26 research outputs found
Three-dimensional food printing: Its readiness for a food and nutrition insecure world
Three-dimensional (3D) food printing is a rapidly emerging technology offering unprecedented potential for customised food design and personalised nutrition. Here, we evaluate the technological advances in extrusion-based 3D food printing and its possibilities to promote healthy and sustainable eating. We consider the challenges in implementing the technology in real-world applications. We propose viable applications for 3D food printing in health care, health promotion and food waste upcycling. Finally, we outline future work on 3D food printing in food safety, acceptability and economics, ethics and regulations. .
Coendangered hard-ticks: threatened or threatening?
The overwhelming majority of animal conservation projects are focused on vertebrates, despite most of the species on Earth being invertebrates. Estimates state that about half of all named species of invertebrates are parasitic in at least one stage of their development. The dilemma of viewing parasites as biodiversity or pest has been discussed by several authors. However, ticks were omitted. The latest taxonomic synopses of non-fossil Ixodidae consider valid 700 species. Though, how many of them are still extant is almost impossible to tell, as many of them are known only from type specimens in museums and were never collected since their original description. Moreover, many hosts are endangered and as part of conservation efforts of threatened vertebrates, a common practice is the removal of, and treatment for external parasites, with devastating impact on tick populations. There are several known cases when the host became extinct with subsequent coextinction of their ectoparasites. For our synoptic approach we have used the IUCN status of the host in order to evaluate the status of specifically associated hard-ticks. As a result, we propose a number of 63 coendangered and one extinct hard-tick species. On the other side of the coin, the most important issue regarding tick-host associations is vectorial transmission of microbial pathogens (i.e. viruses, bacteria, protozoans). Tick-borne diseases of threatened vertebrates are sometimes fatal to their hosts. Mortality associated with pathogens acquired from ticks has been documented in several cases, mostly after translocations. Are ticks a real threat to their coendangered host and should they be eliminated? Up to date, there are no reliable proofs that ticks listed by us as coendangered are competent vectors for pathogens of endangered animals
The Effect of expanded polystyrene and cement on properties of sand soils for foundation use
This is a proceeding paper presented at 17th African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering on the effects of expanded polystyrene and cement on properties of sand soils for foundation use.The increase in Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste in Uganda is prone to cause serious environmental pollution owing to the related poor disposal methods. The common practices include open disposal and/or burning which are both environmentally degrading. Other approaches of recycling EPS are unpopular and quite expensive. This research aimed to investigate the effect of EPS and cement on sand soil for a foundation material. The soil was a poorly graded sand. Preliminary tests were carried out to determine the grading,
Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and Maximum Dry Density (MDD) of the sand. Initial cement consumption test was done to determine a constant weight of cement required for just the binding effect on the materials.
The unconfined compressive strength, shear box, permeability and consolidation tests were performed on the treated soil specimens at various percentages of EPS. The sand-EPS-cement composite showed an increase in unconfined compressive strength and shear strength with the maximum at 0.5% EPS. The permeability of the composite decreased while there was a minimal increase in settlement with increasing EPS content
Hatchability and fertility of indigenous chicken and duck eggs, and some causes of chick and duckling mortality in Kenya
Flocks under study are located in the suburbs of Nairobi province and Machakos district. They belonged to smallholder farmers. Twenty seven clutches of eggs given to indigenous chickens to seat on, and 10 clutches of eggs given to ducks to seat on
were investigated for six months. The number of eggs in each clutch ranged from 6 to 19 with an average of12 eggs. Duck eggs had a hatchability of 82.3% and fertility of 89.5% while chicken eggs had a hatchability of 66.2% and fertility of 82.8%. Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., and other aerobic bacteria were commonly isolated from un-hatched eggs, dead embryos, dead chicks, and ducklings. These were comparable with bacterial isolates recovered from cloacal and pharyngeo-tracheal swabs taken from adult birds from these farms and cultured on blood and McConkey Agar base. The main causes of chick and duckling mortalities were yolk sac infections, colibacillosis, and nutritional deficiencies. Other causes of mortality encountered were ectoparasites {fleas (Echidnophaga gallinacea) and lice (Menopon
gallinae)}; and predators like kites, hawks, mongoose, dogs, wild and domestic cats. Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 31 (1) 2007: pp. 6-1
Indigenous Ducks are Better Reservoirs of P. multocida than Indigenous Chickens
Two experiments were performed to study cross infections from chickens to ducks and vice versa. For each experiment the source birds (chickens or ducks) were infected with Pasteurella multocida strain 10322T. The infected birds were then mixed with sentinel indigenous ducks or chickens, respectively, six hours after inoculation. To monitor cross transmission, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were taken from the sentinel birds daily, for culture on blood agar and other media, for two weeks. The cultured bacterial isolates were characterized for P. multocida through biochemical and other tests. For chickens to duck transmission study a few ducks (40%) picked the bacteria on the first day, number of infected birds increasing with time and the birds had high infection rate (60%) by day 14 post-infection. In the duck to chicken transmission study, most chickens (80%) were infected by the first day and maintained infection up to the twelfth day (60%) but appeared to clear the infection thereafter. These results showed that it was possible to transmit P. multocida from indigenous chickens to ducks and vice versa. The duck may be a better carrier of P. multocida under scavenging system than chickens. This contact cross transmission may be playing a role in the maintenance of the bacterium at the village level. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 104-10
Comparison Between Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Culture Method in the Detection of Pasteurella multocida in Organs of Indigenous Birds
A total of forty-eight indigenous birds were intratracheally infected with Pasteurella multocida, paired and sacrificed at specified times. Seven organs from each of the four pairs were swabbed for culture and tissues taken for FISH test to detect the presence of the bacterium in these birds. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected, for culture method and bacteria characterized by biochemical tests. While for FISH test, tissues were processed for histology after fixation in formalin for 24 hours and later preserved in 70% alcohol before in situ hybridization test. At any sacrificial time between 1hour and 14 days post inoculation P. multocida FISH signals were observed in 47 to 75% while the bacterium was isolated on culture in 7 to 50% of the organs of the indigenous birds. During the same period four (lung, trachea/oropharynx, liver and spleen) organs on FISH test and one (trachea/oropharynx) on culture were throughout positive for P. multocida. The large intestine/cloaca and pruning gland showed P. multocida FISH signals at various times but were negative for the bacterium on culture. Both tests were positive for P. multocida immediately after inoculation. FISH signals were found in a decreasing manner in the lung, trachea/oropharynx, liver, spleen, caecal tonsils, large intestine/cloaca, and pruning gland. On culture, the bacteria were found in a decreasing manner in the trachea/oropharynx, lung, spleen, liver and caecal tonsils. Most cultured isolates were made between 1 - 24 hours, few and intermittent ones thereafter, and none at all after the 10th day post infection. These results show that FISH test is more sensitive than the culture method for detection of P. multocida in tissues of infected birds. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 53-5
Comparison of the Carrier Status of P. multocida Between Farm and Live Market Indigenous Birds
A total of one hundred and seventy one indigenous birds from smallholder farms and those traded in market centers in Nairobi were examined for the presence of Pasteurella multocida. Of these, 135 were farmed and 36 were market birds. They comprised of 117 indigenous chickens and 54 ducks. Three hundred and forty two oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected from them and cultured onto blood agar and other media. The recovered isolates were characterized using colonial morphology, biochemical and other tests. Twenty three P. multocida isolates were recovered: 11/135 (8%) from farm and 12/36 (33%) from the market birds. Majority of the P. multocida isolates were Pasteurella multocida gallicida 11/23 (48%), followed by Pasteurella multocida multocida 7/23 (30%) and Pasteurella multocida septica 5/23 (22%). Pasteurella multocida gallicida isolates were encountered more in the market birds, while Pasteurella multocida multocida isolates were more in farm birds. Ducks had more isolates than chickens. The concentration of the birds at market areas appeared to favor the maintenance of P. multocida in the cages, crates and pens. Market birds may, therefore, play a major role in the spreading of P. multocida. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 45-4
Preliminary Findings on the Carrier Status of Pasteurella multocida in Farmed and Traded Healthy-appearing Scavenging Indigenous Chickens and Ducks in Kenya
One hundred and twenty three indigenous chickens and 24 ducks reared under free range scavenging system were examined for the carrier status of
Pasteurella multocida. Both the oropharynyngeal and cloacal swab samples were examined for the presence of the organisms by means of mouse passage and inoculation into blood agar. Of these, 53 chickens and 24 ducks were from different smallholder farms
in Nairobi, and Machakos districts, 41 chickens were from various slaughterhouses in Nairobi, while 29 were market chickens obtained from various market centers in Nairobi. The traded (market and slaughter) chickens all originated from rural districts in various
parts of the country. From the 123 chickens examined, Pasteurella multocida subspecies were isolated only from four birds. The isolates were recovered from the
traded chickens only. Pasteurella organisms were not from any of the 24 ducks. On the basis of biochemical characterization, the organisms were differentiated as P. multocida multocida (1/4), P. multocida septica (1/4) and P. multocida gallicida (2/4). This study
suggests that healthy traded poultry could be carriers of Pasteurella multocida. It describes the first report of Pasteurella multocida isolation from indigenous birds in Kenya. Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 31 (1) 2007: pp. 1-
Reconciling biofuels and food security: priorities for action
Addressing the challenges of understanding and managing complex interactions among food security, biofuels, and resource management requires a focus on specific contextual problems and opportunities. The United Nationsâ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals prioritize food and energy security; bioenergy plays an important role in achieving both goals. Effective food security programs begin by clearly defining the problem and asking, âWhat can be done to effectively assist people at high risk?â Headlines and cartoons that blame biofuels for food insecurity may reflect good intentions but mislead the public and policy makers because they obscure the main drivers of local food insecurity and ignore opportunities for biofuels to contribute to solutions. Applying sustainability guidelines to bioenergy will help achieve near- and long- term goals to eradicate hunger. Priorities for achieving successful synergies between bioenergy and food security include (1) clarifying communications with clear and consistent terms, (2) recognizing that food and bioenergy need not compete for land and instead, need to be integrated with improved resource management, (3) investing in innovations to build capacity and infrastructure such as rural agricultural extension and technology, (4) promoting stable prices that incentivize local production, (5) adopting flex crops that can provide food along with other products and services to society, and (6) engaging stakeholders in identifying and assessing specific opportunities for biofuels to improve food security. Systematic monitoring and analysis to support adaptive management and continual improvement are essential elements to build synergies and help society equitably meet growing demands for both food and energy