PHYSIOLOGY AND PERSISTENCE OF ALFALFA WITH CHANGES IN SOIL CHEMISTRY

The influence of liming on soil chemical changes and on nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield of alfalfa was investigated. In the field, increasing rates of lime improved alfalfa dry matter yield at the Kingman Farm. Optimum dry matter yield was obtained with 3.5 tons lime/ha. A quadratic response curve showed that liming accounted for about 70 percent of the yield variation in alfalfa. Herbage N, P and Mg increased in response to liming six years after establishment. The simple correlations between dry matter yield and plant N, plant P and Plant Mg were positive and significant. Plant Al and Mn showed negative influences on plant P, N and Mg as well as on dry matter yield. Total nitrogen accumulation and protein yields were significantly increased with liming. Nitrogen content was strongly associated with the yield of alfalfa. Depletion of soil N appeared to be the main cause for the improvement in the response of N(,2) fixation and yield to liming, especially in the last two years (1980-1981). The relation between herbage composition and alfalfa yield was studied with regression analysis. In 1981 optimum alfalfa dry matter of 14.9 tons/ha was obtained with a herbage composition of 0.33% P, 1.0% Ca, 0.33% Mg, 4.7% N and 2.4% K. This optimum yield was 143% of the control yield. In the greenhouse, exchangeable Al was found to be a better indicator of crop response to lime application than soil pH. The relationship of improved yield to reduced Al saturation was far more pronounced than the relationship between yield and soil pH. Top and root dry weights were shown to be more correlated to Al saturation than pH or available P. Work with radioactive phosphorus in the soil showed that liming caused a precipitation of the applied (\u2732)P. The (\u2732)P was reverted and so less (\u2732)P was mobilized to plant roots when lime was applied to the soil. The ratio of Al/P in \u27Iroquois\u27 roots was reduced through liming

Spatial and temporal analysis of radial growth in an Appalachian watershed

This dendrochronological study used dated and measured tree-ring data to examine relationships between radial growth and climate for four hard wood species, yellow-poplar, northern red oak, chestnut oak and red maple, growing on contrasting topographic aspects of a watershed in north-central West Virginia.;The study showed that all species except northern red oak showed significant differences in growth between the mesic and xeric aspects. Where significant differences were found all except chestnut oak exhibited higher growth rates at the mesic aspect.;Yellow-poplar showed a sharp decline in growth from late 1950\u27s to late 1960\u27s, which was evidently caused by several years of below average precipitation. The more conservative species, red oak, chestnut oak and red maple, showed a mild response to the drought compared to yellow-poplar which experienced 30--40% less growth relative to its peak growth in the late 1950\u27s.;All four species exhibited sensitivity to climate, especially to growing season precipitation. Sensitivity to climate followed the sequence yellow-poplar \u3e northern red oak \u3e chestnut oak \u3e red maple.;Regarding the interaction of aspect and climatic sensitivity, yellow-poplar displayed greater sensitivity to climate at the xeric site while the oaks showed little evidence of an aspect-related interaction with climate. For red maple, aspect did interact with climatic sensitivity, although this species showed an overall insensitivity to climate. The results of this study are logical in terms of the ecological strategies of the species; yellow-poplar is widely known to be site specific and exploitive, whereas oaks and maples are more conservative

Dried Blood spot test for HIV exposed infants and children and their Anti-Retro Viral treatment status in selected hospitals in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Infants and children living with HIV receive antiretroviral treatment often late, are exposed to opportunistic infection and quickly develop AIDS. Few hospitals are providing ART service after Dried Blood Spot (DBS)test.The objective of this study is to assess the status of infants and children linked to ART.METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals. Data of 138 infants and children exposed to HIV were collected from registration books and data bases from 2009 to 2011. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Chi-squared test and p-value were computed. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants.RESULT: Ninety-eight (71%) infants and children exposed to HIV were diagnosed for HIV infection of which 68(69.4%) initiated ART. Twenty four (35.3%) initiated ART one month after HIV screening results. Thirty-three (50.0%) and 23(35.3%) infants and children dropped from and adhered to ART respectively. Eleven (16.2%) of them who initiated ART died within the study period. HIV infection status (p-value=0.003), dropping from ART (p-value=0.002) and death after ART initiation (p-value=0.010) showed significance with mothers’ PMTCT service status.CONCLUSION: Seven in ten HIV-exposed infants and children were diagnosed with HIV, and almost all of them initiated ART. The overall turnaround time was 10 days. Based up on mothers’ PMTCT service status, there was a significant difference among HIV-exposed infants and children in acquiring HIV infection from mothers during pregnancy (p-value=0.003) and dropping from ART (p-value=0.010). There were challenges in sample collection and transportation. Early HIV screening during pregnancy and PMTCT service should be strengthened.KEYWORDS: Dried Blood Spot, HIV-exposed infants and children, ART treatment statu

Prevalence of abomasal nematodes in sheep and goats slaughtered at Haramaya municipal abattoir, eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia

The study was conducted from November 2009 to March 2010 in Haramaya district, eastern Hararghe zone of Oromiya region, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of abomasal nematodes of small ruminants slaughtered at Haramaya municipal abattoir. During the study period a total of 384 abomasums of small ruminants (181 sheep and 203 goats) were examined.  Three genera of nematodes were identified in both sheep and goats abomasa with overall prevalence of 95.8%.   The prevalence in sheep and goats were 94.5% and 97% respectively. The prevalence in both animal species was 85.7% Haemonchus contortus, 82.3% Trichostrongylus axei and 79.9% Teladorsagia. The specific prevalence observed were 90% for Haemonchus contortus, 75.7 % for Trichostrongylus axei, and 80.7 % for Teladorsagia spp. in sheep and 81.8 % for Haemonchus contortus, 88.2 % for Trichostrongylus axei and 79.3 % for Teladorsagia spp. in goats. Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in nematode species except Teladorsagia species was observed. There was no statistically significant differences (P>0.05) among the risk factors of age and sex considered in relation to the prevalence of abomasal nematodes. Generally, a high infection rate of small ruminants with abomasal nematodes was observed during the study period. Keywords: Small ruminants, Abomasal nematodes, Prevalence, Haramaya, Abattoi

Parasito-haematological features of acute Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria patients with and without HIV co-infection at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia

No Abstract.Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 19 (2) 2005: 132-13

The Practices of Instructional Supervisions in Supplementing Holistic Teaching-Learning Process: Qersa and Omo Nada Woreda Secondary Schools of Jimma Zone in Focus

The purpose of the study was to assess the practices of instructional supervision in supplementing teaching-learning process in secondary schools of Qersa and Omo Nada woreda of Jimma zone. It particularly treats issues of how instructional supervision is practiced in improving the holistic teaching learning process, how instructional supervisors render professional support to teachers to enhance classroom instruction, and what challenges are there in practicing instructional supervision in think of promoting the provision of quality education. To accomplish this purpose, the study employed a descriptive survey method, which is supplemented by quantitative and qualitative research method to enrich data. The study was carried out in two secondary schools of the two woreda which comprises -58 teachers, 31 internal school supervisors (2 principals 2 vice principals, 12 department heads and 15 senior teachers) and 2 woreda supervisors who included in the study purposively.  Questionnaire and interview was the main instrument utilized during data collection.Descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage for part and narration for qualitative were employed to analyze the data. Finally, the results of the study revealed that the practices of instructional supervision in supplementing holistic teaching learning in the woreda were ineffective and suffered with many challenges like lack of adequate knowledge among supervisors, shortage of resources for support, low top management attention and the like. Therefore, it is recommended that the woreda would  be able to enhance the supervisory activities in considering its importance in assuring quality education by arranging training, improving resource allocation for supervision work and give due attention for the issue in order to alleviate the problem. 

Diagnostic accuracy of three commercially available one step RT-PCR assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in resource limited settings

Background COVID-19 is an ongoing public health pandemic regardless of the countless efforts made by various actors. Quality diagnostic tests are important for early detection and control. Notably, several commercially available one step RT-PCR based assays have been recommended by the WHO. Yet, their analytic and diagnostic performances have not been well documented in resource-limited settings. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of three commercially available one step reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays in Ethiopia in clinical setting. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June, 2021 on 279 respiratory swabs originating from community surveillance, contact cases and suspect cases. RNA was extracted using manual extraction method. Master-mix preparation, amplification and result interpretation was done as per the respective manufacturer. Agreements between RT-PCRs were analyzed using kappa values. Bayesian latent class models (BLCM) were fitted to obtain reliable estimates of diagnostic sensitivities, specificities of the three assays and prevalence in the absence of a true gold standard. Results Among the 279 respiratory samples, 50(18%), 59(21.2%), and 69(24.7%) were tested positive by TIB, Da An, and BGI assays, respectively. Moderate to substantial level of agreement was reported among the three assays with kappa value between 0 .55 and 0.72. Based on the BLCM relatively high specificities (95% CI) of 0.991(0.973–1.000), 0.961(0.930–0.991) and 0.916(0.875–0.952) and considerably lower sensitivities with 0.813(0.658–0.938), 0.836(0.712–0.940) and 0.810(0.687–0.920) for TIB MOLBIOL, Da An and BGI respectively were found. Conclusions While all the three RT-PCR assays displayed comparable sensitivities, the specificities of TIB MOLBIOL and Da An were considerably higher than BGI. These results help adjust the apparent prevalence determined by the three RT-PCRs and thus support public health decisions in resource limited settings and consider alternatives as per their prioritization matrix

Podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs): double burden of neglected tropical diseases in Wolaita zone, rural southern Ethiopia

Background Both podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections occur among barefoot people in areas of extreme poverty; however, their co-morbidity has not previously been investigated. We explored the overlap of STH infection and podoconiosis in Southern Ethiopia and quantified their separate and combined effects on prevalent anemia and hemoglobin levels in podoconiosis patients and health controls from the same area. Methods and Principal Findings A two-part comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from adult patients presenting with clinically confirmed podoconiosis, and unmatched adult neighborhood controls living in the same administrative area. Information on demographic and selected lifestyle factors was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Stool samples were collected and examined qualitatively using the modified formalin-ether sedimentation method. Hemoglobin level was determined using two different methods: hemoglobinometer and automated hematology analyzer. A total of 913 study subjects (677 podoconiosis patients and 236 controls) participated. The prevalence of any STH infection was 47.6% among patients and 33.1% among controls (p<0.001). The prevalence of both hookworm and Trichuris trichiura infections was significantly higher in podoconiosis patients than in controls (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25 to2.42, AOR 6.53, 95% CI 2.34 to 18.22, respectively). Not wearing shoes and being a farmer remained significant independent predictors of infection with any STH. There was a significant interaction between STH infection and podoconiosis on reduction of hemoglobin level (interaction p value = 0.002). Conclusions Prevalence of any STH and hookworm infection was higher among podoconiosis patients than among controls. A significant reduction in hemoglobin level was observed among podoconiosis patients co-infected with hookworm and ‘non-hookworm STH’. Promotion of consistent shoe-wearing practices may have double advantages in controlling both podoconiosis and hookworm infection in the study area

Does a complex intervention targeting communities, health facilities and district health managers increase the utilisation of community-based child health services? A before and after study in intervention and comparison areas of Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Ethiopia successfully reduced mortality in children below 5 years of age during the past few decades, but the utilisation of child health services was still low. Optimising the Health Extension Programme was a 2-year intervention in 26 districts, focusing on community engagement, capacity strengthening of primary care workers and reinforcement of district accountability of child health services. We report the intervention's effectiveness on care utilisation for common childhood illnesses. METHODS: We included a representative sample of 5773 households with 2874 under-five children at baseline (December 2016 to February 2017) and 10 788 households and 5639 under-five children at endline surveys (December 2018 to February 2019) in intervention and comparison areas. Health facilities were also included. We assessed the effect of the intervention using difference-in-differences analyses. RESULTS: There were 31 intervention activities; many were one-off and implemented late. In eight districts, activities were interrupted for 4 months. Care-seeking for any illness in the 2 weeks before the survey for children aged 2-59 months at baseline was 58% (95% CI 47 to 68) in intervention and 49% (95% CI 39 to 60) in comparison areas. At end-line it was 39% (95% CI 32 to 45) in intervention and 34% (95% CI 27 to 41) in comparison areas (difference-in-differences -4 percentage points, adjusted OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.95). The intervention neither had an effect on care-seeking among sick neonates, nor on household participation in community engagement forums, supportive supervision of primary care workers, nor on indicators of district accountability for child health services. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence to suggest that the intervention increased the utilisation of care for sick children. The lack of effect could partly be attributed to the short implementation period of a complex intervention and implementation interruption. Future funding schemes should take into consideration that complex interventions that include behaviour change may need an extended implementation period. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN12040912

Prevalence of pelvic floor disorder and associated factors among women in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021

BackgroundGlobally, millions of women develop pelvic floor disorder. It imposes a considerable emotional, social, and financial burden on women’s lives. Despite this, in developing countries, nearly half of women with pelvic floor disorder do not seek any help due to feelings of isolation, depression, shame, and loss of control. Thus, the magnitude of the problem is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of pelvic floor disorder and associated factors among women at Arba Minch Health and Demographic surveillance site.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a simple random sampling technique was employed on a community basis. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and then exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 for data cleaning and analysis. Bivariate and multivariable analyses using binary logistic regressions were carried out to identify factors associated with pelvic floor disorder. The level of significance was declared at a p-value of &lt; 0.05.ResultsThe prevalence of pelvic floor disorder was 31.4% (95% CI = 26.9% to 35.8%). Being grand multiparous (AOR = 3.919, 95% CI = 1.495–10.276), having a history of instrumental delivery (AOR = 3.042, 95% CI = 1.483 to 6.241), having a history of perianal tearing (AOR = 2.972, 95% CI = 1.491 to 5.927), and having a medical disease (AOR= 2.698, 95% CI = 1.526 to 4.770) were factors associated with pelvic floor disorder.Conclusions and recommendationsThe prevalence of pelvic floor disorder was high in the study area. Parity, instrumental delivery, perianal tears, and medical problems were factors affecting the prevalence of pelvic floor disorder. There is a need for an improvement of policies and strategies focusing on prevention and treatment services to alleviate the problem