A trans-disciplinary study on the health risks of cryptosporidiosis from dairy systems in Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya: study background and farming system characteristics

This paper characterises the dairy farming system in Dagoretti, Nairobi. Characterisation was part of a broader ecohealth project to estimate the prevalence and risk of cryptosporidiosis and develop risk mitigation strategies. In the project a trans-disciplinary team addressed epidemiological, socioeconomic, environmental and policy aspects of cryptosporidiosis, an emerging zoonosis. This paper also provides background and describes sampling methods for the wider project. Three hundred dairy households were probabilistically sampled from a sampling frame of all dairy households in five of the six locations of Dagoretti, one of the eight districts of Nairobi Province. Randomly selected households identified 100 non-dairy-keeping households who also took part in the study. A household questionnaire was developed, pre-tested and administered in the dry and wet seasons of 2006. An additional study on livelihood and economic benefits of dairying took place with 100 dairy farmers randomly selected from the 300 farms (as well as 40 non-dairy neighbours as a control group), and a risk-targeted survey of environmental contamination with Cryptosporidium was conducted with 20 farmers randomly selected from the 29 farmers in the wider survey who were considered at high risk because of farming system. We found that around 1 in 80 urban households kept dairy cattle with an average of three cattle per household. Cross-breeds of exotic and local cattle predominate. Heads of dairy-keeping households were significantly less educated than the heads of non-dairy neighbours, had lived in Dagoretti for significantly longer and had significantly larger households. There was a high turnover of 10?% of the cattle population in the 3-month period of the study. Cattle were zero grazed, but productivity parameters were sub-optimal as were hygiene and husbandry practices. In conclusion, dairy keeping is a minor activity in urban Nairobi but important to households involved and their community. Ecohealth approaches are well suited to tackling the complex problem of assessing and managing emerging zoonoses in urban settings.     

Gene effects for cotton-fiber traits in cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under Verticillium conditions

Verticillium wilt (VW), caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., has become one of the most serious problems in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The use of resistant cultivars has long been considered the most practical and effective means of control. The objective of this work was to study the quantitative genetic basis of fiber traits under Verticillium conditions in upland cotton by using five genotypes and their possible crosses without reciprocals, selecting simultaneously for quality fiber, resistance, and agronomic characteristics. Five cotton cultivars and 10 F₁s from half diallel crosses were analyzed for quality fiber under VW conditions. The fiber length, uniformity, strength, elongation, and micronaire were measured during two crop seasons at two different sites each year, consistently in plots with soil naturally infested with Verticillium. Genetic components of variance were analyzed using the Hayman model. Analysis of variance for all traits showed significant differences between genotypes, with the genotype–site interaction in most of the studied traits except for fiber length and micronaire. Both the additive genetic variance component (D) and dominance genetic variance components (H1 and H2) were present in all traits. D was the most important component for uniformity, strength, elongation, and micronaire. Elongation was the trait most correlated with seed-cotton yield. Strength and micronaire were the traits most correlated with VWI. Broad-sense heritability was high for all the traits studied. Narrow-sense heritability was high for uniformity, strength and elongation, and moderate for length and micronaire.     

Informal value chain actors’ knowledge and perceptions about zoonotic diseases and biosecurity in Kenya and the importance for food safety and public health

Zoonotic diseases, transmitted from animals to humans, are a public health challenge in developing countries. Livestock value chain actors have an important role to play as the first line of defence in safeguarding public health. However, although the livelihood and economic impacts of zoonoses are widely known, adoption of biosecurity measures aimed at preventing zoonoses is low, particularly among actors in informal livestock value chains in low and middle-income countries. The main objective of this study was to investigate knowledge of zoonoses and adoption of biosecurity measures by livestock and milk value chain actors in Bura, Tana River County, in Kenya, where cattle, camels, sheep and goats are the main livestock kept. The study utilised a mixed methods approach, with a questionnaire survey administered to 154 value chain actors. Additional information was elicited through key informant interviews and participatory methods with relevant stakeholders outside the value chain. Our results found low levels of knowledge of zoonoses and low levels of adherence to food safety standards, with only 37% of milk traders knowing about brucellosis, in spite of a sero-prevalence of 9% in the small ruminants tested in this study, and no slaughterhouse worker knew about Q fever. Actors had little formal education (between 0 and 10%) and lacked training in food safety and biosecurity measures. Adoption of biosecurity measures by value chain actors was very low or non-existent, with only 11% of butchers wearing gloves. There was a gendered dimension, evidenced by markedly different participation in value chains and lower adoption rates and knowledge levels among female actors. Finally, cultural and religious practices were shown to play an important role in exposure and transmission of diseases, influencing perceptions and attitudes to risks and adoption of biosecurity measures.     

In vivo total nitrogen and total phosphorous digestibility in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus Linnaeus, 1758) under industrially intensive fattening conditions in Southeast Spain Mediterranean coastal waters

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (hereafter referred to as tuna) fattening has been developed quite a lot in south‐eastern Spanish Mediterranean coastal waters, but previous information about nutrition and environmental impact is scarce. Total nitrogen and total phosphorous digestibility was investigated in tuna under routine operation fattening conditions as a first step to know nutrient utilization and to provide tools for estimation of waste output. Tunas were fed ad libitum once a day with a mixture of mackerel, herring, pilchard and gilt‐sardine. Body weight of sampled tuna ranged between 150 and 350 kg. Faeces were collected by dissection of the distal intestine after slaughtering and directly with a manual sieve by scuba divers into the sea cages. Endogenous inert marker was acid insoluble ash. Apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) for total‐N was lower when faeces were collected by dissection of the intestine (DI: 658.2 g kg^?1) than when by direct collection (DC: 937.4 g kg^?1). Total‐P ADC was lower when faeces were directly collected (DC: 481.4 g kg^?1) than when collected by intestine dissection (DI: 661.9 g kg^?1). The nitrogen digestibility in tuna was as high as in other carnivorous fish, while low phosphorous digestibility, as in many fishes, could be related with phosphorous excess in diet. DC results seem to be more consistent and appropriate for waste output estimation. Results demonstrate the need for a more accurate nutritional evaluation and development of formulated artificial diets.     

Carbon allocation in a sweet sorghum‐soil system using 14C as a tracer

Carbon (C) distribution in a sweet sorghum‐soil system was studied by ¹⁴CO₂ pulse‐labeling of shoots at three dates during the growth cycle in order to assess the contribution of the crop to carbon storage in the soil. Soil and plant samplings were performed 24 h after the ¹⁴C‐labeling and at final harvest (October) to determine the assimilate allocation and estimate the amount of plant‐derived soil carbon. Approximately 4‐16% of the ¹⁴C present in the sorghum‐soil system was located in the soil fine fraction (< 2 mm) over a 24 h period. At final harvest, the proportion of ¹⁴C in the soil accounted for 7‐9% of the ¹⁴C present in the sorghum‐soil system. The plant‐derived soil carbon was estimated at 0.10‐0.12 g C plant^‐1 day^‐1. The total amount of carbon captured by sweet sorghum was estimated at 1.44 kg C m^‐2 over the whole growth cycle: 0.82 kg C m^‐2 in the above‐ground biomass, 0.52 kg C m^‐2 in the below‐ground biomass and 0.10 kg C m^‐2 in the soil carbon pool. No significant increase in soil ¹⁴C was detected over the next 14 months.     

Basin‐scale distribution and haplotype partitioning in different genetic lineages of the Neotropical migratory fish Salminus brasiliensis

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Factors constraining and enabling agroforestry adoption in Viet Nam: a multi-level policy analysis

Agroforestry is known to have multiple economic and environmental benefits. Despite this, the adoption of agroforestry in Viet Nam is limited both in extent and diversity of components and practices. Our study identified gaps for agroforestry adoption in current policies and policy implementation. National policy and provincial instructions and decisions were reviewed and discussed during ten stakeholders’ consultation workshops. The review and workshops concluded that there were no specific national and few provincial specific policies promoting agroforestry. In addition, the segregation of policies into agriculture and forestry, promoted monoculture practices and discouraged the integration of mixed annual and perennial tree species. Completing the forestland allocation process was considered essential for long-term investment on land and providing collateral for loans. More holistic policies, such as a provincial strategy for agroforestry development that would enable flexible integration of agriculture, forestry and livestock were perceived to be more effective and inclusive to poor and non-poor farmers. Specific cross-cutting budget allocation would be necessary for capacity building, upscaling agroforestry models, procurement of high-quality inputs, and establishing post-harvest processing and marketing investments.     

玉米基因型磷效率遗传多样性的AFLP分析

对33个不同来源的玉米基因型磷效率的遗传多样性进行AFLP分析,同时与表型性状分析的结果进行比较。结果表明：基因型间磷效率的遗传距离小,在0.0215-0.1305之间,平均为0.07437;33个基因型的磷效率遗传相似系数按类平均法可聚为4类。33个玉米基因型中的26个基因型（79%）AFLP的分类结果与玉米基因型磷效率的表型性状的分类有较好的一致性。     

Frozen and Unfrozen Water Contents of Wheat Flours and Their Components

The properties of frozen and unfrozen water in two different wheat flours (hard and soft), and in their main components (gluten, starch, damaged starch, water‐soluble and water‐insoluble pentosans), were described using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As a reference, enthalpy values of crystallization (298 J/g) and melting (335 J/g) of pure water were determined from the total heat flow curves. The separation of thermal events between the reversing and nonreversing heat flows with modulated DSC was not effective due to disturbances in the modulated temperature scan. For wheat flours and their components, linear regressions described well the changes in frozen water content calculated from enthalpies of freezing (R² = 0.970–0.982) or melting (R² = 0.783–0.996). The unfrozen water content (UFWC) calculated for the hard wheat flour (29–31%, db) was close to that calculated for the soft wheat flour (30–32%). The UFWC of wheat gluten (38–47%), starch (38–42%), damaged starch (37–40%), water‐soluble pentosans (51%), and water‐insoluble pentosans (40–44%) were higher than the corresponding values for the flours. The simple summation of the contributions of each component cannot be used to estimate the overall behavior of flours.     

Contribution of Specific Flour Components to Water Vapor Adsorption Properties of Wheat Flours

The dynamic water vapor adsorption properties were determined for two wheat flours (hard wheat flour and soft wheat flour) and compared with those of flour components (starch, damaged starch, gluten, water‐soluble pentosans, and water‐insoluble pentosans). Water vapor adsorption rates were determined from the changes in sample mass as a function of time during hydration after a step increase in relative humidity (rh). It was not possible to significantly discriminate the selected products by initial rates of adsorption (5.1 × 10^‐2 to 6.4 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min), except the water‐insoluble pentosans that were characterized by high values of adsorption rates (14 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min). Changes in initial relative humidity conditions and %rh step sizes induced significant changes in adsorption rates. Calculations of apparent water diffusion coefficients were done using a derived form of Fick's law for polydisperse spherical particles. Apparent water diffusion coefficients (at 25°C and 60% rh) were estimated between 2.19 × 10^‐15 and 3.72 × 10^‐15 m²/sec for the selected wheat flours. Water‐insoluble pentosans are characterized by the highest values of diffusion coefficients (1.53 × 10^‐13 m²/sec) when compared with the other wheat components. The calculated values of apparent water diffusion coefficient were discussed in regard to experimental conditions.