Determination of reference physiological values for working donkeys of Ethiopia

This study was undertaken with the aim of determining reference physiological values for working Ethiopian donkeys in four districts of Oromiya regional state by taking vital signs (body temperature, pulse and respiration rate) and gut sounds from a total of 130 apparently healthy donkeys. The mean values of body temperature obtained in this study for young, adult, and old donkeys were 37.90±0.74oC, 37.80±0.78oC and 37.70±0.63oC, respectively. For female and male donkeys it was 37.88±0.79oC and 37.83±0.73oC, respectively. The mean values of pulse rate per minute for young, adult and old donkeys were 55.40±9.93, 47.60±5.47 and 47.60±5.47, respectively. For female and male donkeys it was 51.62±11.32 and 49.69±8.59, respectively. Pulse rate and heart rate had strong correlation (r=0.824; p0.05) difference in nostril movement, abdominal movement and tracheal sound between daytime (morning Vs noon), age group and sex. However, strong and positive correlation (r=0.80;

Disrespect and abuse during childbirth in Western Ethiopia: Should women continue to tolerate?

BACKGROUND: Healthcare coverage in Ethiopia has improved dramatically in recent decades. However, facility-based delivery remains persistently low, while maternal mortality remains high. This paper presents the prevalence and associated factors of disrespect and abuse (D&A) during childbirth in public health facilities of western Oromia, Ethiopia. METHOD: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 612 women from February 2017 to May 2017. Exit interview with the mothers were conducted upon discharge from the maternity ward. We measured D&A during childbirth using seven dimensions. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between experience of D&A and client characteristics and institutional factors. RESULT: Three quarters (74.8%) of women reported experiencing at least one form of D&A during their facility childbirth. The types of D&A experienced by the women were; physical abuse (37.1%), non-dignified care (34.6%), non-consented care (54.1%), non-confidential care (40.4%), neglect (25.2%), detention (2.9%), and discrimination (13.2%). Experiences of D&A were 1.6 times more likely to be reported by women delivering at hospitals than health centers (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.66). Women without a companion throughout their delivery were almost 10 times more likely than women who had a companion to encounter D&A (OR: 9.94, 95% CI: 5.72, 17.28). On the other hand, women with more than 1,368-birr (USD 57) monthly income were less likely to experience any type of D&A (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: .21, .65). CONCLUSION: Three in four women reported experiencing at least one form of D&A during labor and delivery. This demonstrates a real disconnect between what the health system intends to achieve and what is practiced and calls for fundamental solutions in terms of both improving quality of facility-based delivery and ensuring women's right to receive health care with dignity

Influência de tensões compressivas na pressão de precompactação e no índice de compressão do solo

Este trabalho objetivou determinar os parâmetros de compressibilidade de um Argissolo Vermelho através de ensaios de compressão uniaxial, com três tempos de aplicação de pressão compressiva (7,5 s, 1 e 2 min) em duas umidades do solo (0,113 e 0,164 kg kg-1) e verificar o comportamento mecânico do solo após o alívio das cargas. O Argissolo Vermelho foi coletado em experimento conduzido em parcelas fisicamente degradadas e recuperadas na Estação Experimental Agronômica da UFRGS. A condição de degradação apresentou os maiores valores de pressão de precompactação em relação à condição fisicamente recuperada, nas duas umidades estudadas. Não houve diferença significativa entre os valores das pressões de precompactação do solo determinados com as curvas de compressão nos tempos de aplicação da pressão compressiva de 7,5 s, 1 e 2 min, nas duas umidades e nas duas condições físicas do solo. A condição fisicamente recuperada apresentou maior índice de compressão em relação à condição degradada em ambas as umidades. O alívio promovido pela remoção das pressões compressivas impostas ao solo promoveu um pequeno incremento na porosidade total do solo e decréscimo na sua densidade.The objectives of this study were to determine the compressibility parameters of an Acrisol through uniaxial compression tests, with three application times of compressive pressure (7.5 s, 1 and 2 min) and in two moisture contents (0.113 and 0.164 kg kg-1), and to verify the mechanical soil behavior after the removal of the loads. The Acrisol was collected in an experiment conducted in areas physically degraded and upgraded, in the Agricultural Experimental Station of the UFRGS. The physically degraded condition presented the highest values of precompaction pressure in relation to the upgraded condition, for both moisture contents. There was no significant difference among the values of precompaction pressure determined with the soil compression curve for the times of 7.5 s, 1 and 2 min compressive pressure application in both moisture contents as well in both physical conditions of the soil. The physically upgraded condition presented higher compression index compared to the degraded condition in both moisture contents. The relief promoted by the removal of the compressive pressures imposed on the soil promoted a small increment in the total porosity and reduction in the bulk density

Particulate-facilitated leaching of glyphosate and phosphorus from a marine clay soil via tile drains

Losses of commonly used chemical pesticides from agricultural land may cause serious problems in recipient waters in a similar way to phosphorus (P). Due to analytical challenges concerning determination of glyphosate (Gly), transport behaviour of this widely used herbicide is still not well-known. The objective of the present study was to quantify and evaluate leaching of Gly in parallel with P. Leaching losses of autumn-applied Gly (1.06 kg ha-1) via drainage water were examined by flow-proportional sampling of discharge from 20 drained plots in a field experiment in eastern Sweden. Samples were analysed for Gly in particulate-bound (PGly) and dissolved (DGly) form. The first 10 mm water discharge contained no detectable Gly, but the following 70 mm had total Gly (TotGly) concentrations of up to 6 µg L-1, with 62% occurring as PGly. On average, 0.7 g TotGly ha-1 was leached from conventionally ploughed plots, compared with 1.7 g TotGly ha-1 from shallow-tilled plots (cultivator to 12 cm working depth). Higher Gly losses occurred in snowmelt periods in spring, but then with the majority (60%) as DGly. All autumn concentrations of PGly in drainage water were significantly correlated (p<0.001) to the concentrations of particulate-bound phosphorus (PP) lost from the different plots (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.84), while PP concentrations were in turn significantly correlated to water turbidity (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.81). Leaching losses of TotGly were significantly lower (by 1.3 g ha-1; p<0.01) from plots that had been structure-limed three years previously and ploughed thereafter than from shallow-tilled plots. Turbidity and PP concentration also tended to be lowest in discharge from structure-limed plots and highest from shallow-tilled plots. This difference in TotGly leaching between soil management regimes could not be explained by differences in measured pH in drainage water or amount of discharge. However, previously structure-limed plots had significantly better aggregate stability, measured as readily dispersed clay (RDC), than unlimed plots. The effects of building up good soil structure, with strong soil aggregates and an appropriate pore system in the topsoil, on mitigating Gly and P losses in particulate and dissolved form should be further investigated

Influence of soil phosphorus and manure on phosphorus leaching in Swedish topsoils

In Sweden, subsurface transport of phosphorus (P) from agricultural soils represents the primary pathway of concern for surface water quality. However, there are mixed findings linking P in leachate with soil P and limited understanding of the interactive effects of applied P sources and soil test P on P leaching potential. Identifying soils that are susceptible to P leaching when manure is applied is critical to management strategies that reduce P loadings to water bodies. Intact soil columns (20 cm deep) from five long-term fertilization trials across Sweden were used in leaching experiments with simulated rainfall to explore the interactive effects of dairy cow (Bos taurus L.) manure application, soil test P and cropping system. Strong relationships were observed between ammonium-lactate extractable P in soil and dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentrations in leachate, although regression slopes varied across soils. For three soils, application of manure (equal to 21-30 kg P ha-1) to the soil columns significantly increased DRP leaching losses. The increase in DRP concentration was correlated to soil test P, but with wide variations between the three soils. For two soils leachate P concentrations after manure addition were independent of soil P status. Despite variable trends in P leaching across the different soils, P concentrations in leachate were always moderate from soils at fertilization rates equivalent to P removal with harvest. Results clearly stress the importance of long-term P balance to limit P leaching losses from Swedish agricultural soils