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The subsurface condition of Addis Ababa City is heterogeneous and distinctly varies from place to place, ranging from very soft soil formation to competent rock mass units. This study characterized subsurface variations and estimated site-specific average shear wave velocity changes within the upmost 30 m (Vs30) geological medium at representative sites. We implemented combined active-source Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and passive-source Microtremor Array Measurements (MAM) surface wave methods to effectively characterize and estimate the shear wave velocity (Vs) of shallow and deep subsurface materials at nine selected sites in the city. The Vs30 of geological profile at the selected sites was attained by joint dispersion inversion analysis of active and passive surface wave data. The result shows that the Vs30 calculated at the selected sites in the city ranges from 256 to 1787 m/s. The study results were used for site classification of near-surface geological materials according to the Vs30 classification guideline proposed by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NERHP) and Eurocode-8 (EC-8) classification. Based on Vs30 results, the near-surface materials at the representative sites of the study area are categorized as site types C and D as per NEHRP and as site types B and C as per EC-8. Exceptionally, the rocky Arat Killo site is classified as a site type A in accordance with both NEHRP and EC-8. In addition, we validated acquired shear wave velocity profiles with local geological and engineering geological mapping and geotechnical boreholes proximate to measured sites to control the final inversion quality of Vs values to the corresponding layers. Since this study is the first in Addis Ababa City, the findings will be used for preliminary local site characterization and site specific seismic response analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss to follow-up (LTFU) from Option B plus, a lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), irrespective of their clinical stage and CD4 count, threatens the elimination of vertical transmission of the virus from mothers to their infants. However, evidence on reasons for LTFU and resumption after LTFU to Option B plus care among women has been limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study explored why women were LTFU from the service and what made them resume or refuse resumption after LTFU in Ethiopia. An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study using 46 in-depth interviews was employed among purposely selected women who were lost from Option B plus care or resumed care after LTFU, health care providers, and mother support group (MSG) members working in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission unit. A thematic analysis using an inductive approach was used to analyze the data and build subthemes and themes. Open Code Version 4.03 software assists in data management, from open coding to developing themes and sub-themes. We found that low socioeconomic status, poor relationship with husband and/or family, lack of support from partners, family members, or government, HIV-related stigma, and discrimination, lack of awareness on HIV treatment and perceived drug side effects, religious belief, shortage of drug supply, inadequate service access, and fear of confidentiality breach by healthcare workers were major reasons for LTFU. Healthcare workers' dedication to tracing lost women, partner encouragement, and feeling sick prompted women to resume care after LTFU. This study highlighted financial burdens, partner violence, and societal and health service-related factors discouraged compliance to retention among women in Option B plus care in Ethiopia. Women's empowerment and partner engagement were of vital importance to retain them in care and eliminate vertical transmission of the virus among infants born to HIV-positive women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: The present review critically assesses contemporary evidence characterizing the association between hormonal contraception (HC) and/or menopausal hormone replacement therapy (MHT) and breast cancer risk in patients considered "high risk." Recent Findings: Prospective studies of hormonal contraception methods for BRCA 1 mutation carriers do not demonstrate an association between combined oral contraceptives (COC) and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, findings consistent with those seen from systematic reviews evaluating this risk in patients with a family history of breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assigns progesterone-only and combined contraception a medical eligibility criteria (MEC) rating of 1, denoting no restrictions on use for those with benign breast disease and a family history of breast cancer. These guidelines include the etonogestrel implant, injected medroxyprogesterone acetate, levonorgestrel intrauterine device, combined oral contraceptive pill, patch, and intravaginal ring, and the recommendation highlights their overall safety in this population. However, the intravaginal ring, which contains the lowest systemic dose of ethinyl estradiol, as well as the locally-acting progestin intrauterine device systems can be considered for those concerned about hormonal exposure. The small potential breast cancer risk increase observed with progesterone-based birth control methods in few studies should be evaluated in the context of other risk factors such as lower parity in those using long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods. A large meta-analysis did not find an increased risk of breast cancer in BRCA ½ mutation carriers receiving estrogen-alone menopausal hormone replacement therapy, although progestin-containing regimens may warrant further study in high-risk populations. Summary: Most of the existing literature analyzing the risk of breast cancer associated with the use of HC and MHT is comprised of observational data and, therefore, vulnerable to selection and information bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive and improper use of antibiotics causes antimicrobial resistance which is a major threat to global health security. Hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest prevalence of antibiotic use. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled point prevalence (PPP) of evidence-based antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients in SSA. Literature was retrieved from CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA version 17. Forest plots using the random-effect model were used to present the findings. The heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using the I2 statistics and Egger's test. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO with code CRD42023404075. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A total of 26, 272 study participants reported by twenty-eight studies published from 10 countries in SSA were included. The pooled point prevalence of antimicrobial use in SSA were 64%. The pooled estimate of hospital wards with the highest antibiotic use were intensive care unit (89%). The pooled prevalence of the most common clinical indication for antibiotic use were community acquired infection (41%). The pooled point prevalence of antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients were higher in SSA. Higher use of antibiotics was recorded in intensive care units. Community acquired infection were most common clinical case among hospitalized patients. Health systems in SSA must design innovative digital health interventions to optimize clinicians adhere to evidence-based prescribing guidelines and improve antimicrobial stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is increasing and PTC ≤ 10 mm (PTMC) accounts for most new diagnoses. PTMCs are not always low risk, as detection of lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) may occur. The purpose of the study was to analyze the clinical pattern, frequency, and independent risk factors of patients with PTMC and LNM. From January 2022 to June 2023, PTCs managed at CTO Hospital, Rome; Policlinico Vanvitelli, Naples; and Garibaldi Nesima Hospital, Catania were included. PTC management followed the same diagnostic–therapeutic procedures according to the ATA guidelines. Variables such as age, sex, maximum diameter, histologic evidence of LNM (HELNM +), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), multifocality, capsule invasion, and histological subtype were considered. PTCs were divided according to HELNM and size. Two hundred ninety-eight PTCs were included. PTMCs were 136 (45.6%) and LNM occurred in 27.2% of them. In the HELNM + group, analysis of PTMC vs 'MacroPTC' (PTC > 10 mm) did not show any statistical difference. Multivariate regression revealed that young age (OR 0.93; CI 95% 0.90–0.96; p < 0.01) and male sex (male OR 3.44; CI 95% 1.16–10.20; p = 0.03) were the only independent risk factors for HELNM + in PTMC. The risk of LNM in PTMC is not negligible; therefore, a careful evaluation by an expert thyroidologist is mandatory for patients with small thyroid nodule, especially in younger and male patients before excluding surgery. In the future, new tools are needed to detect early PTMC with LNM before surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is a viral disease caused by co-infection of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and a potyvirus mostly Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV). MLN is one of the most important maize production constraints in East Africa including Ethiopia. In this study molecular characterization was used to determine potential insect vectors that transmit MLN causing viruses in Ethiopia. Suspected insect vectors of MLN causing viruses collected from maize fields were initially identified to a genus/species level based on the morphological features. Further taxonomic determination was carried out using DNA sequencing from cytochrome oxidase primers. Pre-identified insect vectors of MLN-causing viruses were separately tested in the greenhouse for potential transmission of MCMV and SCMV. Accordingly, maize thrips, Franklinella sp. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and cereal leaf beetle, Oulema sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) transmitted MCMV, whereas corn leaf aphids, Rhopalosiphum maidis Fich (Hemiptera: Aphididae) transmitted SCMV. Out of 86 maize fields surveyed, Franklinella sp. were widely distributed in 22 (25.6%) fields, mostly in Arsi and West Shewa zones of Oromia region. R. maidis was abundant in all the areas assessed, suggesting that this insect spp. is a vector for SCMV in Ethiopia. The presence of insects as vectors of MLN causing viruses on maize plants is believed to contribute to the widespread of MLN viruses from plant to plant, field to field and to new geographical areas. Thus, managing these vectors through appropriate control measures can reduce maize yield losses caused by MLN disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major health threat worldwide, causing a significant economic burden to patients and their families. Due to the longer duration of treatment and expensive second-line medicine, the economic burden of MDR-TB is assumed to be higher than drug-susceptible TB. However, the costs associated with MDR-TB are yet to be comprehensively quantified. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the global burden of catastrophic costs associated with MDR-TB on patients and their households. We systematically searched five databases (CINHAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) from inception to 2 September 2022 for studies reporting catastrophic costs on patients and affected families of MDR-TB. The primary outcome of our study was the proportion of patients and households with catastrophic costs. Costs were considered catastrophic when a patient spends 20% or more of their annual household income on their MDR-TB diagnosis and care. The pooled proportion of catastrophic cost was determined using a random-effects meta-analysis. Publication bias was assessed using visualization of the funnel plots and the Egger regression test. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2, and sub-group analysis was conducted using study covariates as stratification variables. Finally, we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Reporting Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis-20 (PRISMA-20). The research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021250909). Our search identified 6635 studies, of which 11 were included after the screening. MDR-TB patients incurred total costs ranging from $USD 650 to $USD 8266 during treatment. The mean direct cost and indirect cost incurred by MDR-TB patients were $USD 1936.25 (SD ± $USD 1897.03) and $USD 1200.35 (SD ± $USD 489.76), respectively. The overall burden of catastrophic cost among MDR-TB patients and households was 81.58% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 74.13–89.04%). The catastrophic costs incurred by MDR-TB patients were significantly higher than previously reported for DS-TB patients. MDR-TB patients incurred more expenditure for direct costs than indirect costs. Social protection and financial support for patients and affected families are needed to mitigate the catastrophic economic consequences of MDR-TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the use of brick powders (BPs) as an alternative to sand in self-compacting concrete (SCC) is investigated. Currently, the Indian Standards permit about 10% fine materials in sand below the 150-micron sieve. There is very little research conducted to determine the impact of fines on SCC properties, and this study is focused on addressing this research gap. Crushed BPs were used because they are conventionally available and because the sand scarcity problem can be addressed to a large extent using BPs. The effect of the BP addition on the fundamental properties of combined fillers, the flow and rheology of mortars, and the strength and durability aspects of SCCs were investigated at 5% and 12.5% weight dosages. Results showed that adding BPs reduced the D50 size of the combined gradation; however, the packing density was not improved. Due to the greater surface area of brick particles, which may have raised the paste demand for a given mixture volume and increased the dominance of frictional and interlocking properties in the mixture, the workability of SCCMs was negatively impacted at both dosages of BP. The flow loss behaviour changed very little within the first 30 min after the addition of BP in the mixture, suggesting excellent consistency and minimal to no bleeding. Due to the greater water absorption of brick particles, both dosages of BP increased the absolute viscosity of the mixture, corroborating the trends seen by flow characteristics. At 5% and 10% dosage, the yield stress of the mixture increased and decreased, respectively. In contrast to the decreased value, which could have been caused by other factors like aggregate angularity, surface roughness, and interlocking mechanisms, the increased value is attributed to the increase in surface area of BP particles, which results in more solids and solid-to-solid interactions in the paste. Regarding SCC properties, the BP addition at 5% and 12.5% dosages passed all flow-related tests (filling, passing, and segregation ability), demonstrating its efficacy in SCCs. The BP addition at 5% dosage decreased the early and later age compressive strengths of SCCs by 3%–14%, provided comparable flexural strengths, increased split tensile strength, decreased water absorption and sorptivity values, increased resistivity, and provided a comparable charge-passed value. At higher dosages of 12.5%, the strength and the charge passed value increased. Overall, it can be concluded that many SCC properties were either improved or remained unaffected by the BP addition, and thus, a viable alternative exists at the studied dosages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to use Clerodendrum fragrans leaf powder as a biosorbent to extract crystal violet (CV) dye from textile wastewater in a batch study. Contact time, solution pH, initial CV dye concentration, biosorbent dosage, average particle size of the biosorbent, and temperature all had an impact on the method. Thermodynamic, kinetic, and isotherm studies of the effects of removing CV dye from Clerodendrum fragrans biosorbent were studied. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the relationships between the process parameters that affect the process and to optimize it for high dye removal. The maximum removal efficiency was predicted to be 96.72% for crystal violet, which was obtained at a temperature of 303.90 K, solution pH of 5.03, initial dye concentration of 19.44 mg/L, and biosorbent dosage of 1.27 g. Using Clerodendrum fragrans leaves as a biosorbent, the uptake of crystal violet dye was found to be 13.50 mg/g in this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous deaths in under-five children occur from preventable and treatable causes. Seeking medical care for a sick child is an important aspect of child health. Parents decide the type and frequency of health care service utilization for their children. A number of factors influence mothers'/caregivers' health care seeking behavior for sick children. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of health care seeking behavior and factors associated with common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia. Methods: Studies were accessed via electronic web-based searches of PubMed, Web of Science, African Journals Online, the Cochrane Library, HINARI (Health Inter-Network Access to Research Initiative), and Google Scholar. We included all studies reporting the prevalence of health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia and published in the English language. The data were analyzed using Stata Version 14.1 software. A forest plot and I-squared test were carried out to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. A funnel plot and Egger's regression test were done to check the publication bias. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence and subgroup analysis performed to identify the probable source of heterogeneity. Results: Twelve articles comprising 16,873) study participants, were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia was 46.6% (95% CI: 38.7, 54.4) with severe heterogeneity (I2 = 99.0%; p value <0.001) and significant publication bias. Being of the male sex (OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.43), severity of the illness (OR = 4.04; 95% CI: 2.45, 6.66), rural place of residence (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.67), and having an educated mother/caregiver (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.37, 3.65) were factors associated with health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses. Conclusion: Mothers'/caregivers' health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses was low in Ethiopia. The sex of the child, severity of the illness, place of residence, and maternal educational status were the major factors that determined the health care seeking behavior for common childhood illness. We recommend that awareness-raising activities should be strengthened, with a focus on rural residents and less educated mothers/caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer and diabetes mellitus (DM) are diagnosed within the same individual more frequently and share common risk factors. Although diabetes among cancer patients may result in more aggressive clinical courses of cancer, there is limited evidence about its burden and associated factors. Hence, this study aimed to assess the burden of diabetes and prediabetes among cancer patients and its associated factors. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital from 10 January to 10 March 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 423 cancer patients. The data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Prediabetes and diabetes diagnosis was made based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with the outcome. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was estimated to show the direction and strength of associations. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 in the multivariable model were considered significantly associated with the outcome. The final analysis was based on 384 patients with cancer. The proportion of prediabetes and diabetes was 56.8% (95% CI 51.7, 61.7) and 16.7% (95% CI 13.3, 20.8), respectively. Alcohol consumption was found to increase the odds of elevated blood sugar among cancer patients (AOR: 1.96; 95%CI: 1.11, 3.46). The burden of prediabetes and diabetes is alarmingly high among cancer patients. Besides, alcohol consumption was found to increase the odds of having elevated blood sugar among cancer patients. Hence, it is essential to recognize cancer patients are at high risk of having elevated blood sugar and design strategies to integrate diabetes and cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of environmental taxes and environmental stringent policies in reducing CO2 emissions in a panel of 20 European countries for the period 1995–2012. As mounting global environmental and climate challenges are becoming great cause for concern, environmental stringency policies and environmental taxes are becoming the cornerstones for a sustainable environment. Applying panel cointegration tests, we found a negative and a statistically significant relationship between environment taxes (disaggregated into total, energy and transport taxes) and CO2 emissions on the one hand and also a negative and a statistically significant relationship between environmental policy stringent and CO2 emissions on the other. The robustness of the evidence is also supported by a quantile regression model. The higher the environmental stringency policy, the lower the CO2 emission. Similarly, the higher the revenue from total environmental tax, energy and transport tax, the higher the reductions in CO2 emissions. Both these two policy instruments were effective in reducing CO2 emissions. The positive impact of environmental tax on improving environmental quality should encourage policy makers to increase environmental tax as the current level of environmental tax is believed to be low relative to levels required to achieve climate change objectives and is also low relative to the social cost of carbon and relative to the prices of taxed fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A secured compressed sensing (CS) systems design approach uses a novel deterministic sensing matrix to sense and transmit fingerprint images. The performance of the CS system was studied in detail by varying CS and security parameters. The sampling and sparse coefficient are the parameters considered from compressed sensing, whereas the encryption key is from the security scheme. The simultaneous compression and encryption has been achieved by multiplying the sparse modeled data with the proposed deterministic partial bounded orthogonal sensing matrix. A chaotic model-based permutation is applied to scramble the DCT matrix rows to build the sensing matrix. Recovering and decryption of the compressed image are accomplished with the help of the L1 optimization method. The experimental test shows that a sparse vector of 121 widths has been recovered by taking about 25 samples. This indicates that up to 1 : 5 compression ratio is supported without damaging the fingerprint minutiae. If only compression is required without encryption, up to a 1 : 16 ratio can be achieved. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is 27.65 dB for both compression ratios under fulfilments of all necessary security requirements. The 7.20 value of the entropy, histogram analysis, and the correlation analysis show the proposed scheme possesses adequate randomness. Furthermore, the ability of the system resistance against attacks is proved by 100% NPCR (Net Pixel Change Rate) and 0.92% UACI (Unified Average Changing Intensity) values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacterium Escherichia coli initiates replication once per cell cycle at a precise volume per origin and adds an on average constant volume between successive initiation events, independent of the initiation size. Yet, a molecular model that can explain these observations has been lacking. Experiments indicate that E. coli controls replication initiation via titration and activation of the initiator protein DnaA. Here, we study by mathematical modelling how these two mechanisms interact to generate robust replication-initiation cycles. We first show that a mechanism solely based on titration generates stable replication cycles at low growth rates, but inevitably causes premature reinitiation events at higher growth rates. In this regime, the DnaA activation switch becomes essential for stable replication initiation. Conversely, while the activation switch alone yields robust rhythms at high growth rates, titration can strongly enhance the stability of the switch at low growth rates. Our analysis thus predicts that both mechanisms together drive robust replication cycles at all growth rates. In addition, it reveals how an origin-density sensor yields adder correlations. Homeostasis of DNA density is a hallmark of living cells. The authors show via mathematical modelling how two cycles, a titration-based concentration cycle and a nucleotide activation cycle, together drive replication in E. coli at all growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health problems such as distress affect society in a non-differential fashion. In recent decades, mental distress is becoming a common health problem among students. In this regard, there is limited information about the problem available in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of mental distress among college students in Kemisie district, Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 students from February 11 to 14 2020. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Self-reporting questionnaire (referred to as the SRQ-20) is a standardized questionnaire having 20-item questions and was used as a tool for mental distress. Appropriate descriptive statistics was done. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with mental distress. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. A p value < 0.05 was used to declare the statistical significance of the variables. Prevalence of mental distress among students was 17.6% (95% CI 13.8–21.4%). Not having close friends (AOR = 3.61; 95% CI 1.61–8.14), attend religious programs (AOR = 0.23; 95% CI 0.14–0.53), conflict with friend (AOR = 3.07; 95% CI 1.44–6.33), not having pocket money (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI 1.27–25.80), ever use of Chat (AOR = 5.06; 95% CI 2.12–11.80), current use of Chat (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI 1.04–9.82), decreased grade than anticipated (AOR = 3.20; 95% CI 1.436–7.16), and low and moderate social support (AOR = 3.34; 95% CI 1.41–7.92) and (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI 1.08–5.68), respectively were statistically significantly associated factors of mental distress. The overall prevalence of mental distress among students in Kemisie district, Ethiopia was high. In Ethiopia, along with the current economic crisis and the absence of social support, the problem could be increased. Therefore, the mental health needs of the college students require attention with special emphasis on not having close friends, never attending religious programs, conflict with friends, absence of pocket money, students who use Khat, and those who have low social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence indicates that a significant proportion of women drink alcohol during pregnancy. Studies have also suggested that prenatal alcohol consumption was associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to systematically summarize the available evidence on the epidemiology of alcohol consumption among pregnant women in Ethiopia and suggest evidence based recommendations for future clinical practice. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was followed the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, SCOPUS and EMBASE databases were searched to identify relevant articles that assessed alcohol consumption among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software version 3.0 was used to conduct a meta-analysis using the random-effect model. Cochran's Q- and I2-tests were used to assess the heterogeneity of the included studies. Results: A total of 6361 pregnant women from fifteen primary studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence estimate of alcohol consumption among pregnant women in Ethiopia was found to be 14.1%. The pooled prevalence of alcohol consumption among pregnant women in Ethiopia was reported to be lower in the studies that used the standardized alcohol consumption assessment tools (9.4%) when compared to the studies that did not use standardized tools (17%). The pooled prevalence of alcohol consumption among pregnant women ranged between 12.8% and 15.5% in leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. Conclusion: A considerable number of women in Ethiopia consume alcohol during pregnancy. Therefore, early identification and intervention strategies are highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence and productivity of larval habitat is a major factor that regulates adult Anopheles mosquitoes' density and malaria transmission intensity. A study on Anopheles mosquitoes breeding habitat diversity, distribution, characteristics and larval density in different seasons across various habitat types is important to design effective larval control strategies. This study was aimed to investigate the Anopheles species composition, the productivity of larval breeding habitats, and their spatial distribution in selected localities of Dembiya District. A longitudinal study on characteristics and productivity of Anopheles larval breeding habitats was conducted from June 2018 to May 2019 in selected localities of Dembiya District. Anopheles larvae were collected using standard WHO dipper (350 ml capacity) and droppers depending on the size of the breeding habitats. Physicochemical characteristics of breeding habitats were measured and Anopheles mosquitoes were identified by using morphological keys and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Logistic regression was used to assess the association of environmental factors with the presence or absence of Anopheles mosquitoes larvae. A total of 1,629 Anopheles larvae and 185 pupae were collected from both localities. These comprise Anopheles arabiensis, An. pharoensis, An. coustani, An. christyi, An. squamosus, An. demeilloni, An. danicalicus, and An. cinereus. The highest density of Anopheles larvae was collected from at a drying water canal (14.7 ± 3.5 larvae/dip) and the lowest larval density was recorded in rain water pools (0.2 ± 0.2 larvae/dip). The presence or absence of Anopheles larvae were significantly associated with physical characteristics of the breeding habitats such as turbidity (mid turbid) (AOR = 66.03; 95% CI: 2.01-2168.24, p = 0.019) and presence of grasses (AOR = 12.62; 95% CI: 1.29-122.78, p = 0.029). This study indicated that breeding sites persist and support Anopheles mosquito breeding activities and impact malaria control and elimination programs. Incorporating vector control strategies targeting Anopheles larvae as a part of malaria intervention strategies could enhance the malaria control and elimination program in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients with advanced cancer can experience their disease as a contingent life event. The sudden interruption of their life stories can obscure life goals and disrupt meaning making. In the context of the research project "In search of stories," we aim to investigate the reading and discussion of selected stories which present ways of dealing with a contingent life event. In addition, we examine the use of a newly developed guide for reading these exemplary texts together with advanced cancer patients. Methods: This qualitative study describes the experiences of five patients with advanced cancer who participated in a guided reading and discussion about selected literary texts. The intervention consisted of reading a selected story, after which each patient was interviewed, using the reading guide as a conversation template. The interviews were then thematically analyzed for their conceptual content using a template analysis. Results: All five conversations showed some form of recognition in reaction to the chosen text, which led to personal identification of experiences of contingency, such as loss of life goals, impending death, or feelings of uncertainty. Besides the important role of identification, revealed by the responses to the questions in the reading guide, the discussion of the text helped them articulate their own experience and sources of meaning. Diverse worldviews came to the fore and concepts of meaning such as fate, life goals, quality of life, and death. Conclusions: First experiences with our newly developed reading guide designed to support a structured reading of stories containing experiences of contingency suggest that it may help patients to express their own experiences of contingency and to reflect on these experiences. Implications for Cancer Survivors: The intervention tested in this study may contribute to supportive care for survivors with advanced cancer, but further research is needed to evaluate its effect on quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive podocyte loss is a feature of healthy ageing. While previous studies have reported age-related changes in podocyte number, density and size and associations with proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis, few studies have examined how the response of remaining podocytes to podocyte depletion changes with age. Mild podocyte depletion was induced in PodCreiDTR mice aged 1, 6, 12 and 18 months via intraperitoneal administration of diphtheria toxin. Control mice received intraperitoneal vehicle. Podometrics, proteinuria and glomerular pathology were assessed, together with podocyte expression of p-rp-S6, a phosphorylation target that represents activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Podocyte number per glomerulus did not change in control mice in the 18-month time period examined. However, control mice at 18 months had the largest podocytes and the lowest podocyte density. Podocyte depletion at 1, 6 and 12 months resulted in mild albuminuria but no glomerulosclerosis, whereas similar levels of podocyte depletion at 18 months resulted in both albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis. Following podocyte depletion at 6 and 12 months, the number of p-rp-S6 positive podocytes increased significantly, and this was associated with an adaptive increase in podocyte volume. However, at 18 months of age, remaining podocytes were unable to further elevate mTOR expression or undergo hypertrophic adaptation in response to mild podocyte depletion, resulting in marked glomerular pathology. These findings demonstrate the importance of mTORC1-mediated podocyte hypertrophy in both physiological (ageing) and adaptive settings, highlighting a functional limit to podocyte hypertrophy reached under physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agriculture focuses using agricultural resources with minimum possible negative environmental externality to produce more food. The present study reports the environmental and health risks associated with the use, management and handling of agrochemical in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia. Six Woredas (or districts) covering both upstream and downstream areas and major ecosystems were selected. Data were collected using focus group discussion, key informant interviews, field observation and literature review. Pesticide Risks in the Tropics for Man, Environment and Trade tool was used to analyse data. Results indicated that local community's awareness on use, handling and management of pesticides was low. Applications of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides polluted surface water systems and affected aquatic animals and plants with different level of risk (i.e. from no or insignificant risk to acute and chronic levels). The level of risks of using agrochemical on aquatic animals, human and the environment increased when the agricultural practices changed from good to non-good practices (i.e. increasing frequency of application). The types of agrochemicals determined the levels of risks on aquatic animals, human and the environment. For example, copper hydroxide and Lambda pose high risk, whereas Chlorpyrifos poses possible risk on fish under good agricultural practices. Also, the results indicated that the level of risks of using agrochemicals on fish and aquatic vertebrates was high for few pesticides (e.g. Chlorpyrifos) under both good and bad agricultural practices. The results of the present study support decision makers, practitioners and farmers to put corrective measures when importing agrochemicals, provide targeted risk management schemes including training on safety measures and screen agrochemicals on the market, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of experiments in laboratory and hoop house environments was conducted to develop a cyanobacteria-based biological N fertilizer source that can be produced in Ethiopian villages, thus providing an alternative to expensive, imported urea. In the laboratory, factorial combinations of four Anabaena species strains (E-2, E-3, E-5, and E-9) isolated from Ethiopian soils and three water sources (river, lake, and ground water) were laid out in a complete randomized design in a light box constructed for this purpose with three replications. Factorial combinations of two pond-lining materials (transparent and black plastic sheets) and two aeration intervals (1-hour and 30-min intervals) were laid out in a complete randomized design with three replications in a hoop house using small ponds (1 m × 2 m × 0.25 m). Cyanobacteria strain E-3 performed best in the river water and was selected based on significantly higher values of optical density, growth rate, heterocyst frequency, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen than the other strains. DNA sequencing showed that clones of E-3 shared 99% similarity with Anabaena oscillariodes. Moreover, transparent plastic–lined ponds with a 1-hour aeration interval provided the best growing conditions for the E-3 strain based on its significantly higher dry biomass, optical density, and growth rate under these conditions as compared with ponds lined with black plastic or aerated in 30-min intervals. Therefore, transparent plastic–lined ponds with 1-hour aeration intervals are recommended for the mass production of A. osciolloides strain E-3 for use as a biofertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is a viral disease caused by a co-infection of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any one of cereal viruses including sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), maize dwarf mosaic virus, wheat streak mosaic virus or Johnsongrass mosaic virus. MLN has been identified as the most devastating maize disease that causes the highest yield loss in major maize growing areas in Eastern Africa including Ethiopia. In this study, field assessment, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments were conducted using MCMV and SCMV infected maize residue and infested soil to: (1) assess the role of MLN infected maize residue and infested soil in the transmission of MLN causing viruses, and (2) determine the longevity of the viruses both in the infected maize residue and in the infested soils. Serological detection and back-inoculation test results showed that MCMV was detected and confirmed to be transmitted from infested soil to newly germinated maize seedlings. However, SCMV was neither detected in soil samples from infected fields nor transmitted to maize seedlings. The present study confirmed that MLN infested soil is an essential medium for the survival and spread of MCMV under natural conditions. Under experimental condition, MCMV remained persistent and transmissible up to 6 months to maize planted on MLN infested soil mixed with MLN infected maize residues. Proper management or clearing of crop residues in the field after harvest is necessary to minimize adverse effects of MLN on maize production. Crop rotation is also one of the ways of freeing the soil from MLN disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensive efforts were made to improve maternal and child health, the magnitude of home child-birth is considerably high in Ethiopia. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the effect of lack of ANC visit and unwanted pregnancy on home child-birth among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. International databases, including Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, Global Health, HINARI, and CINAHL were searched systematically to identify studies reporting the prevalence of home child-birth and its association with lack of ANC visit and unwanted pregnancy among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. STATA/SE version-14 was used to analyze the data and Der Simonian and Liard's method of random effect model was used to estimate the pooled effects. The heterogeneity between study and publication bias was assessed by using I-squared statistics and Egger's test respectively. A total of 19 studies with 25,228 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of home child-birth among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia was 55.3%. Sever heterogeneity was exhibited among the included studies (I2 = 99.8, p = 0.000). The odds of home child-birth among mothers who have no ANC visit was 3.64 times higher compared to their counterparts [OR = 3.64, 95%, CI: (1.45, 9.13)]. There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies (I2 = 94%, p = 0.000). However, there was no statistical evidence of publication bias in the pooled effect of lack of ANC visit on home child-birth (P = 0.302). Women who experienced unwanted pregnancy were 3.02 times higher to give birth at home compared to women with a wanted pregnancy [OR = 3.02, 95%CI: (1.19, 7.67)]. Severe heterogeneity was exhibited (I2 = 93.1%, p = 0.000) but, there was no evidence of significant publication bias in the pooled effect of unwanted pregnancy on home child-birth (P = 0.832). The proportion of home child-birth among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia remains high. Lack of ANC visit and unwanted pregnancy had a significant effect on the practice of home child-birth. Strengthening behavioral change communication programs should be the primary focus area to improve institutional delivery service utilization among women with lack of ANC visit and unwanted pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Normal feathered local chicken (LL), Sasso-RIR (SRSR) and their F1-cross (LSR) chickens were hatched to evaluate for egg hatchability, body weight, feed efficiency, and survival rate. After 14 days of brooding, 150 chicks of each genotype were randomly selected and further replicated into five pens in a deep litter grower house consisting of 30 chicks each in a completely randomized design, and evaluated for a period of 16 weeks. Hatchability of fertile eggs was highest for LL (80.0%), intermediate for LSR (68.6%), and lowest for SRSR (55.9%) chickens. The body weight (BW) of chicks at 2 weeks of age was 80.0, 76.3, and 61.5 g/bird for SRSR, LSR, and LL, respectively, the latter being the lowest (p < 0.05). The respective BW at 8 weeks of age was 732, 587, and 451 g while at 18 weeks it was 1877, 1379, and 1070 g/bird and different from each other (p < 0.05). During 3- to 8-week and 9- to 18-week growth periods, the LL chickens were inferior (p < 0.05) in feed intake (29.7 and 66.9 g/d/bird) whereas the SRSR chickens were superior (p < 0.05) in body weight gain (15.5 and 16.3 g/d/bird) and feed conversion ratio (2.67 and 5.35 g feed/ g gain), respectively. The mortality rate of chicken was not affected by genotypes. It can be concluded that Sasso-RIR chicken genotype had played a significant role in upgrading the growth rate and market weight of the local normal feathered chicken without adverse effect on hatchability, feed efficiency, and survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients in clinical practice are transitioned from originator etanercept (OR-ETA) to biosimilar etanercept (BS-ETA), but some subsequently retransition. Insights into the incidence of and reasons for retransitioning and the characteristics of these patients could help clinicians successfully introduce biosimilars. Objective: Our objective was to assess the incidence of and reasons for retransitioning from BS-ETA to OR-ETA in patients with a rheumatic disease (RD) and to explore the determinants thereof. Methods: This cohort study included all patients with RD who had transitioned from OR-ETA to BS-ETA in a large hospital in the Netherlands in 2016. The incidence of retransitioning to OR-ETA and the 1-year persistence with BS-ETA were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier estimator. Reasons for retransitioning were classified as related to (1) efficacy, (2) adverse events, (3) the administration device, and (4) other. Determinants for retransitioning, including baseline and treatment characteristics, were assessed in a nested case–control study using conditional logistic regression. Results: We included 342 patients (median age 57.8 years; 53.5% females). At 1 year after transitioning, 9.4% of patients had retransitioned to OR-ETA and 69.7% were persistent with BS-ETA. At the end of follow-up (median 4.4 years), 47 patients (13.7%) had retransitioned to OR-ETA. The median time until retransitioning was 0.55 years (interquartile range 0.2–1.3). Most patients (n = 34 [72.3%]) retransitioned because of a (perceived) loss of effect, followed by adverse events (23.4%). In total 3.8% of patients switched to another biological treatment or a Janus kinase inhibitor; 17.1% of patients discontinued BS-ETA without retransitioning or switching within the first year. Univariate determinants for retransitioning included initiating corticosteroids or intensifying immunomodulator treatment (odds ratio [OR] 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–5.45) and the number of visits to the rheumatology department (OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.55–2.74). In the multivariate analysis, only the number of visits to the rheumatology department remained significantly associated with retransitioning (OR 2.19; 95% CI 1.60–3.01). Conclusion: When introducing a biosimilar in clinical care, clinicians should anticipate that one in seven patients will retransition to the originator. A (perceived) loss of effect was the most frequently reported reason for retransitioning. Patients who visited the rheumatology department more frequently had an increased risk of retransitioning, which is likely to be related to patients reporting a loss of effect and to adverse events resulting in more visits to the rheumatology department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in synthetic biology may bring the bottom-up generation of a synthetic cell within reach. A key feature of a living synthetic cell is a functional cell cycle, in which DNA replication and segregation as well as cell growth and division are well integrated. Here, we describe different approaches to recreate these processes in a synthetic cell, based on natural systems and/or synthetic alternatives. Although some individual machineries have recently been established, their integration and control in a synthetic cell cycle remain to be addressed. In this Perspective, we discuss potential paths towards an integrated synthetic cell cycle. A key feature of living cells is the cell cycle. In this Perspective, the authors explore attempts to recreate this process and what is still required for an integrated synthetic cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remarkable camouflage capabilities of cephalopods have inspired many to develop dynamic optical materials which exploit certain design principles and/or material properties from cephalopod dermal cells. Here, the angle-dependent optical properties of various single-layer reflectin thin-films on Si wafers are characterized within the UV–Vis–NIR regions. Following this, initial efforts to design, fabricate, and optically characterize a bio-inspired reflectin-based multilayer reflector is described, which was found to conserve the optical properties of single layer films but exhibit reduced angle-dependent visible reflectivity. Finally, we report the integration of phytochrome visible light-induced isomerism into reflectin-based films, which was found to subtly modulate reflectin thin-film reflectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Genetic modification of spike architecture is essential for improving wheat yield. Newly identified loci for the 'Miracle wheat' phenotype on chromosomes 1AS and 2BS have significant effects on spike traits. The wheat (Triticum ssp.) inflorescence, also known as a spike, forms an unbranched inflorescence in which the inflorescence meristem generates axillary spikelet meristems (SMs) destined to become sessile spikelets. Previously, we identified the putatively causative mutation in the branched headt (bht) gene (TtBH-A1) of tetraploid wheat (T. turgidum convar. compositum (L.f.) Filat.) responsible for the loss of SM identity, converting the non-branching spike to a branched wheat spike. In the current study, we performed whole-genome quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using 146 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between spike-branching wheat ('Miracle wheat') and an elite durum wheat cultivar showing broad phenotypic variation for spike architecture. Besides the previously found gene at the bht-A1 locus on the short arm of chromosome 2A, we also mapped two new modifier QTL for spike-branching on the short arm of chromosome 1A, termed bht-A2, and 2BS. Using biparental mapping population and GWAS in 302 diverse accessions, the 2BS locus was highly associated with coding sequence variation found at the homoeo-allele of TtBH-B1 (bht-B1). Thus, RILs that combined both bht-A1 and bht-B1 alleles showed additive genetic effects leading to increased penetrance and expressivity of the supernumerary spikelet and/or mini-spike formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the situation of high maternal morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 80% of pregnant women receive antenatal care services. To date, the overall effect of antenatal care (ANC) follow up on essential newborn practice have not been estimated in East Africa. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effect of ANC follow up on essential newborn care practice in East Africa. We reported this review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). We searched articles using PubMed, Cochrane library, African journal online (AJOL), and HINARI electronic databases as well as Google/Google scholar search engines. Heterogeneity and publication bias between studies were assessed using I2 test statistics and Egger's significance test. Forest plots were used to present the findings. In this review, 27 studies containing 34,440 study participants were included. The pooled estimate of essential newborn care practice was 38% (95% CI 30.10–45.89) in the study area. Women who had one or more antenatal care follow up were about 3.71 times more likely practiced essential newborn care compared to women who had no ANC follow up [OR 3.71, 95% CI 2.35, 5.88]. Similarly, women who had four or more ANC follow up were 2.11 times more likely practiced essential newborn care compared to women who had less than four ANC follow up (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.33, 3.35). Our study showed that the practice of ENBC was low in East Africa. Accordingly, those women who had more antenatal follow up were more likely practiced Essential newborn care. Thus, to improve the practice of essential newborn care more emphasis should be given on increasing antenatal care follow up of pregnant women in East Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is a leading public health problem in Ethiopia despite the implementation of effective indoor vector control strategies over several decades. In the country, the use of botanicals to prevent the transmission of malaria is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the larvicidal activities of the extracts of the roots, stems, and leaves of Parthenium hysterophorus against the 4th instar larvae of Anopheles arabiensis. Field collected leaves, stems and root parts of P. hysterophorus were dried and separately ground to powder and extracted in petroleum ether, hexane, acetone, and ethanol solvents. The extracts were concentrated, and stock solutions were subject to serial dilutions for use as test concentrations. Laboratory reared 4th instar larvae of An. arabiensis were used for the larvicidal bioassays. Probit analysis was used to determine LC50 and LC90 of the extracts. There were significant differences in percentage larval mortalities (P < 0.05) among different concentrations of the leaf, stem, and root solvent extracts, respectively. Petroleum ether extracts of P. hysterophorus root were the most effective in causing very high larval mortality at 360 ppm and 480 ppm (98.3%) when compared to other extract of the plant parts. The LC50 and LC90 value of petroleum ether root extract (10.7 ppm and 105.5 ppm respectively) were significantly lower than those of ethanol, acetone, and hexane root extracts. Petroleum ether root extract of P. hysterophorus has remarkably high larvicidal potential against 4th instar larvae of An. arabiensis which could be exploited for malaria vector control. Further studies on the larvicidal efficacy of the extracts under field conditions and identification of the bioactive components in the root parts of this plant are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes have significant influences on the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus, as the WEF nexus characteristics change naturally due to dynamic LULC changes. However, understanding the WEF nexus' potential and characteristics in the watershed under the influence of LULC changes is less commonly explored. This study used the social network analysis (SNA) model to analyze the interaction between land use (LU) types and water, energy, and food nexus attributes. Moreover, we used regression analysis to analyze the impact of various LU types on the WEF nexus. The LULC maps of 1986, 2000, 2011, and 2019 were prepared by digital classification method with proper accuracy using satellite imagery. The results show that agroforestry is the dominant LU type, accounting for 25.8–53.1% from 1986 to 2019. Further, settlement increased a 100-fold, which shows the dynamic LULC changes. SNA computed the maximum inter-linkage for forest and water access attributes, while agroforestry and food attributes acted as bridge in the network. This shows that there was inter-dependence between LULC changes and the WEF nexus. This result suggests that LU dynamics can exert pressure on the WEF nexus' resource potential, resulting in WEF insecurity. The analysis of impacts of LULC changes on the WEF nexus shows that the changes that occurred in major LUs (i.e., agroforestry, bare land, settlements, and grass land) had significantly impacted hydrological behaviors, energy characteristics, and food production potential. Understanding LULC changes helps us to conserve and manage WEF nexus resources and to resolve the current dilemmas between land, water, energy, and food sector policies and decisions to improve resource productivity, lower environmental pressure, and enhance human wellbeing and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel integrated design and simulation approach is applied to analyze the performance of a metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor circuit while varying circuit and CMOS parameters, viz. the supply voltage and threshold voltage (Vt), respectively. For effective mechanical pressure sensing, a sensor MOSFET is integrated near the fixed edge of a deformable silicon diaphragm for maximum stress exposure. The stress value where the sensor MOSFET is located on the diaphragm surface is calculated using the finite-element method (FEM). Additionally, the threshold voltage required to activate the sensor MOSFET is also extracted using the FEM. The extracted value of Vt along with the corresponding gate oxide thickness are used to design and simulate the sensor circuit in the SPICE tool. The FEM-based multiphysics simulation is linked to a standard direct-current (DC) model SPICE simulation using our proposed carrier mobility model for a MOSFET under mechanical stress. All the FEM computations are performed using COMSOL Multiphysics, all the electrical simulations are performed using LT-SPICE, and the full sensor circuit is designed and simulated by integrating COMSOL Multiphysics and LT-SPICE via a MATLAB script. The validity of the design is confirmed by comparing these results with analytical computations. The results obtained using the integrated simulation approach confirm that the design is reliable and enable the sensor performance to be examined in terms of its sensitivity, yielding a value of 30 mV/MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental tax and environmental policy stringency are becoming central policy instruments for combating environmental degradation but there is a lack of studies that assess their combined effectiveness in mitigating emissions especially for emerging economies. We address this important gap by assessing the effectiveness of these two policy instruments in reducing CO2 emission in a panel of 7 emerging economies for the period 1994–2015. We believe that this is the first attempt to apply these two important policy instruments in the same framework for testing their effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions in these 7 emerging economies. We apply heterogeneous panel data considering cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity tests by using the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) which is efficient and unbiased and produces consistent estimates. We found an inverted U-shaped relationship between CO2 emissions and environmental policy stringency suggesting that it takes time for environmental policy stringency to be effective. We also found unidirectional causality running from environmental policy stringency to CO2 emission. CO2 emission was negatively and significantly related to total environmental tax with causality running from total environmental tax to CO2 emission thus supporting the "green dividend" hypothesis of improving environmental quality. In contrast, CO2 emission and energy taxes were not causality related but CO2 emission was negatively and significantly related to energy taxes. Robustness checks using the FMOLS also show that both environmental policy stringency and environmental taxes can be effective in mitigating CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic disturbance and fragmentation have changed the structure and composition of northern Ethiopian forests. This study was conducted to determine disturbance levels of patches, and examine the effect of anthropogenic disturbance and fragment size on diversity and structural attributes of woody species. A systematic sampling method was used to collect data and 61 nested plots of each 400 m2 were used. The disturbance index was used to assess disturbance intensities. To examine the effects of fragment size and anthropogenic disturbances on woody species diversity and structure, regression analysis was performed. ANOVA was used to examine differences in woody species diversity and structural attributes among fragments. Similarities among patches were assessed by Sorensen's similarity index. A total of 80 woody species, representing 68 genera and 43 families were recorded. Diversity, evenness, stem density ha−1, and basal area were 2.8 ± 0.47, 0.73 ± 1.10, 1171.21 ± 220.10, and 39.89 ± 17.47 m2 ha−1 respectively. The mean number of species, evenness, and diversity were significantly different among fragments. Diversity, evenness, the mean number of species, and stem density per hectare significantly increased with increasing fragment size. Disturbance intensities varied among fragments. However, the mean basal area, mean seedling, and sapling density per hectare were not significantly affected by patch size and disturbance intensities. Generally, forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbance resulted in the reduction of diversity, affect woody species structure, and increased the level of disturbance. Therefore, recognizing the role of small fragments for forest conservation, minimizing further disturbance, and undertaking restoration activities in disturbed patches are strongly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) used to be considered a restrictive host that nodulated and fixed nitrogen only with Mesorhizobium ciceri and M. mediterraneum. Recent analysis revealed that chickpea can also establish effective symbioses with strains of several other Mesorhizobium species such as M. loti, M. haukuii, M. amorphae, M. muleiense, etc. These strains vary in their nitrogen fixation potential inviting further exploration. We characterized newly collected mesorhizobial strains isolated from various locations in Ethiopia to evaluate genetic diversity, biogeographic structure and symbiotic effectiveness. Symbiotic effectiveness was evaluated in Leonard Jars using a locally released chickpea cultivar "Nattoli". Most of the new isolates belonged to a clade related to M. plurifarium, with very few sequence differences, while the total collection of strains contained three additional mesorhizobial genospecies associated with M. ciceri, M. abyssinicae and an unidentified Mesorhizobium species isolated from a wild host in Eritrea. The four genospecies identified represented a subset of the eight major Mesorhizobium clades recently reported for Ethiopia based on metagenomic data. All Ethiopian strains had nearly identical symbiotic genes that grouped them in a single cluster with M. ciceri, M. mediterraneum and M. muleiense, but not with M. plurifarium. Some phylogeographic structure was observed, with elevation and geography explaining some of the genetic differences among strains, but the relation between genetic identity and symbiotic effectiveness was observed to be weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legume genotype (GL) x rhizobium genotype (GR) interaction in chickpea was studied using a genetically diverse set of accessions and rhizobium strains in modified Leonard Jars. A subset of effective GL x GR combinations was subsequently evaluated in a pot experiment to identify combinations of chickpea genotypes and rhizobium strains with stable and superior symbiotic performance. A linear mixed model was employed to analyse the occurrence of GL x GR interaction and an additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model was used to study patterns in the performance of genotype-strain combinations. We found statistically significant interaction in jars in terms of symbiotic effectiveness that was entirely due to the inclusion of one of the genotypes, ICC6263. No interaction was found in a subsequent pot experiment. The presence of two genetic groups (Kabuli and Desi genepools) did not affect interaction with Mesorhizobium strains. With the exception of a negative interaction with genotype ICC6263 in the jar experiment, the type strain Mesorhizobium ciceri LMG 14989 outperformed or equalled other strains on all chickpea genotypes in both jar and pot experiments. Similar to earlier reports in common bean, our results suggest that efforts to find more effective strains may be more rewarding than aiming for identification of superior combinations of strains and genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining cheaper crop byproducts with main food ingredients is suitable for developing affordable food products for low-income consumers such as Ethiopia, where food security is a critical issue. Rice bran is one of the byproducts of rice milling and is an excellent source of macro and micronutrients for humans. This research investigated the effect of full fat rice bran flour on rheological properties of the composite flour dough, physicochemical and sensory properties of value added food products—bread and biscuits. In such a way, the study determined the optimum blend ratio of full fat rice bran and wheat flour for production of bread and biscuits with acceptable properties. Microwave stabilized full fat rice bran flour was mixed with commercial wheat flour at (5, 10, 15, and 20%) and (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%) to develop bread and biscuits respectively. Rheological studies show that rice bran addition increased dough development time and degree of softening and reduced water absorption and stability time. The results of this study show that the proximate composition (crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and ash) and mineral contents (potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (ca.), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn)) of full fat rice bran flour is significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of wheat flour. This eventually resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.05) in these proximate composition and mineral contents as supplementation level of full fat rice bran flour increased in both bread and biscuits. It is also evidently clear from results of this study that full fat rice bran can be added to wheat flour up to 10% for bread and 20% for biscuits productions with acceptable physicochemical and sensory attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion has many negative impacts on both cultivated and grazing lands in Ethiopian highlands. The present study was conducted in Chentale watershed, Ethiopia, to quantify the contribution of gully erosion, and to assess its temporal changes. Within the Chentale watershed, we selected a sub-watershed (104.6 ha) and nested gully catchment, and gauged for stream flow and sediment concentration data in 2015 and 2016. We measured gully dimensions before and after the onset of the rainy season in 2016 to determine soil loss due to gully erosion. The temporal changes of gully expansion were determined by digitizing gully plain area from Google earth images taken in 2005 and 2013. The results support that gullies were expanding at higher rate in recent years. Area covered by gullies in the watershed increased from 1.84 to 3.43 ha between 2005 and 2013, indicating that the proportion of the watershed covered by gullies was nearly doubled in the investigated period. The estimated soil loss from the main watershed and gullies catchment was 6 and 2 t ha−1 year−1 in 2015, and was 7 and 9 t ha−1 year−1 in 2016, respectively. The results support that gullies were the main contributors of soil erosion in the watershed, and that integrated soil and water conservation measures are required to reduce soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In low resourced countries, water-associated diseases have still impact on public health. Poor quality of water can cause waterborne diseases through bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites that has been responsible for millions of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to assess quality and safety of public municipal drinking water in Addis Ababa City. Methods: Descriptive epidemiological study design that used quantitative approach was carried out at Addis Ababa City Administration from June 2016 to October 2016. Pre-tested and standardized aseptic sample collection technique was utilized to collect a total of 2976 samples (2951 water samples for bacteriological analysis by Presence-Absence (P-A) culturing method and 25 samples for parasites identification through direct microscopy examination). Descriptive data were summarized and cleaned by the SPSS version 20 software and presented in table and graph. Results: The study revealed that 10%, 7% and 3% were positive for bacteriological, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms respectively through Presence-Absence Broth test. The bacterial distribution trends from 1st to 13th weeks of wet season were slight increment of total coliforms and slight decrement for fecal coliforms. All tested for parasitological samples from selected reservoirs were free from parasitological species. Conclusion: This study reflects that there were positive for bacterial, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms during the study period. It needs continuous screening and treating water sources to utmost important for prevention and control waterborne disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest structure and composition of Afromontane forests in Ethiopia, where Arabica coffee is originated and grown as an understorey shrub, have been deteriorating following intensive and ever-increasing management interventions for coffee production. The study conducted in Zege Peninsula Dry Afromontane forest to (1) examine the impacts of coffee production on vegetation composition and forest productivity, (2) document farmers' forest management practices and tree species preference, and (3) understand the challenges in conserving Zege Peninsula forests. Vegetation data were collected in 67 circular sample plots, each with 10 m radius. Household survey and focus group discussion was used to gather socioeconomic data. The results indicated that forest management practices that favor coffee production influenced the diversity and evenness of woody species. The non-coffee forest displayed significantly (p = 0.001) higher woody species diversity than coffee-based forest. The Shannon diversity and evenness were 3.23 and 0.79 in non-coffee and 2.00 and 0.52 in the coffee-based forest, respectively. However, the basal area in the coffee-based forest (23.09 m2 ha−1) showed significantly (P = 0.001) higher when compared to non-coffee (13.92 m2 ha−1). The majority (81.4%) of respondents put Ehretia cymosa, Albizia schimperiana and Millettia ferruginea as their first choice in coffee production. Timber and fuelwood extraction for the market is the main factor currently threatening Zege forest. Coffee yield reduction, mentioned by 84.5% of the respondents, owing to seasonal rainfall variability aggravated timber and fuelwood extraction for the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seroma is the most frequent complication after mastectomy (ME) and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The quilting suture technique, in which skin flaps are sutured to the underlying muscle, was previously investigated and found to reduce seroma incidence after ME and ALND. This study aimed to investigate whether postoperative wound drainage can safely be omitted when quilting sutures are applied. Methods: Two groups with a total of 251 consecutive patients who underwent ME, ALND, or both were retrospectively compared. The first group underwent quilting sutures with wound vacuum drainage, and the second group underwent quilting sutures without wound drainage. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative clinically significant seroma (CSS). The secondary outcomes were the incidence of postoperative infection, bleeding complications, wound dehiscence, and flap necrosis. Results: The group without a postoperative drain (n = 166) had a significantly lower CSS incidence (8.4%) than the group with a postoperative drain (n = 85, 21.2%) (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, no significant predictors were found for seroma formation. Wound complications significantly decreased, from 31.8% in the group with a drain group to 17.5% in the group without a drain (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that the postoperative drain can be omitted when quilting sutures are applied in ME, ALND, or both. This facilitates day care mastectomy, eliminating drain-related care, discomfort, and related expenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impairments in energy metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have long been known. However, the changes in the energy-producing pathways in ALS are not comprehensively understood. To investigate specific alterations in glucose metabolism in glycolytic, pentose phosphate, and TCA cycle pathways, we injected uniformly labeled [U-13C]glucose to wild-type and hSOD1G93A mice at symptom onset (80 days). Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), levels of metabolites were determined in extracts of the cortex and spinal cord. In addition, the activities of several enzymes involved in glucose metabolism were quantified. In the spinal cord, the levels of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) intermediate ribose 5-phosphate (p = 0.037) were reduced by 37% in hSOD1G93A mice, while the % 13C enrichments in glucose 6-phosphate were increased threefold. The maximal activities of the enzyme glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were decreased by 24% in the spinal cord (p = 0.005), suggesting perturbations in the PPP. The total amount of pyruvate in the cortex (p = 0.039) was reduced by 20% in hSOD1G93A mice. Also, the activities of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase were reduced in the cortex by 31% (p = 0.002), indicating alterations in glycolysis. No significant differences were seen in the total amounts as well as % 13C enrichments in most TCA cycle intermediates, suggesting largely normal TCA cycle function. On the other hand, oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity was decreased in the cortex, which may indicate increased oxidative stress. Overall, this study revealed decreased activity of the PPP in the spinal cord and alterations in glycolysis in hSOD1G93A mouse CNS tissues at the early symptomatic stage of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Modifying morphometric inflorescence traits is important for increasing grain yield in wheat. Mapping revealed nine QTL, including new QTL and a new allele for the q locus, controlling wheat spike morphometric traits. To identify loci controlling spike morphometric traits, namely spike length (SL), internode length (IL), node number per spike (NPS), and node density (ND), we studied 146 Recombinant Inbred Lines of tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) derived from standard spike and spike-branching mutant parents. Phenotypic analyses of spike morphometric traits showed low genetic coefficients of variation, resulting in high heritabilities. The phenotypic correlation between NPS with growing degree days (GDD) suggested the importance of GDD in the determination of node number in wheat. The major effect QTL for GDD or heading date was mapped to chromosome 7BS carrying the flowering time gene, Vrn3-B1. Mapping also identified nine QTL controlling spike morphometric traits. Most of these loci controlled more than a single trait, suggesting a close genetic interrelationship among spike morphometric traits. For example, this study identified a new QTL, QND.ipk-4AL, controlling ND (up to 17.6% of the phenotypic variance), IL (up to 11% of the phenotypic variance), and SL (up to 20.8% of the phenotypic variance). Similarly, the major effect QTL for IL was mapped to the q locus. Sequencing of the Q/q gene further revealed a new q allele, qdel-5A, in spike-branching accessions possessing a six base pair deletion close to the miR172 target site. The identification of qdel-5A suggested that the spike-branching tetraploid wheats are double mutants for the spikelet meristem (SM) identity gene, i.e., branched headt (TtBHt), and the q gene, which is believed to be involved in the SM indeterminacy complex in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

mime-subtype="jpeg" mimetype="image" xlink:href="S2159685919000351_figAb" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /> Synthetic biology has a huge potential to produce the next generation of advanced materials by accessing previously unreachable (bio)chemical space. In this prospective review, we take a snapshot of current activity in this rapidly developing area, focusing on prominent examples for high-performance applications such as those required for protective materials and the aerospace sector. The continued growth of this emerging field will be facilitated by the convergence of expertise from a range of diverse disciplines, including molecular biology, polymer chemistry, materials science, and process engineering. This review highlights the most significant recent advances and addresses the cross-disciplinary challenges currently being faced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their true exposure, individuals with Comparative Optimism consider themselves less prone to the adverse health effects of pollution. Since individuals' response to a given environmental risk is affected by their appraisal of the risk, those with Comparative Optimism may be less likely to engage in prescribed behaviors or to do so at the urgency required of the given risk. Such limited or delayed response can amplify the risk instead of reducing it. Thus, there is a need to understand if Comparative Optimism applies to pollutants with irreversible adverse health effects as it would impose a higher burden. There is also a need to know which segments of the population are prone to Comparative Optimism and how it manifests in terms of activities that can enhance exposure. Doing so will allow public health professionals address gaps in risk communication and management efforts and help improve environmental health outcomes. Using survey data, we assess the presence, behavioral and socioeconomic predictors, and implications of Comparative Optimism for communicating and managing lead exposure risk in an urban setting. Our results indicate that a large share of the population has Comparative Optimism for lead exposure, despite living in a city that has a relatively higher lead poisoning burden. We also found that ethnicity, income, length of stay at residence, among others, predict Comparative Optimism, suggesting that Comparative Optimism may predict elevated blood lead level. Highlights: Despite their city's high lead poisoning burden, many underrate their relative risk. Underrating relative risk associates with exposure-enhancing activities. Profiling such individuals could help in targeted risk communication and management. Risk communication efforts should include exposure levels of a reference group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop yield is determined by the acquisition and allocation of photoassimilates in sink organs. Therefore, genetic modification of sink size is essential for understanding the complex signaling network regulating sink strength and source activities. Sink size in wheat depends on the number of spikelets per spike, floret/grain number per spikelet as well as the grain weight or dry matter accumulation. Hence, increasing spikelet number and improving sink size are targets for wheat breeding. The main objective of the present work was to genetically modify the wheat spike architecture, i.e., the sink size by introgressing the 'Miracle wheat' or the bht-A1 allele into an elite durum wheat cv. Floradur. After four generations of backcrossing to the recurrent parent, Floradur (FL), we have successfully developed Near Isogenic Lines (NILs) with a modified spikelet arrangement thereby increasing spikelet and grain number per spike. Genotyping of bht-A1 NILs using the Genotyping-By-Sequencing approach revealed that the size of the introgressed donor segments carrying bht-A1 ranged from 2.3 to 38 cM. The size of the shortest donor segment introgressed into bht-A1 NILs was estimated to be 9.8 mega base pairs (Mbp). Phenotypic analysis showed that FL-bht-A1-NILs (BC3F2 and BC3F3) carry up to seven additional spikelets per spike, leading to up to 29% increase in spike dry weight at harvest (SDWh). The increased SDWh was accompanied by up to 23% more grains per spike. More interestingly, thousand kernel weight (TKW) did not show significant differences between FL-bht-A1-NILs and Floradur, suggesting that besides increasing spikelet number, bht-A1 could also be targeted for increasing grain yield in wheat. Our study suggests that the genetic modification of spikelet number in wheat can be an entry point for improving grain yield, most interestingly and also unexpectedly without the trade-off effects on TKW. Hence, FL-bht-A1-NILs are not only essential for increasing grain number, but also for understanding the molecular and genetic mechanism of the source-sink interaction for a clearer picture of the complex signaling network regulating sink strength and source activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Ethiopian highlands, communal grazing lands are one of the major land uses, and are source of livelihood for the rural people. Free and uncontrolled grazing in the communal grazing lands is the dominant grazing system. The traditional uncontrolled and free grazing system has caused severe degradation of the grazing lands. As a result, communities have started to establish exclosures and support the restoration of degraded communal grazing lands. Studies have shown that exclosures are effective to restoring degraded communal grazing lands and improving ecosystem services. However, studies that investigate the changes in aboveground biomass following the establishment of exclosures and compare it with fuelwood demand of the beneficiaries in our study area is lacking. Therefore, our study aimed at: (1) quantifying yearly biomass accumulation in exclosures and compare it to fuelwood demand of households that manage the exclosures; (2) assessing household energy sources and their consumption levels. To monitor changes in biomass production with over time, replicated (n = 3) 5 and 10 year-old exclosures were sampled. To investigate fuelwood sources and consumption patterns, household surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussion were conducted. Our results demonstrated that total biomass production increased with exclosure age. In both exclosure, biomass production from Vachellia etbaica was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that from Euclea. racemosa. Average daily fuelwood consumption per person was (0.63 ± 0.2) kg day−1. This means that the total biomass (27.5 Mg year−1) obtained from 114.6 ha of exclosures covers only 9.4% of yearly fuelwood demand of the residents who manage the sampled exclosures. Nearly all respondents (95%) confirmed that they travel more than 10 km day−1 to gather fuelwood from surrounding degraded forest patches. We recommend plantings of fast growing native tree species within exclosures and around homesteads to provide a sustainable fuelwood supply and using improved stoves to address the problem of fuelwood shortage. District agricultural offices could provide seedlings of native plant species, while communities provide unpaid labour for planting and managing plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]