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.

EEG FOR PLANTS.

In a bid to look into soil without using destructive methods , the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded $4.6 million to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) for two innovative projects to address this gap, giving farmers important information to increase crop yields while also promoting the storage of carbon in soil. One project aims to use electrical current to image the root system, which will accelerate the breeding of crops with roots that are tailored to specific conditions such as drought. The other project will develop a new imaging technique based on neutron scattering to measure the distribution of carbon and other elements in the soil. Berkeley Lab received these competitive awards from ARPA-E’s Rhizosphere Observations Optimizing Terrestrial Sequestration (ROOTS) program, which seeks to develop crops that take carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in soil—enabling a 50 percent increase in carbon deposition depth and accumulation while also reducing nitrous oxide emissions by 50 percent and increasing water productivity by 25 percent. Soil carbon deficits are a global phenomenon resulting from many decades of industrial agriculture. Soils have the capacity to store significant quantities of carbon, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations while also enhancing soil fertility and water retention.continue

Food safety tips for Christmas.

The Christmas season is a time for celebrating with family and friends during office parties, buffets and potluck dinners. But, improperly prepared or handled foods can be a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria that causes food borne illnesses 

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service has food safety tips to ensure that the foods you share with your friends and family keep everyone in the spirit of Christmas.

 1) Transporting Your Christmas Dish: If you're transporting a meal from one location to another, temperature is important. When transporting hot dishes, wrap them well and pack in an insulated container. Upon arrival, use the stove, oven, or microwave to reheat food to 165 °F. 

When transporting cold foods, use a cooler with ice or freezer gel packs. Be sure to store food in watertight containers to prevent contact with melting ice water and carry your cooler in the trunk, which is usually colder than other parts of the car.

 2) Serving Your Meal: When serving your meal, keep foods out of the "danger zone" by keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If you are serving hot foods on a buffet, keep the foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers or warming trays. Make sure they are heated to at least 165 °F. Cold foods can be kept cold by nesting the serving dishes into bowls of ice or use small serving trays with smaller portions of food and replace as needed. It's important that cold foods are held at 40 °F or colder.

 3) Leftovers: After the fun is over, don't forget to discard all perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, and casseroles left at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Immediately refrigerate or freeze remaining leftovers in shallow containers. 

USDA's FoodKeeper app provides more details about how long leftovers can be stored, with storage guidance on more than 400 items and cooking tips for meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. continue

Giant dog-sized rats eats baby alive.

Giant dog-sized rats ate a sleeping three-month-old girl alive after she was allegedly left alone by her mother, who had scurried off to go partying. The 26-year-old mother from Johannesburg, South Africa arrived home after a night of boozing with her boyfriend and found the remains of her baby daughter on a blood-soaked bed, The U.K. Sun reports. The mother, who has been charged with child neglect, originally claimed the child had burned to death but neighbors who rushed to the shack in the township area of Katlehong disagreed. The baby died a painful death, as the infant’s tongue, eyes and fingers had all been eaten. and besides the missing body parts, the remains of her body had bites and wounds all over that were inflicted by the sharp teeth of the rats. Witnesses said the woman had taken the girl's twin brother Lucky out with her, when she went partying. She returned at 6:30 a.m. with her new boyfriend in tow and discovered that her daughter had been eaten by rats, her landlady, Mama Sesi Mtshali, said. This is not the first time rats have eaten people in South Africa townships as large numbers of rats are in the environment.more

The Nigerian Army and cattle rearing.

The drive to be food secure in the country and increase revenue through export of products has seen many sectors in the country dabbing into agriculture and agribusiness. The latest entrant to the agricultural zone is the Nigerian Army. The Nigeria Army has decided to raise cattle ranches in all brigades and divisions in the country to ensure food security through intensive production to ensure wholesome beef is available and to set the ball rolling officers were sent to Argentina to learn and understand production techniques. The idea behind under-studying Argentina is the fact they have a population of 41 million people but feed about 400 million people with their beef around the world.The Army has come up with an initiative dubbed the barrack investment initiative as a platform to encourage agribusiness ventures such as vegetable farming,rearing chicken e.t.c continue

Stress Can Cause Dogs To Go Prematurely Gray.

A new study has shown that stress can cause dogs to go grey prematurely.The study showed that the more anxious and impulsive a dog is the greater the stress level and hence graying of hair of the face. Animals are prone to stress induced graying just like humans according to a study published in December issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science. The lead researcher Camille King, an alumnus of Northern Illinois University and animal behaviorist, said based on years of experience observing and working with dogs, I’ve long had a suspicion that dogs with higher levels of anxiety and impulsiveness also show increased muzzle grayness. For the study, King teamed up with NIU professor Thomas Smith, animal behaviorist Peter Borchelt and renowned author/researcher Temple Grandin to visit dogs parks, veterinary offices and other areas where dogs congregate in Colorado. Together, they examined 400 dogs between the ages of 1 and 4. The dogs were photographed and the degree of muzzle grayness was rated on an ordinal scale ranging from “no gray” to “full gray.” In addition, the dogs’ owners were asked to fill out a behavior questionnaire and the owners were told that the purpose of the study involved dog lifestyle in order to prevent biased responses. The researchers found that dogs who exhibited higher owner-reported signs of anxiety and impulsivity showed a greater extent of premature muzzle graying than their less-anxious and less-impulsive dog peers. Female dogs showed higher levels of grayness than male dogs, but dog size, spay/neuter status and the presence of medical problems did not significantly predict the extent of muzzle grayness. One practical implication of the findings of this study involves the possibility of using observations of muzzle grayness in a diagnostic manner to address anxiety, impulsivity, or fear issues. According to the researchers, if dog professionals such as veterinarians, applied behaviorists, dog trainers, etc. are able to note premature graying in their assessments and or training, then these dogs might be assessed more thoroughly for anxiety/impulsivity/fear problems and, if necessary, started on behavior modification programs earlier in their developmental life stages. more

Selfie for your pets.

Pictures are now a modern way of communicating and with various social media platform to upload everybody is a potential photographer. The camera used,position and definitely the photo effects makes taking photographs as easy as it gets. This season many pet owners will capture fun moments with family and friends and yes with their pets,some pet lovers also make videos of sensational moments. The advent of selfies has increased the skill and level of photography,thus making many some sort of pro. Photography made easy for you and your pet,learn how to take amazing shots suitable for postcards and decoration.See

DIY CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR DOGS.

Its the Christmas season and joy is the word of the season. Malls are decorated,gifts purchased and several gift patterns are in the parks,but wait have you bought any gift for your dogs? 

Now is the time to shop or better still make great toys using old stuff: yes your dog will love it. See this, 

 Did you know you could turn old plastic bottles to toys? 

FOOT ROT IN RUMINANTS.

Foot rot is the common cause of lameness in ruminants and the effects are devastating both physically and financially. Lameness affects productivity,fertility and longevity of the animals on the farm. Foot rot is a common cause of lameness on farms. Foot rot causes economic losses through reduced live weight gain, reduced fertility and reduced mobility, it is a debilitating and painful condition and it is highly infectious and spreads easily from animal to animal on farm. Foot rot is easily recognized by a foul, very distinctive smell and under-running of the hoof causing the sole and the hoof wall to separate. Foot rot is caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum, the bacteria that causes scald,and it is found in the intestines of ruminants and is usually passed out with dung onto the field. This bacterium infects the hoof space first, particularly when it is damaged due to trauma or wet conditions. Foot rot occurs where scald is already established and the animal now comes in contact with a second bacterium called Dichelobacter nodosus. This second bacterium is able to enter the hoof and cause significant damage. Foot rot is an animal-animal disease and control and prevention must focus on a whole flock health plan. Control measures include :1) bio security plan for farm to include isolation and physical examination of newly acquired animals to farm. 2) provision of foot baths and regular hoof examination 3)Ensure the stalls are clean and dry. 4)Early detection will spur early treatment,thus observe animals and start treatment immediately. Animals that have persistent infection and lame and don't respond to treatment should be culled.

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea .

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted from infected animals. BVD is widespread amongst herds and many farmers are unaware of the virus circulating in their herds. The signs of infection vary and majorly include fertility problems such as abortions and birth defects, scour and reduced milk yield. Other less directly associated illnesses, due to the effects of infection on the animals’ immune response, include an increased incidence of other diseases such as pneumonia, lameness or mastitis within the herd. BVD is spread by nose-to-nose contact between infected cattle within the herd, mixing with infected animals from another farm, and during transportation. Cattle can also be infected indirectly by exposure to contaminated equipment, other ruminants especially sheep or by visitors to the farm. Bio security protocols are important to ensure safety of herd and prevent infection. The infection type could be persistent or transient,where the transient infection occurs any time after the animal is born and the persistent type occurs when a dam is infected with BVD for the first time during the first 4 months of pregnancy and the developing calf born is persistently infected with the virus and sheds high levels of virus thereby been a ready source of virus on the farm. The control measure is to test herd and remove carriers,vaccination is major key to a safe and clean herd. Vaccination of dams before breeding season is important.

Rare co-joined twin calves.

A Western Australian farmer was shocked to discover a set of Speckle Park conjoined twin calves had been born on his farm in Napier, on the state's south coast.It is unknown exactly how common conjoined twin calves are, however it is thought to be an incredibly rare occurrence known as 'parapagus'. The rare occurrence is expected to have been caused by an incomplete splitting of a single embryo, resulting in a set of twins "hung up" on each other. Esperance veterinarian and former president of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians Association, Dr Enoch Bergman, said it was unknown what caused an embryo to split, however it was expected to be genetic. There must be a couple of cells that didn't quite separate, and depending on where that happened they could have two heads, they could share a heart, they could have two hearts and four legs, it just depends on what's hung up. Dr Bergman said it was fairly common for a calf to be born with extra limbs, caused by a genetic disease called 'developmental duplication' or 'heteropagus twins'.Parapagus twins share the same pelvis, but have individual thoraxes, and front legs.Dr Bergman said he had never seen one split quite like this case. The cow is young and due to the size of the calves, and where they were joined, Dr Bergman believes they may have been delivered breech.He said it was "phenomenal" the mother was able to calve without help. source

Orange mucus in poultry dropping.

Orange mucus in dropping is an indication of damage to intestinal damage.This could be caused by malabsorption when birds are not fed regularly or when there is coccidiosis. The lining of the intestine can also be damaged if feed given is not easily digested,so ensure thee feed is not hard or coarse and give adequate water as well. Early detection of disease is an advantage that saves money and flock.The key to action is listen.... observe....act. more

Poultry farmer and chicken droppings.

When blood is seen in cecal dropping this is indicative of coccidiosis, treat entire flock immediately and ensure bio security measures. When chicken droppings contain white and green substances….. what does that mean for the chicken? Droppings with urates (white) and bile (green). The bile indicates an empty intestine (starvation) and/ or an infection (such as IBD). The urates are a waste product of protein break-down (proteolysis). The health status of birds could easily be accessed from symptoms,signs and most definitely from appearance of droppings hence observation is key in poultry management.The success of the poultry business is hinged on the rapid interpretation of signs,symptoms and an active prevention and treatment protocol. The faster diseases are diagnosed or outbreak prevented the higher the profit margin and turn over of business. The watch word is listen--observe--act ..

Snakes and medical benefits.

Snakes as creepy but help preserve the ecosystem by the predation on rodents and smaller mammals. The snakes make up a significant proportion of the middle-layer predators that keep our natural ecosystems working, without them the numbers of prey species would increase to unnatural levels and the predators that eat snakes struggle to find food will turn to other species thus endangering other species thus tilting the ecobalance. Snakes keeping the number of rodents and other reptiles under control are also beneficial to man directly because of the venom. Snake venom has been reported to provide treatment in certain disease conditions. Snake venom though awkward to comprehend its usefulness is basically protein and some enzymes,so the building,repairing and regenerative properties of protein is the key to the usefulness of the venom. The snake venom is categorized based on the site of action thus it could be neurotropic,hemotropic cardio tropic and this information is the platform that sets the stage as which venom to use in the case of any medical conditions. Snake venom's are collected purified ,processed and tested before use in medicine. Snake venom has been found to have hemostatic properties thus useful to stop excessive bleeding during surgery.see Snake venom has ability to break blood clots,this has been used in treatment of stroke patients.The neurotropic venom have been used in treatment protocols for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The use of the venom has been explored in treatment of certain cancers such as breast cancer,and also in the cosmetics industry as anti aging cream. The fashion industry have benefited from snakes by using the skin for fashion accessories such as bags,shoes and belts racking in a lot of forex.

WHY DOES THAT EGG HAVE FISHY TAINT?

Fishy egg taint is an unpleasant experience both for farmer and customers and also the financial implication of this can be devastating.Some school of thought have proposed that excessive addition of fish meal to diet is the cause of taint,which was quickly discredited because experiment showed that chicken exposed to same feed had different results as only few eggs had the taint and some not exposed to ration with fish meal had eggs with fishy taint. Another school of thought proposed that it was the side effect of rapeseed in layer ration that causes the taint as some others that were not exposed to such rations had tainted eggs.Egg taint has been found to be caused by transfer and excretions of smelling substances resulting from endogenous metabolism in chicken to the eggs.The fishy taint is caused by accumulation of trimethylamine in the yolk. Trimethylamine (TMA) is caused by bacterial fermentation of choline in the small intestine and caeca. The liver converts TMA to non smelly TMA N-oxide, the smelly taint can arise from dietary of TMA or from precursors for TMA formation. The culprit in the taint has been linked to a gene FOM3-gene, hence a hen lacking this gene will not be able to convert TMA to the non smelly TMA N-oxide.This defect has been observed in certain strains of brown layers hence sourcing from genetically tested and proven strains is important.

HOW TO TURN POOP INTO FUEL.

Poop better referred to as feces or waste has found another use aside from fertilizer and electricity generation,now there is a new technique that converts poop to petrol. The need to look at alternative to promote environmental safety as regards waste management has produced so many by-products that are economical but also eco-friendly. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have successfully taken raw sewage and converted it to what they call biocrude oil, which can be refined in the same way as crude oil to make fuels like gasoline and diesel. The technique is called hydrothermal liquefaction, and it’s an accelerated, artificial version of the process by which crude oil is created inside the Earth’s crust. Waste is subjected to high pressure and temperature—3,000 pounds per square inch and 660 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively—which cause it to break down into basic chemical compounds.Scientists have essentially taken a natural process that normally takes millions of years and replicated it in a lab such that it can be done in hours. The researchers working on this project estimated one person, over the course of a year, could generate two to three gallons of biocrude oil. A 42-gallon barrel of crude oil yields about 19 gallons of gasoline, so assuming a similar conversion rate, three gallons of biocrude may yield about 1.4 gallons of gasoline. This waste to wealth initiative if properly harnessed can revive countries whose economy is fuel-dependent and also boost other countries that have no reliable means of survival but have enormous waste they generate and litter the environment constituting a nuisance. The first step towards harnessing this waste will be to build proper toilets with sewage treatment plants to collect the waste and start the journey towards conversion and fuel generation.

Medicinal mushrooms and cancer treatment.

When an agile,active bird dog was diagnosed with osteosarcoma,the owners sought out options that will ensure survival and longevity. This search lead to the discovery of medicinal mushrooms and how they boost immune system to strengthen it to fight cancer because of their anti-tumor, immune regulating beta-glucans compounds. The medicinal mushroom help the body in these ways 1)Strengthen and stimulate the immune system. 2)Give the body more energy to fight disease. 3)Help patients rebound from the effects of chemotherapy.The mushrooms available in the K9 Immunity Plus™,was incorporated into the daily supplements and today,2 years after the dog is still alive and healthy. This is the journey of a champion bird dog and how he survived the osteosarcoma saga more

The use of IoT to stop fires on farms.

Fire accidents are quite devastating in any environment but much more horrific when it involves livestock. The race to ensure food security often lead to expansion of projects with much more investment in properties ,animals and seedlings ,the economic effect of losses in agriculture due to fires can be quite huge and as such a lot of strategies are put in place to prevent fire outbreaks. Farm protocols involve preventive efforts such as 1) switching off all electrical appliances 2) prevent unsupervised burning in and around farm areas. 3)installation of smoke detectors to alert and put out any fire accident. The protocols are reliable but surveillance is key to ensure an accident free environment,with precision agriculture sensors,scanners and cameras are aiding farmers to prevent accidents,manage farm activities and also prevent theft. The IoT has simplified the work of farmers not only reducing labor cost but ensuring maximum productivity and boosting profit. The IoT approach ensures instant response as data,pictures and updates are uploaded on phones real-time. Nare IoT Labs a South Korean startup, has developed a cost effective solution to prevent and warn farmers of any faults, before the onset of a fire. The system, called Prevention System for Electrical Arc Fires was developed when it was discovered that the surge in farm fires are caused by electrical arc faults which basically is a high-power discharge of electricity between two or more conductors. The Prevention System for Electrical Arc Fires can recognize the difference between a harmless arc and a dangerous one that could spiral into a fire, the Nare IoT is then able to send warnings to a farmer’s smartphone and let the farmer turn off a power grid near the electrical arc to avoid further damage. There is an alarm in the system which goes off when a dangerous electrical arc happens.more

New test and better understanding of deadly inclusion body disease in boas and pythons.

A new research has revealed a New test and better understanding of deadly infection in boas and pythons. This new study sheds light on inclusion body disease, and may help veterinary care teams better protect the health of their populations of large snakes. A newly published study in The Veterinary Journal sheds light on the disease, and may help veterinary care teams better protect the health of their populations of large snakes.Inclusion body disease (IBD) found in both boa constrictor and python species and signs may include periodic or chronic regurgitation, head tremors, abnormal shedding, anorexia, clogged nostrils, and pneumonia. The disease can rapidly progress to nervous system signs, such as disorientation, corkscrewing of the head and neck, holding the head in abnormal and unnatural positions, rolling onto the back or stargazing. The current strategies for IBD control include identification and isolation of affected snakes, but making a definitive diagnosis of IBD in a living animal can be challenging. Infected snakes may continue to feed and otherwise behave normally, and may infect other snakes prior to developing clinical signs of illness and chronic disease. The inclusion body disease is caused by the reptarenavirus and this was observed in apparently healthy boa constrictors which buttressed the fact that sub clinical cases are common.Researchers at the University of Florida, in collaboration with Colorado State University and University of California, San Francisco, sought to understand disease prevalence in captive snake populations using both routine and specialized immunohistochemical cell-staining techniques. The research team tested 131 snakes and determined that 19 percent of their study population had inclusion body disease. In snakes positive for IBD, 87 percent were clinically healthy.

World Bank tasks farmers on how to boost agriculture.

The World Bank tasks farmers on how to boost agriculture.A World Bank assisted programme in Africa, West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), has revealed that farmers do not need huge capital to be successful and maximise profit in agriculture. This was stated during the last World Bank Support Mission visit to the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA) adopted communities and schools, where it lauded the various projects embarked upon by WAAPP-FECA. Leader of the delegation, Prof. Victoria Ayuba, said the level of projects going on was a pointer to the fact that people can start making profit in agriculture if they start with little capital. Ayuba, who is the current Dean, College of Forestry and Fishery, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, encouraged the people, especially the youth, that they could utilise the opportunities in the sector to be employers of labour. The Dean noted that the essence of the visit was to evaluate and assess what the institution is doing with the World Bank assisted programme with member-countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to make agriculture more sustainable and productive.more

Rising Prevalence of Zoonotic Diseases and Increased Spending on Companion Animals to Boost Demand for Veterinary Vaccines Market.

The Rising Prevalence of Zoonotic Diseases and Increased Spending on Companion Animals to Boost Demand for Veterinary Vaccines Market.The global veterinary vaccines market is highly consolidated, with the top five vendors accounting for a share of nearly 65% in the overall market in 2015, reports TMR in a new study. Zoetis, Inc., Merck & Co., and Sanofi Aventis, the top three companies in the market collectively held a share of more than 45% of the overall market in the same year. Targeted in-licensing and acquisitions, expansion of global manufacturing and supply capacities, and increased investments towards research and development activities are some of the key strategies adopted by leading vendors in the market. A recent instance is the strategic alliance of Sanofi with Boehringer Ingelheim in June 2016. Under this alliance, an exchange of Boehringer Ingelheim’s consumer healthcare (CHC) unit with Sanofi’s animal health business took place.continue

Doctors Use Fish Skin to Treat Woman Who Suffered Severe Burns .

A 36-year-old woman who had suffered severe burns has been given fish skin to reduce her injuries in pioneering new treatment. The woman who goes by the name Maria Ines Candido da Silva, 36, worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Russas, north east Brazil. She suffered severe burns to her arms, neck and face after a gas canister at the restaurant exploded. In a pioneer treatment, doctors have now used skin of a common freshwater fish to dress her skin.It’s believed to be the first time in medical history that scientists have used the skin of a fish as a plaster to treat wounds.‘I was in absolute agony and desperate for anything to ease my suffering,’ Miss da Silva told The Sun. A team of doctors at the Dr José Frota Institute Burns Unit in Fortaleza, north east Brazil, developed the pioneering treatment. And the first trials on some 50 patients were completed this month. They used the skin from Tilapia fish, a disease-resistant species found in Brazilian rivers. Before the fish strips are used, researchers put the skin through a rigorous process that removes scales, muscle tissue, toxins and any possibility of transmitted diseases. It also gets rid of the fishy smell. The fish skin reduces the risk of infection – and it’s cheaper to work with, experts say. It is stretched and laminated then stored in refrigerated banks based in Sao Paulo, in strips of 10cm by 20cm for up to two years. The result is something similar to human skin and remains flexible and easy to mould around a wound. The Tilapia’s skin was left on Miss da Silva’s neck, face and left arm for 11 days before being removed. Doctors kept the fish skin on her left hand for longer as these wounds were deeper. The fish skin grafts on her hand were replaced many times over a 20 day period to restore the damaged tissue. Then, doctors removed the scaly skin using petroleum jelly to lift, slide and ease the dressing away from the healed area. According to Dr Edmar Maciel, one of the plastic surgeons who developed the treatment, Tilapia skin contains ‘optimum levels of collagen type one’ and high degrees of humidity, so it takes a long time to dry out. These are important characteristics known for healing burns and for providing patients with essential proteins.Dr Edmar Maciel also told the newspaper: ‘We discovered that Tilapia fish skin performs significantly better in the healing process by soothing and curing severe wounds caused by burns.’ more

Osun state has produced 170 millionaires in the poultry sector.

Osun state under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has said that it has produced 170 millionaires in the last six years through the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme. This was disclosed during the week when a leading Nigerian agriculture investor and Chairman TUNS Farms Nigeria Limited, Chief Olatunde Badmus led other management staffers of the company to the office of the Governor in Osogbo for a presentation on the National Egg Production (NEGSPRO) scheme. Osun has made many millionaires through various agricultural intervention programmes. Tuns Farm which anchors the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme (OBOPS), produces day old chicks for citizens and residents of Osun who accepted into the programme to raise and nurture for few weeks, after which the farm buys back from the participants. Aside guaranteed buy-backs, Tuns Farm also supports participants who are mainly small holder farmers with skills & knowledge necessary to nurture the chicks to maturity, provide feeds and sensitize them on international best practices in raising broiler chickens.continue

Data and agriculture.

The role of ioT in agriculture has shown the future,with robots ,sensors and scanners doing various tasks on the farm to ensure a bountiful harvest. The digitization of normal farming activities makes the running of the farm easy and more flexible to run. A company Prospera has built very interesting technology that centers around monitoring crop growth, in order to optimize it. Farmers have some data to work with now to optimize production such as weather readings and low-resolution satellite images, but it turns out not to be enough. The new robotic system, called Prospera, aims to save plants by detection of pest invasion before they are even visible to farmers. This is done by using a network of cameras and sensors, it immediately detects invaders and knows when crops are sick. It then alerts and tells farmers exactly why through an app. Prospera has come up with low-cost sensors that can obtain temperature and humidity data; and low-cost cameras that measure light/radiation and gather valuable images. The devices can communicate over WiFi or 3G mobile data technology and can often run on solar power. This approach has been making technology with great efficacy in indoor agriculture, increasingly applicable in outdoor settings too. Prospera act as a data company not just one that helps customers collect data and act on it, but one that builds data intelligence and thus domain expertise. The use of predictive applications and prescriptive applications are also used to monitor farms. The sensors collect hundreds of thousands of data points about plants' health. These include issues with pests, diseases, nutrients, irrigation, and climate. Prospera's system also monitors and archives facts that affect plants' nutrition, like temperature, pH, CO2, and oxygen. The cameras monitor the plants 24-7, and when something's wrong, they send photos and sensor data to the cloud. The system then analyzes the data, creates a summary on the app, and pings the farmer. The app also provides real-time data about the plants, even if they're all healthy. Using machine learning, Prospera's system can predict when a plant might be at risk depending on the time of year or upcoming weather patterns. This means that the longer the bot's system works on the farm and the more data it collects, the smarter it becomes. This application can also help alert farmers to where they need to prune and harvest so not only is the data collection made more economical, but the methodical analysis of the collected data, and the dispatch of responsive action, is made more feasible and economical as well.see

Bank of Agriculture Disburses N21.5billion to 107,200 Farmers.

Bank of Agriculture, BOA, has given out over N21.5billion to 107,200 farmers nationwide disclosed by the Zonal Manager South-West Region, Mrs Idiat Folorunsho at the empowerment programme of the bank of Agriculture held in Osogbo, the state capital of Osun State. She emphasized that the dwindling oil revenue has forced a paradigm shift in strategy to promote agri-business. The Bank Of Agriculture (BOA),have come to terms with this new shift and has put in place necessary polices and schemes to promote agribusiness.The BOA has shown commitment to improve the agricultural sector by assisting young farming entrepreneurs to assist them in food production to ensure food security in the nation and reliance on agricultural products. The BOA has set aside a grant of about 40 billion naira to ensure implementation of programmes to help farmers,the most recent scheme is the Anchor Borrowers programme which support farmers by providing input and technical advice . The move towards the green fields emphasizes the fact that nations are great when farmers are as popularly said "Great farmers,Great Nation!!! No Farmer No Nation!!!

The role of backyard poultry in the spread of avian influenza.

The role of backyard poultry in the spread of avian influenza is an important factor that cannot be overlooked. Migratory birds are linked to the avian influenza virus,and backyard poultry are the most vulnerable to infection because of close proximity of contact with wild bird and migratory birds. The need to house birds are very important,owners of backyard flock are advised to ensure strict bio-security protocols ,keep feeders and drinkers inside and do not leave feed exposed.Poultry farmers needs to play a part to stop migratory birds from infecting farmed birds. There is actually a circulating foci between the bird flu virus and migratory birds,the only way to break the link and stop the spread of virus to farms is to ensure biosecurity compliance, keep back yard poultry housed and codon off wild birds.

The use of LED lights in broiler house to boost production.

Electricity is one of the largest expenses for poultry producers aside from feed cost and this is increasing thus alternative sources of lighting are explored. Solar bulbs have been used on farms and also electricity generated from biogas,both of which have been successful. A recent study explored the use of LED bulbs and its potential to boost production and cutting electricity bills.Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a good choice of energy-efficient lighting for broilers and their producers, according to this recent research. Researchers from the University of Delaware evaluated the effects of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) and two types of LED lamps in a study with more than 670 male Ross broilers, while birds raised under incandescent lamps served as controls. By 42 days of age, birds raised under CCFLs had lower body-weights than controls and had higher heterophil-to-lymphocyte (H:L) ratios a stress indicator. In contrast, using LEDs did not yield any significant differences in the H:L ratio compared to controls. This study indicates that variation in broiler body weight and stress may be attributed in part to lighting technologies implemented in broiler houses, while birds raised under both LED technologies grew to body-weights similar to birds raised on incandescent lamps, but there were no significant differences between the groups in feed conversion or mortality.

Researchers Reveal How Cancer Can Spread Even Before a Tumor Develops.

Even before tumors develop, breast cancer cells with a few defined molecular alterations can spread to organs, remain quiet for long periods of time, and then awaken to form aggressive, deadly breast cancer metastasis, says a team of investigators led by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the University of Regensburg in Germany. They say their finding, published in two papers in the journal Nature, and conducted in animal models and tested in human samples, now solves the mystery of how breast cancer metastasis forms without a primary tumor in this new model of early dissemination and metastasis. Furthermore, a clinical primary tumor may never develop, investigators say. The University of Regensburg team had discovered that cancer cells could spread not only from a highly mutated, overtly evolved and pathologically-defined invasive tumors, but also from early stage cancers commonly considered incapable of spreading cells. However, how these early cancer lesions could spawn cells with traits of malignant tumors was unknown. In two papers published in the journal Nature, and conducted in animal models and tested in human samples, the two teams now have identified the first mechanisms that allow cells to spread early in cancer progression and contribute to metastasis.continue

Dubai(UAE)i and rules for pet importation.

A Dubai veterinarian is lauding new UAE regulations regarding importation of domestic pets such as cats and dogs and their transit through the country to prevent contagious and infectious animal diseases. The new regulations under animal welfare regulations governed by the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment also ensure animals are exposed to proper travel conditions.These new regulations see the UAE aligning itself with the global leaders in pet protection. Low-risk countries are more likely to have established laws around the care and protection of animals and this new regulation will ensure transparency in the procedures pet owners must abide by when transporting their pets Pet owners can rest easy knowing their pets will be transported in a safe and comfortable manner with the necessary documents and certification. As the process of pet travel can be arduous and lengthy, it will become increasingly important to seek the advice and support of your pet’s veterinary hospital. The directive states that all pets must now be transported in the plane hold and not with passengers. Cats and dogs must be presented with a permanent microchip which corresponds to a chip number. Owners are also now restricted to the importation of two animals per year and must hold an import permit. While travelling, the animals must be accompanied with an authorized health certificate issued by veterinary authorities in line with the health certificate model as outlined by Dubai Municipality. New conditions; 1)All pets must be transported in the aeroplane hold and not with passengers 2)Cats and dogs must have a permanent microchip with a chip number. 3)Only two animals could be imported by an owner per year. 4)An authorized health certificate must be handy while travelling. 5) A vaccination document or pet passport detailing the microchip number and description of pet. 6) Minimum age for import is 15 weeks from low-risk countries and 27 weeks from high-risk countries. contributed by gulfnews.com

Pre-cooked beans saving the forest .

Pre-cooked beans could turn down heat on Africa's dwindling forests as a factory in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, engage workers who steam-cook beans in big metal containers, before cooling and packaging them for sale. The beans can be reheated in 15 minutes or less, requiring far less firewood than the two to three hours it would take to cook them from scratch. This public-private initiative, being tested in Uganda and Kenya with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre, also aims to increase bean consumption, improve diets, and create a more profitable market for bean farmers. According to Joab Ouma of Lasting Solutions, a Ugandan company that is involved in preparing the beans, rural people usually use firewood for cooking, while charcoal is the main fuel in urban areas. Those fuels are a direct cause of deforestation, yet until now the poorest consumers “had no choice” but to use them,.Ouma said that, with the pre-cooked beans, the time needed to cook meals is greatly reduced, lowering the use of charcoal and firewood - and potentially easing the pressure on forests. In western Kenya, Siprosa Ajwang, 62, from Homa Bay County, said the new beans saved her time she used to spend in the bush gathering firewood. “I used to stay away three hours looking for enough wood to cook beans, but now it is easy because I need just a small bundle,” said the farmer who is taking part in the pilot project to grow and market-test the pre-cooked beans.more

Rare bird flu strain infects cats.

A rare strain of the avian influenza virus has infected 45 cats in Manhattan and there are concerns that the virus may have spread to recently adopted felines.The virus is thought to pose a low risk to humans but health officials are concerned that it could have infected additional cats that have already been adopted from Animal Care Center’s Manhattan shelter. "Although this strain of the avian flu has only resulted in mild to moderate illness in some cats located in one shelter, we have begun to test staff and people in close contact with the cats out of an abundance of caution," said First Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. "We will continue to actively monitor all people involved and adapt our response accordingly." One older infected cat, who had underlying health problems, died, officials said. The Health Department and ACC are working on a quarantine facility to house the cats while the Manhattan shelter is disinfected. They urge anyone who adopted Manhattan shelter cats in the past month to call the Health Department for care instructions and to keep their cat separated from other animals if they show signs of persistent cough, lip smacking, runny nose, and fever. Officials are also advising these pet owners to call the Health Department if they develop fever with a sore throat, fever with a cough, or red, inflamed eyes.The outbreak marks the first time the virus - H7N2 has been detected and transmitted among domestic cats. It is unknown how the cats contracted the virus.The shelter has tested 20 dogs and none have contracted this virus. Testing of other animals, including rabbits and guinea pigs, is ongoing. According to the Health Department, there have been only two documented human cases of this type of avian influenza and both patients recovered.culled from http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/rare-bird-flu-strain-infects-45-cats-single-manhattan-shelter-article-1.2912367.

Food systems: Cutting food waste using technology.

Globally, food waste is rising to 50 percent as developing nations struggle with spoilage while developed nations simply toss edible food away. The crux of the matter actually is that by 2050 there will be about 9billion people to feed,thus pushing for more food production. 

 According to data,much food is produced but waste from farms to stores and from stores to tables are actually responsible for food insecurity with malnutrition and famine as outcomes in developing nations. 

 Data analysis has shown that curbing waste will provide the extra food for the growing population,if a quarter of what is wasted now is salvaged then we are halfway through to feeding the projected population. Food preservation,storage and handling are the key points of interest as all waste stems from one of these or a combination depending on the country involved. 

Cutting food waste using technology can come in several forms such as cooling,chilling, vacuum sealing and drying. Refrigerators are in the market that tell when food is going bad,there are giant vats of organic waste using the same process as the human stomach to make energy(biogas)and apps that help you shop more efficiently. 

 There are apps that help shoppers plan meals better to avoid overbuying perishable items, or calculate the shelf life of different groceries. In the home, smart fridges now give consumers even more information about their food. 

These fridges, pioneered by LG and Samsung, help keep track of your perishables, alert you when something is about to spoil and use Internet connectivity to help devise recipes. The consumers as of today still have to input all the items you buy in the fridge but the next-generation smart fridge will automatically scan its own contents. 

 Waste operators,farmers and big food retailers have been using anaerobic digesters, giant sealed containers where bacteria breaks food waste down into bio gas, a renewable energy source that comes from organic material fermenting without oxygen, to make energy from compostable food thus saving money on electricity and gas. 

 Chilling and vacuum sealing also useful to cut waste especially from farm to markets,especially where there is a good road network to shorten distance from farm to market.

Production is not the problem but handling of produce from farm to the market,take the case of tomatoes in Nigeria;we produce more than enough but about 45% is lost thus forcing importation of tomato paste to bridge the shortfall see Vacuum sealing extends shelf-live of produce,especially when combined with chilling or cooling as a storage option. 

Education of farmers on innovative farming techniques especially those that can be practiced by local farmers will go a long way to cut losses. 

 Thinking of cutting food waste to ensure food security ? then build a network of diversified farmers,with an off-takers scheme such that produce are collected onsite by processors,for onward delivery to markets as farm fresh products and as raw materials for in food processing and packaging plants. 

Telecommunications to ensure food security and food safety come in here

Goats,milk production and music.

Research and experience has shown that animals also enjoy good music,while its therapeutic to some to others it boosts their productivity. There are music compositions for some animals as well to show that music actually cuts across species and breeds as there are even preferences within species and breeds. This is a story of a farmer that has incorporated the use of classical music in his turkey production. He decided to incorporate the music to stabilize his birds, when he discovered they were uncomfortable/ restless. He started playing classical music to the poults and he discovered that it improved their health and happiness. He has now attracted more visitors to his farm, as they can hear the birds before they are visible. Expansion is the next move on the farmer's agenda because of the success of his birds.more This is how cat music evolved ;David Teie has developed music that’s designed specifically for cats. Teie has been working on “species-specific” music since 2009. He figured starting with cats would be more practical than starting with, say, elephants. The music is supposed to offer our beloved fuzzballs a comforting, enriching experience that allows us to bond more deeply with them.see This season the goats has made history as a farmer discovered that his goats produced more milk after been serenaded to music. The farmer found that his goats produced about 20 percent more milk when serenaded by the trills and lilts of Mariah Carey Studies indicate that music can indeed have an effect on milk production; the theory is that music with a consistent and precise rhythm can calm the animals in what might ordinarily be a stressful situation, and calm animals produce more milk than stressed animals. The connection between music and milk has been known since at least 2001, when a University of Leicester study tested milk production with different kinds of music. The study did not include “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but did test out some different genres and sounds to see whether the particular type of music could have different effects. What the study found was that calm music—for example, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”—seemed to have a positive effect on milk production, while the horrible turn-of-the-millennium club tracks selected by the researchers produced no effect at all. Christmas music, the vast majority of which is calming, slow, and gentle, might be just the genre to play to your cows, goats, sheep, camels, or whatever other animals you might happen to milk. see

Roles of Robots in Agriculture: Robotic Dairy Farms.

This is the future of agriculture,as the largest robotic dairy farm in Michigan will go online in 2017. DeLaval International, a large Swedish producer of dairy and other farming equipment, is installing 24 robotic voluntary—meaning the cows approach the stations on their own—milking machines at TDI Farms LLC of Westphalia that will be able to milk 1,500 cows. 

Roles of robots in agriculture.

The new system will be operational sometime next year (no firm date has been set yet), according to Muhieddine Labban, solution manager of automatic milking systems at DeLaval. 

 The farm is owned by the Trierweiler family. They decided to transition to a robotic milking system after seeing improved longevity and lower cull rates of cows in dairy farms using these systems. Here’s how the Voluntary Milking System machine works(VMS): the cows are free to come to the machine to be milked as they please, drawn by the feed that is dispensed during milking. 

    Robots in agriculture.

 The animals are creatures of habit, they learn this routine within a few days, says Labban in an email. The system cleans, pre-milks, dries and stimulates each teat individually using water, compressed air and a vacuum. After this preparation stage, the cows are milked via a robotic attachment that scans their underside to detect where the teats are located and checks the milk flow before releasing the suction cup at the end of the milking session. 

 According to DeLaval, the VMS is better for cows than traditional milking systems since it has an open structure that allows the cow to see her surroundings and to stand in a comfortable position without human management, which can be stressful for the animals. The VMS also monitors udder health and can detect potentially life-threatening mammary gland infections. The VMS increases efficiency, providing the dairy producer with the opportunity to hire fewer, but higher-caliber trained and qualified people.see

#agriculture #agribusiness #robots #roles of robots in agriculture.

Raising hens with intact beaks to produce cage-free eggs.

Egg producers serving the German market have kept the beaks of their hens intact to meet the beak trimming ban that went into effect for pullets placed after January 1, 2017.A Dutch egg producer with 25 years of cage-free experience has successfully transitioned to cage-free egg production from hens with intact beaks. The practice of trimming the beaks of laying hens, broiler and turkey breeders, and turkey meat birds goes back decades. Beak trimming was instituted as a management tool to prevent injury resulting from aggressive pecking and feather pecking. In spite of advancements such as infrared beak treatment, animal welfare activists have continued to push for an end to beak trimming. The German ban on placing beak-trimmed pullets went into effect January 1, 2017. Johan Bouwhuis’ farm, Bouwhuis Agro, houses 73,000 laying hens, all of which are cage free with beaks intact. This is how they operate; when a flock is first introduced from the pullet farm to the layer house, they use a product called PICKStein (peck stone) which is a mineral block containing calcium, magnesium, sodium and trace minerals at which the hens can peck. As the mineral block wears down, so does the sharp point of the hens’ beaks. Once the mineral blocks are worn down, they place some concrete blocks in the scratch areas of the houses for the hens to peck. By the end of the lay cycle, the concrete blocks have been pulverized by the hens. Alfalfa bales are also placed in a holder that rotates as the birds peck at and eat the alfalfa. The idea is to keep the hens occupied exploring and pecking something other than their flock mates. The trick is to keep them active and occupied while ensuring health protocols and management.

Hungary hit hard as avian flu continues to spread.

Hungary hit hard as avian flu continues to spread.Hungary has so far reported the largest number of outbreaks of HPAI caused by the H5N8 variant of the HPAI virus in poultry. In the last week alone, the ministry of agriculture has informed the OIE of 84 new outbreaks, all in domestic poultry. Over the last week, countries whose veterinary authorities have reported new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) include Hungary, France, Germany and Russia. There has also been one new outbreak in the Netherlands, and HPAI viruses have been detected in chickens at a slaughterhouse in Taiwan. Focus for the latest cases are the counties of Bacs-Kiskun, Csongrad, Bekes and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, which are in the central-southern and south-eastern regions of the country. In the latter county, the three outbreaks have been in mixed backyard flocks, but in the other areas, commercial ducks and/or geese are the species most affected. Hungary has also recorded its first HPAI outbreak in a commercial broiler flock. Intensive surveillance of poultry flocks near those known to be affected has revealed other virus-positive birds. Over the last week, the number of infected birds is almost 763,000, all of which are destined for slaughter. This brings the total losses of poultry as the result of HPAI in the country to more than 952,000 through death or destruction. With a further five new outbreaks of HPAI viruses more than belonging to the H5N81 group affecting more than 51,000 poultry over the last week, France has now reported cases at 13 locations since last month to the OIE. The agriculture ministry has confirmed a total of 19 outbreaks. The latest outbreaks are in flocks of chickens and/or ducks in the south-west of the country in the departments of Tarn and Gers. According to the OIE report, the Russian veterinary authority has confirmed that a HPAI virus of the H5 group was the cause of mortality in a flock of more than 54,000 laying hens in Astrakhan oblast. There are a total of more than 667,000 poultry at the affected farm. This new outbreak is in a region that borders the Caspian Sea as well as Kalmykia oblast, where there were two outbreaks of HPAI in backyard flocks last month. In the Netherlands, the ministry of economic affairs has confirmed a fourth outbreak of HPAI in continue

Farming in the desert: Quinoa could transform agriculture in the Gulf

Farming in the desert: Quinoa could transform agriculture in the Gulf: Experts have urged Gulf states to look to an Andean super-food beloved of hipsters as a staple crop at a time when groundwater supplies are shrinking and becoming more saline.

UNICEF goes local with RUTF products in war against malnutrition

UNICEF goes local with RUTF products in war against malnutrition: Gone are the days when the supply of humanitarian nutrition products relied on just a handful of western companies.

 UNICEF is pushing its supply of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) into a more competitive future driven by local suppliers ready to help their own region. 

 The issue of malnutrition should be tackled fast and using products that are readily available,easy to transport and extremely easy to prepare.

Eggs fit this nutrition status completely and been described as a complete food.Eggs might be cumbersome to transport to areas where in dire need but not EGG POWDER.This is how to incorporate it into the programme Egg powder,the malnutrition solution in a sachet.

Nut consumption linked to lower pancreatic cancer risk in women

Nut consumption linked to lower pancreatic cancer risk in women: Frequent consumption of nuts may be associated with a lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer in women, according to new findings.

A handful of nuts a day reduces major disease risk: Review

A handful of nuts a day reduces major disease risk: Review: Eating at least 20 grams of nuts a day could cut the chances of dying from respiratory disease by about a half and diabetes by nearly 40%, researchers say.

Can magnesium protect against heart disease and diabetes?

Can magnesium protect against heart disease and diabetes?: A magnesium-rich diet could help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), heart disease and stroke, according to results from a meta-analysis.

Urgent research shift needed to fight dual threat of malnutrition & obesity

Urgent research shift needed to fight dual threat of malnutrition & obesity: Leading researchers and experts in nutrition policy have come together to propose a global research agenda that aims to shift the focus and find solutions to global issues of food security and under nutrition.

The Chinese veterinary medicine(TCVM) and sport horses.

Chinese herbal medicine is a relatively new treatment among equine veterinarians in the western world, but Palm Beach Equine Clinic veterinarian Dr Janet Greenfield-Davis has incorporated the use of herbs and herbal treatments as an integral part of her alternative therapy options for patients. Greenfield-Davis specialises in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. As humans adapt to using all-natural methods to treat illness, herbal medicine for animals also uses ancient Chinese formulas aimed at treating the underlying causes of a disease or illness to help the body heal itself, rather than only temporarily treating the presented symptoms. “There is a herbal product for anything,” said Dr Greenfield-Davis, who found herbal medicine six years ago when she started specialising in acupuncture, which joins Chinese herbal medicine as two of the most common forms of TCVM therapies. “Herbals treat a variety of ailments from sore muscles to problems affecting the liver, heart, kidneys, joints, and more. I pair the herbals with my acupuncture, which is traditionally the ancient Chinese way.” In TCVM, once a symptom of disharmony in the body or disease is identified, treatment proceeds through four possible branches, including acupuncture, food therapy, a form of Chinese medical massage called Tui-na, and Chinese herbal medicine. From topical treatments, including salves and powders, to edible treatments; Chinese herbal medicine not only draws on natural products, but also on the natural tendencies of the horse itself. Being herbivores, horses ingest herbs found in the wild while they are grazing. continue

The impact of veterinary medicine on the health of man and animals.

The impact of veterinary medicine on the health of man and animals cannot be underestimated as its known that 65% of infectious diseases in man stem from animals. The increased interaction between man and and animals has presented a platform for cross infection as in zoonotic diseases. The good-news about this is that since they share common causative agents ,research into prevention and treatment are often carried out using animal models which will eventually translate to use in man after clinical trials. e.g Dogs develop cancers with many similar characteristics to human cancers hence animal studies/trials are advancing management protocols.see The one health approach to diagnosis and treatment is borne out of the understanding that animal health is human health as such the National Institutes of Health just awarded a $1.5 million grant—to a veterinary lab. to find a cure for a bacterial infection that kills 30,000 Americans annually. Scientists at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine will use that funding to study how the Clostridium difficile bacteria affects animals, with the hope that what they discover will apply to humans, too. That's the nature of medical progress—where insights gleaned from research in one species apply to others, including humans. Holistic approaches to health—ones that take into account human, animal and ecosystem health—could be the key to understanding and eventually defeating the diseases of the our modern age. Many diseases are transmitted from animals to humans. Mosquitoes carry Zika, malaria and West Nile virus. The Ebola outbreak that reached U.S. shores in 2014 was traced back to a diseased bat. Up to 60,000 Americans get rabies vaccinations each year after coming in contact with potentially rabid animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 75 percent of infectious diseases originate in animals. Studying and treating diseases in animals often leads to advances in human medicine. One gene therapy for blindness in dogs proved so promising that researchers are now testing it on people. Veterinarians have discovered a protein that helps animals' broken bones heal quicker—and it works for humans, too. By studying the animals that transmit these diseases, health professionals can prevent epidemics. Consider the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school's "geographic information system," which monitors chicken populations for avian flu. The system helped identify and contain an avian flu outbreak in Pennsylvania before it could spread to other flocks—or humans. Losses totaled just $400,000. By contrast, an outbreak in Virginia led to $100 million in damages—and risked giving the disease time to mutate and infect people—because such surveillance technology wasn't employed.Mammals and humans also suffer from some of the same non-communicable diseases. Horses, for example, can develop cardiovascular disease. Dogs develop cancers with many similar characteristics to human cancers.Studying and treating diseases in animals often leads to advances in human medicine. Studying animals can even help us diagnose disease in humans. For example, dogs can smell cancerous masses. Doctors and engineers are now exploring whether it's feasible to develop an electronic system that can mimic dogs' sense of smell in order to accurately and efficiently diagnose cancer in patients. Given the links between human and animal health, it makes sense to tear down the walls between human and veterinary medicine. Some universities are doing just that.Tufts University offers a joint doctor of veterinary medicine/master of public health degree. During their first summer, students spend eight weeks in the field volunteering with a health organization, where they put both their veterinary and human health training to work.continue

Airselfie drone takes snapshots in mid-air.

Forget Selfie Sticks this Drone Captures Photos and Videos in Midair,Instead of extending your arm or using a selfie stick to snap shots of you and your crew, you could use a new pocket-size drone — dubbed the "AirSelfie" — to help you remotely capture aerial photos and videos. This AirSelfie drone takes snapshots in mid-air. The AirSelfie is the brainchild of Italian entrepreneur Edoardo Stroppiana, who came up with the idea in 2014. "AirSelfie is specifically designed and produced for people who used to think drone cameras are extremely complicated to use — too expensive and bulky," Stroppiana said. The AirSelfie is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot full high-definition (HD) 1080p video, as well as a 4GB microSD card. Using the AirSelfie, people, groups and companies can take pictures of themselves, their backgrounds and their projects from distances, heights and angles that they never could using their arms or a stick, Stroppiana said. The drone's four rotors help it fly up to 65 feet (20 meters) in the air. The flying camera measures only about 3.72 by 2.65 by 0.42 inches (9.45 by 6.73 by 1.07 centimeters) — "smaller than a smartphone," Stroppiana said — and weighs 1.83 ounces (52 grams).continue

Person-to-person (MDR) multidrug-resistantTB transmission drives epidemic in China.

Person-to-person MDR-TB transmission drives epidemic in China.Recent data from a population-based, observational study in China revealed that patients were more likely to contract multidrug-resistant tuberculosis from person-to-person transmission than inadequate treatment. “Inadequate treatment was considered to be the most common way of developing MDR [tuberculosis (TB)]; however, our data show that most of the patients in our study population who had [MDR-TB] had been infected with MDR strains,” Chongguang Yang, PhD, postdoctoral associate of epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. “We also found that a majority of transmission events occurred in settings such as residential communities or complexes and related public facilities.” Yang and colleagues performed variable-number-of-tandem-repeat (VNTR) genotyping and whole-genome sequencing on MDR-TB isolates collected from patients in Shanghai, China to establish transmission patterns and risk factors of MDR-TB in the area. Their analysis included data from 324 patients aged 15 years and older who were diagnosed with MDR-TB between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2012. The researchers used a standardized questionnaire to determine patients’ social characteristics, history of TB exposure and locations where transmission may have occurred. According to the data, 59% of patients with MDR-TB were treatment-naive. Overall, 32% of the 324 MDR-TB strains were in 38 genomic clusters that differed by 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms or fewer, indicating recent transmission. The researchers combined treatment-naive cases (n = 191) with cases included in genomic clusters (n = 93) and estimated that up to 73% (95% CI, 67.3-77.3) of all MDR-TB cases were likely caused by transmission of MDR strains. Epidemiological links were identified in 69% of the genomically clustered cases, only four of which were traced to household contacts. The majority (n = 45) of cases were either linked to other cases from the same residential community or neighborhood street, or cases using the same public health facilities such as food markets.