Foodborne diseases include all food and waterborne illness and are not confined to those primarily associated with the gastro-intestinal tract exhibiting symptoms such as diarrhoea and/or vomiting but can also produce neurological, gynaecological and immunological symptoms. Diarrheal diseases represent a significant global issue, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income nations and children under five years of age. There are several preventive measures that one can follow for the packaging of food, for the safety and to decrease the chances for people to get affected by these diseases but sometimes due to the ignorance and some accidents in industry one may get affected by these diseases. Therefore, one needs to learn to be aware of how to avoid these situations from occurring, which will reduce monetary stress and discomfort in life. This paper has been prepared keeping these facts in mind.

The study aims to assess the effects of insurgency on economic activities of the rural farming households in Munya Local Government Area of Niger state, Nigeria. A purposive sampling technique was adopted, and data were collected from 142 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, and OLS regression model. The study showed that majority of the respondents (64.1%) were married, and their predominant age mean of 42 years. In terms of educational attainment, (86.6%) of the respondents had formal education. The results shows that kidnapping residents (82.4%), collecting taxes from residents (81.0%) and setting fire to livestock (73.2%) were the major types of insurgency activities in the study area. While male farmers, female farmers and youths are the most vulnerable groups to insurgencies activities in the study area. However, arable farming (97.2%) and livestock farming (69.7%) were the major economic activities participated by rural farming household before insurgency. The OLS regression model result shows that farming experience, frequency of insurgency, migration of farming households, destruction of farmlands, restriction on marketplaces and killing/kidnapping of farming households were the significant effects of insurgency on economic activities of the farming households in the study area. The result concludes that there are low economic activities of the faming households after the incidence of insurgency activities in the study area. Recommendations made based on the findings of this study include that government at all levels should put in place functional security system like community policing to supplement the operations of other security agencies.

Keywords: Insurgency, Economic activity, Farming households, Bandit and Production

In the high-altitude region of Ladakh, fresh vegetable availability is limited to the summer months. Due to freezing winters and the area’s remoteness, the residents of Ladakh have mastered the art of storing crops such as potatoes, carrot, radishes, onions, cabbage, turnip and swade. These stored vegetables are a crucial source of nutrition during the snow-covered months. This study presents the survey results from 140 households that aimed to gather information on vegetable storage practices during winter. To our knowledge, no similar survey has been conducted in this region. Potatoes and onions accounted for 61.3 percent of the vegetables stored, with cabbage, carrots, radishes, turnips, and swede following in decreasing order of quantity. Carrots and potatoes were the most commonly stored, with over 95 percent of surveyed farmers reporting their storage. The cellar was found to be suitable for storing all seven vegetables, while underground pits were appropriate for all except onions and cabbage. Rooms with natural ventilation were commonly used for storing onions and cabbage. The storage periods varied: cabbage, carrots, potatoes, radishes, and turnips were stored from October to April; swede from October to March; and onions from October to July. Future research and outreach initiatives should focus on addressing challenges related to digging, freezing, and rodent infestations. The results of the survey are intended to help researchers and extension personnel understand critical concerns related to vegetable storage during freezing winters in cold, arid regions.

Keywords: hidden hunger, Leh Ladakh, postharvest management, traditional knowledge, zero energy.

Service personnel deployed in an alien hostile environment of high altitude regions are distraught both psychologically and physically due to hypobaric hypoxia, physical exercise and the allied intensified metabolic rate causing oxidative / reductive stress due to the activation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species [RONS] generating systems, causing oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA. With a view to mitigate the effects of RONS through nutritional means, two types of ready-to-eat chocolate coated antioxidant rich nutrient [CC-ARN] bars have been successfully developed lately using cereals, pulses, solar dried fruits and vegetables etc., which are known to be rich in vitamin C, ? - carotene, vitamin E, iron and selenium. Consumption of a bar of 30g daily, as a snack, by a soldier in addition to the normal recommended ration has been assessed / projected to provide the constituent antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, iron, carotenoids besides potent polyphenols and flavonoids in quantities not exceeding fifty percent of the RDA levels. In order to evaluate the efficacy of these CC-ARN bars in moderating the oxidative cum physical stress in a biological system, the present study has been carried out using adult male albino rats subjected to physical stress induced by swimming exercise. Five groups of animals of ten each were fed diets prepared using the authorized ration scale for service personnel stationed at high altitudes, either with or without additional antioxidants derived from CC-ARN bars. Since the high-altitude situations could not be simulated due to non-availability of the necessary infrastructure and certain inherent limitations, the trials were carried out at normal conditions of temperature and atmospheric pressure. During the three weeks of experimental period the blood lactic acid and serum lactic dehydrogenase were evaluated periodically before and after exercise. At the end of the experiment the animals were humanely sacrificed and various tissues were harvested for evaluation of the changes associated with antioxidant supplementation vis-à-vis tissue levels of antioxidant components like glutathione, malonal di aldehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase. The results evidently indicated that antioxidants supplemented through CC-ARN bars considerably influenced alleviation of the oxidative stress induced due to swimming exercise.

Keywords: Green Energy, Fruits & Vegetables, Antioxidant Capacity, Blood Lactic Acid, Lactic Dehydrogenase, Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, Malonaldehyde, Swimming Exercise.

The purpose of study it to be T.harizianum as a biocontrol agent in agricultural field instead of chemical pesticides for sustainable farming practices. The importance of biological microscopic organisms like bacteria, fungi, protozoans and nematodes are one of the key entities in the process of nutrient cycle, and energy transfer in soil ecosystem. The use of chemical pesticides or fertilizer alters the biological diversity of soils. Biocontrol agents are prime important in soil ecosystems as well as reduce hazardous effects of chemical fertilizers. The pretreatment with T.harzianum increased seed germination and plant growth parameters, including shoot height, root length, the number of leaves total fresh weight and dry weight. The combined T.harzianum with pathogens Fusarium oxysporium, A.niger and A.flavus also decreased the disease index and reduced root rot and seedlings’ death. The fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporium, A.niger and A.flavus treatments significantly affected the growth and development of Okra, Fenugreek, Dolichos and those impact was significantly reduced with the administration of T.harzianum. Chlorophyll quantification study on Okra, Fenugreek and Dolichos plants was influenced by biotic stress in particularly fungal pathogens and treated plants, the reduction in chlorophyll concentration. T.harzianum pretreatment increased the chlorophyll pigmentation with or without F.oxysporum, A.niger and A.flavus.

Keywords: T.harzianum, Biocontrol agent, Pathogen, Chlorophyll.