Food insecurity, a perceived barrier to healthy eating in the Lake Victoria Region, Kenya: Findings from a qualitative study

Consumption of poor-quality diets was noted as prevalent in the Lake Victoria Region, Kenya. As a strategy to communicate desirable change and promote healthy eating in the region, a 30-member panel of policymakers and implementers developed and proposed 12 food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) in 2017-2018. The objective of this study was to assess barriers in adopting the proposed FBDGs amongst community members in the lowlands of Kisumu and Homa Bay counties. Qualitative, descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 72 focus-group discussions (FGD). The FGD was conducted among 216 school going children (10-13y), 216 high school students (15-18y), 207 adult males (26-74y) and 211 females (18-71y). The participants were asked to state whether the proposed FBDGs reflected their daily dietary practices? If the answer was no, the FGD participants were asked to elaborate on the perceived barriers. Each FGD consisted of 8-12 participants. The demographics of FGD participants were collected before the start of FGD sessions. All FGD proceedings were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Demographic information of participants was analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. The FGD responses were coded and analyzed based on the main code, the barriers. Barriers to healthy eating in the study area were mainly linked to low production of food, food unavailability and inaccessibility. Specific factors which contributed to the food insecurity situation included; dry and sunny weather, seasonality in food availability, limited resources to secure potential farmland with fences, gender influence on land use, high cost of food, lack of money to purchase food, low income, sale of farm produce with resultant inadequate quantities of food consumed and inappropriate meal composition. Food insecurity was a perceived barrier to healthy eating in the lowlands of the Lake Victoria region. This research suggests the need to address food systems and economic structures to improve food production, distribution, accessibility and consumption in the region. Coding was done with the aid of NVivo8 (QSR International Pty Ltd Version 8, 2008). This study was registered with the Kenyan National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI/P/18/12634/22291).&nbsp

Diversity and Taxonomic Identity of Rumen Bacterial Community in Cattle Fed Different Diets

In this study, the identity of rumen bacterial community and their taxonomic classification in Zebu heifers (n=24) fed 4 different diets (range grasses, Bracharia MulatoII, Azolla and Cassava leaf meal) was surveyed using metagenomics sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene. Rumen liquor samples were collected from the heifers from which a total of 192 DNA samples were amplified and the resulting 16S rRNA sequences compared to the existing sequences at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) BLAST database through the MetagenAssist . Bioinformatics analyses indicated that 17 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were present at the phylum level. Of these, 43.3% were affiliated to the phylum Firmicutes, 27.2% Bacteroidetes, 22.8% Proteobacteria and 1.7% Euryarchaeota. The remaining were Cyanobacteria (1.4%), Chloroflexi (1%) while Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes, Planctomycetes, Elusimicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Armatimonadetes, Fibrobacteres, Synergistetes and Arthropoda were all below 1%. Both Time and Diet had significant effect on the abundance of microbes but did not affect their diversity. Different diets therefore can affect the abundance of rumen microbiome and eventually the performance of animals

Weight gain and enteric methane production of cattle fed on tropical grasses

Context: Planted grasses are becoming an increasingly important feed resource for tropical smallholder ruminant production; yet, limited research has been conducted to quantify productivity or enteric methane (CH$_4$) production of animals consuming these grasses. Aim: An experiment was conducted to assess yields and nutritional attributes of the following three tropical grasses: Cenchrus purpureus var. Kakamega 1 (Napier), Chloris gayana var. Boma (Rhodes) and Urochloa brizantha var. Xaeres (Brachiaria), and quantify enteric CH$_4$ production of cattle fed on them. Methods: Yearling Boran steers (n:18; initial liveweight 216 ± 5.8 kg (mean ± s.e.m.) were allocated to one of three grasses, in a completely randomised design and fed ad libitum for two feeding periods, each period lasting for 70 days. Intake, liveweight (LW), apparent total-tract digestibility and enteric CH$_4$ production were assessed. The grasses used were grown on site and biomass yields were monitored over a 2-year period. Animal growth was also simulated to a final weight of 350 kg, and the amount of feed and size of land required to produce, and days to reach final weight, were estimated. Key results: Mean voluntary dry-matter intake (DMI) and ADG were higher (P 0.05) within period. Methane yield (MY; CH$_4$ g/DMI kg) was similar among treatments (26.7–28.5, P = 0.26) but Napier had a higher CH$_4$ conversion factor [Ym; CH$_4$ (MJ)/gross energy intake (MJ)] than did Rhodes and Brachiaria (0.0987 vs 0.0873 and 0.0903 respectively; P = 0.013). Our modelling indicated that steers consuming Rhodes took at least 30 more days to reach the target LW, required larger land area for feed production and produced more enteric CH$_4$ than did the other two diets. Conclusion: Even though animal performance and MY among treatments did not differ, the animals had higher MY and Y$_m$ than currently estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Implication: The three grasses supported similar animal growth rate, implying that growing of higher-yielding grasses such as Napier offers an opportunity to optimise land productivity in the tropics. However, suitable feeding practices such as protein supplementation need to be explored to enhance ruminant production and reduce enteric CH$_4$ production

Establishing Cohorts to Generate the Evidence Base to Reduce the Burden of Breast Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: Results From a Feasibility Study in Kenya

Purpose: By 2025, Kenya is estimated to experience a two-thirds increase in the incidence of breast cancer. Local research is necessary to generate evidence to inform policy, public health, and medical practice. There have been no longitudinal cohort studies in sub-Saharan Africa of women with and without breast cancer. Our aim is to assess the feasibility of conducting cohort studies in Kenya that consider clinical characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and self-care behaviors. Methods: We initiated a short-term follow-up cohort study of women with and without a diagnosis of breast cancer with baseline face-to-face data collection and one follow-up interview (at approximately 3 months by telephone). We developed tailored instruments to capture demographics, socioeconomic factors, breast cancer risk, ability to identify breast cancer symptoms, treatments received for breast cancer, and quality of life of survivors. Results: We recruited 800 women between the ages of 20 and 60 years and successfully collected baseline data. Completeness of the data was high for demographic variables, but there was a larger proportion of missing information for specific variables required for assessing breast cancer risk. Respondents were able to complete standardized instruments to assess breast cancer knowledge among those without breast cancer and identification of symptoms among survivors. We were able to successfully contact approximately 80% of the participants for follow-up. Conclusion: This short-term follow-up study provides evidence that women can be successfully tracked and contacted for follow-up in the Kenyan setting and offers lessons to establish future longitudinal cohorts to identify approaches to improve breast cancer outcomes

Vines of the sweet potato (Ipomea batatas): A valuable feed supplement for ruminants in small holder systems

Availability of suitable feed, and in particular sources of protein-rich food, is a major constraint to increasing the productivity of smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa it is difficult to justify diverting land from growing crops for human consumption. The roots of the sweet potato are a high energy cash crop, and the leaves and vines (SPV), usually treated as rubbish, are high in protein and have been identified as a valuable livestock feed

Nitrogen fertilizer equivalence of black soldier fly frass fertilizer and synchrony of nitrogen mineralization for maize production

Open Access Journal; Published online: 15 Sept 2020The use of black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) is being promoted globally. However, information on nitrogen (N) fertilizer equivalence (NFE) value and synchrony of N mineralization for crop production remains largely unknown. Comparative studies between BSFFF and commercial organic fertilizer (SAFI) were undertaken under field conditions to determine synchrony of N release for maize uptake. The BSFFF, SAFI, and urea fertilizers were applied at the rates of 0, 30, 60, and 100 kg N ha−1. The yield data from urea treated plots were used to determine the NFE of both organic inputs. Results showed that maize from BSFFF treated plots had higher N uptake than that from SAFI treated plots. High N immobilization was observed throughout the active growth stages of maize grown in soil amended with BSFFF, whereas soil treated with SAFI achieved net N release at the silking stage. Up to three times higher negative N fluxes were observed in SAFI amended soils as compared with BSFFF treated plots at the tasseling stage. The BSFFF applied at 30 and 60 kg N ha−1 achieved significantly higher NFE than all SAFI treatments. Our findings revealed that BSFFF is a promising and sustainable alternative to SAFI or urea for enhanced maize production

Low-cost technology for recycling agro-industrial waste into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer using black soldier fly

Open Access Article; Published online: 15 Oct 2020Efforts to recycle organic waste using black soldier fly (BSF) larvae into high-quality alternative protein ingredients in animal feeds and organic fertilizers have gained momentum worldwide. However, there is limited information on waste manipulation to increase nutrient retention for enhanced larval performance and frass fertilizer quality. In the present study, brewer’s spent grain with a carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 11 (control) was amended with sawdust to obtain substrates with C/N ratios of 15, 20, 25 and 30. The effects of substrate C/N ratios on BSF larval yield, waste degradation, biomass conversion efficiency, compost maturity and nutrient levels of frass fertilizer were evaluated. Substrates amended with sawdust did not significantly affect waste degradation efficiency and biomass conversion rates of BSF larvae. The wet and dried larval yields were significantly higher for substrates with C/N ratio of 15 compared to the other amended substrates. An amended substrate with C/N ratio of 15 enhanced nutrients uptake by BSF larvae, and increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus retention in frass compost by 21 and 15%, respectively. Compost maturation time was shortened to five weeks, as indicated by the stable C/N ratios and high seed germination indices. This study has demonstrated that the amendment of the substrate with sawdust to C/N ratio of 15 could generate compost with desirable nutrients for use as high-quality fertilizer for organic farming

Biochar and gypsum amendment of agroindustrial waste for enhanced black soldier fly larval biomass and quality frass fertilizer

Open Access Journal; Published online: 27 Aug 2020Black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens L.) is one of the most efficient bio-waste recyclers. Although, waste substrate amendments with biochar or gypsum during composting process are known to enhance nutrient retention, their impact on agro-industrial waste have not been documented. Hence, this study focuses on a comparative effect of agro-industrial waste amended with biochar and gypsum on BSF larval performance, waste degradation, and nitrogen (N) and potassium retention in frass fertilizer. Brewery spent grain was amended with biochar or gypsum at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% to determine the most effective rates of inclusion. Amending feedstock with 20% biochar significantly increased wet (89%) and dried (86%) larval yields than the control (unamended feedstock). However, amendment with 15% gypsum caused decrease in wet (34%) and dried (30%) larval yields but conserved the highest amount of N in frass. Furthermore, the inclusion of 20% biochar recorded the highest frass fertilizer yield and gave a 21% increase in N retention in frass fertilizer, while biomass conversion rate was increased by 195% compared to the control. Feedstock amendment with 5% biochar had the highest waste degradation efficiency. Potassium content in frass fertilizer was also significantly enhanced with biochar amendment. At maturity, frass compost with more than 10% inclusion rate of biochar had the highest cabbage seed germination indices (>100%). The findings of this study revealed that initial composting of biochar amended feedstocks using BSF larvae can significantly shorten compost maturity time to 5 weeks with enhanced nutrient recycling compared to the conventional composting methods

Exploring black soldier fly frass as novel fertilizer for improved growth, yield, and nitrogen use efficiency of maize under field conditions

Open Access Journal; Published online: 23 Sept 2020Black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF) is increasingly gaining momentum worldwide as organic fertilizer. However, research on its performance on crop production remains largely unknown. Here, we evaluate the comparative performance of BSFFF and commercial organic fertilizer (SAFI) on maize (H513) production. Both fertilizers were applied at the rates of 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 t ha-1, and 0, 30, 60, and 100 kg nitrogen (N) ha-1. Mineral fertilizer (urea) was also applied at 0, 30, 60 and 100 kg N ha-1 to establish the N fertilizer equivalence (NFE) of the organic fertilizers. Maize grown in plots treated with BSFFF had the tallest plants and highest chlorophyll concentrations. Plots treated with 7.5 t ha-1 of BSFFF had 14% higher grain yields than plots treated with a similar rate of SAFI. There was a 27% and 7% increase in grain yields in plots treated with 100 kg N ha-1 of BSFFF compared to those treated with equivalent rates of SAFI and urea fertilizers, respectively. Application of BSFFF at 7.5 t ha-1 significantly increased N uptake by up to 23% compared to the equivalent rate of SAFI. Likewise, application of BSFFF at 100 kg N ha-1 increased maize N uptake by 76% and 29% compared to SAFI and urea, respectively. Maize treated with BSFFF at 2.5 t ha-1 and 30 kg N ha-1 had higher nitrogen recovery efficiencies compared to equivalent rates of SAFI. The agronomic N use efficiency (AEN) of maize treated with 2.5 t ha-1 of BSFFF was 2.4 times higher than the value achieved using an equivalent rate of SAFI. Also, the AEN of maize grown using 30 kg N ha-1 was 27% and 116% higher than the values obtained using equivalent rates of SAFI and urea fertilizers, respectively. The NFE of BSFFF (108%) was 2.5 times higher than that of SAFI. Application rates of 2.5 t ha-1 and 30 kg N ha-1 of BSFFF were found to be effective in improving maize yield, while double rates of SAFI were required. Our findings demonstrate that BSFFF is a promising and sustainable alternative to commercial fertilizers for increased maize production

Evidence for intron length conservation in a set of mammalian genes associated with embryonic development

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We carried out an analysis of intron length conservation across a diverse group of nineteen mammalian species. Motivated by recent research suggesting a role for time delays associated with intron transcription in gene expression oscillations required for early embryonic patterning, we searched for examples of genes that showed the most extreme conservation of total intron content in mammals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Gene sets annotated as being involved in pattern specification in the early embryo or containing the homeobox DNA-binding domain, were significantly enriched among genes with highly conserved intron content. We used ancestral sequences reconstructed with probabilistic models that account for insertion and deletion mutations to distinguish insertion and deletion events on lineages leading to human and mouse from their last common ancestor. Using a randomization procedure, we show that genes containing the homeobox domain show less change in intron content than expected, given the number of insertion and deletion events within their introns.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest selection for gene expression precision or the existence of additional development-associated genes for which transcriptional delay is functionally significant.</p