Poisoning as people have died in Russia after drinking bath lotion.

People Have Died in Russia After Drinking Bath Lotion,because the label read ethyl alcohol instead of methanol that the drink contained. The BBC reports that Fifty-eight people in Russia have now died as a result of consuming a bath lotion containing toxic methanol. A further 37 people who became ill after drinking as little as one shot of the hawthorn-scented bath oil are still receiving treatment, with some in serious condition. There are fears the death toll could continue to rise. According to the Siberian Times, Irkutsk region health minister Oleg Yaroshenko said that almost half of the survivors were not expected to live.“They came to [the] doctors too late … Only a miracle can save them,” he told the newspaper, which referred to the mass poisoning as “the worst such case in modern Russian history.” It also said that many of the poisoning victims had died in their homes because the toxin had taken effect too rapidly for them to call emergency services. continue

Scientists Develop Oral Vaccine Against Salmonella Infection.

Salmonella is responsible for one of the most common food-borne illnesses in the world. In the US alone, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are about 1.4 million cases with 15,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths each year. It is thought that for every reported case, there are about 39 undiagnosed infections. Overall, the number of salmonella cases in the US has not changed since 1996. Salmonella infection in people with compromised immune systems and children under the age of three are at increased risk of invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis, which causes systemic infection. There are about one million cases globally per year, with a 25 per cent fatality rate. Scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) in the US have developed an oral vaccine against Salmonella. The researchers explained that Oral vaccination is the simplest and least invasive way to protect people against salmonella infection. The oral vaccine has the added advantage of using the same pathway that salmonella uses to wreak havoc on the digestive system. The current study detailed in an article published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ,showed that the researchers analysed the immune responses of mice that received the vaccination by mouth as well as how they responded to a lethal dose of salmonella," said Ashok Chopra, professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) in the US. They found that the orally administered vaccines produced strong immunity against salmonella, showing their potential for future use in people. There is no vaccine currently available for salmonella poisoning but antibiotics are the first choice for treating salmonella infections, but the fact that some strains of salmonella are quickly developing antibiotic resistance is a serious public health concern. Salmonella can also be used as a biological weapon as seen in Oregon when a religious cult intentionally contaminated restaurant salad bars and sickened 1,000 people.

New discovery has shown the bacteria responsible for ozone-depleting gas.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown a biological mechanism that convert nitrogen-based fertilizer into nitrous oxide, an ozone-depleting greenhouse gas. Agriculture is the steady source of nitrous oxide through nitrogen fertilizers.The increasing population has prompted more agricultural practices with more tilling and ploughing and increase use of nitrogen fertilizers to boost food production. The more nitrogen fertilizers are used,the higher the release of this ozone-depleting gas and global warming. The Nitrous oxide is photochemical and forms free radicals which are ozone-depleting agents that aggravates the issue of covering Earth's atmosphere with more gas and raising the globe's temperature. Cornell University researchers discovered a biological mechanism that convert nitrogen-based fertilizer into nitrous oxide, an ozone-depleting greenhouse gas .Kyle Lancaster, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and senior author on the research explained that to plug a leak you must identify source and then take necessary steps to correct The rise of Nitrous oxide is becoming quite significant in the atmosphere, as there has been a 120 percent increase of nitrous oxide in our atmosphere since pre-industrial times and this has been identified as source of ozone depleting gas. The researchers , showed that an enzyme made by the ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea, cytochrome P460, produces nitrous oxide after the organism turns ammonia into an intermediate metabolite called hydroxylamine. The N. europaea and similar "ammonia-oxidizing bacteria" use hydroxylamine as their fuel source, but too much hydroxylamine can be harmful and this result in production of nitrous oxide as a chemical coping strategy. Lancaster and his colleagues explained that when ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are exposed to high levels of nitrogen compounds, such as in crop fields or wastewater treatment plants, then nitrous oxide production via cytochrome P460 will increase . Nitrous oxide has 300 times the potency of carbon dioxide hence a potentially harmful gas to be releasing on a global scale.

Green muscle disease in broilers.

Green muscle disease otherwise known as deep pectoral myopathy occurs as a result of necrosis of tender muscle fibers due to hypoxia . When blood flow to tissue is low it results in mortality of tender muscle fibers. Green muscle disease results from the rigorous and excessive activity of the two breast muscle groups, but only the smallest muscle referred to as tender is affected.The muscle volume increases, due to an increased blood flow during contraction to meet the local demand for oxygen and nutrients. The tender muscle cells have a rigid cover and are located in a tight chamber of the keel on both sides and fillet above, hence they cannot expand to accommodate this increased flow resulting in muscle death. The green muscle disease has been linked to management errors such 1) inadequate feeding and watering protocol. 2) extended lighting period. 3) noise pollution.

3D Printed Robotic Brace to Help Restore the Use of Arm in 5-year old-girl.

3D printing, robotics and other new technologies have enabled medical professionals to do incredible things for patients, they’ve also made it easier for patients and families to take matters into their own hands if they’re not satisfied with conventional solutions. This is the case of Bodo Hoenen, whose five-year-old daughter Lorelei suddenly developed a rare condition called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a dangerous inflammation of the spinal cord which results in polio-like symptoms and possible long-term damage. The disease, which occurs most often in children, can even be fatal in some cases. Lorelei recovered from her illness, but not without lingering effects. Her left upper arm was rendered almost completely paralyzed; although she could move her hand and wrist, her shoulder and most of her arm were left immobile. Despite physical therapy, it was likely that Lorelei would never recover full function of her arm – but her father refused to accept this, taking matters into his own hands. This father went all out to save the daughter see

Woody breast in broilers.

Woody breast have evolved in the rapidly growing broiler chicken because of our drive to produce fast growing birds within a limited time frame and high demand for white meat.broiler chickens bred lately can yield breast fillets that are heavier than an entire bird was bred years ago. The down-side of this massive production is that rising number of those fillets are laced with hard fibers a condition commonly called woody breast. Woody breast poses no threat to human health, but it degrades the texture of the meat,taste and economic value.In woody breast,the fillets are hard,more elastic and difficult to chew.The actual cause is not known but it has been linked to decrease blood flow to muscle. This muscle myyopathy has been linked to necrosis following reduced blood flow to muscle resulting in fibrosis and replacement of protein fibers with collagen fibers. This replacement of protein fibers with collagen fibers is responsible for the toughness and woody appearance of muscle. The digestibility is questionable as its gummy,elastic and requires longer mastication. Woody breast changes the appearance and hence reduce consumer willingness to buy such chicken breast fillets. Producers cull such birds from production line and sell at discounted rates thus reducing profit margin. Producers are trying to curb the woody breast menace by changing production techniques by reducing fattening of the birds. The industry is poised to change tactics because fattened chickens dont meet many customers taste as many are not willing to pay large amounts for chicken breasts,they rather go for wings. Restaurants,food vendors are also scaling done demand thus prompting a paradigm shift. The role of phytase and trace minerals in the curbing of woody breast has been explored see

In-ovo chick sexing to curb massive culling of day-old cockerels.

The meat of modern laying hen strains differs from that of broiler strains in that it is not as edible and because their meat is of little economic value, many producers choose to cull day-old cockerel chicks that will not add to egg production . The massive culling of male chicks has raised animal welfare concerns hence many interventions have been sought to curb the practice by early detection of birds through sexing. A new research according to Eureka Alert,explains a method which can be carried out in the egg without damaging them, can distinguish between male and female embryos through differences between the sexes in the egg fluids. In-ovo testing is key to ending massive culling of male chicks in the poultry industry. This test uses an imaging technique called optical spectroscopy,and a group of European scientists have identified a way to determine the sex of a chick within four days of the egg being laid. The imaging technique called optical spectroscopy makes it possible for hatcheries to accurately determine the sex of a chick within four days of the egg being laid. This non-destructive method picks up on differences in the fluids contained in an egg from which a cockerel will develop, compared to one from which a hen will hatch.. In the study tests were done on 380 eggs,and the researchers were able to identify the sex of the embryo accurately in 93 percent of cases. The In-ovo testing based on spectral analysis is non-invasive, does not require extraction of egg material, the method is applicable during the fourth day of incubation, before onset of embryo sensitivity at day seven, which is therefore in agreement with animal welfare.