Substitution of concentrate mixture with dried brewery spent grains improved biological and economical performance of 50% Dorper × Menz crossbred sheep.

The study aimed to investigate the potential of dried brewery spent grains (DBG) to substitute concentrate mixture (CM) in a diet of growing 50% Dorper × Menz crossbred ram lamb. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used for this study, and experimental animals were stratified into 7 blocks based on their initial body weight and age. Ram lambs from each block were randomly assigned to one of the five treatments. Native pasture hay (NPH) was fed to all experimental animals as a basal diet (ad libtum at 20% refusal) and supplemented with 400 g CM (T1) or 300 g DBG + 100 g CM (T2) or 200 g DBG + 200 g CM (T3) or 100 g DBG + 300 g CM (T4) or 400 g DBG (T5). Natural pasture hay and total dry matter (TDM) intake were not affected (P > 0.05) by the inclusion of DBG in the CM; however, supplement intake was greater (P < 0.0001) for DBG than CM alone-supplemented group. Metabolizable energy intake was decreased (P < 0.0001) as CM was substituted with DBG, whereas apparent digestibility was comparable (P > 0.05) among treatments. The treatments with the substitution of 50%, 75%, and 100% of CM with DBG were superior (P < 0.001) in body weight gain to the 100% CM-supplemented group, and the substitution of 25% CM with DBG had an intermediate growth rate. The partial budget analysis revealed that the substitution of 50% and 100% CM with DBG gave greater net returns of Birr 881.19 and 854.91 per head, respectively. Based on MRR, 200 g CM + 200 g DBG is the best treatment, and using this treatment, a farmer can benefit from ETB 8.94 for every 1 ETB investment. Hence, sole DBG or a mixture of DBG with a CM can be used for supplementation in growing 50% Dorper crossbred ram lambs.

Influence of fermentation time on proximate composition and microbial loads of Enset, (Ensete ventricosum), sampled from two different agroecological districts.

In southern Ethiopian households, kocho is one of the staple foods which can be kept longer and fermented naturally using locally prepared pits, but evidence about the influences of fermentation of kocho at a different time and agroecology on proximate compositions and microbial loads are limited. Fermented kocho samples at different fermentation times were collected from highland and midland districts of Sidama region of Ethiopia. The standard procedure of AOAC (2005) method was followed. Four microbiological load analyses were conducted. Factorial analysis using JMP 13 was conducted. Across the fermentation time, total carbohydrate, ash, crude protein, and crude fat ranged 36%-40%, 1.9%-3.2%, 3%-4.3%, and 0.1%-0.3%, respectively. The highest total ash content was observed in week one of fermentation both in midland and highland samples. However, in midland, the increment of fermentation time showed a reduction of total ash percentage. Crude protein and fat were observed similar both in midland and highland (p > .05). The titrable acidity of Kocho varied from 0.16% to 0.22%. It was shown that it increased in the first three months of fermentation. It was also found to be increased as the fermentation time is increasing. Aerobic mesophilic, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and mold were highly observed in Kocho as compared to Enterobacteriaceae. The loads varied across the fermentation time. Enterobacteriaceae and yeast and mold count of Kocho decreased with increased fermentation time. In conclusion, agroecology did not affect crude protein percentage as the fermentation time is increased. However, it was shown that fermentation increases protein and fat percentages. The increment of the acidic contents may also suppress the microbial growth for better food safety of kocho products.

Aflatoxin contamination of human breast milk and complementary foods in southern Ethiopia.

Exposure to unsafe level of aflatoxin in early life may lead to growth faltering. However, the extent of contamination of breast milk and complementary foods is poorly examined. We determined aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 ) and B1 (AFB1 ) contamination of human breast milk and cereal-based cooked complementary foods, respectively, among households having children 6-23 months of age in Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected through two cross-sectional surveys implemented in the wet (n = 180) and dry (n = 180) seasons. Eligible households (n = 360) were recruited from three agroecological zones (lowland, midland and highland, each with sample size of 120) using a multistage sampling technique. AFB1 and AFM1 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to compare aflatoxin levels between seasons and across the agroecological zones. Among 360 breast milk samples tested, 64.4% had detectable AFM1 and 5.3% exceeded the 0.025 parts per billion (ppb) limit set by the European Union for infant milk. The median AFM1 in the lowlands was significantly higher than in the other agroecological settings (P < 0.001). By season, AFM1 was higher in breast milk samples collected in the dry season (P = 0.041). AFB1 was detected in 96.4% of the food samples tested, and 95.0% had concentration exceeding the permissible European Union limit of 0.1 ppb. The median AFB1 was significantly higher in the lowland (P = 0.002), but there was no difference between the seasons (P = 0.386). The study indicated that, in southern Ethiopia, foods intended for infants are heavily contaminated with AFB1 . Contamination of breast milk is also a significant health concern.

Aflatoxin exposure among lactating women in southern Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia and many other low-income countries, little is known about the exposure of lactating women to aflatoxin, which is a major health concern to the mother and her nursing infant. We determined the aflatoxin B1 contamination of family foods (AFB1) and urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) of lactating women in Sidama, southern Ethiopia, and compared the levels across agroecological settings (lowland, midland, highland) and two seasons. We conducted two surveys (n = 360) that represented the dry and wet seasons of the locality. AFM1 and AFB1 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was made using Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The median (interquartile range) AFB1 was 0.94 (0.63-1.58) ppb. AFB1 was detected in 95.6% of the food samples, and 13.6% exceeded the 2.0 ppb threshold. We observed an increasing trend for aflatoxin exposure from highland to lowland (p < .001), but there was no difference between seasons (p = .743). The median (interquartile range) urinary AFM1 was 214 (undetectable to 2,582) ppt, and AFM1 was detectable in 53.3% of the samples. Urinary AFM1 showed significant difference among agroecological zones (p < .001) but not between seasons (p = .275). A significant but weak correlation was observed between AFB1 and urinary AFM1 (rs  = 0.177, p = .001). We concluded that lactating women in Sidama, especially those in the lowland area, have unsafe exposure to aflatoxin.

Enabling Efficient Charge Separation for Optoelectronic Conversion via an Energy-Dependent Z-Scheme n-Semiconductor-Metal-p-Semiconductor Schottky Heterojunction.

Achieving good charge separation while maintaining energetic electronic states in heterostructures is a challenge in designing efficient photocatalyst materials. Using first-principles calculations, we propose a Z-scheme Sn-m-Sp (n-semiconductor-metal-p-semiconductor) heterojunction as a viable avenue for achieving broad-spectrum sunlight absorption and, importantly, energy-dependent charge separation. As a proof-of-concept investigation, we investigated two ternary heterostructures, CdS-Au-PdO and SnO2-W-Ag2O, in which the electronic Fermi levels line up by virtue of the presence of an intermediate metal layer. A cascade of work functions in the relative order Wn < Wm < Wp drives electrons flowing from Sn to m and from m to Sp. The inner electric fields established at the Sn-m and m-Sp Schottky junctions selectively guide low-energy photoexcited electrons from Sn (CdS/SnO2) and low-energy holes from Sp (PdO/Ag2O) to the interposing Au or W metal, respectively. Importantly, relatively low Schottky barriers enforce charge separation by constraining high-energy photogenerated charges to the individual semiconductor layers. Operating together, these two mechanisms enable the achievement of highly efficient optoelectronic conversion.

Energy-Dependent Z-Scheme via Metal-Interfacing Two-Dimensional p-Type and n-Type Semiconductor Layers for Efficient Optoelectronic Conversion.

Hybrid heterostructures are a promising type of materials framework for optoelectronic conversion. We designed a ternary energy-dependent thin layer of Cu2S-Pt-WO3 (p-type-metal-n-type) heterojunction to explore an alternative way of realizing efficient charge separation. First-principles calculations showed that the Fermi level of the whole system is lined up via the mediation of Pt metal, which fosters the combination of holes in Cu2S and electrons in WO3 and keeps electrons in Cu2S and holes in WO3 well separated. Importantly, creation of band bending and charge polarization steer low-energy charges selectively to the intermediate metal and keep high-energy charges on individual semiconductors apart. Our simulation analysis of two-dimensional layers with the metal bridge shows increased charge flows across the junction compared to that of their bulk counterparts. Overall, this heterojunction is viable for suppressing recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and augmented electrons per surface that would allow enhanced optoelectronic conversion.