3 research outputs found
A Global Mapping System for Bambara Groundnut Production
No full textThis is the first study that estimates the potential production for any underutilised
crop on a global basis. Our long-term aim is to demonstrate how this approach,
initially for bambara groundnut, can be used to assess the potential productivity
of many underutilised food crops at locations beyond their current distribution.
The most significant contributions from this study are the integration of a
weather simulator and a crop simulation model into a Geographical Information
System (GIS) to predict potential production of bambara groundnut over
the globe. The integration came through a coincidence of interests. FAO needed
to improve the knowledge and better use of underutilised crops that can contribute
to the food security of the world s poorest people. For the University of
Nottingham it was an opportunity to provide a geographic basis for their existing
crop model that had been refined by the third author so that predictions of
bambara groundnut potential could be extended to new sites.
Integration of the weather generator and model into a GIS was based on the
experiences gained by the second author in using fish growth models to estimate
potential for fish farming in Africa (FAO, 1998, available at www.fao.org/docrep/
W8522e/W8522E00.htm)
Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.
No full textBACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)
Analysis of the presence of microorganisms from the genera leptospira and brucella in female bovine recipients, and their relationship with the success of embryo transfer activities in vitro, Department of Córdoba-Colombia
No full textLa mortalidad y la baja producción constituyen grandes desafíos en la determinación de la rentabilidad de la actividad ganadera en Colombia. Estudios recientes reportan un alto grado de sensibilidad de ovocitos, frente a las condiciones del ambiente, durante procesos de maduración in vitro. La interacción con microorganismos patógenos también constituye una limitante a la rentabilidad de dicha actividad. Enfermedades reproductivas causadas por dichos microorganismos representan el principal agente de mortalidad embrionaria en el ganado bovino. El departamento de Córdoba juega un papel importante en la ganadería nacional. Los registros más actualizados reportan la existencia aproximada de 2.134.700 cabezas de ganado bovino en el 2019, posicionando al departamento, como una de las regiones ganaderas más importantes de Colombia, superada solo por Antioquia y en competencia cercana con Casanare (Fedegan, 2019). La implementación de la biotecnología acompañada de buenas prácticas en sanidad animal, constituyen una herramienta importante para mejorar las cifras de productividad en esta área. En este contexto, se presenta a continuación un análisis de la relación entre la presencia de microorganismos patógenos del sistema reproductivo en bovinos pertenecientes a los géneros Leptospira y Burucella, y los resultados obtenidos a partir de transferencia de embriones producidos in vitro, a hembras receptoras provenientes de los municipios San Pelayo, Planeta Rica y Sahagún en el departamento de Córdoba. Se realizó un diagnóstico de enfermedades reproductivas mediante técnicas convencionales y de biología molecular, en casos exitosos y no exitosos de transferencias de embriones. Se analizó la posible relación entre las pruebas positivas para la presencia de patógenos y el logro de gestación de las actividades de transferencia. Con los resultados obtenidos a partir del desarrollo de esta metodología, se demostró que el éxito en la aplicación de biotecnologías reproductivas en el ganado bovino en Córdoba, está influenciado por la presencia de enfermedades reproductivas tales como leptospirosis, aspecto que revela una alta vulnerabilidad en las buenas prácticas en sanidad animal que se aplican en el departamento, especialmente las relacionadas con microorganismos patógenos cuya vigilancia no se encuentra totalmente referenciada en la gobernanza de la actividad de ganadería en Colombia.Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla -- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, y Exactas y Naturales -- Maestría en BiotecnologíaMortality and low production are major challenges in determining the profitability of livestock farming in Colombia. Recent studies report a high degree of sensitivity of oocytes, against the conditions of the environment, during in vitro maturation processes. The interaction with pathogenic micro-organisms also limits the profitability of such activity. Reproductive diseases caused by these micro-organisms are the main source of embryonic mortality in cattle.
The department of Cordoba plays an important role in national livestock. The most updated records report the existence of approximately 2,134,700 cattle in 2019, positioning the department as one of the most important livestock regions in Colombia, surpassed only by Antioquia and in close competition with Casanare (Fedegan, 2019) The European Commission has published a report on the European Union’s Youth Employment Strategy. The implementation of biotechnology accompanied by good practices in animal health, constitute an important tool to improve productivity figures in this area.
In this context, an analysis of the relationship between the presence of pathogenic microorganisms of the reproductive system in bovine animals belonging to the genera Leptospira and Burucella is presented below, and the results obtained from the transfer of in vitro produced embryos to female recipients from the municipalities of San Pelayo, Planeta Rica and Sahagún in the department of Córdoba.
Diagnosis of reproductive diseases was made using conventional and molecular biology techniques, in successful and unsuccessful cases of embryo transfers. The possible relationship between positive tests for the presence of pathogens and the achievement of gestation transfer activities was analyzed.
With the results obtained from the development of this methodology, it was demonstrated that the success in the application of reproductive biotechnologies in cattle in Córdoba, is influenced by the presence of reproductive diseases such as leptospirosis, an aspect that reveals a high vulnerability in the good animal health practices applied in the department, Especially those related to pathogenic microorganisms whose surveillance is not fully referenced in the governance of livestock farming in Colombia
