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Behailu Tariku Derseh,1 Kassahun Mekonnen,2 Tibebu Kibret,3 Assalif Beyene,4 Abebe Mihretie4 1Department of Public Health, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 2Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Bahirdar, Amhara, Ethiopia; 3Department of Medicine, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 4Department of Midwifery, Asrat Woldeyes Health Sciences Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Behailu Tariku Derseh Email minastariku@gmail.comPurpose: This study was aimed to assess the determinants of dental health problems among adult patients at the dental clinic of Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.Methods: A case–control study was conducted to recruit a total of 267 adults (cases = 134, and controls = 133) who received oral health screening service in Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2018. Data were collected by physical examination and pretested semi-structured questionnaire from March 1 to 31, 2018. Collected data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done via the forward stepwise method. Variables were declared statistically significant when p-value < 0.05.Results: Of the total study participants, 75 (55%) of cases and 62 (46.6%) of controls were males. The mean age (± SD) of cases was 36.2 (± 14.2) years and that of controls was 31.4 (± 10.3) years. The classification table revealed that the sensitivity of cases was 70.7%, and the specificity of controls was 74.8%. This study showed that 28 (20.89%) of cases and 6 (4.5%) of controls had confirmed gastritis (P < 0.05). Regarding dental health information, 78 (58.2%) of cases and 123 (92.5%) of controls perceived that they had received dental health information from different sources. Access to dental health information and tooth brushing practice reduced dental health problems (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64; and AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.45), respectively, whereas study participants who had gastritis were at increased risk of developing dental health problems (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.14, 8.57).Interpretation: Study participants who had adequate information on dental health had a reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 72% and participants who practiced tooth brushing were at reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 76%. However, individuals who had gastritis were 3 times more likely to develop dental health problems compared with their counterparts.Conclusion: In summary, health information, tooth brushing practice, and gastritis infection were the determinants of dental health problems. Thus, health information dissemination on dental health particularly on how to prevent and control dental health problems is very critical. Moreover, strategies to combat gastritis integrated with life course principles should be strengthened to improve dental health.Keywords: dental health, Ethiopia, gastritis, health information, tooth brushing

The use of a 35 GHz reflective electroabsorption modulator (REAM) monolithically integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for indoor wideband analogue applications is demonstrated. Unlike REAMs, good performances over a wide range of input optical power and wavelength are observed, which mitigates the need for accurate control of the input signal, especially at remote sites where simplicity is strictly required. In addition, it provides amplification functions to compensate for the modulator insertion losses. The device exhibits an RF gain in excess of -22 dB and spurious-free dynamic range of >103 dB Hz4/5. Implementing the rate-adaptive discrete-multitone modulation, 35 Gbit/s aggregate transmission speed is demonstrated for a short-range wideband subcarrier multiplexed radio-over-fibre system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of root and nutrient distributions in agroforestry systems have often been obtained from unreplicated plots. We, therefore,measured the vertical and horizontal distribution of root length andsoil nitrate in replicated plots of sesbania [Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr.] to assess plot-to-plot variation and identify appropriate sampling schemes. Sampling was on profile walls exposed from pits at two on-farm sites (Ochinga and Muange) in Kenya. At Ochinga, soil was sampled at 27 0.15-m depth intervals and eight 0.15 -m-wide locations perpendicular to 2.25-m-wide rows of 19-month-old sesbania. At Muange, sampling was 18 months after establishment of sesbania from seedlings with a 1 m by 1 m spacing. Soil was sampled at 17 0.15-m depth intervals and nine 0.15-m-wide sampling locations - one exactly below the tree and four each on opposite sides of the tree. Root length density generally decreased with distance from sesbania and with soil depth. Soil nitrate, however, followed different trends in the four replications at Ochinga and the three replications at Muange. At Ochinga, nitrate above 2.5-m depth clearly increased with distance from thetree in two replications but followed no distinct trend in another replication. At Muange, nitrate above 1.2-m depth decreased with distance from the tree in one replication, increased with distance from the tree in another replication and followed no clear trend in anotherreplication. The suitability of various sampling schemes for measuring root length and nitrate was accessed from percent bias between measured values at sampling locations in the scheme and actual values for an entire transect of sampling locations. Bias associated with selection of sampling locations tended to be higher within the 2.25-m-wide sesbania rows than the 1 m by 1 m sesbania spacing. Soil samplingin systems with rows of young trees should be at several locations along a transect perpendicular to tree rows in order to minimize bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hypothesis for a benefit of integrating trees with crops is thattrees with deep root systems can capture and 'pump up' nutrients from below the rooting zone of annual crops. Few studies have compared both root and nutrient distribution for planted trees, crops and grassland vegetation. A field study was conducted on a Kandiudalfic Eutrudox in the highlands of western Kenya to measure rooting characteristics and distribution of inorganic N and water In three land-use systems (LUS): (i) Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. fallow, (ii) uncultivated natural weed fallow and (iii) unfertilized maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture. The maximum rooting depth was 1.2 m in the maize LUS, 2.25 m in a13-month-old natural fallow, and > 4 m in a 15-month-old sesbania fallow. Total root length was 1.26 km m-2 for the maize LUS,5.98 km m-2 for the natural fallow, and 4.56 km m-2 to 4 m for the sesbania fallow. Root length to 1.2 m was greater (p < 0.01) for natural fallow than for maize and sesbania fallow. Aconsiderable portion of the sesbania root length to 4 m was in the subsoil; 47% was at 1.2 to 4 m and 31% was at 2.25 to 4 m. Deep rooting of sesbania coincided with lower soil water below 2 m in the sesbania fallow than the natural fallow. Nitrate-N, but not ammonium-N, to 4 m was affected by LUS. Total nitrate to 4 m was 199 kg N ha-1 for the maize LUS, 42 kg N ha- 1 for the natural fallow and 51 kg N ha-1 for the sesbania fallow. Soil nitratein the maize LUS was highest at 0.3 to 1.5-m depth on this Oxisol with anion sorption capacity. No such accumulation of subsoil nitrate was present under sesbania and natural fallow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]