Analyzing gender gap in agricultural productivity: Evidence from Ethiopia

Women make up more than 50% of the agricultural labor force but contribute less than 30% to agricultural productivity. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood in Ethiopia but by contributes more than 35% to GDP, 90% to forex earnings, and 70% to employment sources. So Improving economic well-being ensuring sustainable development, and reducing poverty is impossible by ignoring the role of women. Consequently, the main objective of the study is to investigate the gender gap in agricultural productivity using national Panel data of 3474 households which were collected in 2017 and 2019 by the Policy Studies Institute for AGP II baseline study and midline evaluation. Among these, 69% (2404) were male-headed and 31% (1070) were female-headed households. The panel data were combined with DID, Oaxaca Decomposition, and the Random effect Tobit model to investigate the gender gap. The result from the DID Method of Impact Evaluation shows that female-headed households were less productive by 3.7% and 2.05 quintals per hectare when measured in terms of value in birr and quintals per hectare compared to male-headed households. In contrast, male-headed households were more productive by 4% and 2.05 quintals compared to female-headed households. Additionally, the results from the pooled and random effect Tobit model showed that soil fertility, sex of the household head, slope of the land, total livestock holding in TLU, extension contact, use of inorganic fertilizer, credit use, machinery use, and plantation method are among the determinants of the gender gap in agricultural productivity. Furthermore, results from the Oaxaca decomposition show that a gender productivity difference between male and female-headed households was roughly 11.2% when measured by value and 5% when measured by an area-weighted formula. The main finding of the study is that endowment effects were less likely to have a significant impact on the productivity gap than structural effects did. Differences in the unexplained characteristics of men and women may also contribute to the considerable productivity gap between male-headed and female-headed households. Therefore, working on women's empowerment to improve their structural disadvantages through various training programs that favor women or gender-mainstreamed extension training programs for lowering gender productivity differentials is a possible policy option

Assessment of the sensory quality and shelf stability of selected Horro beef muscles in Ethiopia

The objective of this work was to assess sensory quality and retail life of Horro beef muscles in Ethiopia. Six muscles: M. rhomboideus (RM), M. infraspinatus (IS), M. longissimus lumborum (LL), M. semimembranosus (SM), M. biceps femoris (BF) and M. rectus femoris (RF) were considered. Sensory quality of the muscles was rated by a 9-member trained panel for palatability, tenderness, juiciness, amount of connective tissue (ACT), lean color and surface discoloration and measured by Warner--Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF). Retail life of the six muscles were evaluated for CIE 1976 L a b color values across 6 days. Significant differences (p < 0.05) between muscles for all sensory attributes and WBSF were found. Significant L a b color values of muscles and USDA quality grades by retail life were found (p < 0.05). Significant correlations (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) of key parameters were also identified.ILRI/BM

Effect of Pretreatments and Solar Tunnel Dryer Zone on Drying Characteristics and Stability of Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) Slices

Drying fruits and vegetables can be achieved using different drying methods based on the crop’s economic value and the technology’s affordability. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, where sunlight intensity and duration are high, it is recommended to use solar drying methods. A solar tunnel dryer is one of the methods commonly used to produce dried fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to determine the drying kinetics at different dryer zones and select a suitable drying kinetics model to overcome the limitation. In addition, pretreatment methods are commonly recommended to improve the quality of the dried product. This work aimed to determine the drying kinetics of pumpkin slices at different zones of drier and pretreatment effect on product quality. Three zones of drier and four pretreatments were employed in the two-factor factorial experiment. Seven thin layer kinetic models were evaluated. pH, TSS, TA, moisture content (MC), and water activity (aw) were determined for quality evaluation. Recorded data showed that the temperature in the tunnel increased from zone I to III with a decrease in RH. Results showed a higher drying constant (K) and effective diffusivity (Deff); drier zone III > II > I. Pretreatments also showed a significant effect on K and Deff. Regardless of pretreatment types, two-term exponential and diffusion models are better fitted for zones I and II/III, respectively. With pretreatments and drier zones, the TSS value increases from zones I to III but with a decrease in titratable acidity, moisture content, and water activity. From the result, it can be concluded that different drying rates are observed in different zones. However, a better quality of pumpkin powder was observed in drier zone II for pumpkin slices pretreated with a 2% salt solution. It is recommended to create a drying medium that resembles zone II or better to use the recommended kinetic models to predict the drying time for each zone for a better quality product by avoiding under- or over-drying of slices

Nurses' knowledge about palliative care and attitude towards end- of-life care in public hospitals in Wollega zones: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Nurses' knowledge about palliative care and attitude towards end- of-life care in public hospitals in Wollega zones: A multicenter cross-sectional stud

Nanocomposites with ZrO₂@S-Doped g‑C₃N₄ as an Enhanced Binder-Free Sensor: Synthesis and Characterization

This study describes new electrocatalyst materials that can detect and reduce environmental pollutants. The synthesis and characterization of semiconductor nanocomposites (NCs) made from active ZrO2@S-doped g-C3N4 is presented. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott-Schottky (M-S) measurements were used to examine electron transfer characteristics of the synthesized samples. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) techniques, inclusion of monoclinic ZrO2 on flower-shaped S-doped-g-C3N4 was visualized. High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed successful doping of ZrO2 into the lattice of S-doped g-C3N4. The electron transport mechanism between the electrolyte and the fluorine tin-oxide electrode (FTOE) was enhanced by the synergistic interaction between ZrO2 and S-doped g-C3N4 as co-modifiers. Development of a platform with improved conductivity based on an FTOE modified with ZrO2@S-doped g-C3N4 NCs resulted in an ideal platform for the detection of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in water. The electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode was evaluated through determination of 4-NP by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) under optimum conditions (pH 5). ZrO2@S-doped g-C3N4 (20%)/FTOE exhibited good electrocatalytic activity with a linear range from 10 to 100 μM and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 6.65 μM. Typical p-type semiconductor ZrO2@S-doped g-C3N4 NCs significantly impact the superior detection of 4-NP due to its size, shape, optical properties, specific surface area and effective separation of electron–hole pairs. We conclude that the superior electrochemical sensor behavior of the ZrO2@S-doped g-C3N4 (20%)/FTOE surfaces results from the synergistic interaction between S-doped g-C3N4 and ZrO2 surfaces that produce an active NC interface

Antenatal care service utilization among women who gave birth amid COVID-19 pandemic in Wollega Zone, West Ethiopia: Community based cross-sectional study

Antenatal care service utilization among women who gave birth amid COVID-19 pandemic in Wollega Zone, West Ethiopia: Community based cross-sectional stud