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The agricultural sector in developing countries plays a vital role in food security as well as providing employment opportunities to the rural population. This study examines how decent quality of ...

Background Condoms are playing a central role in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, human immune virus, and unintended pregnancy particularly among young peoples. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with condom use self-efficacy among preparatory school youths in Sodo town, Ethiopia. Methods This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 study participants from January 25 to February 20, 2020. Data were collected using a validated pretested structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was done and results were presented in texts and tables. Those variables at bivariate analysis with p-value

Superconductivity and magnetism were previously thought as incompatible until the discovery of some rare earth ternary compounds that shows the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism. In some of the recently discovered iron based layered superconductors superconductivity and diamagnetic order system are coexist. That occurs in only 11 and 122 family. The present works we examine the possibility of coexistence of superconductivity and disorder of magnetic spin is called spin glass when freeze the system that can show the superconductivity and spin glass coexist. In this present work we can examine the possibility of coexistence of superconductivity and spin glass in detailed 11 family of Fe1+ySexTe1−x compound. We show that spin glass like behavior is present in FST for x = 0.1 - 0.15 we present evidence form magnetization measurement and characterized the short-range order with neutron scattering. One of our main results is that the short-range order is structural as well as magnetic order. The factor of magnetic order exchange in long range depend on temperature, pressure, number of doping and other external factor discussed it. We found mathematical expression for superconductor transition TC, spin glass temperature TgSusceptibility x(q), and retardation time τ using for born approximation and digamma function depend on wave vector(q) and cut off frequency(ω) in the region coexistence of superconductivity and spin glass in Fe1+ySexTe1−xcompound.

Currently, the depletion of natural resources and contamination of the surrounding environment demand a paradigm shift to resource recycling and reuse. In this regard, phosphorus (P) is a model nutrient that possesses the negative traits of depletion (will be exhausted in the next 100 years) and environmental degradation (causes eutrophication and climate change), and this has prompted the scientific community to search for options to solve P-related problems. To date, P recovery in the form of struvite from wastewater is one viable solution suggested by many scholars. Struvite can be recovered either in the form of NH

Background. Intestinal parasite, Salmonella, and Shigella infections are the main public health concerns in the world, especially in developing countries due to inaccessibility of safe water and unhygienic food handling practices of food handlers. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in food handlers in Motta town, from February 2019 to April 2019. The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Salmonella, Shigella, and intestinal parasites among 243 food handlers. Sociodemographic and risk factors were collected using pretested structured questionnaire. The stool sample was collected and examined with direct wet mount and concentration techniques. Culture was performed using xylose lysine deoxycholate agar and MacConkey agar and biochemical tests like Klinger iron agar (KIA), lysine iron agar (LIA), Simmons citrate agar, sulphide indole motility test, citrate utilization, and urease production test were conducted to isolate Salmonella species and Shigella species. An antibiotics susceptibility test was performed with Mueller-Hinton agar using the disk diffusion method. Data were entered using statistical package Epi-Data Version 3.1 and analysed with logistic regression using SPSS version 25 and Fisher’s exact test. A p value Results. The prevalence of intestinal parasite, Salmonella, and Shigella was 27.6%, 2.5%, and 1.6%, respectively, and hookworm was the predominant intestinal parasite detected in the stool. Antimicrobial resistance was observed in ampicillin and tetracycline (100%) in Salmonella species and Shigella species. Risk factors like fingernail status, fruit washing before eating, cleaning utensils, and regular shoe wearing habit were associated with intestinal parasite, whereas fingernail status and wearing kitchen gown during food service were significantly associated with Salmonella and Shigella infections. Conclusion. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections, Salmonella, and Shigella infections in this study indicates the importance of food handlers as probable sources of enteropathogenic infections. Food handlers should have follow-up on the order of food safety rules and keep their personal hygiene. Hotel owners are responsible to control the health status and their created awareness by given food hygiene training for food handlers. Therefore, policy-makers and implementers should focus on the risk factors to reduce the prevalence below the level of public health importance.

Protracted and prolonged droughts lead to famine and substantial decline in agricultural productivity that contribute to food insecurity and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa which needs to explore the risk coping strategies to better target risk mitigation. The main research question of this paper was to analyze ex-post coping strategies and their determinants in rural Ethiopia. We use a cross-section data collected in 2013 from vulnerable rural households in Rayitu district, Bale Zone of Oromia Regional State. Using population-proportionate to size (PPS) sampling technique, a total number of 1,402 households in the district participated in this study. The data were analyzed using a three-stage least squares (3SLS) method. Our analysis confirms that rural households in Rayitu district experience drought and are vulnerable to the consequences of shocks. As a response, rural households adopt interdependent risk coping strategies. This supports the notion of addressing the problem of risk through integrated rural development strategies (and policies) to help the poor to improve the vulnerability to shock and help to escape out of poverty. In addition, we found that the risk coping strategies that households adopt are influenced by the resource holdings and income levels of the rural households, their access to product and financial market, and their socio-demographic characteristics. Hence, we argue that strategies and interventions to improve the livelihood of the poor and to support the vulnerable ones should be targeted to fit to the needs and priorities of households., Coping strategies; Drought; Hunger; Shock; Rural; Livelihood; Ethiopia.

Available freshwater scarcity significantly affects sustainable food production for the rapidly growing population. This problem has forced people in most parts of the world to use wastewater as a viable solution. However, wastewater reuse has some deleterious effects on human and environmental health. This study was designed to investigate the health risks (HRs) of heavy metals (HMs) from vegetables irrigated with untreated and treated wastewater. The composite wastewater was collected at various sites in Arba Minch town and subjected to aerobic-anoxic treatment. Treated and untreated wastewater (UTW) was used to irrigate vegetables (lettuce, cabbage and tomato), and HM results were compared with the control (tap water) and standards. Water, soil and vegetables were investigated for various physical and chemical properties. Human health effects due to vegetable consumption were analyzed using HR- index (HRI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). The results revealed that most of the water quality indexes were significantly enhanced after aerobic-anoxic treatment, suggesting that wastewater collected from different sites was suitable for biodegradation. Soil physicochemical analyses also showed that pH, cation exchange capacity, organic carbon and organic matter were higher for UTW irrigated soil. Heavy metal concentrations were relatively greater in soils than water used for irrigation purposes and vegetables. The HM concentration in vegetables was higher for UTW than for treated and tap water irrigated vegetables. In vegetables, the order of HM content was Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. Tomato followed by cabbage and lettuce accumulated significant amount of HMs (Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd) in their different organs (fruit/leaf>root>stem). The individual and combined health indexes (HRI, THQ and HI) showed that Pb and Cd have values greater than unity for wastewater irrigated vegetables, which could result in non-carcinogenic disease for short/lifetime exposure in adults and children. Overall, consumption of vegetables can be safer when grown with treated effluent than with UTW.

Even if the surface of the earth is mostly consists of water, very a small amount is usable that makes the resource limited. This precious and limited resource, therefore, must be used with care. The study carried out by taking samples of water from Kulfo River, Hare River, Abaya Lake, and Chamo Lake. This experiment was carried out to analyze selected physio-chemical parameter such as Potassium, Chloride, Acidity, TSS, TDS, TS, pH, Alkalinity, and Salinity by using different approaches. According to the study, Abaya lake sampling site was characterized with pH (8.5), alkalinity (278 mg/L), acidity (177mg/l). Water samples analysis from Chamo lake sampling site was characterized with pH (9.1), alkalinity (471 mg/L), acidity (130 mg/l). Kulfo River sampling site was characterized with pH (8.4), alkalinity (188 mg/L), acidity (117mg/l). Hare River sampling site was characterized with pH (7.8), alkalinity (105 mg/L), acidity (94 mg/l). The analysis of TS, TSS, and TDS has employed using gravimetric method. So, according to this method, TDS and TSS were high in Chamo Lake than Abaya Lake. In similar situation, Kulfo River has high amount of TS and TDS which is 1217 mg/L and 149.6 mg/L respectively when comparing with Hare River, Abaya Lake and Chamo Lake. This study also revealed that Chamo Lake is more saline than Abaya Lake. Therefore, almost all of the water sources are facing pollution problems which need great attention especially to educated peoples on the adverse impacts of their activities on the river water quality and subsequent effect on their health., Applied Journal of Environmental Engineering Science, Vol 6, No 2 (2020)

Background Condoms are playing a central role in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, human immune virus, and unintended pregnancy particularly among young peoples. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with condom use self-efficacy among preparatory school youths in Sodo town, Ethiopia. Methods This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 study participants from January 25 to February 20, 2020. Data were collected using a validated pretested structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was done and results were presented in texts and tables. Those variables at bivariate analysis with p-value

The choice between specialisation and diversification of income is driven by multiple, interacting factors, such as economies of scale and scope, risk considerations, context, and household characteristics. Using panel data from Ethiopia, we investigate the role of social capital and the covariate risk of climate change and their interaction. We find that households with greater social capital tend to be more specialised, implying that diversification and informal insurance are substitutes in the mitigation of risk. We also find that this effect is significantly weaker in regions more prone to climate change, which is consistent with the average farmer being aware that informal insurance is not an effective protection against risks that affect the entire social network. We use instrumental variable random effects estimation to account for the plausible endogeneity of social capital and we also establish that our results do not depend on the poorest and most constrained individuals in our sample.

Promoting decent rural employment, by creating new jobs in rural areas and upgrading the existing ones, could be one of the most efficient pathways to reduce rural poverty. This article systematically investigates the impact of decent rural employment on agricultural production efficiency in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The analysis applies an output-oriented distance function approach with an estimation procedure that accounts for different technological, demographic, socioeconomic, institutional, and decent rural employment indicators. Data of the 2011 round of Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture for the two countries are used, and a set of indicators is derived to proxy core dimensions of decent rural employment. The findings of our analysis show that decent rural employment contributes to agricultural production efficiency.

Phosphorus recovery from urine is a sustainable approach. However, the challenge of this process is the accessibility of economically feasible magnesium sources. This study aimed to investigate the potential of low-cost Rift Valley Lake magnesium (RVL-Mg) source for phosphorus recovery from urine, where data is deficient in the source area. The effect of various operational conditions such as storage, Mg:P ratio (0.8-2.0), pH (5.5-10.5), mixing speed (30-180 rpm), urease enzyme addition (50-700 μL), urine dilution (0.11-9.0) and Ca:Mg ratio (0.3-2.5) was investigated. Under optimum operating conditions (M:P = 1.6, pH = 9, urease enzyme = 500 μL, mixing speed = 120 rpm, 60 min precipitation), the phosphorus removal efficiencies were96% for actual and98% for synthetic urine. During storage, spontaneous phosphorus losses were observed from synthetic (24.0%) and actual (32.0%) hydrolyzed urine due to precipitation with calcium and magnesium. The phosphorus recovery efficiency was reduced at higher (0.11:1) and lower (9:1) urine to RVL-Mg dilution, which is related to lower supersaturation of phosphorus and magnesium ions, respectively. Addition of calcium did not affect phosphorus removal efficiency, but the effect was significant on crystal product. With low (1.0) Ca:Mg ratio, the crystal chemical analysis showed that the product has to be pure struvite (99%), which was further identified by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction to be quality struvite that might be used for agricultural purpose. Overall, low-cost magnesium ion collected from Rift Valley Lake can be a potentially candidate for sustainable phosphorus recovery from urine and any other phosphorus containing waste stream.

Background Intestinal parasite, Salmonella, and Shigella infections are the main public health concerns in the world, especially in developing countries due to inaccessibility of safe water and unhygienic food handling practices of food handlers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in food handlers in Motta town, from February 2019 to April 2019. The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Salmonella, Shigella, and intestinal parasites among 243 food handlers. Sociodemographic and risk factors were collected using pretested structured questionnaire. The stool sample was collected and examined with direct wet mount and concentration techniques. Culture was performed using xylose lysine deoxycholate agar and MacConkey agar and biochemical tests like Klinger iron agar (KIA), lysine iron agar (LIA), Simmons citrate agar, sulphide indole motility test, citrate utilization, and urease production test were conducted to isolate Salmonella species and Shigella species. An antibiotics susceptibility test was performed with Mueller-Hinton agar using the disk diffusion method. Data were entered using statistical package Epi-Data Version 3.1 and analysed with logistic regression using SPSS version 25 and Fisher's exact test. A p value

The agricultural sector requires a large volume of water (∼70 % of global water), which makes this sector difficult to produce enough food for the rapidly growing population demand with the existing scarce available freshwater source. As a viable alternative water source, urban wastewater reuse is a potential candidate. However, wastewater reuse and disposal before treatment pose a significant threat to human health and ecological systems. This study was aimed to treat urban wastewater using aerobic-anoxic system and then effluent evaluated to grow different vegetables. Wastewater samples collected (Arba Minch town) at nine sites during different seasons were used to characterized water quality (physicochemical and biological) parameters and feed aerobic-anoxic reactors. Health risk as a result of vegetable ingestion was investigated using HRI, THQ, and HI. Statistically significant (p 96, 92, 88, and 58 %, respectively. The order of heavy metals concentration in raw wastewater was Fe > Pb > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cd, which is lower than corresponding heavy metals in vegetables having the order Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The phytotoxicity effect was significantly higher for cabbage followed by lettuce and tomato. The HRI, THQ, and HI values for Cd and Pb >1.0 (exceeded WHO and FAO limits) for vegetables irrigated with wastewater, which could result in health risk in adults and children. Overall, results confirmed that wastewater after aerobic-anoxic treatment is a sustainable approach to maintain safe environmental and human health.

Background Child undernutrition remains the major public health problem in low and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. The effects of good governance, urbanization and public health expenditure on childhood undernutrition are not well studied in developing countries. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between quality of governance, public health expenditures, urbanization and child undernutrition in Ethiopia. Methods This is pooled data analysis with ecological design. We obtained data on childhood undernutrition from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) that were conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2016. Additionally, data on quality of governance for Ethiopia were extracted from the World Governance Indicators (WGI) and public health spending and urbanization were obtained from the World Development Indicators and United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP) respectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis were done to assess the relationship between governance, public health expenditure and urbanization with childhood undernutrition. Result Government effectiveness (adjusted odd ratio (AOR) = 20.7; p = 0.046), regulatory quality (AOR = 0.0077; p = 0.026) and control of corruption (AOR = 0.0019; p = 0.000) were associated with stunting. Similarly, government effectiveness (AOR = 72.2; p = 0.007), regulatory quality (AOR = 0.0015; p = 0.004) and control of corruption (AOR = 0.0005; p = 0.000) were associated with underweight. None of the governance indicators were associated with wasting. On the other hand, there is no statistically significant association observed between public health spending and urbanization with childhood undernutrition. However, other socio-demographic variables play a significant effect on reducing of child undernutrition. Conclusion This study indicates that good governance in the country plays a significant role for reducing childhood undernutrition along with other socio-demographic factors. Concerned bodies should focus on improving governance and producing a quality policy and at the same time monitor its implementation and adherence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3822-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In the last couple of decades, agriculture has faced a number of critical challenges. To cope with these challenges, agriculture and the food sector have gone through continuous social, structural and livelihood transitions. Understanding the economics of agricultural production with the dynamic natural, social and policy environment is an important topic for discussion and key concern for development policy. This dissertation presents empirical investigations on the economics of production in agriculture by giving particular emphasis to employment and labor conditions, climate change and risk management, productivity and welfare of farms. In den letzten Jahrzehnten war die Landwirtschaft verschiedensten Herausforderungen ausgesetzt. Um diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen, unterliegen die Landwirtschaft wie auch der gesamte Lebensmittelsektor einem stetigen sozialen, strukturellen und wirtschaftlichen Wandel. Deshalb ist das Verständnis über die Ökonomie der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion mit ihrem dynamischen natürlichen, sozialen und politischen Umfeld ein wichtiges Diskussionsthema und ein Schlüsselanliegen der Entwicklungspolitik. Diese Dissertation präsentiert empirische Untersuchungen zur Ökonomie der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion mit Fokus auf Beschäftigung und Arbeitsbedingungen, Klimawandel und Risikomanagement, Produktivität und Wohlfahrt landwirtschaftlicher Betriebe.

Due to different factors, federations exhibit significant variation in their respective forms, natures and degrees of decentralization. Regardless of these differences, however, the necessity of a federal covenant, which bestows genuine autonomy on subnational governments, is not contested. Indisputably, a mere constitutional stipulation does not guarantee the financial autonomy of sub-national governments as the latter is influenced by the political economy narratives of a government. Though the fallings of Ethiopian “developmentalism” on the effective functioning of the federal system are multifaceted, this article scrutinizes its impact on the fiscal (tax) autonomy of subnational governments. Looking at the contemporary “developmental-oriented” measures of the federal government vis-a-vis the constitutionally dictated autonomy of regions to generate own-source revenue, the article argues that the fiscal autonomy of subnational governments is highly constrained due to the adoption of the developmental state paradigm.

This study was designed to evaluate the treatment performance of aerobic-anoxic bioprocess system for Arba Minch Town (AMT) municipal wastewater treatment. Wastewater sample were collected and characterized from nine purposively selected sampling stations. The treated effluent and influent wastewater were evaluated for growing three randomly selected vegetables (Lettuce, Cabbage and Tomato). Petridish and pot experiment set up were designed and analyzed using standard protocols for vegetables germination and physiological parameters test including shoot and root length, leaf number and area, fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll content, heavy metal and pathogenic organism. Descriptive statistics and a one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan’s multiple range test with pPb>Zn>Mn>Cu>Cd, 5.1±0.1, 2.2±0.4, 0.38±0.07, 0.26±0.07, 0.1±0.0, 0.006±0.11, respectively. Moreover, the result showed that leaf number and area, chlorophyll, shoot and root length, dry and fresh weight of vegetable crops were significantly higher (p

This paper investigates the role of farm diversification for dietary diversity of households in smallholder agriculture. We use the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) dataset of the World Bank from Ethiopia and Tanzania. The results of the study show that farm diversification contributes to dietary diversity of farm households. Furthermore, we show that the effects of farm diversification and proportion of purchased food on the dietary diversity of the household significantly varies across families who are in food poverty, and the food secure families. Rural development efforts towards diversified farming systems can contribute to improve the food security and dietary diversity of farm households, especially if targeted towards nutritionally rich food production schemes.

Background Policy discussions and debates in the last couple of decades emphasized efficiency of development policies for translating economic growth to development. One of the key aspects in this regard in the developing world is achieving improved nutrition through economic development. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of literature that empirically verifies the association between economic growth and reduction of childhood undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, the aim of the study is to assess the interplay between economic growth and reduction of childhood undernutrition in Ethiopia. Methods The study used pooled data of three rounds (2000, 2005 and 2010) from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of Ethiopia. A multilevel mixed logistic regression model with robust standard errors was utilized in order to account for the hierarchical nature of the data. The dependent variables were stunting, underweight, and wasting in children in the household. The main independent variable was real per capita income (PCI) that was adjusted for purchasing power parity. This information was obtained from World Bank. Results A total of 32,610 children were included in the pooled analysis. Overall, 11,296 (46.7%) [46.0%-47.3%], 8,197(33.8%) [33.2%-34.4%] and 3,175(13.1%) [12.7%-13.5%] were stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively. We found a strong correlation between prevalence of early childhood undernutrition outcomes and real per capita income (PCI). The proportions of stunting (r = -0.1207, p