Virtual reality(VR) and Immersive Autism Therapy.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder & research says that no two people with Autism have similar symptoms. There are a number of uses for VR in medical science & this is no exception. Immersive Autism Therapy is a combination of scenarios created by a Washington-based start-up Floreo. With the help of these scenarios, children are enabled to learn skills such as pointing or making eye contact. VR is the safest option to teach them various social skills and prepare them. source

Climate change is increasing mycotoxins in maize.

Climate change plays a role in boosting food borne diseases especially mycotoxicosis associated with cereals ,nuts and some spices. The extreme increase in temperature is one factor causing this poisoning. Aflatoxin B1 ,the deadliest of the mycotoxins linked to liver cancer in animals and man is produced by aspergillus which grows in maize,cottonseed,peanut sorghum e.t.c. According to recent study,an increase in temperature of about 2 degree will provide a conducive environment for aflatoxin B1 contamination of maize.When the temperature increases in cool or temperate climates, the relevant countries may become more liable to aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are produced mainly by A. flavus and by Aspergillus parasiticus, and can be present in a variety of feed and food crops. Tropical and subtropical areas, between 40N and 40S latitude, are the most vulnerable to Aspergillus infection and aflatoxin contamination. Climate change effects will influence fungal infections of crops and mycotoxin production of the earlier mentioned species in various ways, with many interacting effects. The most relevant climatic factors are believed to be temperature, humidity and precipitation . An increase of temperature in a certain area will thus directly affect the presence and the abundance of the species in crops grown in this area more

How communication firms can monetize IoT beyond connectivity

How communication firms can monetize IoT beyond connectivity. The communication service providers or CSPs staggering from losses in their conventional lines of business, the IoT offers enticing opportunities to overturn their fortunes. At first look, you would consider monetizing IoT would be a slam-dunk for the communications organization. The CSP manage the networks that IoT devices must pass through, so if CSPs are to gather millions in profits from billions of linked smart objects, charging for connectivity alone would not cut it as they will have to offer more products to monetize the internet of things. Agriculture will be a wining platform as many business,products and consumers are interconnected to ensure food security. read CSPs may be the connectivity rulers, but, it continues to be seen even if they can rule the business connections with device makers, OEMs, content providers, application developers, systems incorporators and the thousands of different players it takes to produce lasting revenues from ITO solution. Bulk SMS service is one more thing that helps businesses in getting more revenues and a combination of SMS with IOT may definitely create wonders.more

Food nutrition in schools gets teacher training boost

Food nutrition in schools gets teacher training boost: Food nutrition in schools has been boosted by the launch of an online training course aimed at improving the knowledge of primary schoolteachers on the subject.

‘Human waste’ found in Coca-Cola cans

‘Human waste’ found in Coca-Cola cans: A Coca-Cola plant in Northern Ireland is being probed by police, after ‘human waste’ was allegedly found in a shipment of cans.

Smart glasses to revolutionise hygiene audits

Smart glasses to revolutionise hygiene audits: Wearable wireless technology – specifically, smart glasses with inbuilt video cameras – is set to revolutionise the way food hygiene audits and training is carried out, according to the boss of an international auditing company.

Aflatoxin poisoning in dogs.

Aflatoxin is a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus specie of fungi commonly the Aspergillus flavus and the Aspergillus parasiticus. The aflatoxins are classed as B1,B2,G1 and G2 with B1 being the most potent. The aflatoxin B1 is the most potent and has been linked to cancer of the liver in many animals, most of the exposure are from feed produced from maize/corn, bread,peanut,sorghum,wheat and cotton seeds. Aflatoxins usually contaminate crops in the field or during processing and storage. There are certain conditions that predispose to contamination such as high temperature,insect activity and moist conditions. When harvested crops are contaminated,and same is used to produce pet food the result is a terrible poisoning referred to as aflatoxicosis. Dogs are more prone to this poisoning because most of the food is cereal based,aflatoxin poisoning basically affects the liver which sets up the chain reaction of other gastrointestinal disorder such persistent vomiting,bloody diarrhea and anorexia. Aflatoxicosis also causes reproductive issues such as abortion, dogs with aflatoxin poisoning also exhibit jaundice ,anaemia,fever ,lethargy and with discolored urine. Dog lovers should be alert if your dog is eating corn-based food, monitor the activity and check for signs of poisoning. There has been cases of several recalls of dog food due to aflatoxin poisoning. Thinking of a feed alternative? see this