Evaluation of selected semi-dwarf Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) genotypes for yield and yield related traits

Tef is the major staple food crop for Ethiopia which is cultivated by more than 6.7 million smallholder farmers. As an indigenous cereal, it is well adapted to diverse climatic and soil conditions; however, its productivity is very low mainly due to susceptibility to lodging. The objective of this study was to identify stable, high yielding and lodging tolerant tef genotypes for moisture stress areas of the country. A total of twenty genotypes including standard and local checks were tested. The field experiment was conducted using a 2m x 2m area with a completely randomized block design at six locations (Debre Zeit, Minjar, Alemtena, Melkassa, Sirinka and Axum) during the 2019 and 2020 main cropping seasons. Data were taken on plot and individual plant basis on eight pheno-agro-morphological characters including days to heading, days to maturity, grain filling period, plant height, panicle length, lodging index, above-ground shoot biomass and grain yield. The combined analysis of variance showed that the mean squares due to genotypes, locations and genotype interactions were highly significant (P<0.01) for the tested eight agronomical and morphological traits evaluated. Based on the current result, 39% of the tested genotypes had a higher yield advantage over the standard check Boset variety. On the other hand, 44% of the genotypes showed higher yields than the local check. Therefore, the promising genotype for lodging tolerance needs further testing in the variety verification trial and those genotypes are used as representative materials to develop varieties, especially for lodging tolerance

Assessment of plasma D-dimer level and its correlation with disease severity among hypertensive patients

It has been reported that inappropriate acute thrombus formation is the pathophysiological substrate underlying increased risk and severity of target organ damage in hypertension. However, the relationship between severity of hypertension and D-dimer has not been well characterized. This study was aimed to assess plasma D-dimer level and its correlation with disease severity among hypertensive at Yikatit 12 Hospital Medical College (Y12HMC), Ethiopia. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Y12HMC among 100 participants (60 hypertensive and 40 controls). The correlations between variables were determined using correlation coefficients, regression analysis, and different parametric and nonparametric tests. We observed higher D-dimer levels among hypertensive compared to the healthy controls (P<0.001). The D-dimer levels were found to be increased significantly with the severity of hypertension (P<0.001). D-dimer was found to have a diagnostic power of 86.9% in differentiating complicated from uncomplicated hypertension at 0.83mg/l cut-off value. This study suggests that D-dimer level was higher among hypertensive than control groups and it was also increasing significantly with the severity of hypertension. This suggests that hypercoagulability of fibrin plays a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders and thromboembolic complications of hypertensive patients. Further studies need be done on larger scale and using more robust study designs such as cohort to establish the causality of the association between severity of hypertension and D-dimer level

Scaling Preservice Training in Comprehensive Contraception and Abortion Care and Research across Ethiopia

This retrospective case study examines a five-year project scaling preservice training of comprehensive contraception and abortion care across nine Ethiopian schools of medicine and midwifery beginning in July 2014. It captures lessons learned from implementing the framework and share them with other schools and health ministries planning to strengthen contraception and abortion preservice training and research. The case study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted in July–December 2018 with 19 individuals who held faculty roles in the partner schools or staff roles with the Center for International Reproductive Health Training team in Ethiopia or Michigan. It also draws from document analysis of internal project files from across the full project period and participant observation by the case study authors, who were each involved in various stages of implementation. The case study is also available at http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.mpub11627346. This case study is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No-Derivatives License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150691/1/2019-scaling-preservice-training-in-comprehensive-contraception.pdfDescription of 2019-scaling-preservice-training-in-comprehensive-contraception.pdf : Case Stud

Trend, determinants, and future prospect of child marriage in the Amhara region, Ethiopia: a multivariate decomposition analysis

BackgroundChild marriage is a harmful traditional practice, which compromises children of their childhood and threatens their lives and health. In Ethiopia, 58% of women and 9% of men get married before the age of 18 years. Surprisingly, parents in the Amhara region make marriage promises of their children before they are even born, which will hinder the region from attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of ending child marriage. Thus, this study aimed to assess the trends, determinants, and future prospects of child marriage in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.MethodsA repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using four consecutive nationally representative Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2000–2016). A logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis for a non-linear response model was fitted to identify factors that contributed to the change in child marriage over time. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. The child marriage practice in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted using different forecasting features of Excel.ResultsThe trend of child marriage over the study period (2000–2016) decreased from 79.9% (76.7, 82.8) to 42.9% (39.1, 46.9), with an annual average reduction rate of 2.9%. Approximately 35.2% of the decline resulted from an increase in the proportion of women who attained secondary and above-secondary education over the two surveys. A decrease in the proportion of rural women and a change in the behavior of educated and media-exposed women also contributed significantly to the decline in child marriage. The prevalence of child marriage in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted to be 10.1% or 8.8%.ConclusionThough there has been a significant decline in child marriage in the Amhara region over the past 16 years, the proportion is still high, and the region is not going to eliminate it by 2030. Education, residence, and media exposure were all factors associated with the observed change in child marriage in this study. Therefore, additional efforts will be required if child marriage is to be eliminated by 2030, and investing more in education and media access will hasten the region's progress in this direction

Dyslipidemia and serum cystatin C levels as biomarker of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BackgroundDiabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The diagnostic markers of nephropathy, including the presence of albuminuria and/or a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate, are not clinically ideal, and most of them are raised after a significant reduction in renal function. Therefore, it is crucial to seek more sensitive and non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.Objective of the studyThis study aimed to investigate the serum cystatin C levels and dyslipidemia for the detection of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodologyA hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to August 2022 in Tikur, Anbessa specialized teaching hospital with a sample size of 140 patients with type2 diabetes mellitus. Socio-demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire, and 5 mL of blood was collected from each participant following overnight fasting for biochemical analyses.ResultsIn type 2 diabetes patients with nephropathy, we found significant lipoprotein abnormalities and an increase in serum cystatin C (P < 0.001) compared to those without nephropathy. Serum cystatin C, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, and duration of diabetes were identified as being significantly associated with diabetic nephropathy (P < 0.05) in multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean values of total cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) in females as compared to male type-2 diabetic patients. The fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles of the participants were found to be significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels.ConclusionThe present study found significant serum cystatin C and lipoprotein abnormalities in T2DM patients with diabetic nephropathy when compared with those without diabetic nephropathy, and these lipoprotein abnormalities were significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Disorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021. Methods We estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined. Findings Globally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer. Interpretation As the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Unveiling the relaxation dynamics of Ag/HfO2 based diffusive memristors for use in neuromorphic computing

The rapid growth in volume and complexity of data and transfer, driven by advancements in information technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, big data, and machine learning, is placing significant demands on computation power and speed. Traditional computing architectures are facing challenges in meeting these demands due to the Von Neumann bottleneck, which limits the data transfer rate between the memory and the central processing unit and causes high energy consumption.Today, neuromorphic computing (NC) concepts that mimic the structure and function of the biological brain are gaining popularity as they promise energy-efficient and scalable computing solutions. Currently, neuronal functionality is often performedusing a transistor-based neuron, which is area- and energy-inefficient. Therefore, research in the "beyond von Neumann" area is aimed at novel volatile switching components with adjustable switching times, low power consumption, and high scalability, which could potentially be used as artificial neurons in NC circuits. These include threshold-switching devices that switch abruptly from the high-resistance state (HRS) to the low-resistance state (LRS) at a defined voltage. As soon as the applied voltage falls below a certain value, the cell relaxes back to the initial HRS state. In particular, diffusive memristors built from volatile electrochemical metallization (ECM) cells are attracting attention in emerging NC areas such as temporal encoding. These diffusive memristors consist of switching layers made from oxides or chalcogenides sandwiched between an electrochemically active electrode (e.g., Ag or Cu) and an inert electrode (e.g., Pt metal). The cells can be miniaturized down to the sub-micrometer range and the switching itself relies on the formation and dissolution of a metallic filament. Since the temporal behavior of diffusive memristors is their main characteristic, it is of crucial importance to understand the relaxation dynamics of these devices from a physical perspective. This is a prerequisite for optimizing and modulating the performance of diffusive memristors, especially for applications requiring precise control of switching times. Previous approaches mainly describe the relaxation time as a function of the given filament diameter while the filament growth process is not considered