An Integrated Precision Production and Environmental Management Analysis of a Kentucky Dairy Farm

This study compares and contrasts the profitability of different dairy management practices through precision livestock farming. Feed analysis and crop yields were simulated. The proposed alternative feeding program demonstrated less manure and nutrient excretions. When mathematical programming model was employed, uniform rate application manifested the highest selected economic values.Management practices, environmental, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Effect of Compensation System on Employee Engagement in Fairtrade Horticultural Firms in Kenya

While most people understand that engaged employees are often happier and more satisfied in their job, the main reason that engagement is now a focal point is because it leads to real business results. Emotional states are hard to understand and measure. Employees are becoming key business drivers for any organization. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of compensation system on employee engagement in Fairtrade horticultural firms in Kenya. A cross-sectional descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study targeted 17 fairtrade horticultural firms as unit of analysis and 5,600 employees as the unit of observation. The sample size was 373 respondents drawn from low level, middle level, and top-level management. The study relied mainly on primary data. The study adopted stratified and simple random sampling techniques. After the stratification of the respondents into strata, simple random sampling was adopted to pick up the respondents. The researcher used questionnaire as the research instrument. Descriptive and inferential analysis were computed using SPSS version 26. In order to analyze the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable the study used Regression analysis at 5% level of significance. The findings indicated that compensation system has a positive and significant effect on employee engagement in Fairtrade horticultural firms in Kenya. The study concluded that compensation system contributes significantly to the employee engagement in Fairtrade horticultural firms in Kenya. From the results, the study recommended the need for horticultural firm to strengthen their compensation system aspects. In particular, the firms should develop better compensation systems since they offer an incentive for personnel training and development which enhances efficiency within the firm

Sample-ready multiplex qPCR assay for detection of malaria

BACKGROUND: Microscopy and antigen detecting rapid diagnostic tests are the diagnostic tests of choice in management of clinical malaria. However, due to their limitations, the need to utilize more sensitive methods such as real-time PCR (qPCR) is evident as more studies are now utilizing molecular methods in detection of malaria. Some of the challenges that continue to limit the widespread utilization of qPCR include lack of assay standardization, assay variability, risk of contamination, and the need for cold-chain. Lyophilization of molecular assays can overcome some of these limitations and potentially enable widespread qPCR utilization. METHODS: A recently published multiplex malaria qPCR assay was lyophilized by freezing drying into Sample-Ready™ format (MMSR). MMSR assay contained all the required reagents for qPCR including primers and probes, requiring only the addition of water and sample to perform qPCR. The performance of the MMSR assay was compared to the non-freeze dried, “wet” assay. Stability studies were done by maintaining the MMSR assays at four different ambient temperatures of 4°C, room temperature (RT), 37°C and 42°C over a period of 42 days, tested at seven-day intervals. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax DNAs were used for analysis of the MMSR assay either as single or mixed parasites, at two different concentrations. The C(T) values and the standard deviations (SD) were used in the analysis of the assay performance. RESULTS: The limit of detection for the MMSR assay was 0.244 parasites/μL for Plasmodium spp. (PLU) and P. falciparum (FAL) assay targets compared to “wet” assay which was 0.39 and 3.13 parasites/μL for PLU and FAL assay targets, respectively. The MMSR assay performed with high efficiencies similar to those of the “wet” assay and was stable at 37°C for 42 days, with estimated shelf-life of 5 months. When used to analyse field clinical samples, MMSR assay performed with 100% sensitivity and specificity compared to the “wet” assay. CONCLUSION: The MMSR assay has the same robust performance characteristics as the “wet” assay and is highly stable. Availability of MMSR assay allows flexibility and provides an option in choosing assay for malaria diagnostics depending on the application, needs and budget

Fertilisers differentially affect facultative and obligate parasitic weeds of rice and only occasionally improve yields in infested fields

Different fertilisers were field tested to investigate whether they (1) suppress the obligate parasitic weed Striga asiatica and the facultative parasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa, and (2) favour rainfed rice yields under parasitic weed infestation. Four years of experiments were conducted in southwest Tanzania, in a S. asiatica-infested rainfed upland and a R. fistulosa-infested rainfed lowland field. Treatments included sole mineral (NPK or Di-Ammonium Phosphate —DAP— plus urea), organic (cattle manure or rice husk), combinations of mineral and organic fertilisers and a no-fertiliser control. Fertilisers moderately suppressed the obligate parasite S. asiatica, but no correlations between infestation level and soil fertility status were observed. In the lowland field, fertilisers promoted the facultative R. fistulosa, in particular the ones that included organic components. Plant-available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium and soil organic matter content correlated with R. fistulosa infestation levels. Positive fertiliser effects on yields were found in both parasitic weed infested fields, except in years with high S. asiatica infestation levels. Rice husks alone and rice husks or manure combined with DAP and urea increased yields and soil fertility most. We conclude that fertilisation differentially affects the obligate and facultative parasitic weeds of rice systems; obligate parasites may be slightly suppressed, but facultative parasites may even be stimulated. Meanwhile, consistent rice yield increases under parasitic weed infested conditions cannot be obtained with fertiliser application when parasitic weed infestation levels are too high

Amref Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) model for female genital mutilation/cutting, teenage pregnancies, and child, early and forced marriages in Kenya: a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial protocol

# Background The Amref Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) model was initiated in 2009. To date, about 20,000 girls have been supported by their communities to denounce female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and graduate into 'maturity' through ARP. While this intervention has been implemented for decades, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness in ending FGM/C. In order to ascertain the effectiveness of this intervention, Amref has developed a digital tracking tool to follow up on girls who have and haven't gone through the ARP. The key research question is: what effect does ARP have on incidences of FGM/C, teenage pregnancy and child, early and forced marriages among adolescent girls and young women? # Methods The study will adopt a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial design to assess the effectiveness of the ARP model on the incidence of FGM/C; teenage pregnancy; child, early and forced marriage; and educational attainment. We selected one cluster in Kajiado County where recent ARPs have been conducted as the intervention site at the beginning of the study and 3 wards/clusters in Narok County as control sites. Approximately 604 girls aged 10-18 years who reside in selected sites/clusters in Kajiado and Narok counties will be recruited and followed up for 3 years post-exposure. Quantitative data analysis will be conducted at bivariate and multivariate levels. Content/thematic analysis approach will be used to analyse qualitative data. # Ethics and dissemination The study obtained ethical approval from the Amref Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (AMREF-ESRC P1051-2021). The findings of this study will be shared with local, national and regional stakeholders working in ending FGM/C, teenage pregnancy, and child, early and forced marriages. **Registration** -- Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR202208731662190)

Combination of linkage and association mapping with genomic prediction to infer QTL regions associated with gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight resistance in tropical maize

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories: data.cimmyt.org/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=hdl: 11529/10548956 and zenodo.org/records/10046213.Among the diseases threatening maize production in Africa are gray leaf spot (GLS) caused by Cercospora zeina and northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) caused by Exserohilum turcicum. The two pathogens, which have high genetic diversity, reduce the photosynthesizing ability of susceptible genotypes and, hence, reduce the grain yield. To identify population-based quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GLS and NCLB resistance, a biparental population of 230 lines derived from the tropical maize parents CML511 and CML546 and an association mapping panel of 239 tropical and sub-tropical inbred lines were phenotyped across multienvironments in western Kenya. Based on 1,264 high-quality polymorphic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the biparental population, we identified 10 and 18 QTLs, which explained 64.2% and 64.9% of the total phenotypic variance for GLS and NCLB resistance, respectively. A major QTL for GLS, qGLS1_186 accounted for 15.2% of the phenotypic variance, while qNCLB3_50 explained the most phenotypic variance at 8.8% for NCLB resistance. Association mapping with 230,743 markers revealed 11 and 16 SNPs significantly associated with GLS and NCLB resistance, respectively. Several of the SNPs detected in the association panel were co-localized with QTLs identified in the biparental population, suggesting some consistent genomic regions across genetic backgrounds. These would be more relevant to use in field breeding to improve resistance to both diseases. Genomic prediction models trained on the biparental population data yielded average prediction accuracies of 0.66–0.75 for the disease traits when validated in the same population. Applying these prediction models to the association panel produced accuracies of 0.49 and 0.75 for GLS and NCLB, respectively. This research conducted in maize fields relevant to farmers in western Kenya has combined linkage and association mapping to identify new QTLs and confirm previous QTLs for GLS and NCLB resistance. Overall, our findings imply that genetic gain can be improved in maize breeding for resistance to multiple diseases including GLS and NCLB by using genomic selection.Grants from the National Research Fund, Kenya, and the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa (grant # 105806), toward this research are hereby acknowledged. This study was also supported by CIMMYT-Nairobi. CIMMYT received support from the United States Agency for International Development, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).http://www.frontiersin.org/Geneticsam2024Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Plant Production and Soil ScienceSDG-02:Zero Hunge

falciparum dihydrofolate reductase and

Trends in drug resistance codons in Plasmodiu

SARS-CoV-2 Variants, South Sudan, January-March 2021.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequence data are required to inform vaccine efforts. We provide SARS-CoV-2 sequence data from South Sudan and document the dominance of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.525 (Eta variant) during the country's second wave of infection

5to. Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad. Memoria académica

El V Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad, CITIS 2019, realizado del 6 al 8 de febrero de 2019 y organizado por la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, ofreció a la comunidad académica nacional e internacional una plataforma de comunicación unificada, dirigida a cubrir los problemas teóricos y prácticos de mayor impacto en la sociedad moderna desde la ingeniería. En esta edición, dedicada a los 25 años de vida de la UPS, los ejes temáticos estuvieron relacionados con la aplicación de la ciencia, el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación en cinco pilares fundamentales de nuestra sociedad: la industria, la movilidad, la sostenibilidad ambiental, la información y las telecomunicaciones. El comité científico estuvo conformado formado por 48 investigadores procedentes de diez países: España, Reino Unido, Italia, Bélgica, México, Venezuela, Colombia, Brasil, Estados Unidos y Ecuador. Fueron recibidas un centenar de contribuciones, de las cuales 39 fueron aprobadas en forma de ponencias y 15 en formato poster. Estas contribuciones fueron presentadas de forma oral ante toda la comunidad académica que se dio cita en el Congreso, quienes desde el aula magna, el auditorio y la sala de usos múltiples de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, cumplieron respetuosamente la responsabilidad de representar a toda la sociedad en la revisión, aceptación y validación del conocimiento nuevo que fue presentado en cada exposición por los investigadores. Paralelo a las sesiones técnicas, el Congreso contó con espacios de presentación de posters científicos y cinco workshops en temáticas de vanguardia que cautivaron la atención de nuestros docentes y estudiantes. También en el marco del evento se impartieron un total de ocho conferencias magistrales en temas tan actuales como la gestión del conocimiento en la universidad-ecosistema, los retos y oportunidades de la industria 4.0, los avances de la investigación básica y aplicada en mecatrónica para el estudio de robots de nueva generación, la optimización en ingeniería con técnicas multi-objetivo, el desarrollo de las redes avanzadas en Latinoamérica y los mundos, la contaminación del aire debido al tránsito vehicular, el radón y los riesgos que representa este gas radiactivo para la salud humana, entre otros