Assessment of Management and Breeding Practices among Indigenous Goat Farmers in a Tropical Humid Forest Zone

The study was undertaken to assess indigenous breeding practices and structure of back-yard goat farming in humid tropical forest zone. Pretested questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect information from farmers in Ekiti, South-west Nigeria. Profile assessed were purpose, management, breeding and reproductive performances, disease prevalence, healthcare and challenges. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics of SPSS, Version 20.0. Bucks run with does on free-scavenging system, mature sexually at 6–10 months, while mature does settle for bucks from about 7 months (52, 44, %). Main goals of farmers were flock multiplication, meatiness and coat color (24, 11, 6, %). Breeding was by natural random mating. Prolificacy was 1–4 kids but resistance to diseases was low. Selection practices were lowly engaged (7.5%), although based on health status and fecundity (19 and 13, %) for bucks and does respectively. Vaccination knowledge was high (77%), but mortality was also high. Drenching, castration and dehorning were performed (47, 24 and 5, %). Official intervention on breeding and improvement was nil. Challenges of farmers were stealing and accidents (46%), diseases and poisons (14%), lack of organized backyard sector, and the poor management system. Intensification of ethnoveterinary practices could promote improved healthcare in backyard goat farming

Chemical Analysis and Consumer Preference of Selected Poultry Egg Types in Zaria, Nigeria

The chemical composition, cholesterol content and consumer evaluation of eggs from Japanese quails, guinea fowls, local chickens, and exotic chickens (Isa Brown) were determined. A total of one hundred eggs, twenty five from each of species were used to determine the chemical composition, cholesterol content and sensory evaluation (Five eggs for chemical composition, cholesterol content and twenty for sensory). On a dry matter basis, the local chicken had a significantly (P<0.05) lower value of 23.20% than other species. The exotic chicken ranked highest with a mean value of 38.39%. The mean values recorded for ether extract showed no significant difference (P>0.05) amongst the four species. The ash content of the local chicken was significantly (P<0.05) lower (4.33%) than that of Japanese quails, guinea fowl and exotic chickens with values of 4.84, 4.87 and 5.15 per cent, respectively. Values obtained for the nitrogen free extract also showed the local chicken to be significantly (P<0.05) lower (47.54%) than the other species whose values ranged between 51.39 – 52.06%. The exotic chicken had a significantly higher cholesterol value of 243.8 mg/dl while the values for the guinea fowl and the local chicken did not significantly (P>0.05) differ while the Japanese quail eggs had the least cholesterol value of 80.60 mg/dl. Smell and texture were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by egg type however the guinea fowl and local chicken eggs were the most preferred in terms of colour and the quail with respect to taste. The lower cholesterol content of quail eggs perhaps gave it the potential of topping the consumers list of preference and wider acceptability. It is also evident that consumer’s preference for one egg type over others might not be absolutely based on nutritional considerations but on psychological perceptions.Keywords: Chemical composition, cholesterol, consumer preference, poultry egg

A framework for advancing sustainable magnetic resonance imaging access in Africa

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology has profoundly transformed current healthcare systems globally, owing to advances in hardware and software research innovations. Despite these advances, MRI remains largely inaccessible to clinicians, patients, and researchers in low-resource areas, such as Africa. The rapidly growing burden of noncommunicable diseases in Africa underscores the importance of improving access to MRI equipment as well as training and research opportunities on the continent. The Consortium for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa (CAMERA) is a network of African biomedical imaging experts and global partners, implementing novel strategies to advance MRI access and research in Africa. Upon its inception in 2019, CAMERA sets out to identify challenges to MRI usage and provide a framework for addressing MRI needs in the region. To this end, CAMERA conducted a needs assessment survey (NAS) and a series of symposia at international MRI society meetings over a 2-year period. The 68-question NAS was distributed to MRI users in Africa and was completed by 157 clinicians and scientists from across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). On average, the number of MRI scanners per million people remained at less than one, of which 39% were obsolete low-field systems but still in use to meet daily clinical needs. The feasibility of coupling stable energy supplies from various sources has contributed to the growing number of higher-field (1.5 T) MRI scanners in the region. However, these systems are underutilized, with only 8% of facilities reporting clinical scans of 15 or more patients per day, per scanner. The most frequently reported MRI scans were neurological and musculoskeletal. The CAMERA NAS combined with the World Health Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency data provides the most up-to-date data on MRI density in Africa and offers a unique insight into Africa's MRI needs. Reported gaps in training, maintenance, and research capacity indicate ongoing challenges in providing sustainable high-value MRI access in SSA. Findings from the NAS and focused discussions at international MRI society meetings provided the basis for the framework presented here for advancing MRI capacity in SSA. While these findings pertain to SSA, the framework provides a model for advancing imaging needs in other low-resource settings

The Nairobi Declaration—Reducing the burden of dementia in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs): Declaration of the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in LMICs

[No abstract available