Exploring the potential of transitioning Malawians from corn to quinoa-based thick porridge (nsima): insights from sensory and emotions profiles.

Background: Considering the nutritional value and adaptability of quinoa, integrating it into African diets could enhance food and nutrition security, contingent on the acceptability of quinoa-based foods. This study therefore determined consumer acceptability of six stiff porridge (nsima) samples, their sensory profiles, and their emotion profiles. The samples comprised controls made from whole corn flour, dehulled corn flour, and soaked, dehulled corn flour and from 1:1 blends of quinoa and each corn flour type.

Spatial targeting of irrigation development and water resource management to mitigate vector-borne disease.

Scaling irrigated agriculture is a global strategy to mitigate food insecurity concerns. While expanding irrigated agriculture is critical to meeting food production demands, it is important to consider how these land use and land cover changes (LULCC) may alter the water resources of landscapes and impact the spatiotemporal epidemiology of disease. Here, a generalizable method is presented to inform irrigation development decision-making aimed at increasing crop production through irrigation while simultaneously mitigating malaria risk to surrounding communities.

An ensemble model predicts an upward range shift of the endemic and endangered Yellow-throated Apalis () under future climate change in Malawi.

Climate change poses a significant threat to endemic and endangered montane bird species with limited elevation and temperature ranges. Understanding their responses to changes in climate is essential for informing conservation actions. This study focused on the montane dwelling Yellow-throated Apalis () in Malawi, aiming to identify key factors affecting its distribution and predicting its potential distribution under different climate change scenarios.

Tetracycline and sulphonamide residues in farmed fish in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and human health risk implications.

In Africa, antibiotic residue investigations in animal food have primarily been focused on meat, neglecting farmed fish. This cross-sectional study conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, aimed to assess sulphonamide and tetracycline residues in farmed fish, comparing levels with Codex Alimentarius Commission's acceptable daily intake (ADI) and maximum residue limits (MRLs). A total of 84 farmed fish were sampled and analysed in the presence of tetracycline and sulphonamide residues.

Prevalence of Plastic and Hardware Foreign Bodies among Goats at Malawi Markets.

Smallholder goat production plays a major role in rural livelihoods and food security in Malawi, but suffers from drastic and unpredictable production losses. While goat production is closely linked to small-scale local markets for slaughter and butchering, the perspectives of butchers and their potential as a source of animal health information are largely untapped. Butchers can provide insights into goat health status at slaughter as well as issues that go unseen before slaughter, such as the presence of indigestible foreign bodies (IFBs).

Assessment of dietary exposure and levels of mycotoxins in sorghum from Niger State of Nigeria.

This study reports levels of mycotoxins in sorghum from Niger State, Nigeria, and provides a comprehensive assessment of their potential health risks by combining mycotoxin levels and dietary exposure assessment. A total of 240 samples of red and white sorghum were collected from both stores and markets across four microclimatic zones. Fungal species were identified using a dilution plate method.

Comparative utility of hermetic and conventional grain storage bags for smallholder farmers: a meta-analysis.

Postharvest management is critical to attaining household food, nutrition, and income security. Hermetic grain storage bags offer an effective pesticide-free way to protect stored grain against fungal and insect infestation. We evaluated articles indexed in the Web of Science that included experiments comparing the storage efficacy of conventional and hermetic storage bags based on grain germination rate, insect infestation, physical damage, mycotoxin contamination, and changes in weight and moisture content.

Effect of Temperature and Insect Infestation Levels on Oxygen Depletion in Hermetic Storage.

Hermetic storage methods are effective at protecting grain against insect pests. Biotic and abiotic factors influence oxygen depletion during hermetic storage. We investigated the dual effects of temperature and initial pest infestation level on oxygen depletion during airtight storage.

Hydrothermally-treated soybean-fortified maize-based (stiff porridge) could contribute towards alleviating seasonal body weight loss in farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: This study explored the use of hydrothermally-treated soybean-fortified maize-based stiff porridge (nsima) in managing body weight losses among the farming family community in Malawi during the labour-intensive cropping (growing) season. We hypothesized that soybean-fortified maize-based nsima could prevent seasonal body weight losses in farming communities during labour-intensive seasons better than conventional 100% maize nsima.

Research Methods & Procedures: A single-blind parallel dietary intervention 90-day study.

Low-cost molecular methods to characterise gastrointestinal nematode co-infections of goats in Africa.

Background: Veterinary diagnostics aid intervention strategies, track zoonoses, and direct selective breeding programs in livestock. In ruminants, gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites are a major cause of production losses, but morphologically similar species limit our understanding of how specific GIN co-infections impact health in resource-limited settings. To estimate the presence and relative abundance of GINs and other helminths at the species level, we sought to develop a low-cost and low-resource molecular toolkit applied to goats from rural Malawi smallholdings.

Reduction of aflatoxins during brewing of a Malawian maize-based non-alcoholic beverage, .

This study reports onthe effect of various production steps on levels of aflatoxins during preparation of , a traditional maize-based fermented non-alcoholic beverage, brewed across Malawi. The effect of boiling, fermentation and their interaction on the level of aflatoxins, the trends of aflatoxin reduction during brewing, and the distribution of aflatoxins between the solid and liquid phases of the beverage were studied using VICAM AflaTest immunoaffinity fluorometric assay. Fermenting and boiling , with initial aflatoxin content of 45-183 μg/kg, resulted in aflatoxin reduction of 47% (13-61 μg/kg) on average.

Micro-climatic variations across Malawi have a greater influence on contamination of maize with aflatoxins than with fumonisins.

This study reports levels of aflatoxin and fumonisin in maize samples (n = 1294) from all agroecological zones (AEZs) in Malawi. Most maize samples (> 75%) were contaminated with aflatoxins and 45% with fumonisins, which co-occurred in 38% of the samples. Total aflatoxins varied across the AEZs, according to mean annual temperature (P < 0.

Mycotoxin levels and characterization of natural anti-fungal phytochemicals in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) from Nigeria's six agroecological zones.

This study reports levels of multiple mycotoxins across Nigeria's six agro-ecological zones and corresponding levels of natural anti-fungal phytochemicals present in pearl millet (PM). 220 representative composite samples of PM were collected for mycotoxin analysis using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS), and 24 were randomly selected for determination of metabolites using gas chromatography-high resolution time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC-HRTOF-MS). In total, 15 mycotoxins were detected, all with levels below the European Union (EU) permissible limits and level of aflatoxins only up to 1.

Cereal grain mineral micronutrient and soil chemistry data from GeoNutrition surveys in Ethiopia and Malawi.

The dataset comprises primary data for the concentration of 29 mineral micronutrients in cereal grains and up to 84 soil chemistry properties from GeoNutrition project surveys in Ethiopia and Malawi. The work provided insights on geospatial variation in the micronutrient concentration in staple crops, and the potential influencing soil factors. In Ethiopia, sampling was conducted in Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray regions, during the late-2017 and late-2018 harvest seasons.

Soil and landscape factors influence geospatial variation in maize grain zinc concentration in Malawi.

Dietary zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread globally, and in particular among people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Malawi, dietary sources of Zn are dominated by maize and spatially dependent variation in grain Zn concentration, which will affect dietary Zn intake, has been reported at distances of up to ~ 100 km. The aim of this study was to identify potential soil properties and environmental covariates which might explain this longer-range spatial variation in maize grain Zn concentration.

Examining the state of energy poverty in Rwanda: An inter-indicator analysis.

This paper adopted an inter-indicator analytical approach to investigate the state of energy poverty in Rwanda. It used a nationally representative sample of 14458 households from Rwanda's Integrated Living Standard Survey conducted between October 2016 and October 2017. The first indicator entailed a multidimensional analysis of energy poverty using eleven pointers of energy deprivation.

Structural diversity and tree density drives variation in the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship of woodlands and savannas.

Positive biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships (BEFRs) have been widely documented, but it is unclear if BEFRs should be expected in disturbance-driven systems. Disturbance may limit competition and niche differentiation, which are frequently posited to underlie BEFRs. We provide the first exploration of the relationship between tree species diversity and biomass, one measure of ecosystem function, across southern African woodlands and savannas, an ecological system rife with disturbance from fire, herbivores and humans.

The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi.

Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales.

Natural Occurrence of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Endophytes of Sugarcane () and in Soil of Sugarcane Fields.

The natural occurrence of entomopathogenic fungal endophytes in sugarcane () and in soil samples from sugarcane fields was evaluated in Chikwawa District, southern Malawi. Fungi from soil were isolated by baiting using larva. Fungal endophytes were isolated from surface-sterilized plant tissue sections.

Dietary Association with Glycemic Status Among Adults Clinically Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in Malawi.

We elucidated diet and its association with glycemic status among adults clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through across-sectional study in Malawi. Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) and dietary intakes were assessed. Consumption of cereals, roots, and tubers and sweet, sugary food, including sweetened beverages, was significantly higher among participants with A1C≥8%.

Increasing zinc concentration in maize grown under contrasting soil types in Malawi through agronomic biofortification: Trial protocol for a field experiment to detect small effect sizes.

The prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies including zinc (Zn) is widespread in Malawi, especially among poor and marginalized rural populations. This is due to low concentrations of Zn in most staple cereal crops and limited consumption of animal source foods. The Zn concentration of cereal grain can be increased through application of Zn-enriched fertilizers; a process termed agronomic biofortification or agro-fortification.

Mancala board games and origins of entrepreneurship in Africa.

This study examines the correlational relationship between the historical playing of indigenous strategic board games (also called mancala) and the socio-economic complexity of African ethnic groups as well as the incidence of entrepreneurial pursuits. Anthropology literature suggests that these games may be associated with socio-economic complexity of the ethnic groups-the so-called games in culture hypothesis. I revisit this hypothesis with better data and motivated by anecdotal evidence, introduce a contemporary hypothesis, origins of entrepreneurship hypothesis-that descendants of societies that played complex mancala games are more likely to be engaged in non-farm self-employment today.