Recalls: Arsenic, aflatoxin and allergens

Recalls: Arsenic, aflatoxin and allergens: Food alerts have been made by USA, England, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland.

New dog virus found in Australia for the first time.

New dog virus found in Australia for the first time.A new form of the common and highly contagious dog virus, canine parvovirus (CPV), has been discovered in Australia for the first time by researchers at the University of Adelaide. While the new strain, known as CPV-2c, is spreading around the world, until now there has been no confirmed evidence of its presence in Australia. However, according to the research, over the past two years cases of CPV-2c have occurred in South Australia and Victoria, and suspicious cases have been seen in Queensland and Northern Territory. The researchers say that while much more work needs to be done to understand the new strain, veterinarians need to be aware that this strain is now present in Australia, may not show-up in the existing diagnostic (SNAP) tests, and that dogs vaccinated against canine parvovirus may not be protected against the new strain. Dog owners should still vaccinate for CPV, and take their dogs to the vet if they have unexplained or persistent diarrhoea and seem unwell, more

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.