Graphite has a stacked planar sp2-hybridized C6 ring structure,displaying a polymorphism with rhombohedral,hexagonal,and turbostratic.Based on its structure-property relationship,it affords a variety of technologicall...Graphite has a stacked planar sp2-hybridized C6 ring structure,displaying a polymorphism with rhombohedral,hexagonal,and turbostratic.Based on its structure-property relationship,it affords a variety of technologically innovative applications or performances in industries,such as lithium-ion batteries,fuel cells,two dimensional graphene,water purification,electronics,fiber optics,spintronics,refractories,electrical products,electric vehicles,etc.The monetary value of graphite depends largely on carbon content and flake size.However,the physical separation of graphite from its ore body is known to be very expensive,energy intensive and time-consuming.Hence,this study extensively describes a current purification method for producing high-quality graphite material with impurities reaching about 10–100 mg/kg,attracting a lot of end users.It also describes the potential applications of graphite materials and identifies the future scope of a new market,depending on material purity.Finally,the current and future graphite-mining countries are investigated in details.展开更多
The mineralogy and petrography of natural graphite in Saba Boru of Ethiopia indicate that there exists flake graphite with a slightly oval structured fine size according to our study on thin and polished sections.Here...The mineralogy and petrography of natural graphite in Saba Boru of Ethiopia indicate that there exists flake graphite with a slightly oval structured fine size according to our study on thin and polished sections.Herein,for estimating the carbon content in graphite,the ASTM-C561,the test method for ash in a graphite sample,was used.For characterizing graphite,x-ray diffraction,x-ray fluorescence,inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy were also used.Chemical analysis of ore samples determined that the average compositions are 63.35%SiO2,15.45%Al2O3,2.36%Fe2O3,2.07%K2O,less than1%others,and loss-on-ignition(LOI)in the range of^4.74%–37.42%.The total carbon content of graphitic ore ranged from 4.11%to 33.14%.Importantly,when graphite is concentrated through floatation,its average purity and recovery are 92.97%and 90.82%,respectively.Furthermore,once the graphite concentrates are treated with hydrofluoric acid,the average value attains a high grade of 96.48%C.Moreover,the average ash content is 81.93%(pre-flotation)and 3.1%(post-flotation),respectively.Finally,after beneficiation,a silica is identified as a major gangue(85.88%),usable as a raw material for other purposes such as cement.Hence,these graphite-bearing rocks seem to be worth exploring for commercialization opportunities.展开更多
Baicalein(BE) is one of the main active flavonoids representing the variety of pharmacological effects including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective activities, but it's very low solubility...Baicalein(BE) is one of the main active flavonoids representing the variety of pharmacological effects including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective activities, but it's very low solubility, dissolution rate and poor oral absorption limit the therapeutic applications. In this work, a nano-cocrystal strategy was successfully applied to improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of BE. Baicalein-nicotinamide(BE-NCT) nanococrystals were prepared by high pressure homogenization and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Physical characterization results including scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that BE-NCT nano-cocrystals were changed into amorphous state with mean particle size of 251.53 nm. In the dissolution test, the BE-NCT nano-cocrystals performed 2.17-fold and 2.54-fold enhancement than BE coarse powder in FaSSIF-V2 and FaSSGF. Upon oral administration, the integrated AUC0-t of BE-NCT nano-cocrystals(6.02-fold) was significantly higher than BE coarse powder(1-fold), BE-NCT cocrystals(2.87-fold) and BE nanocrystals(3.32-fold). Compared with BE coarse powder, BE-NCT cocrystals and BE nanocrystals, BENCT nano-cocrystals possessed excellent performance both in vitro and in vivo evaluations.Thus, it can be seen that nano-cocrystal is an appropriate novel strategy for improving dissolution rate and bioavailability of poor soluble natural products such as BE.展开更多
Blindness and vision impairment are the most devastating global health problems resulting in a substantial economic and social burden.Delivery of drug to particular parts of the anterior or posterior segment has been ...Blindness and vision impairment are the most devastating global health problems resulting in a substantial economic and social burden.Delivery of drug to particular parts of the anterior or posterior segment has been a major challenge due to various protective barriers and elimination mechanisms associated with the unique anatomical and physiological nature of the ocular system.Drug administration to the eye by conventional delivery systems results in poor ocular bioavailability(<5%).The designing of a novel approach for a safe,simple,and effective ocular drug delivery is a major concern and requires innovative strategies to combat the problem.Over the past decades,several novel approaches involving different strategies have been developed to improve the ocular delivery system.Among these,the ophthalmic in-situ gel has attained a great attention over the past few years.This review discussed and summarized the recent and the promising research progress of in-situ gelling in ocular drug delivery system.展开更多
Objective:To assess the distribution of ABO blood group and their relationship with Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum) malaria among febrile outpatients who sought medical attention at Dore Bafeno Health Center,South...Objective:To assess the distribution of ABO blood group and their relationship with Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum) malaria among febrile outpatients who sought medical attention at Dore Bafeno Health Center,Southern Ethiopia.Methods:A total of 269 febrile outpatients who visited Dore Bafeno Health Center,Southern Ethiopia,were examined for malaria and also tested for ABO blood groups in January 2010.The blood specimens were collected by finger pricking,stained with Geimsa,and examined microscopically.Positive cases of the parasitemia were counted.CareStart^(TM) Malaria PflPv Combo was also used to test the blood specimens for malaria.ABO blood groups were determined by agglutination test using ERYCLONE antisera.Data on socio-demographic characteristics and treatment status of the participants were also collected.Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used to assess the difference between frequencies and means,respectively.Results:Out of a total of 269 participants,178(66.2%) febrile patients were found to be infected with Plasmodium parasites,among which 146(54.3%),28(10.4%),and 4(1.5%) belonged to P.falciparum,P.vivax,and mixed infections,respectively.All febrile patients were also tested for ABO blood groups and 51.3%,23.5%,21.9%and 3.3%were found to be blood types of 0,A,B and AB,respectively.Both total malaria infection and P.falciparum infection showed significant association with blood types(P<0.05).The proportion of A or B but not 0 phenotypes was higher(P<0.05) in individuals with P.falciparum as compared with non-infected individuals.The chance of having P.falciparum infection in patients with blood groups A,B and AB was 2.5,2.5 and 3.3times more than individuals showing blood 0 phenotypes,respectively.The mean P.falciparum malaria parasitemia for blood groups A,B,AB,and 0 were 3 744/μ L,1 805/ μ L,5 331/μ L,and1 515/μ L,respectively(P<0.01).Conclusions:The present findings indicate that individuals of blood groups A,B and AB are more susceptible to P.falciparum infection as compared with individuals o展开更多
BACKGROUND: Premature rupture of membrane(PROM) is linked to significant maternal prenatal mortalities and morbidity. In Ethiopia, where maternal mortality is still high, the maternal and fetal outcomes in PROM is ver...BACKGROUND: Premature rupture of membrane(PROM) is linked to significant maternal prenatal mortalities and morbidity. In Ethiopia, where maternal mortality is still high, the maternal and fetal outcomes in PROM is very important to decrease maternal and child mortality and for better management and prevention of complications. Thus, this study aimed to detect the maternal and fetal outcomes and associated factors in term PROM at Mizan-Aman General Hospital, south-west Ethiopia.METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted using data available at MizanAman General Hospital during a period of 3 years(January 2011 to December 2013). We examined records of 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital; out of these women, 185 were diagnosed with term PROM and all of them were included in the study. The data of these women were collected using a checklist based on registration books. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package. The association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. 95%CI and P value less than 0.05 were considered statistically signifi cant.RESULTS: Of the 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital, 202 were complicated by term PROM. About 22.2% of the women showed unfavorable maternal outcomes. The most common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality was puerperal sepsis. About 33.5% of neonates experienced unfavorable outcomes. The duration of PROM >12 hours(AOR=5.6, 95%CI 1.3–24.1) latency >24 hours(AOR=2.8, 95%CI 1.7–11.8), residing in rural areas(AOR=4.2, 95%CI 3.96–29.4) and birth weight less than 2 500 g were associated with unfavorable outcomes.CONCLUSION: Women residing in rural areas, long latency, and neonates with birth weight less 2 500 g may have unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, optimum obstetric and medical care is essential for the reduction of the devastating complications related to disorders.展开更多
Rural Ethiopia has significant untapped potential for hydro and solar energy generation systems.However,challenges arise from seasonal variations and unfavourable topographic positions of flowing rivers,hindering the ...Rural Ethiopia has significant untapped potential for hydro and solar energy generation systems.However,challenges arise from seasonal variations and unfavourable topographic positions of flowing rivers,hindering the efficient exploitation of these resources.Despite the country’s abundance in hydro and solar energy resources,>75%of the population still lack access to electricity from the national grid.This work deals with energy resource potential assessment and techno-economic analysis of micro hydro-photovol-taic(PV)hybrid systems,considered in the case study of Goda Warke village,located in the Yaya Gulele district.A novel framework is proposed that utilizes the Natural Resource Soil Conservation Service curve number method to assess the energy potential of micro-hydro energy in ungauged basins,specifically at the exit point of the Girar River basin catchment.The average monthly flow rate in the basin is 0.975 m3/s,while the area exhibits a solar radiation potential of 5.39 kWh/m^(2)/day.Energy policy promotes expanding ac-cess to modern energy sources and utilization of indigenous energy resources.Simulation results indicate that the hydro/PV/diesel generator(DG)/battery and hydro/PV/battery systems are the most optimal choices based on net present cost,with the inclusion of a DG for economic comparison.Micro-hydro energy covers most of the electric load in the area,achieving a capacity factor of 47.5%.The cost of energy and net present cost were found to be sensitive to variables such as the price of diesel fuel,pipe head loss,and the growth of the village load.The optimized system demonstrated a hydro energy potential of 1405.37 MWh/year and a PV energy output of 274.04 MWh/year,resulting in a levelized cost of energy of 0.0057 and 0.049$/kWh for the hydro and PV components,respectively.展开更多
This study is focused on the simulation and optimization of packed-bed solar thermal energy storage by using sand as a storage material and hot-water is used as a heat transfer fluid and storage as well.The analysis h...This study is focused on the simulation and optimization of packed-bed solar thermal energy storage by using sand as a storage material and hot-water is used as a heat transfer fluid and storage as well.The analysis has been done by using the COMSOL multi-physics software and used to compute an optimization charging time of the storage.Parameters that control this optimization are storage height,storage diameter,heat transfer fluid flow rate,and sand bed particle size.The result of COMSOL multi-physics optimized thermal storage has been validated with Taguchi method.Accordingly,the optimized parameters of storage are:storage height of 1.4m,storage diameter of 0.4 m,flow rate of 0.02 kg/s,and sand particle size 12 mm.Among these parameters,the storage diameter result is the highest influenced optimized parameter of the thermal storage fromthe ANOVA analysis.For nominal packed bed thermal storage,the charging time needed to attain about 520 K temperature is more than 3500 s,while it needs only about 2000 s for the optimized storage which is very significant difference.Average charging energy efficiency of the optimized is greater than the nominal and previous concrete-based storage by 13.7%,and 13.1%,respectively in the charging time of 2700 s.展开更多
Objective:To evaluate the detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and analyze the performance of Mastalex MRSA(Mast,UK).Methods:Two hundred and ten Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) strains were i...Objective:To evaluate the detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and analyze the performance of Mastalex MRSA(Mast,UK).Methods:Two hundred and ten Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) strains were isolated from different clinical samples and were tested for methicillin resistance by Oxacillin(1μg) and Cefoxitin(30μg) disc diffusion, oxacillin agar screen,and minimum inhibitory concentration of oxacillin and cefoxitin.S.aureus isolates were grown on the blood agar and mannitol salt agar with(2 mg/L) and without oxacillin for the analysis of Mastalex MRSA.Results:Out of 210 S.aureus strains tested,103 strains were detected as methicillin resistant by Cefoxitin disk diffusion,Cefoxitin minimal inhibitory concentration(MlC) and Mastalex MRSA test.Whereas oxacillin disc diffusion and oxacillin agar screen detected 91 and 97 MRSA respectively.The Cefoxitin MIC test performance was equivalent to Cefoxitin disc diffusion.103(100%) strains grown on blood agar without and with oxacillin,and 76(74%) and 93(91%) strains grown on mannitol salt agar without and with oxacillin shown positive agglutination with Mastalex MRSA test respectively.Conclusions:The cefoxitin disk diffusion/ Mastalex MRSA is very suitable for detection of MRSA and the tests can be an alternative to PCR for detection of MRSA in resource constraint settings.Mastalex test would be particularly useful when confirmation of resistance is urgently required.展开更多
The study was conducted to determine the applicability of gravity separation method on the Ashashire gold ore deposit Benishangul gumuz region, western Ethiopia. The Ashashire composite was produced to provide suffici...The study was conducted to determine the applicability of gravity separation method on the Ashashire gold ore deposit Benishangul gumuz region, western Ethiopia. The Ashashire composite was produced to provide sufficient mass for this study and experiment, including sample preparation, mineralogical analysis of gold and associated elements, gravity concentration, and data interpretation and analysis. During the study, a grind optimization was conducted on the composites sample with varying grind size to evaluate the effect of grind size on gold recovery. The ore was moderately ground to the standard grind size of 80%, passing 106 µm, 75 µm, 53 µm and this nominal size was selected for the preliminary assessment for concentration optimization for this deposit. The gravity testing comprised three-stage concentration using Knelson concentrator. High recovery of gold from the gravity concentrates was achieved from the second gravity concentration. Based on the laboratory experimental result analysis, a grind size of P80 75 µm is selected as optimal size for the Ashashire gold deposit. Increasing the grind size from P80 of 75 µm to 106 µm decreases the recovery rate from 75% to 54%, or decreasing the grind size from P80 of 75 µm to 53 µm decreases the gold recovery rate to 37%. The native gold grain in the ores is mostly associated with quartz and fine gold is closely associated with pyrite. According to analysis of the fire assay, chemical, and mineralogical data, only gold and telluride is commercially valuable elements in the ores. Predominantly gold was occurred in the native form of Au-Te. The sample subjected to gravity separation assayed about 2.6 g/t Au.展开更多
Objective:Despite trials and programs for the prevention of childhood mortality due to pneumonia,Ethiopia is among the top five countries with the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia.Although the prevalence of p...Objective:Despite trials and programs for the prevention of childhood mortality due to pneumonia,Ethiopia is among the top five countries with the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia.Although the prevalence of pneumonia has increased in the abovementioned trials,little is known about the recovery time from severe pneumonia and its predictors in the study area.Therefore,this study aimed to assess the time to recovery from severe pneumonia and its predictors among pediatric patients admitted to Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital,Ethiopia,in 2022.Methods:A total of 591 children admitted for severe pneumonia were selected using simple random sampling.Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.4.2.1 and expor ted to STATA version 14 for analysis,and the assumptions of Cox propor tional hazard models and goodness of fit were assessed through Shoenfeld residual and Cox-Snell residual,respectively.Bivariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify the predictors of mor tality.Results:This study revealed that 91.54%(95%confidence interval[CI]:89.00–93.53)of participants recovered with an incidence rate of 24.10(95%CI:22.15–26.21)per 100 person-day–observations.The hmedian recovery time of children was 4 days(95%CI:2–6).Children who were not exclusively breastfed(AHR=1.3;95%CI:1.03–1.66),who had a history of inability to suck/feed(AHR=0.81;95%CI:0.65–0.99)were independent predictors of the time to recovery.Conclusions:Children with severe pneumonia who had not exclusively breastfed and who had a history of inability to suck/feed were independent predictors of time to recovery.Therefore,all stakeholders and concerned health care providers should focus more on early diagnosis and management and hasten early recovery based on the identified factors.展开更多
The paper has focused on the challenges/impacts of tannery effluent and evaluates the alternative treatment options used to treat, recover or recycle chromium from the waste water. The paper was done entirely on secon...The paper has focused on the challenges/impacts of tannery effluent and evaluates the alternative treatment options used to treat, recover or recycle chromium from the waste water. The paper was done entirely on secondary data by consulting literature sources including scientific journals, chapters of books, conference report papers and websites. The results of this review paper indicated that chromium is highly toxic and carcinogenic to human beings, animals, plants and the general environment (soil and water sediment). It is found out that chrome is the primary threat when ever tanning industry comes in to practice. Though many treatment options were evaluated to prevent its consequence on the environment, neither of them could achieve to treat or recover chrome 100%. Treatment options are either;inef-ficient, complicated, energy demanding, costly or applicable to a certain parts of the world due to technology or skilled man power demand. Therefore, to tackle this serious challenge stringent environmental regulation with law enforce-ment has to be exercised to use better treatment system which is widely applicable. Polluters must also know the envi-ronmental cost of their industry and treated according to polluter pay or precautionary principles. Moreover, the gen-eral public has to be aware of it and all concerned organizations and governments has to work hand in hand to reach zero discharge level or at least to attain the EPA chrome discharge展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic metabolic syndrome that has become a global public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality.It is a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic condition characterized by increa...BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic metabolic syndrome that has become a global public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality.It is a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic condition characterized by increased platelet activation and alterations in platelet indices.However,the use of platelet indices as predictors of poor glucoregulation has not been fully evaluated in this context,and evidence for their role as predictors of poor glycemic status in diabetic patients is limited.AIM To evaluate platelet indices and determine their prognostic significance in relation to inadequate glucoregulation among individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at Bishoftu General Hospital in Ethiopia,from June 15 to August 12,2022.METHODS A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 261 participants including 174 individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and 87 non-diabetic controls.The systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants.Data were collected using structured questionnaires,physical measurements,checklists,and laboratory tests.Platelet parameters and fasting blood glucose levels were determined from blood samples using Sysmex-XN550 and CobasC311 analyzers,respectively.The hematology analyzer output was checked and participants were also screened for malaria parasites using a prepared blood smear.Collected data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis.Theχ^(2) test,Mann-Whitney U test,Kruskal-Wallis test,post hoc test,Spearman correlation,and receiver operating characteristic curve were used for analysis.A P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS The results of our study indicate that diabetic patients have significantly higher levels of platelet distribution width(PDW),mean platelet volume(MPV),platelet large cell ratio(PLCR),and plateletcrit(PCT)compared to healthy individuals(P<0.001).Furthermore,these indices were found to be significantly elevated in individuals with poor glycemic control in T2DM compared to展开更多
The beneficiation methods for Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene ores were assessed through mineralogical and quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction（XRD） and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence（EDXRF）....The beneficiation methods for Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene ores were assessed through mineralogical and quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction（XRD） and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence（EDXRF）. The tantalite in the upper zone of the Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene deposit is 58.7wt% higher than that in the inner zone. XRD analysis revealed that the upper zone is dominated by manganocolumbite, whereas the inner zone is predominantly tantalite-Mn. Repeated cleaning and beneficiation of the upper-zone ore resulted in concentrate compositions of 57.34wt% of Ta_2O_5 and 5.41wt% of Nb_2O_5. Washing the tantalite concentrates using 1vol% KOH and 1 M H_2SO_4 led to the removal of thorium and uranium radioactive oxides from the concentrate. The findings of this study suggest that the beneficiation and alkaline washing of Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene ores produce a high-grade export-quality tantalite concentrate with negligible radioactive oxides.展开更多
Background: Under-five mortality is one of the indicators of the millennium development goals (MDGs) for the child mortality reduction goal. Understanding the social determinants of under-five mortality is helpful to ...Background: Under-five mortality is one of the indicators of the millennium development goals (MDGs) for the child mortality reduction goal. Understanding the social determinants of under-five mortality is helpful to narrow the gap between different social classes. Therefore, this study focused on the social determinants of under-five mortality inEthiopiausing EDHS 2011 data. Methods: The data source for this analysis was the 2011 EDHS which was undertaken over a five-month period from 27 December, 2010 to 3 June, 2011. The sample was selected using a stratified, two-stage cluster design. Samples of 16,515 women of reproductive age were interviewed. The questionnaire used to collect information from these women who?had among other things such as?background characteristics of women, birth history of these women and the survival of each birth at the time of the interview. Births that had occurred to women in the last 10 years prior to the date of the?interview were extracted for the analysis. Descriptive statistical methods were used to describe the distribution of the characteristics of the data. Kaplan Meier plots and incidence rates per 1000 person years were used to compare survival across different categories of the risk factors. The effect of the risk factors on survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Data management and analysis were carried out using STATA 10. Results: A total of 23,581 under-five children were included in the study. The under-five mortality incidence rate in Ethiopia for the last ten years was 29.6 per 1000 person years. Maternal education beyond primary level of education reduced the risk of under-five mortality by about half. A significant reduction in risk of under-five mortality was observed among births to mothers residing in richest households. The hazard ratio (HR) was higher for under-five mortality among boys than daughters, twins than singleton, teen age mother than higher ages and short births than optimal. Conclusions: Empowering mothers with education 展开更多
Background:Giardia duodenalis is a species complex consisting of multiple genetically distinct assemblages.The species imposes a major public health crisis on developing countries.However,the molecular diversity,trans...Background:Giardia duodenalis is a species complex consisting of multiple genetically distinct assemblages.The species imposes a major public health crisis on developing countries.However,the molecular diversity,transmission dynamics and risk factors of the species in these countries are indeterminate.This study was conducted to determine the molecular epidemiology of G.duodenalis infection in asymptomatic individuals in Southern Ethiopia.Methods:From March to June 2014,fresh stool samples were collected from 590 randomly selected individuals.Socio-demographic data were gathered using a pre-tested structured questionnaire.The genotyping was done using triosephosphate isomerase gene-based nested polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing.The genetic identity and relatedness of isolates were determined using the basic local alignment search tool and phylogenetic analysis.Risk factors associated with G.duodenalis infection were analysed using binary and multinomial logistic regression models.Results:The results showed that 18.1%(92/509)of the study subjects were infected by G.duodenalis.Among the isolates,35.9%(33/92)and 21.7%(20/92)were sub-typed into assemblages A and B,respectively,whereas 42.4%(39/92)showed mixed infections of A and B.Most of the assemblage A isolates(94%,31/33)were 100%identical to sequences registered in GenBank,of which the majority belonged to sub-assemblage AII.However,the high genetic variability and frequency of double peaks made sub-genotyping of assemblage B more problematic and only 20%(4/20)of the isolates matched 100%with the sequences.The risk factors of age(P=0.032)and type of drinking water source(P=0.003)both showed a significant association with the occurrence G.duodenalis infection.Conclusions:This study established the endemicity of G.duodenalis in Southern Ethiopia.Infection with assemblage A was more frequent than with assemblage B,and the rate of infection was higher in children and in municipal/tap and open spring water consumers than the other groups.Sub-typing of assem展开更多
Background:Onchocerciasis(river blindness),caused by the filarial worm speciesOnchocerca volvulus,is a serious vector-borne neglected tropical disease(NTD)of public health and socioeconomic concern.It is transmitted t...Background:Onchocerciasis(river blindness),caused by the filarial worm speciesOnchocerca volvulus,is a serious vector-borne neglected tropical disease(NTD)of public health and socioeconomic concern.It is transmitted through the bite of black flies of the genusSimulium,and manifested in dermal and ocular lesions.Ninety-nine percent of the total global risk and burden of onchocerciasis is in Africa.This scoping review examines the key challenges related to the elimination of onchocerciasis by 2020-2025 in Africa,and proposes recommendations to overcome the challenges and accelerate disease elimination.To find relevant articles published in peer-reviewed journals,a search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was carried out.Main text:Rigorous regional interventions carried out to control and eliminate onchocerciasis in the past four decades in Africa have been effective in bringing the disease burden under control;it is currently not a public health problem in most endemic areas.Notably,transmission of the parasite is interrupted in some hyperendemic localities.Recently,there has been a policy shift from control to complete disease elimination by 2020 in selected countries and by 2025 in the majority of endemic African countries.The WHO has published guidelines for stopping mass drug administration(MDA)and verifying the interruption of transmission and elimination of human onchocerciasis.Therefore,countries have revised their plans,established a goal of disease elimination in line with an evidence based decision to stop MDA and verify elimination,and incorporated it into their NTDs national master plans.Nevertheless,challenges remain pertaining to the elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa.The challenge we review in this paper are:incomplete elimination mapping of all transmission zones,co-endemicity of onchocerciasis and loiasis,possible emergence of ivermectin resistance,uncoordinated cross-border elimination efforts,conflict and civil unrest,suboptimal program implementation,and technical and financial challen展开更多
The present study focused on evaluating the agronomic performance, stability, and anthracnose resistance of common bean lines derived through Marker-Assisted Backcrossing in Uganda. Eight marker-assisted selection (MA...The present study focused on evaluating the agronomic performance, stability, and anthracnose resistance of common bean lines derived through Marker-Assisted Backcrossing in Uganda. Eight marker-assisted selection (MAS) backcross-derived bush bean lines with red seed types, alongside two checks, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design replicated two times in five locations for three consecutive crop-growing seasons in 2021 and 2022. The study aimed to identify lines with both high stable yields and enhanced resistance to anthracnose disease for potential release and utilization in future bean varietal development in Uganda. Agronomic traits, including days to 50% flowering, days to 90% physiological maturity, seed yield, seed yield components, and anthracnose disease reaction under natural infestation were assessed. The response to anthracnose disease was further assessed using six isolates of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum representing six different races. Results indicated that the agronomic performances of the MAS backcross-derived bush bean lines were statistically comparable to the recurrent parent NABE14. Specifically, six lines exhibited statistically equal to or higher performance than NABE14 in terms of seed yield, total number of seeds and number of pods per plant. The combined analysis of variance for seed yield showed significant (p Co-4<sup>2</sup> and Co-5 anthracnose resistance genes in the derived line. In conclusion, UGKT-B157-4, identified as the best-performing and stable genotype, demonstrates promise for release and use in future bean varietal development in Uganda, offering a combination of high yields and enhanced anthracnose disease resistance. The study provides valuable insights into the potential of Marker-Assisted Backcrossing in improving common bean varieties in the region.展开更多
Analysis of pesticide residue levels in juice beverages is important to ensure safe consumption and avoid global trade concerns associated to pesticide contaminations.A simple,inexpensive and effective method was deve...Analysis of pesticide residue levels in juice beverages is important to ensure safe consumption and avoid global trade concerns associated to pesticide contaminations.A simple,inexpensive and effective method was developed for the determination of organochlorine pesticides(OCPs)in bottled juice drinks using GC-MS.Sample pretreatment was performed using dispersive solid-phase microextraction(D-μ-SPE)for matrix desorption and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction(DLLME)for analyte enrichment.In this study,an affordable and effective sorbent for the adsorption of OCPs from juice samples was synthesized from avocado seeds mixed with magnetic precursors for D-μSPE.The ground avocado seeds combined with a magnetic precursor nanocomposite were characterized using various instruments including scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)analysis.The solution obtained from D-μ-SPE desorption was used as a dispersant for the subsequent DLLME,which made the combination of D-μ-SPE with DLLME much easier.The effectiveness of the method was enhanced by optimizing the influential parameters in both D-μ-SPE and DLLME.Then after,the optimal values were determined for the real sample analysis.Accordingly,there was good linear dynamic range with a coefficient of determination(r2)≥0.9989.The limit of detection and quantification were 0.02–0.69 and 0.06–2.10 ng/L respectively.The method showed high enrichment factors ranging from 96 to 313 with recoveries of 87–100%.Intraday and interday precisions were≤4%.Compared with other reported methods,this method is a one-step,simple,cheap,fast,and environmentally friendly alternative and straightforward method for adsorbing organochlorine pesticides from sample solutions.These results demonstrates the high potential of the proposed method for the extraction and cleanup of contaminants in selected juices and other related samples.展开更多
The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO_(2) nanofibers(NFs),prepared by electrospinning,is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid(RhA).The condensation reaction between hydroxyl gro...The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO_(2) nanofibers(NFs),prepared by electrospinning,is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid(RhA).The condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups from TiO_(2) NFs and RhA is accompanied by the red-shift of optical absorption due to interfacial charge transfer(ICT)complex formation.Crystal structure,morphology,and optical properties of unmodified and surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs were analyzed.The photocatalytic performance of prepared samples has been examined through degradation of organic dye methylene blue.Superior photocatalytic activity of surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs with RhA is attributed to their enhanced optical properties,i.e.,the ability to harvest the photon energy in the visible spectral range.展开更多
文摘Graphite has a stacked planar sp2-hybridized C6 ring structure,displaying a polymorphism with rhombohedral,hexagonal,and turbostratic.Based on its structure-property relationship,it affords a variety of technologically innovative applications or performances in industries,such as lithium-ion batteries,fuel cells,two dimensional graphene,water purification,electronics,fiber optics,spintronics,refractories,electrical products,electric vehicles,etc.The monetary value of graphite depends largely on carbon content and flake size.However,the physical separation of graphite from its ore body is known to be very expensive,energy intensive and time-consuming.Hence,this study extensively describes a current purification method for producing high-quality graphite material with impurities reaching about 10–100 mg/kg,attracting a lot of end users.It also describes the potential applications of graphite materials and identifies the future scope of a new market,depending on material purity.Finally,the current and future graphite-mining countries are investigated in details.
基金This work was supported by Jimma Institute of Technology through Mega Project.
文摘The mineralogy and petrography of natural graphite in Saba Boru of Ethiopia indicate that there exists flake graphite with a slightly oval structured fine size according to our study on thin and polished sections.Herein,for estimating the carbon content in graphite,the ASTM-C561,the test method for ash in a graphite sample,was used.For characterizing graphite,x-ray diffraction,x-ray fluorescence,inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy were also used.Chemical analysis of ore samples determined that the average compositions are 63.35%SiO2,15.45%Al2O3,2.36%Fe2O3,2.07%K2O,less than1%others,and loss-on-ignition(LOI)in the range of^4.74%–37.42%.The total carbon content of graphitic ore ranged from 4.11%to 33.14%.Importantly,when graphite is concentrated through floatation,its average purity and recovery are 92.97%and 90.82%,respectively.Furthermore,once the graphite concentrates are treated with hydrofluoric acid,the average value attains a high grade of 96.48%C.Moreover,the average ash content is 81.93%(pre-flotation)and 3.1%(post-flotation),respectively.Finally,after beneficiation,a silica is identified as a major gangue(85.88%),usable as a raw material for other purposes such as cement.Hence,these graphite-bearing rocks seem to be worth exploring for commercialization opportunities.
文摘Baicalein(BE) is one of the main active flavonoids representing the variety of pharmacological effects including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective activities, but it's very low solubility, dissolution rate and poor oral absorption limit the therapeutic applications. In this work, a nano-cocrystal strategy was successfully applied to improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of BE. Baicalein-nicotinamide(BE-NCT) nanococrystals were prepared by high pressure homogenization and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Physical characterization results including scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that BE-NCT nano-cocrystals were changed into amorphous state with mean particle size of 251.53 nm. In the dissolution test, the BE-NCT nano-cocrystals performed 2.17-fold and 2.54-fold enhancement than BE coarse powder in FaSSIF-V2 and FaSSGF. Upon oral administration, the integrated AUC0-t of BE-NCT nano-cocrystals(6.02-fold) was significantly higher than BE coarse powder(1-fold), BE-NCT cocrystals(2.87-fold) and BE nanocrystals(3.32-fold). Compared with BE coarse powder, BE-NCT cocrystals and BE nanocrystals, BENCT nano-cocrystals possessed excellent performance both in vitro and in vivo evaluations.Thus, it can be seen that nano-cocrystal is an appropriate novel strategy for improving dissolution rate and bioavailability of poor soluble natural products such as BE.
文摘Blindness and vision impairment are the most devastating global health problems resulting in a substantial economic and social burden.Delivery of drug to particular parts of the anterior or posterior segment has been a major challenge due to various protective barriers and elimination mechanisms associated with the unique anatomical and physiological nature of the ocular system.Drug administration to the eye by conventional delivery systems results in poor ocular bioavailability(<5%).The designing of a novel approach for a safe,simple,and effective ocular drug delivery is a major concern and requires innovative strategies to combat the problem.Over the past decades,several novel approaches involving different strategies have been developed to improve the ocular delivery system.Among these,the ophthalmic in-situ gel has attained a great attention over the past few years.This review discussed and summarized the recent and the promising research progress of in-situ gelling in ocular drug delivery system.
基金Supported by School of Graduate Studies through Aklilu LemmaInstitute of Pathobiology,Addis Ababa University(No:RDP/Py-014/09)
文摘Objective:To assess the distribution of ABO blood group and their relationship with Plasmodium falciparum(P.falciparum) malaria among febrile outpatients who sought medical attention at Dore Bafeno Health Center,Southern Ethiopia.Methods:A total of 269 febrile outpatients who visited Dore Bafeno Health Center,Southern Ethiopia,were examined for malaria and also tested for ABO blood groups in January 2010.The blood specimens were collected by finger pricking,stained with Geimsa,and examined microscopically.Positive cases of the parasitemia were counted.CareStart^(TM) Malaria PflPv Combo was also used to test the blood specimens for malaria.ABO blood groups were determined by agglutination test using ERYCLONE antisera.Data on socio-demographic characteristics and treatment status of the participants were also collected.Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used to assess the difference between frequencies and means,respectively.Results:Out of a total of 269 participants,178(66.2%) febrile patients were found to be infected with Plasmodium parasites,among which 146(54.3%),28(10.4%),and 4(1.5%) belonged to P.falciparum,P.vivax,and mixed infections,respectively.All febrile patients were also tested for ABO blood groups and 51.3%,23.5%,21.9%and 3.3%were found to be blood types of 0,A,B and AB,respectively.Both total malaria infection and P.falciparum infection showed significant association with blood types(P<0.05).The proportion of A or B but not 0 phenotypes was higher(P<0.05) in individuals with P.falciparum as compared with non-infected individuals.The chance of having P.falciparum infection in patients with blood groups A,B and AB was 2.5,2.5 and 3.3times more than individuals showing blood 0 phenotypes,respectively.The mean P.falciparum malaria parasitemia for blood groups A,B,AB,and 0 were 3 744/μ L,1 805/ μ L,5 331/μ L,and1 515/μ L,respectively(P<0.01).Conclusions:The present findings indicate that individuals of blood groups A,B and AB are more susceptible to P.falciparum infection as compared with individuals o
文摘BACKGROUND: Premature rupture of membrane(PROM) is linked to significant maternal prenatal mortalities and morbidity. In Ethiopia, where maternal mortality is still high, the maternal and fetal outcomes in PROM is very important to decrease maternal and child mortality and for better management and prevention of complications. Thus, this study aimed to detect the maternal and fetal outcomes and associated factors in term PROM at Mizan-Aman General Hospital, south-west Ethiopia.METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted using data available at MizanAman General Hospital during a period of 3 years(January 2011 to December 2013). We examined records of 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital; out of these women, 185 were diagnosed with term PROM and all of them were included in the study. The data of these women were collected using a checklist based on registration books. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 statistical package. The association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. 95%CI and P value less than 0.05 were considered statistically signifi cant.RESULTS: Of the 4 525 women who gave birth in the hospital, 202 were complicated by term PROM. About 22.2% of the women showed unfavorable maternal outcomes. The most common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality was puerperal sepsis. About 33.5% of neonates experienced unfavorable outcomes. The duration of PROM >12 hours(AOR=5.6, 95%CI 1.3–24.1) latency >24 hours(AOR=2.8, 95%CI 1.7–11.8), residing in rural areas(AOR=4.2, 95%CI 3.96–29.4) and birth weight less than 2 500 g were associated with unfavorable outcomes.CONCLUSION: Women residing in rural areas, long latency, and neonates with birth weight less 2 500 g may have unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, optimum obstetric and medical care is essential for the reduction of the devastating complications related to disorders.
文摘Rural Ethiopia has significant untapped potential for hydro and solar energy generation systems.However,challenges arise from seasonal variations and unfavourable topographic positions of flowing rivers,hindering the efficient exploitation of these resources.Despite the country’s abundance in hydro and solar energy resources,>75%of the population still lack access to electricity from the national grid.This work deals with energy resource potential assessment and techno-economic analysis of micro hydro-photovol-taic(PV)hybrid systems,considered in the case study of Goda Warke village,located in the Yaya Gulele district.A novel framework is proposed that utilizes the Natural Resource Soil Conservation Service curve number method to assess the energy potential of micro-hydro energy in ungauged basins,specifically at the exit point of the Girar River basin catchment.The average monthly flow rate in the basin is 0.975 m3/s,while the area exhibits a solar radiation potential of 5.39 kWh/m^(2)/day.Energy policy promotes expanding ac-cess to modern energy sources and utilization of indigenous energy resources.Simulation results indicate that the hydro/PV/diesel generator(DG)/battery and hydro/PV/battery systems are the most optimal choices based on net present cost,with the inclusion of a DG for economic comparison.Micro-hydro energy covers most of the electric load in the area,achieving a capacity factor of 47.5%.The cost of energy and net present cost were found to be sensitive to variables such as the price of diesel fuel,pipe head loss,and the growth of the village load.The optimized system demonstrated a hydro energy potential of 1405.37 MWh/year and a PV energy output of 274.04 MWh/year,resulting in a levelized cost of energy of 0.0057 and 0.049$/kWh for the hydro and PV components,respectively.
文摘This study is focused on the simulation and optimization of packed-bed solar thermal energy storage by using sand as a storage material and hot-water is used as a heat transfer fluid and storage as well.The analysis has been done by using the COMSOL multi-physics software and used to compute an optimization charging time of the storage.Parameters that control this optimization are storage height,storage diameter,heat transfer fluid flow rate,and sand bed particle size.The result of COMSOL multi-physics optimized thermal storage has been validated with Taguchi method.Accordingly,the optimized parameters of storage are:storage height of 1.4m,storage diameter of 0.4 m,flow rate of 0.02 kg/s,and sand particle size 12 mm.Among these parameters,the storage diameter result is the highest influenced optimized parameter of the thermal storage fromthe ANOVA analysis.For nominal packed bed thermal storage,the charging time needed to attain about 520 K temperature is more than 3500 s,while it needs only about 2000 s for the optimized storage which is very significant difference.Average charging energy efficiency of the optimized is greater than the nominal and previous concrete-based storage by 13.7%,and 13.1%,respectively in the charging time of 2700 s.
文摘Objective:To evaluate the detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and analyze the performance of Mastalex MRSA(Mast,UK).Methods:Two hundred and ten Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) strains were isolated from different clinical samples and were tested for methicillin resistance by Oxacillin(1μg) and Cefoxitin(30μg) disc diffusion, oxacillin agar screen,and minimum inhibitory concentration of oxacillin and cefoxitin.S.aureus isolates were grown on the blood agar and mannitol salt agar with(2 mg/L) and without oxacillin for the analysis of Mastalex MRSA.Results:Out of 210 S.aureus strains tested,103 strains were detected as methicillin resistant by Cefoxitin disk diffusion,Cefoxitin minimal inhibitory concentration(MlC) and Mastalex MRSA test.Whereas oxacillin disc diffusion and oxacillin agar screen detected 91 and 97 MRSA respectively.The Cefoxitin MIC test performance was equivalent to Cefoxitin disc diffusion.103(100%) strains grown on blood agar without and with oxacillin,and 76(74%) and 93(91%) strains grown on mannitol salt agar without and with oxacillin shown positive agglutination with Mastalex MRSA test respectively.Conclusions:The cefoxitin disk diffusion/ Mastalex MRSA is very suitable for detection of MRSA and the tests can be an alternative to PCR for detection of MRSA in resource constraint settings.Mastalex test would be particularly useful when confirmation of resistance is urgently required.
文摘The study was conducted to determine the applicability of gravity separation method on the Ashashire gold ore deposit Benishangul gumuz region, western Ethiopia. The Ashashire composite was produced to provide sufficient mass for this study and experiment, including sample preparation, mineralogical analysis of gold and associated elements, gravity concentration, and data interpretation and analysis. During the study, a grind optimization was conducted on the composites sample with varying grind size to evaluate the effect of grind size on gold recovery. The ore was moderately ground to the standard grind size of 80%, passing 106 µm, 75 µm, 53 µm and this nominal size was selected for the preliminary assessment for concentration optimization for this deposit. The gravity testing comprised three-stage concentration using Knelson concentrator. High recovery of gold from the gravity concentrates was achieved from the second gravity concentration. Based on the laboratory experimental result analysis, a grind size of P80 75 µm is selected as optimal size for the Ashashire gold deposit. Increasing the grind size from P80 of 75 µm to 106 µm decreases the recovery rate from 75% to 54%, or decreasing the grind size from P80 of 75 µm to 53 µm decreases the gold recovery rate to 37%. The native gold grain in the ores is mostly associated with quartz and fine gold is closely associated with pyrite. According to analysis of the fire assay, chemical, and mineralogical data, only gold and telluride is commercially valuable elements in the ores. Predominantly gold was occurred in the native form of Au-Te. The sample subjected to gravity separation assayed about 2.6 g/t Au.
文摘Objective:Despite trials and programs for the prevention of childhood mortality due to pneumonia,Ethiopia is among the top five countries with the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia.Although the prevalence of pneumonia has increased in the abovementioned trials,little is known about the recovery time from severe pneumonia and its predictors in the study area.Therefore,this study aimed to assess the time to recovery from severe pneumonia and its predictors among pediatric patients admitted to Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital,Ethiopia,in 2022.Methods:A total of 591 children admitted for severe pneumonia were selected using simple random sampling.Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.4.2.1 and expor ted to STATA version 14 for analysis,and the assumptions of Cox propor tional hazard models and goodness of fit were assessed through Shoenfeld residual and Cox-Snell residual,respectively.Bivariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify the predictors of mor tality.Results:This study revealed that 91.54%(95%confidence interval[CI]:89.00–93.53)of participants recovered with an incidence rate of 24.10(95%CI:22.15–26.21)per 100 person-day–observations.The hmedian recovery time of children was 4 days(95%CI:2–6).Children who were not exclusively breastfed(AHR=1.3;95%CI:1.03–1.66),who had a history of inability to suck/feed(AHR=0.81;95%CI:0.65–0.99)were independent predictors of the time to recovery.Conclusions:Children with severe pneumonia who had not exclusively breastfed and who had a history of inability to suck/feed were independent predictors of time to recovery.Therefore,all stakeholders and concerned health care providers should focus more on early diagnosis and management and hasten early recovery based on the identified factors.
文摘The paper has focused on the challenges/impacts of tannery effluent and evaluates the alternative treatment options used to treat, recover or recycle chromium from the waste water. The paper was done entirely on secondary data by consulting literature sources including scientific journals, chapters of books, conference report papers and websites. The results of this review paper indicated that chromium is highly toxic and carcinogenic to human beings, animals, plants and the general environment (soil and water sediment). It is found out that chrome is the primary threat when ever tanning industry comes in to practice. Though many treatment options were evaluated to prevent its consequence on the environment, neither of them could achieve to treat or recover chrome 100%. Treatment options are either;inef-ficient, complicated, energy demanding, costly or applicable to a certain parts of the world due to technology or skilled man power demand. Therefore, to tackle this serious challenge stringent environmental regulation with law enforce-ment has to be exercised to use better treatment system which is widely applicable. Polluters must also know the envi-ronmental cost of their industry and treated according to polluter pay or precautionary principles. Moreover, the gen-eral public has to be aware of it and all concerned organizations and governments has to work hand in hand to reach zero discharge level or at least to attain the EPA chrome discharge
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic metabolic syndrome that has become a global public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality.It is a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic condition characterized by increased platelet activation and alterations in platelet indices.However,the use of platelet indices as predictors of poor glucoregulation has not been fully evaluated in this context,and evidence for their role as predictors of poor glycemic status in diabetic patients is limited.AIM To evaluate platelet indices and determine their prognostic significance in relation to inadequate glucoregulation among individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at Bishoftu General Hospital in Ethiopia,from June 15 to August 12,2022.METHODS A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 261 participants including 174 individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and 87 non-diabetic controls.The systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants.Data were collected using structured questionnaires,physical measurements,checklists,and laboratory tests.Platelet parameters and fasting blood glucose levels were determined from blood samples using Sysmex-XN550 and CobasC311 analyzers,respectively.The hematology analyzer output was checked and participants were also screened for malaria parasites using a prepared blood smear.Collected data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis.Theχ^(2) test,Mann-Whitney U test,Kruskal-Wallis test,post hoc test,Spearman correlation,and receiver operating characteristic curve were used for analysis.A P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS The results of our study indicate that diabetic patients have significantly higher levels of platelet distribution width(PDW),mean platelet volume(MPV),platelet large cell ratio(PLCR),and plateletcrit(PCT)compared to healthy individuals(P<0.001).Furthermore,these indices were found to be significantly elevated in individuals with poor glycemic control in T2DM compared to
文摘The beneficiation methods for Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene ores were assessed through mineralogical and quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction（XRD） and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence（EDXRF）. The tantalite in the upper zone of the Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene deposit is 58.7wt% higher than that in the inner zone. XRD analysis revealed that the upper zone is dominated by manganocolumbite, whereas the inner zone is predominantly tantalite-Mn. Repeated cleaning and beneficiation of the upper-zone ore resulted in concentrate compositions of 57.34wt% of Ta_2O_5 and 5.41wt% of Nb_2O_5. Washing the tantalite concentrates using 1vol% KOH and 1 M H_2SO_4 led to the removal of thorium and uranium radioactive oxides from the concentrate. The findings of this study suggest that the beneficiation and alkaline washing of Kenticha pegmatite–spodumene ores produce a high-grade export-quality tantalite concentrate with negligible radioactive oxides.
文摘Background: Under-five mortality is one of the indicators of the millennium development goals (MDGs) for the child mortality reduction goal. Understanding the social determinants of under-five mortality is helpful to narrow the gap between different social classes. Therefore, this study focused on the social determinants of under-five mortality inEthiopiausing EDHS 2011 data. Methods: The data source for this analysis was the 2011 EDHS which was undertaken over a five-month period from 27 December, 2010 to 3 June, 2011. The sample was selected using a stratified, two-stage cluster design. Samples of 16,515 women of reproductive age were interviewed. The questionnaire used to collect information from these women who?had among other things such as?background characteristics of women, birth history of these women and the survival of each birth at the time of the interview. Births that had occurred to women in the last 10 years prior to the date of the?interview were extracted for the analysis. Descriptive statistical methods were used to describe the distribution of the characteristics of the data. Kaplan Meier plots and incidence rates per 1000 person years were used to compare survival across different categories of the risk factors. The effect of the risk factors on survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Data management and analysis were carried out using STATA 10. Results: A total of 23,581 under-five children were included in the study. The under-five mortality incidence rate in Ethiopia for the last ten years was 29.6 per 1000 person years. Maternal education beyond primary level of education reduced the risk of under-five mortality by about half. A significant reduction in risk of under-five mortality was observed among births to mothers residing in richest households. The hazard ratio (HR) was higher for under-five mortality among boys than daughters, twins than singleton, teen age mother than higher ages and short births than optimal. Conclusions: Empowering mothers with education
基金The proposal development,study design and data collection of this research was supported and granted by Arba Minch University and Jimma University,Ethiopia.Erasmus Mundus Action 2 program(CARIBU)financially supported laboratory works of this study to be carried out at the Cell and Genetics(CEGE)Laboratory of Vrije Universiteit Brussel(VUB),Belgium.VUB granted and permitted the laboratory activities to be successfully carried out and completed。
文摘Background:Giardia duodenalis is a species complex consisting of multiple genetically distinct assemblages.The species imposes a major public health crisis on developing countries.However,the molecular diversity,transmission dynamics and risk factors of the species in these countries are indeterminate.This study was conducted to determine the molecular epidemiology of G.duodenalis infection in asymptomatic individuals in Southern Ethiopia.Methods:From March to June 2014,fresh stool samples were collected from 590 randomly selected individuals.Socio-demographic data were gathered using a pre-tested structured questionnaire.The genotyping was done using triosephosphate isomerase gene-based nested polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing.The genetic identity and relatedness of isolates were determined using the basic local alignment search tool and phylogenetic analysis.Risk factors associated with G.duodenalis infection were analysed using binary and multinomial logistic regression models.Results:The results showed that 18.1%(92/509)of the study subjects were infected by G.duodenalis.Among the isolates,35.9%(33/92)and 21.7%(20/92)were sub-typed into assemblages A and B,respectively,whereas 42.4%(39/92)showed mixed infections of A and B.Most of the assemblage A isolates(94%,31/33)were 100%identical to sequences registered in GenBank,of which the majority belonged to sub-assemblage AII.However,the high genetic variability and frequency of double peaks made sub-genotyping of assemblage B more problematic and only 20%(4/20)of the isolates matched 100%with the sequences.The risk factors of age(P=0.032)and type of drinking water source(P=0.003)both showed a significant association with the occurrence G.duodenalis infection.Conclusions:This study established the endemicity of G.duodenalis in Southern Ethiopia.Infection with assemblage A was more frequent than with assemblage B,and the rate of infection was higher in children and in municipal/tap and open spring water consumers than the other groups.Sub-typing of assem
文摘Background:Onchocerciasis(river blindness),caused by the filarial worm speciesOnchocerca volvulus,is a serious vector-borne neglected tropical disease(NTD)of public health and socioeconomic concern.It is transmitted through the bite of black flies of the genusSimulium,and manifested in dermal and ocular lesions.Ninety-nine percent of the total global risk and burden of onchocerciasis is in Africa.This scoping review examines the key challenges related to the elimination of onchocerciasis by 2020-2025 in Africa,and proposes recommendations to overcome the challenges and accelerate disease elimination.To find relevant articles published in peer-reviewed journals,a search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was carried out.Main text:Rigorous regional interventions carried out to control and eliminate onchocerciasis in the past four decades in Africa have been effective in bringing the disease burden under control;it is currently not a public health problem in most endemic areas.Notably,transmission of the parasite is interrupted in some hyperendemic localities.Recently,there has been a policy shift from control to complete disease elimination by 2020 in selected countries and by 2025 in the majority of endemic African countries.The WHO has published guidelines for stopping mass drug administration(MDA)and verifying the interruption of transmission and elimination of human onchocerciasis.Therefore,countries have revised their plans,established a goal of disease elimination in line with an evidence based decision to stop MDA and verify elimination,and incorporated it into their NTDs national master plans.Nevertheless,challenges remain pertaining to the elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa.The challenge we review in this paper are:incomplete elimination mapping of all transmission zones,co-endemicity of onchocerciasis and loiasis,possible emergence of ivermectin resistance,uncoordinated cross-border elimination efforts,conflict and civil unrest,suboptimal program implementation,and technical and financial challen
文摘The present study focused on evaluating the agronomic performance, stability, and anthracnose resistance of common bean lines derived through Marker-Assisted Backcrossing in Uganda. Eight marker-assisted selection (MAS) backcross-derived bush bean lines with red seed types, alongside two checks, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design replicated two times in five locations for three consecutive crop-growing seasons in 2021 and 2022. The study aimed to identify lines with both high stable yields and enhanced resistance to anthracnose disease for potential release and utilization in future bean varietal development in Uganda. Agronomic traits, including days to 50% flowering, days to 90% physiological maturity, seed yield, seed yield components, and anthracnose disease reaction under natural infestation were assessed. The response to anthracnose disease was further assessed using six isolates of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum representing six different races. Results indicated that the agronomic performances of the MAS backcross-derived bush bean lines were statistically comparable to the recurrent parent NABE14. Specifically, six lines exhibited statistically equal to or higher performance than NABE14 in terms of seed yield, total number of seeds and number of pods per plant. The combined analysis of variance for seed yield showed significant (p Co-4<sup>2</sup> and Co-5 anthracnose resistance genes in the derived line. In conclusion, UGKT-B157-4, identified as the best-performing and stable genotype, demonstrates promise for release and use in future bean varietal development in Uganda, offering a combination of high yields and enhanced anthracnose disease resistance. The study provides valuable insights into the potential of Marker-Assisted Backcrossing in improving common bean varieties in the region.
基金This work was financially supported by the College of Natural Sciences,Jimma University through the grand research project(CNS-Chem-11-2020/21-SP1).
文摘Analysis of pesticide residue levels in juice beverages is important to ensure safe consumption and avoid global trade concerns associated to pesticide contaminations.A simple,inexpensive and effective method was developed for the determination of organochlorine pesticides(OCPs)in bottled juice drinks using GC-MS.Sample pretreatment was performed using dispersive solid-phase microextraction(D-μ-SPE)for matrix desorption and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction(DLLME)for analyte enrichment.In this study,an affordable and effective sorbent for the adsorption of OCPs from juice samples was synthesized from avocado seeds mixed with magnetic precursors for D-μSPE.The ground avocado seeds combined with a magnetic precursor nanocomposite were characterized using various instruments including scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)analysis.The solution obtained from D-μ-SPE desorption was used as a dispersant for the subsequent DLLME,which made the combination of D-μ-SPE with DLLME much easier.The effectiveness of the method was enhanced by optimizing the influential parameters in both D-μ-SPE and DLLME.Then after,the optimal values were determined for the real sample analysis.Accordingly,there was good linear dynamic range with a coefficient of determination(r2)≥0.9989.The limit of detection and quantification were 0.02–0.69 and 0.06–2.10 ng/L respectively.The method showed high enrichment factors ranging from 96 to 313 with recoveries of 87–100%.Intraday and interday precisions were≤4%.Compared with other reported methods,this method is a one-step,simple,cheap,fast,and environmentally friendly alternative and straightforward method for adsorbing organochlorine pesticides from sample solutions.These results demonstrates the high potential of the proposed method for the extraction and cleanup of contaminants in selected juices and other related samples.
基金The authors thank the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFA0201702/2016YFA0201700)the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation(19ZR1400900)+3 种基金the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(16JC1400700)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2232018A3-01)the Program for Innovative Research Team at the University of Ministry of Education of China(IRT_16R13)the International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-dimension Materials(18520750400).
文摘The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO_(2) nanofibers(NFs),prepared by electrospinning,is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid(RhA).The condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups from TiO_(2) NFs and RhA is accompanied by the red-shift of optical absorption due to interfacial charge transfer(ICT)complex formation.Crystal structure,morphology,and optical properties of unmodified and surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs were analyzed.The photocatalytic performance of prepared samples has been examined through degradation of organic dye methylene blue.Superior photocatalytic activity of surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs with RhA is attributed to their enhanced optical properties,i.e.,the ability to harvest the photon energy in the visible spectral range.
