Development and performance evaluation of a livestock feed chopper/pulverizer

Crop residues are bulky and low in nutrients. Their size reduction is imperative in order to compound them with other feed ingredients to achieve balanced feedstock for livestock. A chopping and pulverizing machine was designed and constructed to chop and pulverized feed materials. It comprises of chopping hopper, pulverizing hopper, metering device, chopping/ pulverizing chamber, screen and the processed feed outlet. The performance of the machine was evaluated on the basis of throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency, scatter losses as dependent variables while moisture content was the independent variable. There were two level of speeds (1500 rpm and 2100 rpm) and five levels of moisture content (13 %, 16 %, 19 %, 21 %, 24 %, and 27 % dry basis). The throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency had highest values of 222 kg/h and of 92.5 % respectively at moisture content level of 13 % (db) and 2100 rpm speed. However, the least scatter losses obtained was 2.5 % at moisture content level of 27 % (db) and 1500 rpm speed. As the moisture content increased, throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency and scatter losses decreases at both speeds. The developed machine could enhance the use of crop residues in feeding livestock which could ultimately reduce the cost of livestock feed production

Soluble TWEAK and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney patients (CKD). The aim of this study was to demonstrate the role of soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK) as a marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in CKD patients.Methods: The study included 75 CKD patients classified according to eGFR into three groups; group-1 included 15 patients with stage-1 CKD, group-2 included 30 patients with stage-2 and stage-3 CKD, and group-3 included 30 patients with stage-4 and stage-5 CKD. The three groups were compared to 20 matched controls. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and sTWEAK were measured using ELISA and chemiluminescent techniques respectively. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was also measured.Results: We found that IL-6 showed significant difference between patient groups and controls, being highest in stage 4 and 5 CKD patients and lowest in controls. Soluble TWEAK showed significant difference between patient groups and controls, being lowest in stage 4 and 5 CKD patients and highest in controls. Soluble TWEAK level showed significant negative correlation with IL-6 (r = -0.68; P<0.01) and carotid IMT (r = -0.95; P<0.01). After two years follow up, nine out of 75 CKD patients developed ischemic heart disease (IHD). Two patients developed cerebrovascular stroke and another patient developed peripheral arterial disease. These patients had significantly lower levels of sTWEAK at baseline compared to other patients (160.5± 60.2 versus 274.8±90 pg/mL; P < 0.05).Conclusion: Soluble TWEAK can be a novel biomarker of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction as well as cardiovascular outcome in CKD patients

Wildlife-Based Domestic Tourism In Tanzania: Experiences From Northern Tourist Circuit

It is believed that for tourism industry to become successful, domestic, and international tourism should complement each other. But domestic tourism in many developing countries is nearly non-existent, with local residents mainly visiting friends and relatives. The study to examine characteristics and factors affecting domestic tourism was carried out in northern Tanzania tourist circuit. Specifically the study sought to determine the characteristics of Tanzanians who mostly visit the protected areas; to identify and assess factors affecting domestic tourism; and different factors that hinder growth of domestic tourism. A sample of 322 respondents was interviewed. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, informal discussion; and secondary data was obtained from tourists visiting reports, and statistics. Data was analysed for descriptive statistics. The results obtained revealed that: More men visited wildlife protected areas than women. The age group of 26 – 37 was the most active group in visiting protected areas. Low financial income was indicated as the main constraint (77.0%) affecting the growth of domestic tourism, followed by means of communication and inadequate information (71.8%). It is recommended that, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism need more plans, efforts, and combination of approaches in promoting and marketing domestic tourism.Key words: Domestic tourism, local communities, northern circuit, Tanzania, wildlife protected area

Population Structure and Exploitation of Three Commercial Tree Species in Nguru ya Ndege Forest Reserve, Morogoro – Tanzania

Forests in tropical environments are unstable and hardly maintain fixed climax species composition over long periods. They are victims of modifications by variety of factors including human influences that result in long lasting disturbances. Having observed this, we investigated the population structure and rate of exploitation for three commercial tree species namely, Dalbergia melanoxylon, Pterocarpus angolensis and Afzelia quanzensis in Nguru ya Ndege Forest Reserve. Objectives were to determine the density, DBH distribution and the harvesting rate. We employed simple random procedure to select sampling points, where a map of the reserve was used to divide the study area into 100 equal grids. Fifty grids were then picked randomly, and within these grids, 20 by 20 m quadrats were established for counting stumps and trees with DBH ≥ 4 cm. In addition, saplings with DBH of ≤ 4 cm were counted inside 5 by 5 m quadrats placed within the 20 by 20 m quadrats. Results showed that, the density of P. angolensis was 19 stems/ha, A. quanzensis 8 stems/ha and D. melanoxylon 3.1 stems/ha. DBH graphs showed characteristic inversed J shapes for P. angolensis and A. quanzensis, but broken pattern for D.melanoxylon. Harvesting rates (stumps/ha) was 4.5 for A. quanzensis, 4.0 for P. angolensis and 1 for D. melanoxylon. We concluded that, all target species were found facing harvesting pressure, with the population structure of D. melanoxylon being disturbed. We recommended that harvest of trees in the reserve should be controlled.Keywords: Density, DBH distribution, Illegal harvest, Tropic

Breastfeeding in infancy: identifying the program-relevant issues in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Bangladesh, many programs and projects have been promoting breastfeeding since the late 1980 s. Breastfeeding practices, however, have not improved accordingly.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For identifying program-relevant issues to improve breastfeeding in infancy, quantitative data were collected through visits to households (n = 356) in rural Chittagong and urban slums in Dhaka, and qualitative data from sub-samples by applying semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 42), focus group discussions (n = 28), and opportunistic observations (n = 21). Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs) (n = 26) were conducted in the above sites and rural Sylhet to determine how best to design further interventions. Our analysis focused on five breastfeeding practices recommended by the World Health Organization: putting baby to the breast within the first hour of birth, feeding colostrum and not giving fluids, food or other substances in the first days of life, breastfeeding on demand, not feeding anything by bottle, and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The biggest gaps were found to be in putting baby to the breast within the first hour of birth (76% gap), feeding colostrum and not giving other fluids, foods or substances within the first three days (54% gap), and exclusive breastfeeding from birth through 180 days (90% gap). Lack of knowledge about dangers of delaying initiation beyond the first hour and giving other fluids, foods or substances, and the common perception of "insufficient milk" were main reasons given by mothers for these practices. Health workers had talked to only 8% of mothers about infant feeding during antenatal and immunization visits, and to 34% of mothers during sick child visits. The major providers of infant feeding information were grandmothers (28%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings showed that huge gaps continue to exist in breastfeeding behaviors, mostly due to lack of awareness as to why the recommended breastfeeding practices are beneficial, the risks of not practicing them, as well as how to practice them. Health workers' interactions for promoting and supporting optimal breastfeeding are extremely low. Counseling techniques should be used to reinforce specific, priority messages by health facility staff and community-based workers at all contact points with mothers of young infants.</p

Smeared versus localised sources in flux compactifications

We investigate whether vacuum solutions in flux compactifications that are obtained with smeared sources (orientifolds or D-branes) still survive when the sources are localised. This seems to rely on whether the solutions are BPS or not. First we consider two sets of BPS solutions that both relate to the GKP solution through T-dualities: (p+1)-dimensional solutions from spacetime-filling Op-planes with a conformally Ricci-flat internal space, and p-dimensional solutions with Op-planes that wrap a 1-cycle inside an everywhere negatively curved twisted torus. The relation between the solution with smeared orientifolds and the localised version is worked out in detail. We then demonstrate that a class of non-BPS AdS_4 solutions that exist for IASD fluxes and with smeared D3-branes (or analogously for ISD fluxes with anti-D3-branes) does not survive the localisation of the (anti) D3-branes. This casts doubts on the stringy consistency of non-BPS solutions that are obtained in the limit of smeared sources.Comment: 23 pages; v2: minor corrections, added references, version published in JHE

Relationship Between Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Blood Levels of Epstein-Barr Virus in Children in North-Western Tanzania: A Case Control Study.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) are common in African children, with endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) being the most common subtype. While the role of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in endemic BL is known, no data are available about clinical presentations of NHL subtypes and their relationship to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) load in peripheral blood of children in north-western, Tanzania. A matched case control study of NHL subtypes was performed in children under 15 years of age and their respective controls admitted to Bugando Medical Centre, Sengerema and Shirati district designated hospitals in north-western, Tanzania, between September 2010 and April 2011. Peripheral blood samples were collected on Whatman 903 filter papers and EBV DNA levels were estimated by multiplex real-time PCR. Clinical and laboratory data were collected using a structured data collection tool and analysed using chi-square, Fisher and Wilcoxon rank sum tests where appropriate. The association between NHL and detection of EBV in peripheral blood was assessed using conditional logistic regression model and presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 35 NHL cases and 70 controls matched for age and sex were enrolled. Of NHLs, 32 had BL with equal distribution between jaw and abdominal tumour, 2 had large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 1 had NHL-not otherwise specified (NHL-NOS). Central nervous system (CNS) presentation occurred only in 1 BL patient; 19 NHLs had stage I and II of disease. Only 1 NHL was found to be HIV-seropositive. Twenty-one of 35 (60%) NHL and 21 of 70 (30%) controls had detectable EBV in peripheral blood (OR = 4.77, 95% CI 1.71 - 13.33, p = 0.003). In addition, levels of EBV in blood were significantly higher in NHL cases than in controls (p = 0.024). BL is the most common childhood NHL subtype in north-western Tanzania. NHLs are not associated with HIV infection, but are strongly associated with EBV load in peripheral blood. The findings suggest that high levels of EBV in blood might have diagnostic and prognostic relevance in African children

Enzootic patterns of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in imported African and local Arabian dromedary camels: a prospective genomic study

BACKGROUND: The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a lethal zoonotic pathogen endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. Dromedary camels are a likely source of infection and the virus probably originated in Africa. We studied the genetic diversity, geographical structure, infection prevalence, and age-associated prevalence among camels at the largest entry port of camels from Africa into the Arabian Peninsula. METHODS: In this prospective genomic study, we took nasal samples from camels imported from Sudan and Djibouti into the Port of Jeddah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over an almost 2-year period and local Arabian camels over 2 months in the year after surveillance of the port. We determined the prevalence of MERS-CoV infection, age-associated patterns of infection, and undertook phylogeographical and migration analyses to determine intercountry virus transmission after local lineage establishment. We compared all virological characteristics between the local and imported cohorts. We compared major gene deletions between African and Arabian strains of the virus. Reproductive numbers were inferred with Bayesian birth death skyline analyses. FINDINGS: Between Aug 10, 2016, and May 3, 2018, we collected samples from 1196 imported camels, of which 868 originated from Sudan and 328 from Djibouti, and between May 1, and June 25, 2018, we collected samples from 472 local camels, of which 189 were from Riyadh and 283 were from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Virus prevalence was higher in local camels than in imported camels (224 [47·5%] of 472 vs 157 [13·1%] of 1196; p<0·0001). Infection prevalence peaked among camels older than 1 year and aged up to 2 years in both groups, with 255 (66·9%) of 381 positive cases in this age group. Although the overall geographical distribution of the virus corresponded with the phylogenetic tree topology, some virus exchange was observed between countries corresponding with trade routes in the region. East and west African strains of the virus appear to be geographically separated, with an origin of west African strains in east Africa. African strains of the virus were not re-sampled in Saudi Arabia despite sampling approximately 1 year after importation from Africa. All local Arabian samples contained strains of the virus that belong to a novel recombinant clade (NRC) first detected in 2014 in Saudi Arabia. Reproduction number estimates informed by the sequences suggest sustained endemicity of NRC, with a mean Re of 1·16. INTERPRETATION: Despite frequent imports of MERS-CoV with camels from Africa, African lineages of MERS-CoV do not establish themselves in Saudi Arabia. Arabian strains of the virus should be tested for changes in virulence and transmissibility. FUNDING: German Ministry of Research and Education, EU Horizon 2020, and Emerging Diseases Clinical Trials Partnership

Perspectives on the Trypanosoma cruzi-host cell receptor interaction

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The critical initial event is the interaction of the trypomastigote form of the parasite with host receptors. This review highlights recent observations concerning these interactions. Some of the key receptors considered are those for thromboxane, bradykinin, and for the nerve growth factor TrKA. Other important receptors such as galectin-3, thrombospondin, and laminin are also discussed. Investigation into the molecular biology and cell biology of host receptors for T. cruzi may provide novel therapeutic targets