Solar powered agriculture in India.

Solar energy is an alternative renewable energy that is increasingly becoming mainstream due to cost feasibility and higher efficiency. Apart from producing power for offices and households, solar energy can be used to power dryers, cookers, solar stills, lighting, refrigeration and even air conditioning. There is increasing usage of solar energy for agricultural purposes, which consumes considerable amount of power in India. Solar power technology would be a reasonable choice for agricultural tools. Solar Photovoltaic cells (SPV) directly convert the light energy from the sun into electricity. Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems use an indirect method for the conversion process. Solar Farming Solar Farming in India .Solar farming uses power generated from solar energy to operate agricultural or farming tools. It is simple, cost effective, reliable and long lasting. Most common agricultural tools such as tractors, watering systems, rotator, roller, planter, sprayers, broadcast seeder etc. work on battery power and fuel oil. In solar farming, the battery power is replaced with solar power, so that the usage of electricity from grid-power and non-renewable sources can be reduced. more

Obesity, diabetes associated with increased risk for severe malaria infection.

Obesity, diabetes associated with increased risk for severe malaria infection.Diabetes and obesity were significant risk factors for severe infection among nonimmune travelers and immigrants from malaria endemic countries, according to researchers. “Obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, increase globally, including in malaria-endemic regions,” Katja Wyss, MD, of Karolinska Institutet and the departments of emergency medicine and infectious diseases at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues wrote in Clinical Infectious Diseases. “In addition, a significant proportion of travelers are older, and an estimated third of travelers to malarious countries have underlying medication conditions. This changing disease panorama in populations at risk of malaria warrants the need to establish how comorbidities affected severity of malaria.” more

Vaginal bacteria can inhibit sexual transmission of Zika virus.

Vaginal bacteria can inhibit sexual transmission of Zika virus.Researchers at ASM Microbe presented findings on the effect of a healthy vaginal microbiome against sexual transmission of Zika virus and herpes simplex virus-2, or HSV-2. A study by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch showed that vaginal microbiomes containing mostly Lactobacillus bacteria — considered important for a healthy vaginal system — inhibited sexual transmission of HSV-2 but had mixed results against Zika. more

Lactobacillus isolate in yogurt inhibits multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacteria.

Lactobacillus isolate in yogurt inhibits multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacteria. A Lactobacillus isolate found in commercial yogurt inhibited the growth of several multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacteria, according to a study. Researchers from the department of biology at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said they discovered a potentially novel L. parafarraginis strain while testing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from commercial yogurt and cheese. Researchers said a Lactobacillus isolate found in commercial yogurt inhibited the growth of several multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacteria. Their analysis indicated that the inhibitory agent was a bacteriocin — peptides created by bacteria that are active against related bacteria. Bacteriocins have importance primarily in the food industry.more

Parasites in Pools Are on the Rise.

Parasites in Pools Are on the Rise. A parasite called cryptosporidium, or crypto, may contaminate pools and water parks and is spread by contact with the feces of an infected person The number of outbreaks of a diarrhea-causing infection has doubled from 16 to 32 cases in the U.S. in just two years, from 2014 to 2016, records from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show Experts say hyperchlorination is required in pools contaminated by crypto, but chlorine poisoning from the liquid or gas form may cause other potentially toxic side effects. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)1 noted that when they sought medical attention, the diarrhea sufferers learned the pool water they ingested contained parasites and that the parasites, known as cryptosporidium, or crypto, now resided in them. Crypto is the most common cause of such diarrhea outbreaks, made worse because the parasite can survive for as long as 10 days even in chlorinated water and is “notoriously difficult to kill.” It hasn’t been just in the last handful of years that this problem seems to be multiplying. The CDC reports that the parasite is found in every region of the U.S. and throughout the world. Swallowing a single mouthful of water is all it takes for someone to find themselves knotted up with stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and profuse, watery diarrhea that can last up to two to three weeks, during which, not surprisingly, dehydration is common. Reports also shows that crypto can spread when people come into contact with the feces of an infected person, the CDC asserts that it can also come from an animal, and that millions of cryptosporidium parasites can be released in a single bowel movement. This shows that not just pools, but hot tubs, spas and other water venues can also pose a problem. more

Fish oils & bleeding risk: Extensive review supports safety of supplements

Fish oils & bleeding risk: Extensive review supports safety of supplements: Concerns that fish oil supplements may increase the risk of bleeding – a potential concern for people undergoing surgery – are unfounded, according to a systematic review the scientific literature.

N1.8bn needed to pay farmers’ compensation for army worm invasion.

N1.8bn needed to pay farmers’ compensation for army worm invasion.HE Federal Government has revealed that N2.98 billion will be needed to fight army worms’ invasion on 700, 000 hectares of farmland in the country. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, while presenting the situation of the pest on farms at a meeting with the 36 States Commissioners of Agriculture and including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, described the challenge as major national catastrophe, which has affected crops such as maize, cocoa, rice and cotton, and others. more