh expressed fear that the current hunger in the country would further be exacerbated if the alert from Niger was not taken seriously.He said Nigeria was already facing food crisis, and the entry of the pests could worsen the situation. There is a warning received that locusts and quelea birds are messing up in Niger Republic, from where they normally attack us in Nigeria,” Ogbeh said.“We know how dangerous quail birds and locusts can be. If they arrive within hours or days, they will ‎have wiped out everything the farmers would have put in the field. The Prices of food today are high and Nigerians are troubled, People are angry and they want this high cost of food items to be resolved in no time. The minister added that a disease known as army worm had been attacking maize in the country. continue

Stray dog saves baby.

I love happy endings,this is how the boy now looks after a year. Before meets after: A stray dog has saved the life of a three-day-old baby girl who was apparently abandoned by her mother in a dustbin. Saudi Arabia’s daily ‘Sada' reported the news with breath taking pictures of the dog holding the newborn in his mouth.As per the reports published by the daily, the dog was hungry and was wandering on the streets in the search of some food but unfortunately he found nothing. It spotted a just born baby who had its umbilical cord still attached to her body,and what it did next has not only displayed the animal’s sensitivity towards humans but also proved why dog is called a loyal animal. The dog knew that the baby was not doing well so he ensured that the baby suffered no more harm further. He put the new born into his mouth and moved her out of the dangerous streets in search of a safe place.He took the baby to the nearest house and placed her on the porch.

Drones and agriculture.

Agriculture has been one of the industries quickest to adopt drone technology.18 per cent of UK agricultural businesses have utilised drone technology and they are being used to survey fields, distribute pesticides and some farms have even started to use them in place of a sheepdog. The agricultural robotics and drone market is expected to be worth $10bn (£7.54bn) by 2022. Japan has been using unmanned helicopters since early 90's to spray rice fields and autonomous drones have also been providing detailed aerial photographs and video. This can be of benefit to farmers for collecting data, reviewing crops as well as in agricultural land sales. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has recently relaxed drone use regulations surrounding UK drone usage for commercial trials, in response to requests from Amazon to trial its Prime Air delivery service. Lower regulatory barriers for drones could see the market increase to $485m (£365.52m) in agriculture by 2026, according to an IDTechEx research report.Drones are already being used around the world for deliveries of consumer products, providing humanitarian aid, and security - with support from the CAA, Britain can be at the forefront of the development for business and industry. Robotic milking parlours have already been adopted and the industry is currently worth £1.9bn (£1.43bn) but is expected to rise to $8bn (£6.03bn) by 2026.more

3D Printed KAYRYS Drone is First Responder in Medical Emergencies.

3D Printed KAYRYS Drone is First Responder in Medical Emergencies, Delivers Aid & Communication. KAYRYS is one of the coolest 3D printed drones and it serves as powerful a purpose as its aesthetics. It is meant to offer medical supplies on the scene of an accident or major disaster. Created by SlidX, a new tech startup out of Montreal, the Gyro-X8 KAYRYS has just been unveiled around the world as the newest technology in first responders for medical emergencies. The key to the drone isn’t just superior convenience and speed meant to put delivery drivers out of business everywhere, it’s mainly that this unmanned aerial vehicle can often go and assist in areas that humans cannot get to quickly enough or safely. 3D printing has been connected with the drone for quite some time now as the technology allows for speed in manufacturing, unlimited customization, and best of all—lightweight components that are also affordable. The KAYRYS is meant specifically to assist in carrying medical assistance to areas where an accident of any sort may have occurred. While people are not being transported in this aircraft, volumes of medical supplies can be dropped off and data can be obtained as to what is going on at the site. Upon arrival of the drone, communication is established, and professionals can begin talking to victims. This is very important in car accidents, fires, and search and rescue scenarios. The drone currently has a battery life of one hour, with a maximum load of 12g. It provides crucial assistance to both medical professionals and the injured, and is able to use its ergonomic, aerodynamic design to fly into areas (and to fly higher), when no other vehicle or person may be able to get there right away. more

Diagnosing autism with ipad games.

A new study by the University of Strathclyde shows that autism could be diagnosed by allowing children to play games on smart phones and tablets. The study, published in the Nature group journal Scientific Reports, the research team outlined how the technology could offer an accessible and less intrusive way to diagnose the developmental disorder. Dr Jonathan Delafield-Butt, of Strathclyde's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and colleagues used fun iPad games to track players' hand movements and gathered information that can help identify autism. Dr Delafield-Butt, a Senior Lecturer in Child Development, said: "We have shown that children with autism can be identified by their gameplay patterns on an iPad. "This is potentially a major breakthrough for early identification of autism, because no stressful and expensive tests by clinicians are needed. Early detection is important as this can allow parents and children to gain access to a range of services support. This new 'serious game' assessment offers a cheaper, faster, fun way of testing for autism. But more work is needed to confirm this finding, and to test for its limitations.In other words, it is not social, emotional, or cognitive aspects of the gameplay that identify autism. Rather, the key difference is in the way children with autism move their hands as they touch, swipe, and gesture with the iPad during the game. This finding adds new dimensions to a growing scientific understanding that movement is fundamentally disrupted in autism, and may underpin the disorder.In the study, researchers examined movement data gathered from 37 children with autism, aged three to six years. The children were asked to play games on smart tablet computers with touch-sensitive screens and embedded movement sensors. The result showed; analysis revealed these patterns consisted of greater forces at contact and with a different distribution of forces within a gesture, and gesture kinematics were faster and larger, with more distal use of space. These data support the notion that disruption to movement is a core feature of autism, and demonstrate autism can be computationally assessed by fun, smart device game-play.