Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels on Grain Yield, N Uptake and N Use Efficiency of Malt Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) Varieties at Wolmera District, Central Highland of Ethiopia

A field experiment was carried out during the 2017 cropping season at Holetta Agricultural Research center to determine the effect of nitrogen fertilizer levels on grain yield and quality of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties at Wolmera district, central highland of Ethiopia. The treatments include a factorial combination of four nitrogen levels (0, 18, 36, and 54 kg Nha-1) and four malt barley varieties (Holker, Ibon174/03, HB-1963, and Explorer). The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The higher (6170.70 kgha-1) grain yield were obtained with the combination of Ibon174/03 variety and application of 36 kg N/ha. The highest (130kgha-1) grain N uptake were recorded with combination of HB-1963 variety and application of 54 kg N/ha rates, while the lowest (47kgha-1) grain N uptake were obtained with combination of control treatment and Explorer variety. The highest nitrogen use efficiency (327.03%) was recorded with the combination of 18 kgha-1 N fertilizer along with Ibon174/03 variety. The highest net benefits (49,015.45 EBha-1) with marginal rate of return (136%) were obtained from the combination of 36 kg Nha-1 with Ibon174/03 variety. Therefore, application of 36 kg Nha-1 fertilizer rates and Ibon174/03 variety was found to be better both agronomically and economically feasible for malt barley production in Wolmera area. Keywords: Nitrogen fertilizer, Nitrogen uptake, Nitrogen use efficiency and Variet

Ethiopian Mine Action Office: Tackling Landmine Problems in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s landmine/unexploded ordnance problem is largely due to past wars and conflicts. The Ethiopian Mine Action Office was created in an attempt to alleviate the situation. This article discusses the country’s history and the efforts made to make it safe

Conflict Settings and COVID-19’s Effects on Psychological Health

The COVID-19 epidemic’s ongoing effects on the conflicted, disturbed environment tend to exacerbate mental health issues. People from areas afflicted by conflict are put under double stress as a result. The majority of displacement due to conflict has occurred in Ethiopia. Mental disturbance among those affected by conflict has been recognized as a significant public health issue. Therefore, this study’s objective was to assess how the COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected population affected people’s mental health and its correlates. Mental distress was reported at about 49.4% with a 95% CI of 47 to 52.9%. Being female gender (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI 1.61, 5.44), fired house materials when present (AOR = 3.49, 95% CI 1.61, 5.44), Living in a host community (AOR = 1.8, 95%CI 1.97, 3.35), living alone (AOR = 3.57, 95%CI 2.06, 6.19), and sexual assault (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI 2.37 to 6.94) were found to be substantially correlated. Conflict-affected people have a high risk of mental distress during COVID-19 era. Therefore, the ministry of health and humanitarian organizations should work collaboratively in providing consistent; psychosocial support and appropriate intervention for conflict-affected people

Undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and related factors in East Gojjam (NW Ethiopia) in 2016: a community-based study

Introduction. Currently, diabetes is the second most common non-communicable disease (NCD) in Ethiopia. Its burden is 4.8% in this country, even though three quarter of its population live with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM), which causes complications like heart failure, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves damages. Early detection of DM is vital for a timely intervention to prevent these life threatening complications. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed DM and related factors in East Gojjam, North West Ethiopia, in 2016. Materials and methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 757 individuals in East Gojjam from June to September 2016. The sampled population was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method. Basic data were collected in Amharic (local language) and a pretested interviewer administered the questionnaire. Peripheral blood samples were collected by puncturing the ring finger in order to measure fasting blood glucose. Univarite and multivariate logistic regressions analysis were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0. Results. The percentage of undiagnosed DM in the study area was 11.5% (95%CI=9.2, 13.7). The prevalence was 11.3% among male vs. 11.8% among female; 13.4% in urban areas vs. 10.3% in rural areas. The occurrence of undiagnosed DM was mainly associated with older age (AOR=5.99, 95%CI=1.54, 23.24), family history of diabetes (AOR=9.86, 95%CI=4.25, 22.89), history of gestational diabetes (AOR=3.01, 95%CI=1.17, 8.39) and sedentary behaviour >4 hours per day (AOR=2.13, 95%CI=1.04, 4.34). Being non-smoker (AOR=0.05, 95%CI=0.01, 0.17) and unmarried (AOR=0.09, 95%CI=0.02, 0.42) were also predictive characteristics for undiagnosed DM in the study area. Conclusions. In conclusion, this study revealed a relatively high prevalence of undiagnosed DM in the study area. The occurrence of undiagnosed DM was significantly higher when associated with the age of the participants, their marital status, history of hypertension, diabetes family history, history of gestational diabetes mellitus, current smoking practices and sedentary behaviour. Thus, efforts have to be made, particularly by the individuals involved in health practice, to early detect the disease and thereby initiate a suitable therapeutic service, before complications arise

Top Dressing of Fertilizers: A Way Forward for Boosting Productivity and Economic Viability of Grasslands

Grasslands in the Ethiopian highlands have been degrading with grazing loads. Fertilizers like nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur improves the soil fertility and species composition of the grazing lands. This study justifies, evaluation of top dressing nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on biomass yield of grass lands for market-oriented livestock production studied at Chosha kebele, Southern Ethiopia in 2017. Three fertilizer levels ((T1), 150 kg ha−1 urea (T2) and combination of 110 kg ha−1 urea and 100 kg ha−1 NPS (T3)) were laid out in randomized complete block design with 6 replications in summer and winter cropping seasons. Dry matter yield was significantly (P<0.001) different among treatments and higher results were obtained for combination of urea and NPS, followed by urea and the control one. Higher grasses species composition between application of combination of urea and NPS than urea alone. Net revenue is higher in nitrogen alone application than nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, better marginal rate of return (MRR=828%) recorded in Urea application for grazing land improvement in Gamo highland areas. It is recommendable to apply 150 kg/ha urea fertilizer to bring optimum yield of grazing land in Southern Ethiopian Highlands

Prevalence and associated factors of maternal depression among mothers of children with undernutrition at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia in 2023: a cross−sectional study

BackgroundMalnutrition is one of the most significant child health problems in developing countries, accounting for an estimated 53% of child deaths per year. Depression is the leading cause of disease-related disability in women and adversely affects the health and well-being of mothers and their children. Studies have shown that maternal depression has an impact on infant growth and nutritional status. However, evidence is scarce regarding the relationship between maternal depression and child malnutrition.ObjectivesThe general objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of maternal depression among mothers of undernourished children at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia in 2023.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 465 participants. Outcome variables were assessed using a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were analyzed using SPSS-25. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThe prevalence of maternal depression among mothers of children with undernutrition was 36.4% (95% CI = 32%–41%). According to a multivariate analysis, lack of maternal education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.872, 95% CI = 1.502–5.492), unemployment (AOR = 2.581, 95% CI = 1.497–4.451), poor social support (AOR = 2.209, 95% CI = 1.314–3.713), perceived stigma (AOR = 2.243, 95% CI = 1.414–3.560), and stunting (AOR = 1.913, 95% CI = 1.129–3.241) were factors significantly associated with maternal depression.ConclusionThe overall prevalence of maternal depression was higher among mothers of children with undernutrition. This higher prevalence was associated with several factors, including lack of education, unemployment, poor social support, high perceived stigma, and stunted physical growth in the children themselves. To decrease maternal depression, we can address these factors by increasing the level of maternal education and employment opportunities, strengthening social support systems, reducing stigma, and providing interventions to reduce stunting

Direct knock-on of desolvated ions governs strict ion selectivity in K+ channels

The seeming contradiction that K+ channels conduct K+ ions at maximal throughput rates while not permeating slightly smaller Na+ ions has perplexed scientists for decades. Although numerous models have addressed selective permeation in K+ channels, the combination of conduction efficiency and ion selectivity has not yet been linked through a unified functional model. Here, we investigate the mechanism of ion selectivity through atomistic simulations totalling more than 400 μs in length, which include over 7,000 permeation events. Together with free-energy calculations, our simulations show that both rapid permeation of K+ and ion selectivity are ultimately based on a single principle: the direct knock-on of completely desolvated ions in the channels' selectivity filter. Herein, the strong interactions between multiple 'naked' ions in the four filter binding sites give rise to a natural exclusion of any competing ions. Our results are in excellent agreement with experimental selectivity data, measured ion interaction energies and recent two-dimensional infrared spectra of filter ion configurations

Potassium-selective block of barium permeation through single KcsA channels

Ba2+, a doubly charged analogue of K+, specifically blocks K+ channels by virtue of electrostatic stabilization in the permeation pathway. Ba2+ block is used here as a tool to determine the equilibrium binding affinity for various monovalent cations at specific sites in the selectivity filter of a noninactivating mutant of KcsA. At high concentrations of external K+, the block-time distribution is double exponential, marking at least two Ba2+ sites in the selectivity filter, in accord with a Ba2+-containing crystal structure of KcsA. By analyzing block as a function of extracellular K+, we determined the equilibrium dissociation constant of K+ and of other monovalent cations at an extracellular site, presumably S1, to arrive at a selectivity sequence for binding at this site: Rb+ (3 µM) > Cs+ (23 µM) > K+ (29 µM) > NH4+ (440 µM) >> Na+ and Li+ (>1 M). This represents an unusually high selectivity for K+ over Na+, with |ΔΔG0| of at least 7 kcal mol−1. These results fit well with other kinetic measurements of selectivity as well as with the many crystal structures of KcsA in various ionic conditions

Harbingers of Hope: Scientists and the Pursuit of World Peace

The ongoing wars in many regions-such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas-as well as the effects of war on communities, social services, and mental health are covered in this special editorial. This article emphasizes the need for international efforts to promote peace, offer humanitarian aid, and address the mental health challenges faced by individuals and communities affected by war and violence