Postharvest Ripening and Shelf Life of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruit as Influenced by 1-Methylcyclopropene and Polyethylene Packaging

The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a climacteric and highly perishable fruit that requires specialized postharvest handling to extend its storage life. The study was undertaken at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center (MARC) to evaluate the influence of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and polyethylene packaging (PP) on postharvest storage of mango. Fruits of two mango cultivars namely ‘Apple’ and ‘Kent’ were harvested at green-mature stage and were treated with gaseous 1-MCP (100 or 500 nLL-1) in closed plastic containers for 18 hours and then individual fruits were either packaged with perforated polyethylene bags or kept without packaging. They were stored up to 21 days under ambient condition at temperature of 25.7 ±2.6oC and relative humidify of 66.1±11.8%. Treatments were laid out in factorial arrangement in RCBD with three replications. The physiological weight loss (PWL), peel color change, firmness, juice content, total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) were significantly (

Experience of shocks, household wealth and expectation formation: Evidence from smallholder farmers in Kenya

When faced with uncertain events, decision‐makers form expectations about the events’ likelihood of occurrence. However, the drivers and moderators of such expectations are still poorly understood, especially for farm decision‐makers in developing countries whose incomes are very risky by nature. This article analyses the dynamic shock expectation formation process of farmers in Kenya with regard to a range of shock events using a unique panel dataset. The results suggest that farmers are more likely to update their expectation regarding a specific adverse shock when they have recently been affected by that shock or by more shocks in general. In case of price shocks, farmers are also more likely to update expectations when a larger proportion of fellow village members was affected. However, household wealth moderates the relationship between shock expectation and experience, such that wealthier households are less likely to update their expectations following a shock. A better understanding of the drivers of expectation formation can help in the design of better risk management instruments that increase farmers’ resilience.Peer Reviewe

Protein and energy contribution of African indigenous vegetables: Evidence from selected rural and peri-urban counties of Kenya

Although positive steps have been taken towards reducing food insecurity, it remains a serious and recurrent issue, especially in developing countries. Food insecurity is aggravated by the world’s growing population and global ecological changes and calls for novel agriculture-based hunger eradication strategies. It is argued that production and consumption of indigenous vegetables (IVs) enhances accessibility and availability of nutritious food in households. Indigenous vegetables (IVs) contain significant amounts of macronutrients and high levels of micronutrients. As their agro-economic advantages make them relatively easy for uptake by resource-poor households, they represent a direct solution to ‘hidden hunger’. Household-based survey data collected from 1232 IV producers in rural and peri-urban areas of five selected counties in Kenya in 2014 were used to examine the dietary contribution of IVs. Five priority indigenous vegetables were analysed: amaranth, cowpea, African nightshade, spider plant and Ethiopian kale. Quantitative analysis was performed using food security indicators from the ADePTFood security Module data analytical software. This study’s findings indicated African nightshade was the most consumed indigenous vegetable, providing the largest share of dietary energy consumption (average of 43 kcal/person/day). Amaranth was found to provide the highest share and cheapest source of dietary protein consumption, an average of 4.9 g/person/day, thus meeting 8% of the adult daily protein requirement. These results showed the clear dominance of indigenous vegetables over exotic vegetables in terms of protein contribution, achieved both by amaranth’s high protein content compared tocabbage, as well as the low per unit cost of protein in indigenous vegetables compared to exotic vegetables. Given that, IVs have a significant protein content that adds variety to staple diets at comparatively low median dietary unit values and that they are important sources of dietary energy, efforts should be made to increase their consumption by undertaking further research, raising awareness and instituting policies

Study on the assessment of drug resistance on Trypanosoma vivax in Tselemti woreda , Tigray, Ethiopia

The study was conducted at Tselemti Woreda, Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia, some 1200 kms away from the capital, from November 2002 to April 2003. In the first phase of this study, questionnaire survey was carried out to assess livestock production constraints. Subsequently, a study on the occurrence of drug resistance to diminazene aceturate and isomethamidum chloride of Trypanosoma vivax isolate in artificially infected goats were conducted. Results of the questionnaire survey revealed that 95.7% of the interviewees replied that trypanosomosis is a series problem in their areas. Apart from this, under dosing of trypanocidal drugs appeared a common practice in the areas surveyed. Drug sensitivity test conducted on 18 artificially infected goats revealed that T. vivax developed resistance to the curative doses of diminazene aceturate (3.5 mg/kg b.wt) and isomethamidum chloride (0.25 mg/kg b.wt). No relapses were seen for those animals treated with diminazen aceturate at a dose of 7 mg/kg b.wt and 0.5 mg/kg b.wt of isomethamidum chloride. Sanative pair between diminazene aceturate and isometamidum chloride was also confirmed by the occurrence of no relapses after first treatment with diminazene aceturate (at 3.5 mg/kg) and isomethamidum chloride (0.25 mg/kg) and a second treatment with 0.25 mg/kg isomethamidum chloride and 3.5 mg/kg diminazene aceturate, respectively. During the 90 days of trial period there was no statistical significant difference (P>0.05) in mean PCV of the five groups before and after treatment: (26+1.23), (27.5+1.33), (26.5+2.03), (29.8+2.12) and (25.5+ 3.06) for groups I, II, III, IV and V respectively. Generally diminazene aceturate at dose of 7 mg/kg and isomethamidum chloride at dose of 0.5 mg/kg b.wt were most effective in terms of curing infections as well as improving PCV and body weight. It was concluded that where there are indications for drug resistance against isomethamidum and diminazene aceturate the use of trypanocidal drugs should be supervised, the principle of sanative pairs has to be applied and chemotherapy needs to be integrated with other methods like vector (tsetse and biting flies) control. Keywords: Diminazene-aceturate, drug-resistance, goats, isomethamidumchloride, trypanosomosis, Tselemti

Genetic Variability Assessment of Ethiopian Caraway (Trachyspermum ammi L. Sprague ex Turrill) Genotypes at Mersa, Ethiopia

Thirty-six local accessions of Ethiopian caraway were evaluated to assess their genetic variability and to determine their essential oil contents at Mersa, North Wollo using 6 x 6 lattice designs with three replications. Fourteen parameters were recorded and statistically analyzed The analysis of variance for these parameters indicated that the mean squares due to genotypes were highly significant for days to emergence, days to maturity, plant height, secondary branches/plant, seed yield and essential oil content. Genotypic variance contributed the larger portion of the phenotypic variance in all of the parameters. Moderate values of PCV and GCV were noted for number of secondary branches (15.1% and 14.16%), plant height (12.3% and 10.84%) and essential oil content (16.1% and 15.7%); however, the values of PCV and/or GCV were low for the rest of the parameters. Highest value of heritability were observed for essential oil (94.2%) and secondary branches (87.6%).Genetic advance (GA) and GA% were higher for dry matter, seed yield, secondary branches and plant height. Heritability, GA and GA% were higher for number of secondary branches, plant height and essential oil. Significant positive correlations were observed for number of umbel with number of secondary branches (0.98**), number of seeds per umbel (0.6**) and plant height (0.44**).Genotypically seed yield was positive and highly significant with number of primary branches (0.48**), secondary branches (0.5**), number of umbel per plant (0.8**), number of seeds per umbel (0.98**) and plant height (0.79**). Keywords: essential oil, harvest index, heritability, variability, genetic advance, correlation

Photo-catalytic Removal of Methyl Orange Dye by Polyaniline Modified ZnO using Visible Radiation

Polyaniline modified zinc oxide (PANI/ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized by in-situ polymerization process. The as-synthesized nano-ZnO, PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The UV–visible spectroscopy studies showed that the absorption peak for PANI/ZnO nanocomposite has a red shift toward visible wavelengths compared with the ZnO nanoparticles and PANI. Photocatalytic efficiency of PANI/ZnO nanocomposite was investigated for the degradation of methyl orange (MeO) dye as a model organic compound under Visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO, PANI and PANI/ZnO nanocomposite were studied. The results showed that ZnO/PANI nanocomposite had greater photocatalytic activity than ZnO nanoparticles and PANI under visible light irradiation. According to these results, application of PANI as a shell on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles causes the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PANI/ZnO nanocomposite. Influence of some operational parameters such as: amount of photocatalyst, pH of solution, and MeO dye initial concentration on the photodegradation reaction rate was investigated. The optimum values of pH and catalyst dose found to be 6 and 1.50 gmL-1 respectively. It was demonstrated that the photocatalytic degradation of MeO follows pseudo first-order kinetics. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposite photocatalysts have good photocatalytic stability and can be reused three times with only gradual loss of activity. Thus, the PANI/ZnO nanocomposites are efficient photocatalytic materials for degrading contaminated colored wastewater for reuse in textile industries under mild conditions.Keywords: PANI/ZnO Nanocomposite; Methyl orange; Visible light; photo-catalysis; Degradation rate constan

Communication skills of physicians during patient interaction in an in-patient setting at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital (TASH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2009

Background: Physician-patient relationship is foremost among the numerous qualities needed for sound patient care. In the Ethiopian clinical setting, a vast majority of patients complain that physicians do not interact with them properly. Objective: Assess behavior of physicians (verbal and nonverbal) when interacting with patients. Methods: Randomly selected physicians were observed in doctor-patient interactions in an inpatient setting using a standardized check list at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in November, 2009.Mean comparison of total scores of each category as well as mean interaction and biomedical exam times were made using Pearson’s Chi square, and Student’s T test. Results: 211 interactions were observed. 22.7% were consultants, 49.7% were residents and 26.5% were interns. Mean total score of observed behavior ranged from poor to satisfactory across category and showed statistically significant variations. Average interaction time was 7.87 minutes while average biomedical exam time was 5.05 minutes. The means showed a significant variation (p=0.001 at 95% CI). Conclusion: The study has shown that there is a reasonable ground to suggest that physician-patient interaction has deficiencies. Due attention should be given to improve communication skills of physicians

Unprotected sex, sexually transmitted infections and problem drinking among female sex workers in Ethiopia

Background: A description of the pattern of use of alcohol and other substances among female sex workers (FSWs) is particularly important because of the high prevalence of HIV in this particular group and their potential for transmitting HIV infection to other groups. However, there is currently lack of systematic studies from developing countries like Ethiopia regarding alcohol use visa vis unprotected sex and STIs. Objective: To describe the association of risky sexual behaviour with alcohol use and problem drinking among female sex workers in Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 2,487 female sex workers aged between of 15 and 49 years were randomly sampled from seven urban centres in Ethiopia and interviewed regarding their sexual behavior and substance use. Results: About 12% of FSWs included in this study reported having unprotected sex during the 12 months prior to the interview. A history of vaginal ulcer or discharge experienced by the FSWs was reported by 5% of the study subjects. Those who reported occasional use of alcohol were found to have a two-fold increase in the odds of havingunprotected sex compared to non-users: adjusted OR (95% CI) = 2.06 (1.28, 3.33). Those who responded positively to at least one question from the four - item questionnaire known as CAGE, and which is used as an indicator for problem drinking, had a 50% increased odds of unprotected sex compared with zero scorers: adj. OR (95% CI) = 1.48 (1.07, 2.05). Those who reported alcohol use on a daily basis were found to have a two-fold increased odds of having sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to the non-users of alcohol: adj. OR (95% CI) = 2.50 (1.35, 4.64). Compared to those who were not literate, educational attainment was associated with a lower odds of reporting vaginal discharge or ulcers in those that have attended elementary education: adj. Or (95% CI) = 0.56 (0.35, 0.89.), and secondary education: adj. OR (95% CI) = 0.59 (0.37, 0.93). Conclusion: Unprotected sex and symptoms of STIs were associated with alcohol use, problem drinking and lower educational attainment. The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 20 (2) 2006: 93-9

Patterns of MRI Findings in Patients with Chronic Headache: A Retrospective Study from a Private Diagnostic Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Headache is one of the most common complaints that lead the patient to seek medical advice however only a few patients with recurrent headaches have a secondary cause like intracranial mass. The appropriate utilization of neuroimaging is important to rule-out secondary cause of headache in resource-limited regions. The objective of this study is to describe the patterns of MRI findings in the evaluation of patients with chronic headache and to determine the clinical variables helpful in identifying patients with intracranial lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted among 590 selected patients who underwent an MRI scan of the head from September 2016 to January 2018 at Wudassie Diagnostic center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Siemens Magnetom 0.35T MRI was used. RESULTS: Out of 590 patients, 372 (63.1%) were females and 218 (36.9%) were males; 300 (50.8%) patients with the mean age of 38.6 + 0.5 years and a median of 37 + 16.7years have normal brain MRI and 290(49.2%) have abnormal brain MRI reports. The abnormal findings further divided into non-significant findings were 166(28%) that did not alter patient management and clinically significant findings were 124 (21%) which included by decreasing order of frequency tumors, infection, hydrocephalus, hemorrhage, and vascular abnormalities. CONCLUSION: It was 1.3 times higher rate of positive brain MR findings in patients who had headaches plus abnormal neurologic findings as compared to patients without neurologic abnormality (P-value = 0.01).  There is a high rate of significant abnormal MRI findings in this study as compared to studies from developed nations

Duration of low temperature storage, clove topping and gibberellic acid on garlic sprouting and seedling vigor

Dormancy of garlic (Allium sativum L.) creates a problem in use of freshly harvested garlic bulbs. Thus, pre-planting treatment of garlic cloves is an important agronomic concern for inducing and improving sprouting behavior of garlic. Glasshouse experiment was conducted at Haramaya University to evaluate the effect of cold storage (7°C) durations (10, 20, 30 days and one stored at room temperature that is 21°C for 30 days), clove topping (whole and cut) and gibberellic acid concentrations (0, 125, 250 and 375 mg/l) and distilled water treatment as second control on sprouting behavior of improved garlic variety (‘Tseday’). The treatments were laid out in factorial arrangement with three replications using completely randomized design (CRD). For cloves stored at ambient temperature (0 day) and non-topped, gibberellic acid application (250 and 375 mg/l) showed a significant increase in sprouting percentage, speed of sprouting and shoot dry mass of garlic as compared to 125mg/l GA3 treated and the controls. On the other hand, for topped cloves stored at ambient temperature (0 day), 10 and 20 days cold storage, gibberellic acid treatment did not show a significant influence on these characteristics as compared to the controls. The interaction effect of 30 days cold stored and topped cloves significantly increased pseudo-stem height (40.51%) compared to the lowest values recorded for the non-cold treated and non-topped cloves. The 30 days cold stored and topped cloves soaked in water significantly increased sprouting percentage over the period of 19 days after planting, speed of sprouting (four fold) and above ground shoot dry mass (79.41%) compared to the lowest values recorded for the non-cold treated and non-topped cloves not soaked in water and gibberellic acid (GA3). Hence, it can be concluded that 30 days cold storage, topping and soaking in water could enhance early sprouting of the garlic variety tested under glasshouse condition.Keywords: Clove topping, Dormancy, Garlic, Gibberellic acid, Sprouting percentage, Storage condition