Community Culture in the Solitary Orang-utan (Pongo)

Perception that orangutan are forest inhabitants living in isolated existence may be an accurate geographic portrayal, but overlooks noncontiguous interactions. While population density appears resource dependent, it takes acommunity to “raise” an orang. Their development of intricate communication techniques reflects the importance of community.

Orang-utan 

Clicks and “faux speech” represent arousal and alarm calls, in the form of grumphs, gorkunes, grumbiass. Sophisticated kiss-squeak alarm calls involving cupping hands around muzzles to reduce pitch, facilitating long-distance sound transmission. This is not inherited, but learned behavior, reflecting aprolonged childhood. So-called locomotor independence is delayed at least five years. This is a period of intense (at least related to later activity levels) learning. They are very curious animals, for whom communication is only a part of their “curriculum.” One of the more intriguing aspects of orang behavior is their use of tools. Variability among derived family groups, at least during the five year “home life” confirms this as learned, not hereditary behavior. Their curiosity often leads to discovering new tools and concepts which they share with their group. This includes building sun covers out of leaves and play nests. Hygiene is facilitated by creating leaf napkins. Read more>>>>>>>

Postmortem Study on Indigestible Foreign Bodies in Rumen and Reticulum of Ruminants Slaughtered at Asella Municipal Abattoir, Southeastern Ethiopia

Ethiopia is resource full country endowed with larges population of livestock in Africa. The total cattlepopulation of the country is estimated to be about 57.83 million, whereas the number of small ruminants is estimated to exceed 58 million.

Reticulum of Ruminants

However, development this sector is hampered by different constraints and has not been fully exploited the benefit of indigenous livestock compared to its tremendous potential. Significant losses result each year from the death of animals as a result of lack of appropriate veterinary services, lack of attention from government, wide spread endemic disease and recurrent drought. Ingestible foreign body predisposed by environmental pollution is currently becoming a global health problem of ruminants and have been implicated as among common causes of sudden death. Different studies have shown that ruminants reared in urban and suburban areas have high probability to ingest indigestible materials such as plastic, cloth, wire, leather and metal. Ingestion of indigestible foreign bodies by animals is mainly associated with nutritional deficiencies, environmental pollution and poor feeding management. Read more>>>>>>

Effect of Beta-Glucan and Resistant Starch on Prebiotic Dough and Bread Properties.

White bread is a staple food in the human diet in many countries and a popular and convenient cereal product; it is also a poor source of dietary fiber,containing typically less than 2.5% fiber content. In fact, white wheat bread is commonly used as a high glycemic index reference in glycemic response. A demand therefore exists for the development of bread with substances that are non-digestible polysaccharides or partially resistant to the digestive process.

Functional foods either contain (or add) a component with a positive health effect or eliminate a component with a negative one, as they must be safe, healthy and tasty. Addition of healthy components such as prebiotics to food products is a common approach to development of these kinds of foods. According to the definition by, prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or more bacteria (probiotics) in the gastrointestinal tract and thus improve host health.(Read more)

Ecotrophic Character of Primate Evolution.

It may have been PT Barnum or the designer of the Field of Dreams who said that if we build it, they will come. While they have been among the first to vocalize the concept, nature actually preempted them in its application. Whether we examine the fossil record or the depths of the sea, we find that nature accommodates whatever niche is afforded by geologic or climatic processes. Is there an environ too hostile for life? Presence not only of bacteria but also of higher forms (e.g., worms) at volcanic vents suggests the adaptablity and resiliance of life.

The fossil record clearly demonstrates that a new organism fairly rapidly replaces a life form that can no longer survive in a given niche, be it geographically, geologically or biologically-defined. The classic example is that of the various morphotypes of saber tooth tigers, whose extinction and reinvention repeatedly filled vacated niches four times in 28 million years. Intriguingly, preservation of morphotype was at the expense of genotype, with unrelated families (not even felidae) serially replacing those that went extinct. Was primate evolution similarily a form of ecotrophism?. (Read more)

A Cross-Sectional Study on Calf Health and Management Problems on Small Scale Dairy Farms of Selected Zones, Southern Ethiopia

The dairy industry is a large and dynamic segment of the agricultural economy of many nations and the major suppliers of milk and milk products to the urban and periurban consumers. Periurban and urban dairies are intensive productionsystems, which keep high grade cows and have improved management practices but this is usually associated with increase susceptibility to disease, poor survival rate and poor reproductive performance.

Farms in young stock, a good nutritional strategy optimize rumen development and growth while minimizing stress and disease. Livestock housing conditions greatly affects health and productivity. A relationship between housing and health during the rearing period has been described by several authors. Cleanliness of the barn influences calf health, as calves housed in unclean barns are at higher risk of disease than calves housed in clean barns.Colostrum contains a high level of nutrients important for lamb health and performance. it contains a high level of antibodies against a variety of infectious agents. The poor immune system and lack of previous exposure to infection make new born calves susceptible to infectious diseases and poor management.(Read more)

Impact of Global Climate Change on Charcoal Rot of Sesame Caused by Macrophomina phaseolina.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops in Pakistan. It was originated from East Africa and South Asia about 5000 years ago. In theworld, it is cultivated on an area of 8.26 million hectares with the Productionof 3.31 million tons, whereas in Pakistan, total area under cultivation is 80 thousand hectares with an annual production of 32.4 thousand tons during 2015-16 (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics). It has high nutritional value as it contains moisture 04.0-05.3, protein 18.3-25.4, oil 43.3-44.3, saturated fatty acids 14.0, monounsaturated fatty acids 39.0, polyunsaturated fatty acids 46.0, ash 05.2-06.2, glucose 03.2, fructose 02.6, sucrose 0.2 and phytosterols 0.4%.

Successful production of sesame is facing numerous restrains of fungal, bacterial, viral and phytoplasma diseases owing to highly virulent aggressive strains of pathogens. Among these constrains, Charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi.). Gold is the most important one, which are a destructive soil born, polyphagus and thermophilic fungal pathogen. M. phaseolina is causing huge losses of about USD 146 million in Nigeria with 40-57% disease incidence whereas in Pakistan 50-75% disease incidences have been observed. However, increased growth and development rate of this pathogen results total crop failures under favourable soil and environmental conditions.(Read more)

Stock Assessment and Estimation of Optimum Yield for Tilapia Stock (Oreochromis niloticus) in Lake Hawassa, Ethiopia.

The basic purpose of stock assessment is to provide decision makers with the information necessary to makerational choices on the optimum level of exploitation of aquatic living resourcessuch as fish. Aquatic living resources are limited but renewable, and fish stock assessment may be described as the search for the exploitation level, which in the long run gives the maximum sustainable bio-economic yield in weight from fishery.

Fish resource utilization is the primary and an important economic activity. Its purpose is to provide a flow of benefits to human society; it serves as a food because of its rich nutritional value in provision of protein. The global capture fisheries production in 2008 was reported by FAO, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, as 90 million tones, with an estimated first-sale value of US$93.9 billion, comprising about 80 million tons from marine waters and 10 million tons from inland waters.(Read More)