Milk handling practices and utilization at dairy farms and collection centers under rural and peri-urban milk value chain systems in Nakuru County, Kenya

There are increasing expectations on the compliance of food products to safety and quality standards due to consumer demand for high-quality food. The aim of this study was to determine the quality tests that are carried out on raw milk and its utilization at three milk collection centers in Olenguruone and Dundori regions of Nakuru as well as some selected dairy farms. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, data were collected from milk collection centers’ staff and farmers. Milk sampling for quality control testing was done at both the cooperative delivery points and farm level. The quality of milk handled and stored in different containers was assessed. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression analysis were carried out on the data. Results indicated that the average quantity of milk received at all milk collection centers was about 3687 liters per day. It was noted that most of the milk collection centers’ staff (operators) had certificates or diplomas in dairy science. Their average job experience period in the milk sector was 7 years. Majority of the farmers (90%) and transporters (94%) used plastic containers for milk handling and storage. Farmers who used plastic containers for milking were approximately three times more likely to have their milk rejected compared to those who used mazzi cans, aluminium or stainless-steel containers (p<0.05; Odds ratio =3.20). The alcohol and lactometer tests were carried out on milk received at all collection centers studied. Resazurin test was only carried out in one collection center at Olenguruone that had the required laboratory equipment. Milk quality assessment was not done at the farm level. Traditional fermented milk was the common dairy product produced from evening milk in most dairy farmers’ households. Regular education programs and seminars on milk safety and quality should be provided to both collection centers’ operators and farmers.&nbsp

On Generalized Permuting Left 3-Derivations of Prime Rings

-Let R be an associative ring. Park and Jung introduced the concept of permuting 3-derivation and they are studied this concept as centralizing and commuting. The main intent of this work is to generalize Park and Jung's results by introducing the concept of generalized permuting left 3-derivation on Lie ideal

Branching patterns of the foetal popliteal artery

Background: The objective of the study is to evaluate the popliteal artery topography and the origin variability of its branches in human foetuses at the gestational age of from 4 to 9 months. The basis for the analysis are direct observations of classic anatomic dissections of the popliteal fossa. Possible dimorphic and bilateral differen- ces, as well as the gestational age variability at the foetal period, were considered. A typology of popliteal artery branches will be made on the basis of the studies.  Materials and methods: The research material of this study comprises 231 foetuses (including 116 males and 115 females). The foetuses were divided into five 28-day age classes. The vessels of the lower extremity were injected with LBSK 5545 latex through the femoral artery. The bilateral dissection of the po- pliteal artery along with its branches was performed. No visible malformations were found in the research material, and the foetuses came from spontaneous abortions and premature births.  Results and Conclusions: Ten per cent of the cases featured the variations of popliteal artery terminal branches. Three most commonly seen variations are the trifurcation, anterior tibial-peroneal trunk, and high terminal division of the po- pliteal artery. The most common course of the superior muscular branches is that there are two large branches which are distributed from the popliteal artery at the height of the knee joint cavity and they do not distribute cutaneous branches. Sural branches are also present as two large vessels without cutaneous branches. The genicular anastomosis branches that run on their own are a typical topographic system of these branches.

A Comparison of Chemical Compounds between Anti-Diabetic Drug and Some Medicinal Plants

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a kind of diabetes marked by high blood sugar, insulin, and insulin insufficiency. Adult-onset diabetes is another name for it. Increased thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss are common indications and symptoms. Metformin side effects include metallic taste, weakness, diarrhea, stomach upset, lactic acidosis, and vomiting. Two other side effects are asthenia and a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Many recent studies and most health experts recommend basil seed as a better Metformin substitute. The research investigates why patients who consume basil seeds have a similar response to those who take Metformin. The methodology of the study consisted of two main steps, first step is to analyze basil and use HPLC to determine its chemical components. The second step is to compare the broken-down components to Metformin-composed materials, which is done by diluting with methanol/water (50:50 v/v) and removing the fat layer using 20 mL hexane. The findings showed that basil seed and Metformin had the most similar component structure, thus the foundlings concluded that patients had the same responses without the Metformin side effects, implying that basil seed stabilizes blood sugar levels

Prevalence of Anemia, Iron Deficiency Anemia and its Socio-Demographic Factors among Pregnant Women in Garmian Province, Kurdistan region of Iraq

Anemia is the most common hematologic abnormality in pregnancy. Maternal anemia is associated with adverse fetal, neonatal, and childhood outcomes. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anemia, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), the severity of the condition, and study the effect of some socio-demographic factors on pregnant women in Garmian province. The study was conducted among 157 pregnant women in Garmian province between 17 and 49 years old. Participants completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, disease, and gestational age. A hematological evaluation, including a complete blood count (CBC) and serum for ferritin testing. Results of this study have shown that the prevalence of anemia and IDA were 34.4% and 15.3%, respectively. Almost three-quarters of the pregnant women had mild anemia, while 31 % of the subjects had moderate anemia, and about 60% of the participants were diagnosed with normocytic anemia. The second trimester had the highest prevalence, with 51.9% for the anemic and 45.8% for IDA subjects, while the first trimester showed the lowest prevalence, with 14.8 % for anemic and 12.5% for IDA subjects. Age, occupation, gravidity with anemia, and iron deficiency anemia did not make a significant difference. Moreover, there was no significant difference in blood indices between anemic and IDA participants. The serum ferritin level was unaffected by the pregnancy trimesters

Analysing the impact of compaction of soil aggregates using X-ray microtomography and water flow simulations

Soil aggregates are structural units of soil, which create complex pore systems controlling gas and water storage and fluxes in soil. Aggregates can be destroyed during swelling and shrinking or by external forces like mechanical compaction and yet, the knowledge of how physical impact alters aggregate structure remains limited. The aim of the study was to quantify the impact of compaction on macroaggregates, mainly on the pore size distribution and water flow. In this study, aggregates (2–5 mm) were collected by dry sieving in grassland of the Fuchsenbigl–Marchfeld Critical Zone Observatory (Austria). The structural alterations of these soil aggregates under controlled compaction were investigated with a non-invasive 3D X-ray microtomography (XMT). The detailed changes in pore size distribution between aggregates (interpores, diameter >90 μm) and within the aggregates (intrapores, diameter ≤90 μm) in pre- and post-compacted soils were revealed at two soil moisture (9.3% and 18.3% w/w) and two bulk density increments (0.28 and 0.71 g cm−3 from the initial values). The soil permeability was simulated using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based on 3D images. Soil compaction significantly reduced total pores volume and the proportion of interpores volume and surface area, while total pore surface area and the proportion of intrapores volume and surface area increased. The increases in soil moisture tended to reduce the effects of compaction on interpores and intrapores, while the high compaction increment drastically changed the pore size distribution. The aggregate compaction decreased water penetration potential due to the increase of small intra-aggregate pores and cavities as demonstrated by LBM. Notably, the LBM results showed a significant linear correlation between the water flow rate and bulk density of soil aggregates and predicted that the water flow could be reduced by up to 97–99% at bulk density of ≥1.6 g cm−3 with soil water content of 18.3% w/w. Thus, a combination of imaging and modelling provided new insights on the compaction effects on aggregates, underpinning the importance of protecting soil structure from mechanical compaction to minimise environmental impacts of soil compaction and maintain water infiltration and percolation in arable soils

Profiling ocular surface responses to preserved and non‐preserved topical glaucoma medications: a two‐year randomised evaluation study

BackgroundUse of topical glaucoma medications has been reported to cause ocular surface (OS) discomfort and inflammation. This study explores the profile of inflammatory cytokines and OS symptoms induced in response to preserved and non‐preserved drops.MethodsProspective, randomized evaluation on thirty‐six treatment‐naïve patients over 24 months of three differently preserved glaucoma drop preparations: Preservative‐free (PF), Polyquad (PQ), and Benzalkonium chloride (BAK). Study participants were evaluated at baseline and then at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months whilst on medication. At each visit, participants completed the Ocular Surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, had basal tear sampling and impression cytology (IC) of the conjunctival epithelium. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐12A, IL‐12B, IL‐17A, IL‐1β, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α) in the IC samples. Corresponding protein expression of cytokines in tear samples was assessed by the Becton‐Dickinson cytometric bead arrays.ResultsCompared to PF and PQ groups, mRNA and protein expression of IL‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐1β increased in samples from the BAK group in a time‐dependent fashion, whereas all other cytokines showed a non‐significant increase. In the BAK group, there was a strong correlation between OSDI and the levels of IC/IL‐1β (r=0.832, R squared=0.692 and p=0.040 ); IC/IL‐10 (r=0.925, R squared=0.856 and p=0.008) and tear/IL‐1β (r=0.899, R squared=0.808 and p=0.014 ). ConclusionBAK‐preserved topical drops stimulate a sterile inflammatory response on the OS within 3‐months which is maintained thereafter. Whereas PF‐drops and PQ‐preserved drops showed no significant OS inflammation

Clinical Prediction of Blood Parameters Associated with Breast, Colon, Thyroid, Ovarian, and Prostate Cancer

Cancer is a cellular change caused by uncontrolled cell growth and division. This disease develops from the growth of abnormal cells that have the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between blood parameters (e.g., Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Haemoglobin (HGB), White Blood Cell (WBC), and Red Blood Cell (RBC)) and different types of cancer. Breast cancer, thyroid gland cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, brain tumors as well as other types of cancer are based on the cell of the tissue found on or in the body. Any of these types of cancer are associated with a variety of health issues that put the patient's life in danger. Performing the complete blood count (CBC) test prior to or after a cancer diagnosis is necessary as abnormalities in the body can cause blood component rates to either increase or decrease, depending on the type of cancer, the patient's physiological mechanism, and the structural component. Since the CBC test belongs to hematology, drawing a blood sample and putting it into the anticoagulant tube for testing were preferred. In this study, the blood components of almost all patients were normal except for a few of them which may be due to other medical and biological factors. There is a significant relationship between blood parameters and cancer types.&nbsp