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Twenty-one morphometric traits were measured on 770 extensively managed indigenous chickens in the western zone of Tigray, comprising 412 hens and 358 cocks in three agro-ecologies. The quantitative traits for male and female chicken ecotypes were separately analyzed using multivariate analysis with SAS 2008. Four and seven principal components accounted for about 74.26% and 69.77% of the total variability in morphometric traits for males and females, respectively. Earlobe length, wingspan, skull length, and shank length werethe most important traits for discriminating among female chicken ecotypes, while wingspan, neck length, earlobe length, spur length, body length, and shank length were the most important discriminatory traits among male chicken ecotypes. The discriminant analysis accurately classified 97.3% of female and 100% of male chicken ecotypes. Cluster analysis revealed the genetic heterogeneity of indigenous chicken populations in both sexes. This finding suggests the presence of morphological variations among the indigenous chicken populations in the different agro-ecological zones, classified as distinct indigenous chicken ecotypes (Lowland, Midland, and Highland). Further DNA-based studies are needed to confirm and complement these morphological variations for effective conservation and the development of sustainable genetic improvement strategies for indigenous chicken populations in the region., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Markos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Importance: Surgical infections are a major cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-resource settings. Clean Cut, a 6-month quality improvement program developed by the global nonprofit organization Lifebox, has demonstrated improvements in postoperative infectious complications. However, the pilot program required intense external programmatic and resource support., Objective: To examine the improvement in adherence to infection prevention and control standards and rates of postoperative infections in hospitals in the Clean Cut program after implementation strategies were updated and program execution was refined., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study evaluated and refined the Clean Cut implementation strategy to enhance scalability based on a qualitative study of its pilot phase, including formalizing programmatic and educational materials, building an automated data entry and analysis platform, and reorganizing hospital-based team composition. Clean Cut was introduced from January 1, 2019, to February 28, 2022, in 7 Ethiopian hospitals that had not previously participated in the program. Prospective data initiated on arrival in the operating room were collected, and patients were followed up through hospital discharge and with 30-day follow-up telephone calls., Exposure: Implementation of the refined Clean Cut program., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was surgical site infection (SSI); secondary outcomes were adherence to 6 infection prevention standards, mortality, hospital length of stay, and other infectious complications., Results: A total of 3364 patients (mean [SD] age, 26.5 [38.0] years; 2196 [65.3%] female) from 7 Ethiopian hospitals were studied (1575 at baseline and 1789 after intervention). After controlling for confounders, the relative risk of SSIs was reduced by 34.0% after program implementation (relative risk, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.81; P < .001). Appropriate Surgical Safety Checklist use increased from 16.3% to 43.0% (P < .001), surgeon hand and patient skin antisepsis improved from 46.0% to 66.0% (P < .001), and timely antibiotic administration improved from 17.8% to 39.0% (P < .001). Surgical instrument (38.7% vs 10.2%), linen sterility (35.5% vs 12.8%), and gauze counting (89.2% vs 82.5%; P < .001 for all comparisons) also improved significantly., Conclusions and Relevance: A modified implementation strategy for the Clean Cut program focusing on reduced external resource and programmatic input from Lifebox, structured education and training materials, and wider hospital engagement resulted in outcomes that matched our pilot study, with improved adherence to recognized infection prevention standards resulting in a reduction in SSIs. The demonstration of scalability reinforces the value of this SSI prevention program.

Background: Africa faces diverse and complex population/human health challenges due to climate change. Understanding the health impacts of climate change in Africa in all its complexity is essential for implementing effective strategies and policies to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable populations. This study aimed to outline the major climate change-related health impacts in Africa in the context of economic resilience and to seek solutions and provide strategies to prevent or reduce adverse effects of climate change on human health and well-being in Africa., Methods: For this narrative review, a literature search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional records as well as reports. We followed a conceptual framework to ensure all aspects of climate change and health impacts in Africa were identified., Results: The average temperatures in all six eco-regions of Africa have risen since the early twentieth century, and heat exposure, extreme events, and sea level rise are projected to disproportionately affect Africa, resulting in a larger burden of health impacts than other continents. Given that climate change already poses substantial challenges to African health and well-being, this will necessitate significant effort, financial investment, and dedication to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review offers African leaders and decision-makers data-driven and action-oriented strategies that will ensure a more resilient healthcare system and safe, healthy populations-in ways that contribute to economic resiliency., Conclusions: The urgency of climate-health action integrated with sustainable development in Africa cannot be overstated, given the multiple economic gains from reducing current impacts and projected risks of climate change on the continent's population health and well-being. Climate action must be integrated into Africa's development plan to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, protect vulnerable populations from the detrimental effects of climate change, and promote economic development., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Pandemics like COVID-19 has strained healthcare systems globally, particularly in resource-limited settings where pre-existing healthcare gaps and constraints amplify the challenges faced by pregnant women. Having this lesson on pregnant women's experiences during COVID-19 offers invaluable insights into potential strategies and interventions needed to mitigate the impact of similar outbreaks in the future. Therefore, this phenomenological study aimed to uncover the experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dilla town, Gedeo zone, southern Ethiopia., Method and Materials: A descriptive phenomenological design was employed at Dilla University teaching hospital. A Purposive sampling technique was used and point of data saturation was declared at participant 16th. An in-depth interview was conducted in a private room after they received antenatal care services. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analysed using the open code software version 4.03. The interviews were transcribed verbatim to provide tick descriptions of data. Thematic analysis was employed using an inductive approach. Direct quotes from participants were included without any grammar editing to preserve their intended meaning., Results: Our study found five predominant themes: mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, health impact of COVID-19, concerns over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 influence on social engagements, and challenge on getting reliable information., Conclusion and Recommendation: This study identified that pregnant women experienced various challenges during the pandemic which includes psychological problems, health impact of COVID-19, economic problems, lack of reliable information and limited social support. Hence, implementing a customized approach by integrating psychosocial interventions with prenatal care services and conducting intensive health education sessions and economic empowerment are beneficial as mitigation strategies to better prepare for future pandemics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work., (© 2024 Cherinet et al.)

When the concentration of hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) in the environment is greater than a certain limit, it becomes a global concern. Thus, the aim of this study was to use banana peel as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals, specifically Cr(vi) ions from wastewater. Banana peel (BP) was activated in a furnace for 2 h (h) at 450 °C and 50% humidity. Subsequently, the activated BP was characterized by proximate analysis, elemental analysis, scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). According to the characterization results, the activated BP possessed a porous surface and high surface area of 200 m 2 g -1 , which are important adsorption parameters. Additionally, the removal efficiency for Cr(vi) was evaluated in terms of pH, contact time, initial concentration, and adsorbent dose. Consequently, the optimal operating conditions for removing 94% of Cr(vi) were found to be an adsorption time of 92 min, adsorbent dose of 1.5 g L -1 , pH of 3, and initial Cr(vi) concentration of 38 mg L -1 . In addition, the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were examined. The pseudo-first-order model with an R 2 of 0.996 and the Langmuir isotherm with an R 2 of 0.997 were found to be the most effective mathematical representations of the rate and nature of Cr(vi) adsorption on the surface of the activated BP, respectively. Furthermore, it was discovered that the activated BP could be reused six times before its removal efficiency was reduced to less than 70%., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding this article., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Charcoal production stemming from small-scale Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantations has brought about significant socio-economic benefits and improved livelihoods in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the current practice involves the use of traditional earth mound kilns, leading to inefficiencies, reduced charcoal income, and environmental pollution. This research aims to assess charcoal conversion efficiency, perform a cost-benefit analysis, and measure gas emissions from improved charcoal-making kilns sourced from Eucalyptus camaldulensis small-scale plantations in comparison to traditional earth mound kilns in northwestern Ethiopia. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was executed, with a significance level set at 0.05. The study results indicate a significant (P < 0.001) disparity in charcoal conversion efficiency across the various tested kilns, with the ranking as follows: Green mad retort kiln (33.7%) > Casamance kiln (32.09%) > MRV steel kiln (28.25%) > traditional earth mound kilns (23.55%). The improved charcoal-making kilns enhanced wood-to-charcoal conversion efficiency by 20-43% compared to traditional earth mound kilns. In terms of financial viability, Casamance improved kilns generated the highest equivalent annual charcoal income (117,126.9 ETB/year), followed by Green Mad Retort (82,893.8 ETB/year) and MRV steel kilns (58,495.9 ETB/year). As anticipated, traditional earth mound kilns yielded the lowest net present value (47,304.3 ETB/year). Traditional earth mound kilns also exhibited significantly longer carbonization times (P < 0.001), taking 3.6 times longer than the Mark V kiln and 2 times longer than the Casamance kiln. Furthermore, the statistical analysis demonstrated that improved charcoal-making technology reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 36.1-50.7%, carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 39.2-54.3%, and methane (CH4) emissions by 29.6-47%. In conclusion, the use of improved charcoal-making kilns has demonstrated significant enhancements in charcoal conversion efficiency, charcoal income, and environmental sustainability. Given these positive outcomes, we strongly recommend a decisive transition from traditional to cleaner, sustainable, and less emissions-intensive charcoal making kilns., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Introduction: The use of swimming pool water for recreation, rehabilitation, and athletics is widespread around the world, especially in large Cities and Towns. However, poorly managed swimming pool water can facilitate the spread of illnesses connected to recreational water. Despite this, there is no evidence on quality of swimming pools water in Kombolcha Town. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of swimming pools water in Kombolcha Town., Methods: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April, 2021 in Kombolcha Town. A total of 90 water samples were collected from the three outdoor swimming pools. The collected data of both physicochemical and bacteriological parameters were entered into Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. One-way ANOVA was used to test whether there were statistically significant differences between different swimming pools. The level of significance was declared at a p -value of <0.05., Results: In this study, out of all the pool water samples that were examined, 37.8% had pH values between 7.2 and 7.8, 36.7% had temperatures between 21°C and 32°C, and 26.7% had turbidity values that were within the WHO standard. Furthermore, only 16.7% of the pool water samples showed residual chlorine levels of 2-3 mg/L. In addition, only 27.8, 35.6, and 32.2% of the samples, respectively, met the WHO criterion for total coliform, fecal coliform, and heterotrophic plate count., Conclusion: The result indicates that most pool water samples did not fulfill both the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of the WHO standard limit for swimming pools. Thus, it is crucial to clean and regularly check the pool water, apply pool safety requirements, and raise pool user's awareness about the danger of pool water pollution through training., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Natnael, Hassen, Desye and Woretaw.)

The breeding objectives of Central Highland goats rearing under a low-input production system were defined through a participatory proportional piling method and bio-economic model. Additionally, the economic values and relative economic value of the breeding objective traits were derived. A participatory proportional piling method was used to estimate the relative weights of farmers attached to a list of goat traits identified, and the relative weights were statistically evaluated using a generalized multinomial logit model analysis. A bio-economic model was used to compute the economic values of the identified traits. The most important traits for selection of does according to farmer's preference were body size, coat colour, post-weaning growth rate and weaning rate with a relative weight (odds ratio) of 1.58, 1.38, 1.37 and 1.13, respectively. Goats with dark red followed by light red coat colour were the most preferred (p < 0.001) by goat keepers compared with white-coloured goats. Farmers were more likely (p < 0.001) to allocate higher scores for does-bearing twins than for single and triplet-bearing does. Using the bio-economic model (economic value and relative economic value), post-weaning growth rate, weaning rate, and six-month weight (body size) were identified as the most important traits and if the mean of these traits is changed by one genetic standard deviation, the change in profit will range from 2.06 to 3.03 $ doe -1  year -1 . Therefore, the most important traits for the selection of Central Highland goats according to the economic-based method were post-weaning weight gain, weaning rate and body size (six-month weight). Besides, coat colour was the second preferred trait by goat keepers next to body size. Thus, this aesthetical trait should be included in the designed breeding programme besides economically important quantitative traits. The combination of the participatory proportional piling method and bio-economic model would give better insights to explore the trait preferences of farmers and enhance profitability. The economic values of traits estimated in this study can be used for the construction of selection indices for Central Highland goats., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility, and associated risk factors of STEC O157:H7 among diarrheic patients and their cattle., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among diarrheic patients and their cattle in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia from December- 2020 to June- 2022. A total of 1,149 diarrheic patients and 229 cattle were included in the study. STEC O157:H7 detection was done using culture, latex agglutination test, and polymerase chain reaction on diarrheic stool samples and recto-anal mucosal swabs of cattle. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using disk diffusion techniques. Risk factors association were identified using binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis., Results: The overall prevalence of STEC O157:H7 in diarrheic patients and their cattle was 11.1% (128/1149) and 14.4% (33/229) respectively. High percentage of the study subjects were found in under-five children (34.5%). Age less than 5 (AOR: 4.02, 95%CI:1.608-10.058,P = 0.003), and greater than 64 years old (AOR:3.36, 95% CI:1.254-8.986, P = 0.016), presence of diarrheic patient in the house (AOR:2.11, 95%CI:1.309-3.390, P = 0.002), availability of cattle in the house (AOR:2.52, 95%CI:1.261-5.049, P = 0.009), and habit of consuming raw foods (AOR:4.35, 95%CI:2.645-7.148, P = 0.000) were risk factors. Antibiotic resistance was shown in 109(85.2%), and 31(93.9%) isolates from diarrheic patients and their cattle respectively. The highest levels of antibiotic resistance were found to tetracycline (54.7%, 69.7%) in diarrheic patients and their cattle respectively. Multiple drug resistance was also observed among 56(43.8%) and 11(33.3%) isolates in diarrheic patients and their cattle respectively., Conclusion: Our study showed high prevalence of STEC O157:H7 in diarrheic patients and their cattle. Therefore, health education should be given to the community on how to care for animals, proper sanitation, and the impact of raw food consumption., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exist, (Copyright: © 2023 Engda et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The accurate estimation of gestational age is crucial in identifying prematurity and other health problems in newborns and in providing appropriate perinatal care. Although there are numerous methods for measuring gestational age, they are not always applicable. During these situations, it becomes challenging to ascertain whether a baby has been born prematurely or not. Therefore, this study aims to estimate gestational age by utilizing newborn anthropometric parameters., Purpose: The objective of this study is to estimate the gestational age of newborns in public hospitals located in the North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia, by using anthropometric parameters., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a facility from February 2022 to April 2022, using an interview-based questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. The anthropometric parameters that were measured include foot length (FL), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and chest and head circumference (CHC). The study's sample size had a total of 420 participants. The data were cleaned, edited, manually checked for completeness, and entered into Epi-data version 3.1. Subsequently, the data were transferred into SPSS for analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, simple linear regression, and multiple linear regressions. Finally, the data were presented using statements and tables., Results: There is a significant and positive correlation between anthropometric parameters, including head circumference ( r : 0.483), MUAC ( r : 0.481), foot length ( r : 0.457), and chest circumference ( r : 0.482) with gestational age. All anthropometric parameters demonstrated positive and significant estimates of gestational age. The combination of the four measurements yielded the strongest estimate of gestational age. Gestational age can be calculated by the formula: Gestational age (Weeks) = 9.78 + 0.209*CHC + 0.607*MUAC + 0.727*FL + 0.322*HC., Conclusion: Gestational age can be measured using head circumference, mid-upper arm circumference, foot length, and chest circumference. Utilizing the four anthropometric parameters in combination exhibits greater efficacy in estimating gestational age than using them individually. Therefore, it is recommended to use these alternative approaches when standard methods are not applicable., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Dereje, Awol, Getaye, Tujara, Alemu, Negash, Alemu, Zakir, Dinka, Edosa, Shigign, Tunta, Mekonnen, Tolesa, Bekele, Merkeb, Oyato and Tesfa.)

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate how climate change influences the distribution of economically and environmentally important species of P. abyssinica and H. citrispinum in Ethiopia. The species distribution modeling intends to forecast species' ecological niche ranges and habitat suitability by employing a variety of environmental parameters as predictors, which is vital for conservation planning and restoration success. Six representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 for the years 2050 and 2070) with the same resolution of 2.5 min that shows the emission scenarios were used for the prediction. To predict the current and future distributions of H. citrispinum and P. abyssinica 56 and 45 occurrence records from National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, GBIF, and available literatures were used respectively., Results: The MaxEnt model predicted habitat suitability for H. citrispinum species with an Area Under Curve (AUC) value of 0.961 ± 0.027, and 0.809 ± 0.045 for P. abyssinica, indicating excellent discriminatory ability or accuracy under the current climate scenario. The Future distribution of suitable habitat for both H. citrispinum and P. abyssinica plant species was accurately predicted with AUC values of 0.960 ± 0.017 and 0.780 ± 0.35, respectively under future climatic scenarios. The jackknife test result indicates that environmental variables such as topographic position index (92.5%), precipitation of the driest quarter (3%) and precipitation in the coldest quarter (1.8%) are associated with the distributions of H. citrispinum, while topographic position index (36.6%), precipitation of driest quarter (21.4%), precipitation of warmest quarter (16.2%) and precipitation seasonality (13.9%) were found to be limiting environmental variables for P. abyssinica under current and future climatic conditions in Ethiopia. The prediction map and interception calculation for both present and projected (in the 2050s and again in the 2070s) climate change scenarios indicate significant habitat loss, decreased, and fragmentation under all RCPs (2.6, 4.5, and 8.5) scenarios for P. abyssinica while habitat gain, and increasing for H. citrispinum in Ethiopia., Conclusions: Topographic position index (TPI) is the most impactful predictor variable on the distribution of the two species. Consequently, potentially habitable areas (with diverse aspects and slopes) are increasing for H. citrispinum while decreasing for P. abyssinica., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Rotavirus is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality due to acute gastroenteritis among children under five years globally. Early diagnosis of rotavirus infection minimizes its spread and helps to determine the appropriate management of diarrhea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of EpiTuub® Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit for the diagnosis of rotavirus infection among diarrheic children under five years in Ethiopian healthcare settings. A total of 537 children with diarrhea were enrolled from three referral hospitals in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The samples were tested using one-step RT-PCR and EpiTuub® Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit (KTR-917, Epitope Diagnostics, San Diego USA) in parallel. Diagnostic performance of the rapid test kit was evaluated using the one-step RT-PCR as a gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the rapid test kit were determined. Moreover, the agreement of the rapid test kit with one step RT-PCR was determined by kappa statistics and receiver operators' curve (ROC) analysis was done to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of the rapid test kit. Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit has shown a sensitivity of 75.5% and specificity of 98.2%. The kit was also found to have 89.9% and 95.0% positive and negative predictive values, respectively. The Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit has shown a substantial agreement (78.7%, p = 0.0001) with one-step RT-PCR. The overall accuracy of the Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit was excellent with the area under the ROC curve of 86.9% (95% CI = 81.6, 92.1%) (p = .0001). Thus, Fecal Rotavirus Antigen Rapid Test is a sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, and equipment-free option to be used at points of care in Ethiopian health care settings where resource is limited precluding the use of one step RT-PCR. Furthermore, the kit could be used in the evaluation and monitoring of rotavirus vaccine effectiveness in the aforementioned settings., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocyte (CM) models have become an attractive tool for in vitro cardiac disease modeling and drug studies. These models are moving towards more complex three-dimensional microphysiological organ-on-chip systems. Label-free imaging-based techniques capable of quantifying contractility in 3D are needed, as traditional two-dimensional methods are ill-suited for 3D applications. Here, we developed multifocal (MF) optical projection microscopy (OPM) by integrating an electrically tunable lens to our in-house built optical projection tomography setup for extended depth of field brightfield imaging in CM clusters. We quantified cluster biomechanics by implementing our previously developed optical flow-based CM video analysis for MF-OPM. To demonstrate, we acquired and analyzed multiangle and multifocal projection videos of beating hiPSC-CM clusters in 3D hydrogel. We further quantified cluster contractility response to temperature and adrenaline and observed changes to beating rate and relaxation. Challenges emerge from light penetration and overlaying textures in larger clusters. However, our findings indicate that MF-OPM is suitable for contractility studies of 3D clusters. Thus, for the first time, MF-OPM is used in CM studies and hiPSC-CM 3D cluster contraction is quantified in multiple orientations and imaging planes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, predict the weight of animals at a specific age, and to select highly productive animals. Therefore, this study aimed to find the best-fitted nonlinear functions to provide a specific shape of the growth curve from birth to yearling age in different generations of Boer x Central Highland goats. Gompertz, Logistic, Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Monomolecular, Negative exponential, and Richards models were evaluated to quantify their ability to describe the biological growth curve. Root mean square error (RMSE), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), adjusted coefficient of determination (AdjR2), and Akaike's information criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the goodness of fit and flexibility of the models. Data were analyzed using the nonlinear regression procedure of SAS. High AdjR2 and lower AIC, BIC, and RMSE values are indicators of best-fitted model. The best-fitting model for the first filial generation (F1), second filial generation (F2), and male goats' growth data was Brody function, whereas the Richards model, followed by Brody, best described the growth of third filial generation (F3) and female goats. The values of parameter A (asymptotic weight) for F1, F2, F3, female, and male goats based on the Brody model were 30.5±1.32, 28.2±1.38, 24.4±1.04, 27.8±0.94, and 29.8±1.32 kg for F1, F2, F3, female, and male goats, respectively. As per the best-fitted growth function, the asymptotic weight tended to reduce when the filial generation increased. The asymptotic weight for male goats was higher than for female goats. F1 had a slightly small value of parameter K, followed by F2 and F3. Both males and females had similar maturity rates. Based on the Brody function, the correlation between maturation rate and mature weight was high (-0.98, P<0.001). The correlation estimates for A-B and B-K were 0.27 and -0.15, respectively. Brody was best fitted for most goat categories, although Richards, followed by Brody, was best fitted for female and F3 goats. Besides, Brody could be better than Richards due to the ease of interpretation, convergence, and applicability for a small sample size. Therefore, the Brody function can predict the mature body weight, maturation rate, and growth rate of Boer x Central Highland goats and be used to formulate breeding and management strategies for profitable goat farming., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Tesema et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Trachoma control programs use multiple approaches to identify individuals with trachomatous trichiasis (TT). Evidence is limited regarding which approaches are most effective and cost-efficient., Methods: We evaluated the effectiveness of two TT case-identification approaches in Ethiopia: community mobilization to encourage self-referral for centralized screening and house-to-house screenings conducted by case finders. We compared the number of true cases found per 1000 population and costs associated with case identification under each approach, stratified by villages that received one or multiple screening visits., Results: We conducted screenings in 396 villages. In villages receiving one house-to-house visit, case finders identified 14,229 suspected cases, of whom 10,513 (73.9%) presented for TT confirmation. A median of 17.2% (interquartile range [IQR]: 9.1%-27.8%) of those presenting truly had TT (positive predictive value). In single-visit villages, the community mobilization approach yielded higher rates of confirmed cases than the house-to-house approach (1.5 [IQR: 1.1, 2.6] vs. 1.1 [IQR: 0.5, 1.9] cases per 1000 population), and the median cost of identifying a TT case was less ($5.59 vs. $31.18) using community mobilization than house-to-house. In multiple-visit villages, additional screening visits increased the median rate of confirmed cases to 2.5 per 1000 population in community mobilization villages, but the rate remained unchanged in house-to-house villages., Conclusions: Community mobilization-based TT case finding had a higher yield than house-to-house, at a substantially lower cost. Future research should examine whether additional tools to aid case finders in their diagnosis increases case-finding efficiency and accuracy and whether TT prevalence and surgical program duration impact case-finding success., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs) and their risk factors vary from region to region. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of abdominal pain of FGIDs in different dietary diversity score (DDS) and its determinant factors among adults in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 17 to October 27, 2019. The study included systematically selected healthy adults aged ≥ 18years. Data were collected on gastrointestinal symptoms (Rome III), and DDS (24-dietary recall)., Results: Of 865 healthy adults, the prevalence of abdominal pain symptoms co-occurrence was 168(19.4%), dyspepsia, 152(17.6%) and IBS, 133(15.4). Similarly, the co-occurrence was distributed as 81(9.4%) in middle, 64(7.4%) in high and 23(2.6%) in low DDS groups. Although this distribution was different in the DDS groups, it is not significantly associated. With potential confounders adjusted, the behavioral factors associated with the co-occurrence with an AOR (95% CI) were khat chewing: 7.37 (1.76 - 30.87), drinking alcohol: 3.24 (1.15 - 9.18), sedentary life: 12.28 (3.19 - 48.40) and less physical activity: 4.44 (1.43-13.75). Moreover, elevated TAG: 5.44 (2.78 - 8.10), elevated LDL: 4.26 (1.61-11.29), central obesity: 2.78 (1.08 -7), low HDL 5.89 (2.22-15.60), positive H.pylori stool test: 2.7 (1.86 -7.72), being diabetic: 2.7 (1.79 -7.79) and hypertensive: 2.79 (1.08 - 7.14) were associated with the co-occurrence., Conclusion: Abdominal pain and FGIDs had significant distribution among adults in Jimma City. Therefore, early screening and managing FGIDs in the community is recommendable., (© 2023 Zawdie, et al.)

The presence of lactic acid and galactose makes spray drying of acid whey (AW) a significant challenge for the dairy industry. In this study, a novel approach is explored to remove these compounds, utilizing food-grade microorganisms. For removing lactic acid, Corynebacterium glutamicum was selected, which has an inherent ability to metabolize lactic acid but does so slowly. To accelerate lactic acid metabolism, a mutant strain G6006 was isolated through adaptive laboratory evolution, which metabolized all lactic acid from AW two times faster than its parent strain. To eliminate galactose, a lactose-negative mutant of Lactococcus lactis that cannot produce lactate was generated. This strain was then co-cultured with G6006 to maximize the removal of both lactic acid and galactose. The microbially "filtered" AW could readily be spray dried into a stable lactose powder. This study highlights the potential of utilizing food-grade microorganisms to process AW, which currently constitutes a global challenge., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Christian Solem reports financial support was provided by Technical University of Denmark. Christian Solem reports a relationship with Technical University of Denmark that includes: employment., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: About three-fourths of maternal near-miss events and two-fifths of the risk of neonatal mortality can be reduced by having at least one antenatal visit. Several studies have identified potential factors related to maternal health seeking behavior. However, the association between health insurance membership and antenatal care utilization was not well investigated in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the effect of health insurance coverage on antenatal care use in Ethiopia., Methods: The study utilized data from the 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS). The analysis included a weighted sample of 3,919 women who gave birth in the last five years. A logistic regression model was employed to assess the association between antenatal care use and health insurance coverage and other covariates. The results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was declared at a p -value <0.05 in all analyses., Results: Antenatal care was used by 43% (95% CI: 41.46 to 44.56%) of Ethiopian women. Those with health insurance coverage had higher odds of antenatal care use than those without health insurance coverage. Women were 33% more likely to use antenatal care (ANC) if they were covered by health insurance. Age, Media access, marital status, education status, wealth index, and economic regions were also factors associated with antenatal care utilizations., Conclusions: According to our findings, less than half of Ethiopian women had four or more antenatal care visits. Health insurance membership, respondent age, media access, marital status, education status, wealth index, and economic region were factors associated with antenatal care utilization. Improving health insurance, women's economic empowerment, and education coverage are critical determinants of antenatal care utilization., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Merga, Raru, Deressa, Regassa, Gamachu, Negash, Birhanu, Turi and Ayana.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of poor sleep quality among Bole Lemi Industrial Park workers in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia., Design: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2022. The data were collected using a validated and standardised Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.4.6 and analysed using Stata V.14. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with poor sleep quality. The association was determined using an adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI at a p value of <0.05., Setting: The study was conducted in Bole Lemi Industrial Park in Addis Ababa., Participants: A total of 370 workers participated in this study., Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of the study was the prevalence of poor sleep quality., Results: The total response rate was 87.7%. The majority (260, 70.3%) of the participants were female. The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 30.5 (±10.6) years. The prevalence of poor sleep quality during the last months was found to be 75.4% (n=279) (95% CI: 70.7% to 79.7%). Undiversified dietary intake (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI (1.09 to 2.78)), caffeine consumption more than 250 mg per day (AOR: 2.57; 95% CI (1.12 to 6.05)) and night shift work (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI (1.27 to 4.41)) were risk factors for poor sleep quality among sampled workers., Conclusion: This study detected that poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among garment and textile industry workers, indicating that it is a significant public health issue that requires immediate attention. Therefore, modifications of the work environment involving night shift work and the improvement of workers' personal lifestyles involving dietary diversification and caffeine consumption are needed to minimise the burden of poor sleep quality among workers., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Mitochondria are responsible for ATP synthesis through oxidative phosphorylation in cells. However, there are limited data on the influence of mitochondrial mass (MM) in the adequate assessment of cellular stress assay (CSA) results in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine MM in PBMCS and assess its influence on the results of CSA measurements. Blood samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for MM and CSA measurements during different seasons of the year. The mitochondrial mass was determined based on the mtDNA:nDNA ratio in PBMCs using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). CSA was measured using Seahorse technology. The MM was significantly lower during summer and autumn compared to winter and spring ( p < 0.0001). On the contrary, we found that the maximal respiration per mitochondrion (MP) was significantly higher in summer and autumn compared to winter and spring ( p < 0.0001). The estimated effect of MM on mitochondrial performance was -0.002 pmol/min/mitochondrion ( p < 0.0001) and a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.612. Similarly, MM was negatively correlated with maximal respiration (r = -0.12) and spare capacity (in % r = -0.05, in pmol/min r = -0.11). In conclusion, this study reveals that MM changes significantly with seasons and is negatively correlated with CSA parameters and MP. Our findings indicate that the mitochondrial mass is a key parameter for determination of mitochondrial fitness. Therefore, we recommend the determination of MM during the measurement of CSA parameters for the correct interpretation and assessment of mitochondrial function.

Cellular physiology has been mainly studied by using two-dimensional cell culture substrates which lack in vivo-mimicking extracellular environment and interactions. Thus, there is a growing need for more complex model systems in life sciences. Micro-engineered scaffolds have been proven to be a promising tool in understanding the role of physical cues in the co-regulation of cellular functions. These tools allow, for example, probing cell morphology and migration in response to changes in chemo-physical properties of their microenvironment. In order to understand how microtopographical features, what cells encounter in vivo, affect cytoskeletal organization and nuclear mechanics, we used direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization (TPP) to fabricate substrates which contain different surface microtopographies. By combining with advanced high-resolution spectral imaging, we describe how the constructed grid and vertical line microtopographies influence cellular alignment, nuclear morphology and mechanics. Specifically, we found that growing cells on grids larger than 10 × 20 μm 2 and on vertical lines increased 3D actin cytoskeleton orientation along the walls of microtopographies and abolished basal actin stress fibers. In concert, the nuclei of these cells were also more aligned, elongated, deformed and less flattened, indicating changes in nuclear force transduction. Importantly, by using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy for measuring Förster resonance energy transfer for a genetically encoded nesprin-2 molecular tension sensor, we show that growing cells on these microtopographic substrates induce lower mechanical tension at the nuclear envelope. To conclude, here used substrate microtopographies modulated the cellular mechanics, and affected actin organization and nuclear force transduction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Additive genetic and non-additive parameters for reproductive traits of Boer x Central Highland goats were estimated. Pedigree and performance records comprised of Central Highland and their crosses with Boer goats were collected from 2009 to 2018 in the Sirinka Agricultural Research Center sheep and goat breeding station. Least-squares means for genotypes were obtained using a general linear model procedure in SAS. To estimate crossbreeding parameters, breed additive, heterotic, and recombination effects were fitted as fixed covariates instead of genotypes. Variance, heritability, and repeatability estimates were estimated through the AI-REML algorithm using WOMBAT software. Genotype did not significantly (P>0.05) influence most of the reproductive traits studied except for gestation length. The additive effect for litter size at birth (LSB), total litter birth weight (LBW), total litter weaning weight (LWW), litter size at weaning (LSW), and gestation length (GL) was estimated to be -0.004 kid, 0.08 kg, -3.18 kg, -0.54 kid, and 3.69 days, respectively. The contribution of heterosis to LSB, LWW, and GL of crossbred goats was negative, while the estimates for LBW and LSW were positive. However, Boer goats' heterosis effect and direct additive contribution to reproductive traits were insignificant (P>0.05) except for LSW. The recombination effect was negligible and not significant (P>0.05) for all traits examined. The direct heritability estimate for LSB, LWB, LWW, LSW, and GL were 0.050, 0.098, 0.086, 0.018, and 0.00, respectively. The repeatability estimates for LSB, LWB, LWW, LSW, and GL were 0.149, 0.116, 0.099, 0.086, and 0.061, respectively. The result indicates that improvement in reproductive traits would not be expected by crossing Boer with Central Highland goats. In addition, heritability estimates indicate that the improvement of reproductive traits through selection will be small, and the repeatability estimates indicate that multiple records have to be used to make a decision of culling or selection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Tesema et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Various review papers have been published regarding the occurrence and fate of micropollutants (MPs). MPs in the aquatic environment are still not well reviewed to generate comprehensive summaries with a special focus on their removal from wastewater using conventional and advanced treatment processes. Therefore, this review aimed to provide a synopsis of the efficiency of the advanced wastewater treatment plants in the removal of MPs., Materials and Methods: A systematic search of published literature was conducted on the National Library of Medicine (NLM) database, Web of Science, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) database, Scopus, and Google Scholar, based on studies with evidence of removal of MPs in the wastewater treatment process. Screening of the published articles was made using pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria., Results: Amongst the 1545 studies searched, 21 full-length articles were analyzed that showed 7 treatment options related to the removal of MPs from wastewater. MPs from wastewater effluents were successfully and effectively removed by advanced treatment techniques. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), membrane processes, and adsorption processes have all been shown to be potential solutions for the removal of MPs in advanced treatment plants (WWTPs). But, there are 2 critical issues associated with the application of the advanced treatment options which are high operational cost and the formation of dangerous by-products and concentrated residues., Conclusion: This study identified that the removal of MPs using WWTPs was commonly incomplete with varying removal efficiency. Therefore, the adaptation and scale-up of the cost-effective and efficient combined wastewater treatment technology are vital to creating an absolute barrier to MPs emissions., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Land degradation, food and tenure insecurity are significant problems in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, particularly in the region known as the country's famine corridor. Addressing these twine issues in the region has become a focal point for both local and international organizations, underscoring the significance of preventive measures. Since 2000, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has been implementing sustainable land management and certification programs. This study aims on households involved in these programs, specifically in Dessie Zuria and Kutaber Woredas, South Wello Zone (SWZ). The primary objectives of the research were to assess households' current food security status, identify factors influencing their food security, and classify coping and survival strategies employed by households during food shortages. Primary and secondary sources have been used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected from surveyed households and analyzed USING SPSS software version 26, whereas qualitative data were transcribed, grouped, and interpreted in line with the aim of the research. Three food security models, namely the Household Food Balance Model, Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning, and Household Dietary Diversity Score, were employed to evaluate food security. Consequently, a significant percentage of the surveyed households, amounting to 88.3%, 35.6%, and 93.8%, were found to experience food insecurity according to the respective models. Rainfall shortages and variability, crop pests and diseases, shrinking farm plots, and land degradation are among the identified food security determinants. During dearth periods, households deploy a variety of coping and survival strategies. To mitigate food insecurity stemming from both natural and socio-economic factors, the research suggests several recommendations. These include advocating for tenure policy reforms by the GoE, and the local governments should promote the adoption of efficient land management practices, instituting a land certification system based on cadasters, encouraging family planning, boosting investments in education and literacy, raising awareness and providing training in climate-smart agriculture techniques, educating communities on optimal grain utilization, saving, trade, and storage methods, facilitating opportunities for income generation through off-farm and non-farm activities, and offering support for crop and livestock diversification.

Charcoal production from Acacia decurrens has shown considerable advantages for enhancing livelihoods and boosting government revenue in Ethiopia. However, the current reliance on unsustainable traditional Earth mound kilns diminishes these benefits, causing reduced charcoal income and notable environmental damage. Therefore, there is a pressing need to improve the traditional charcoal production system. The objectives of this study were evaluating different improved charcoal production approaches on charcoal conversion efficiency, financial profitability, and gas emission reduction potential compared to traditional charcoal making in the Fagta lokoma district, Ethiopia. Charcoal was produced from Acacia decurrens small-scale plantation, using improved kilns (Green mad retort, MRV portable steel, Casamance) and traditional Earth mound kilns, with three replications of production. Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in charcoal conversion efficiency (at P ≤ 0.001), with the MRV steel kiln exhibiting the highest efficiency (41.57%), followed by the Green mad retort (36.14%) and Casamance (34.07%). Conversely, the traditional Earth mound kilns displayed the lowest conversion efficiency (24%). The findings demonstrated that improved charcoal-making kilns enhanced wood-to-charcoal conversion efficiency by 41-72% compared to traditional kilns. Moreover, the study reveals a significant increase in average charcoal income per hectare (at P ≤ 0.001), with higher earnings (284,824.4 ETB) at MRV steel kiln, and lower-income (71,580 ETB) at traditional Earth mound kilns. Improved charcoal-making kilns significantly (P ≤ 0.001) reduced harmful gas emissions compared to the traditional Earth mound method. Reduction percentages were substantial for various gases: CO 2 (46-57.9%), CO (29.4-56.6%), NO (61.7-86.1%), NO x (56.6-86.2%), SO 2 (41-62.8%), and CH 4 (35.7-57%). In coclusion, the improved kiln technology has substantially enhanced the efficiency of charcoal conversion, resulting in beneficial effects through emissions reduction. To champion sustainability and cultivate positive socio-economic outcomes, it is imperative to extensively adopt these eco-friendly kilns in areas where charcoal production is prominent., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To examine associations between comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress and weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic among U.S. adults., Design: Quantitative, cross-sectional study., Setting: The 2021 SummerStyles survey data., Subjects: U.S. adults (≥18 years; N = 4068)., Measures: The outcome was reported weight changes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with four responses: lost weight, weight remained the same, gained weight, and don't know. The exposure variable was frequency of comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress during the past year with three responses: never/ rarely, sometimes, or often/always., Analysis: We used chi-square analysis to examine the independence of survey variables related to weight changes, and comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we used a multinomial logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios for weight changes by comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress frequency., Results: Overall, 20.1% of adults reported losing weight, 39.9% remained about the same weight, 30.4% gained weight, and 9.4% did not know about their weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress was reported by over 33% of participants (often/always = 8.3%; sometimes = 25.3%). Weight change and comfort eating during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly varied by sociodemographic factors. Respondents that sometimes or often/always reported taking comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress were more likely to report losing weight (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranges: 1.62-2.99) or gaining weight (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranges: 3.10-4.61) than those who never/rarely took comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress., Conclusions: Taking comfort by eating when stressed/lonely was significantly associated with reported weight changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weight changes may lead to additional health complications. Implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce loneliness or stress and support healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic may benefit weight management and future well-being.

Introduction: There are limited data on the influence of different anti-cancer therapies on lymphocyte subpopulations and their relationships to survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This study aimed to assess the effect of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, immunochemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery, and antibodies against Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF) on B cell, T cell, and NK cell subpopulations, and the survival time of NSCLC patients., Methods: A total of 32 consecutive NSCLC patients were recruited at Pulmonology Clinic, Leipzig from January 2018 to March 2020 and enrolled in this study. Immunophenotyping was done using a FACS Canto II flow cytometer (BD Biosciences) before the administration of the planned therapy and during therapy with up to 7 observational windows for each patient targeting 130 immunologic parameters., Results: Absolute transitional B cells was significantly increased after immunotherapy (p = 0.032), immunochemotherapy (p = 0.030), and antibodies against VEGF (p = 0.024). Similarly, absolute counts and percentage of B cells were significantly increased after adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.023). However, absolute counts and percentage of transitional B cells are significantly decreased after chemotherapy (p = 0.001). Activated cytotoxic T cells were significantly increased after immunotherapy (p = 0.031) and immunochemotherapy (p = 0.030). The overall survival rate of NSCLC patients was 31%., Conclusions: In conclusion, this study suggests that different types of anti-cancer therapies affect lymphocyte subpopulations of NSCLC patients. Further large-scale and multicentre studies are required to confirm our results and to evaluate the prognostic value of lymphocyte subpopulations., Competing Interests: CG declare to have received honoraria for lectures and advisory boards from BMS, MSD, Roche, and Regeneron. MS received funding from Pfizer Inc. for a project not related to this research. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gessner, Tessema, Scholz, Sack, Boldt, Kühnapfel and Gessner.)

Importance: Information on the probability of weight loss among US adults with overweight or obesity is limited., Objective: To assess the probability of 5% or greater weight loss, 10% or greater weight loss, body mass index (BMI) reduction to a lower BMI category, and BMI reduction to the healthy weight category among US adults with initial overweight or obesity overall and by sex and race., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study obtained data from the IQVIA ambulatory electronic medical records database. The sample consists of US ambulatory patients 17 years or older with at least 3 years of BMI information from January 1, 2009, to February 28, 2022. Minimum age was set at 17 years to allow for the change in BMI or weight starting at 18 years. Maximum age was censored at 70 years., Exposures: Initial BMI (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) category was the independent variable of interest, and the categories were as follows: lower than 18.5 (underweight), 18.5 to 24.9 (healthy weight), 25.0 to 29.9 (overweight), 30.0 to 34.9 (class 1 obesity), 35.0 to 39.9 (class 2 obesity), and 40.0 to 44.9 and 45.0 or higher (class 3 or severe obesity)., Main Outcomes and Measures: The 2 main outcomes were 5% or greater weight loss (ie, a ≥5% reduction in initial weight) and BMI reduction to the healthy weight category (ie, BMI of 18.5-24.9)., Results: The 18 461 623 individuals in the sample had a median (IQR) age of 54 (40-66) years and included 10 464 598 females (56.7%) as well as 7.7% Black and 72.3% White patients. Overall, 72.5% of patients had overweight or obesity at the initial visit. Among adults with overweight and obesity, the annual probability of 5% or greater weight loss was low (1 in 10) but increased with higher initial BMI (from 1 in 12 individuals with initial overweight to 1 in 6 individuals with initial BMI of 45 or higher). Annual probability of BMI reduction to the healthy weight category ranged from 1 in 19 individuals with initial overweight to 1 in 1667 individuals with initial BMI of 45 or higher. Both outcomes were generally more likely among females than males and were highest among White females. Over the 3 to 14 years of follow-up, 33.4% of persons with overweight and 41.8% of persons with obesity lost 5% or greater of their initial weight. At the same time, 23.2% of persons with overweight and 2.0% of persons with obesity reduced BMI to the healthy weight category., Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this cohort study indicate that the annual probability of 5% or greater weight loss was low (1 in 10) despite the known benefits of clinically meaningful weight loss, but 5% or greater weight loss was more likely than BMI reduction to the healthy weight category, especially for patients with the highest initial BMIs. Clinicians and public health efforts can focus on messaging and referrals to interventions that are aimed at clinically meaningful weight loss (ie, ≥5%) for adults at any level of excess weight.

Importance: Nearly 40% of US youth aged 2 to 19 years do not have a body mass index (BMI) in the healthy weight category. However, there are no recent estimates for BMI-associated expenditures using clinical or claims data., Objective: To estimate medical expenditures among US youth across all BMI categories along with sex and age groups., Design, Setting, Participants: This cross-sectional study used IQVIA's ambulatory electronic medical records (AEMR) data set linked with IQVIA's PharMetrics Plus Claims database from January 2018 through December 2018. Analysis was performed from March 25, 2022, through June 20, 2022. It included a convenience sample of a geographically diverse patient population from AEMR and PharMetrics Plus. The study sample included privately insured individuals with a BMI measurement in 2018 and excluded patients with pregnancy-related visits., Exposure: BMI categories., Main Outcomes and Measures: Total medical expenditures were estimated using generalized linear model regression with γ distribution and log-link function. For out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures, a 2-part model was used that included logistic regression to estimate the probability of positive expenditures followed by generalized linear model. Estimates were shown with and without accounting for sex, race and ethnicity, payer type, geographic region, age interacted with sex and BMI categories, and confounding conditions., Results: The sample included 205 876 individuals aged 2 to 19 years; 104 066 were male (50.5%) and the median age was 12 years. Compared with those with healthy weight, total and OOP expenditures were higher for all other BMI categories. Differences in total expenditures were highest for those with severe obesity ($909; 95% CI, $600-$1218) followed by underweight ($671; 95% CI, $286-$1055) compared with healthy weight. Differences in OOP expenditures were highest for those with severe obesity ($121; 95% CI, $86-$155) followed by underweight ($117; 95% CI, $78-$157) compared with healthy weight. Having underweight was associated with higher total expenditures at ages 2 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years by $679 (95% CI, $228-$1129) and $1166 (95% CI, $632-$1700), respectively; having severe obesity was associated with higher total expenditures at ages 2 to 5 years, 6 to 11 years, and 12 to 17 years by $1035 (95% CI, $208-$1863), $821 (95% CI, $414-$1227), and $1088 (95% CI, $594-$1582), respectively., Conclusions and Relevance: The study team found medical expenditures to be higher for all BMI categories when compared with those with healthy weight. These findings may indicate potential economic value of interventions or treatments aimed at reducing BMI-associated health risks.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders among cashiers in small-scale businesses in Northwestern Ethiopia., Design: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2022. The data were collected using a validated and standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.4.6 and analysed using Stata V.14. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to ascertain the significance of associations at p<0.05 and the adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI., Setting: The study was conducted in small-scale businesses in the North Gondar Zone., Participants: A total of 618 cashiers participated in this study., Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of the study is the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which was measured using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire., Results: The response rate was 97.5% (N=618). The majority (373; 60.4%) of the study participants were female. The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 30 (±8.3) years. The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders during the last 12 months was found to be 75.4% (n=466) (95% CI 71.8%, 78.8%). Marital status (married) (AOR=2.12; 95% CI 1.26, 3.56), lack of physical exercise (AOR=2.07; 95% CI 1.32, 3.23), alcohol consumption (AOR=3.55; 95% CI 2.18, 5.78) and awkward work posture (AOR=2.40; 95% CI 1.43, 4.0) were significant factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders among sampled cashiers., Conclusion: This study concluded that the overall prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was high among cashiers in small-scale businesses. Being married, a lack of physical exercise, alcohol consumption and awkward work posture were significant factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. To reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders, it is recommended taking part in physical activity, avoiding alcohol consumption and avoiding awkward work posture., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Healthcare-associated infections are a global health problem and are more prevalent in developing countries such as Ethiopia, but there is a paucity of research on the infection prevention practices of cleaning staff. Therefore, this study aimed to assess infection prevention and control practices and associated factors among cleaners working in healthcare facilities in Gondar City, Ethiopia., Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare cleaning staff from May to June 2022. A total of 428 cleaners took part in the survey. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using Stata version 14 software. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to ascertain the significance of associations at <0.05 p-value and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI)., Results: Among the 390 study participants included, 294 (75.1%) were female. Of the surveyed participants, 186 (47.7%) had good knowledge of infection prevention and control practices. This study revealed that out of the 390 healthcare cleaners, 204 (52.3%) had good infection prevention and control practices with 52.3% [95% CI (47.2, 56.4)]. Good knowledge of infection prevention and control [AOR: 1.56, 95% CI (1.03, 2.37)] and the availability of infection prevention and control guidelines in the workplace [AOR: 1.54, 95% CI (1.01, 2.33)] were significant factors associated with infection prevention and control practice., Conclusion: The present study found that almost half of the healthcare cleaners had poor IPC practices. The finding underlines the importance of good IPC knowledge and the accessibility of IPC guidelines to improve IPC practices among healthcare cleaning staff. The findings of this study also highlight that behavioral change interventions and paying attention, particularly to nonclinical staff such as cleaners in health care settings, are critical to reducing infection in health care settings., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Tesfaye et al.)

Background: Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis prevention and care is a major challenge in Ethiopia. The World health organization has designated Ethiopia as one of the 30 high burden multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) countries. There is limited information regarding genetic diversity and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB in Ethiopia., Objective: To investigate the molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB strains using whole genome sequence (WGS) in the Amhara region., Methods: Forty-five MDR-TB clinical isolates from Amhara region were collected between 2016 and 2018, and characterized using WGS and 24-loci Mycobacterium Interspersed Repetitive Units Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. Clusters were defined based on the maximum distance of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or alleles as the upper threshold of genomic relatedness. Five or less SNPs or alleles distance or identical 24-loci VNTR typing is denoted as surrogate marker for recent transmission., Results: Forty-one of the 45 isolates were analyzed by WGS and 44% (18/41) of the isolates were distributed into 4 clusters. Of the 41 MDR-TB isolates, 58.5% were classified as lineage 4, 36.5% lineage 3 and 5% lineage 1. Overall, TUR genotype (54%) was the predominant in MDR-TB strains. 41% (17/41) of the isolates were clustered into four WGS groups and the remaining isolates were unique strains. The predominant cluster (Cluster 1) was composed of nine isolates belonging to lineage 4 and of these, four isolates were in the recent transmission links., Conclusions: Majority of MDR-TB strain cluster and predominance of TUR lineage in the Amhara region give rise to concerns for possible ongoing transmission. Efforts to strengthen TB laboratory to advance diagnosis, intensified active case finding, and expanded contact tracing activities are needed in order to improve rapid diagnosis and initiate early treatment. This would lead to the interruption of the transmission chain and stop the spread of MDR-TB in the Amhara region., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Occupational respiratory diseases are major global public health problems, particularly for industry workers. Several studies have investigated occupational respiratory symptoms in various parts of Ethiopia. The findings have been inconsistent and inconclusive, and there is no nationally representative data on the subject. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and factors associated with occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia (2010-2022)., Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis framework Guidelines, search was conducted on several international databases including PubMed, CINAHL, African Journals Online, Hinari, Global Health, and Google scholar. The extracted data was analyzed using STATA 14. Random effect model was used to estimate the effect size. Egger regression test and I2 statistics were used to determine potential publication bias and heterogeneity, respectively among the reviewed articles., Results: The meta-analysis included a total of 15 studies with 5,135 participants, revealing a pooled prevalence of 51.6% (95% CI: 43.6-59.6) for occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia. The absence of personal protective equipment (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: [1.17-3.32]), lack of occupational health and safety training (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: [2.36-3.93]), previous dust exposure (OR = 3.17, 95% CI: [2.3-4.37]), poor working environment (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: [1.7-3.2]), work experience greater than five years (OR = 4.04, 95% CI: [1.61-10.16]), smoking (OR = 6.91, 95% CI: [2.94-16.2]), and previous respiratory illness (OR = 4.25, 95% CI: [2.44-7.42]) were found to associate with the symptoms., Conclusions: The high prevalence of occupational respiratory symptoms among industry workers in Ethiopia underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. The provision of personal protective equipment and improvement of working environments by the government, industry owners, and other stakeholders are crucial in reducing occupational respiratory symptoms. Additionally, prioritizing occupational health and safety training for industry workers can help prevent and mitigate the impact of occupational respiratory diseases., Registration: This systematic review has been registered in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Review (PROSPERO) with a specific registration number CRD42022383745., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Daba et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: In 2020, more than three billion of the world's population were the risk of being infected with malaria and four out of five deaths were from the African population. However, information is scarce on the association between risk perceptions and malaria prevention behaviors in resource-limited countries, particularly Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess malaria risk perceptions and preventive behaviors., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 401 elementary school students in Jimma zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, from April 2 to June 8, 2020. Data were collected through interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi-data 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14.2. The descriptive statistics were presented using frequency and percentages. A Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.7 or higher was used to assess the reliability of each domain. The Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) was employed to examine the relationships and prediction of explanatory variables with risk perception and preventive behaviors of malaria. The model with a lower information criterion was taken as a better-fitting model. Finally, the statistically significant model effects were declared at a P-value of less than 0.05 at a confidence interval of 95%., Results: This study showed that having knowledge about malaria had an indirect positive effect on malaria preventive behavior (β = 1.29, 95% CI 0.11 to 2.47), and had a positive total effect on the preventive behavior (β = 2.99, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.67). Besides, an increased knowledge level had a direct positive effect on malaria risk perceptions (β = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.14), and malaria risk perception had a direct positive effect on malaria preventive behavior (β = 1.21, 95% CI 0.10 to 2.31)., Conclusion and Recommendation: This study demonstrated that having knowledge about malaria had a direct and indirect association with malaria preventive behavior. An increased level of knowledge had a direct positive effect on malaria risk perceptions. Moreover, malaria risk perception had a direct positive effect on malaria preventive behavior. Therefore, malaria prevention-targeted interventions, behavior change, and knowledge enhancing communication should be enhanced or scaled up to contribute to prompt treatment and progress toward the elimination of malaria., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare for this study., (© 2023 Deressa et al.)

Access to safe food is considered a basic human right, but food-borne disease presents a significant public health concern globally. The problem is exacerbated in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the rise in urbanization and the popularity of street food in low- and middle-income countries, understanding the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of street food vendors is crucial to ensuring food safety. Therefore, this review was aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of KAP of street food vendors toward food safety and its associated factors in low- and middle-income countries. A comprehensive search of published studies before January 30, 2023, was identified using databases like PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, HINARI, Science Direct, and African Journals Online, as well as other sources. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel, and analysis was performed using STATA 14/SE software. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's quality appraisal tool. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled proportion of KAP of street food vendors toward food safety and associated factors. The funnel plot and Egger's regression test were used to assess publication bias, and I2 test statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis was also conducted. In this study, fourteen eligible studies with a total of 2,989 study populations were included. The pooled proportions of good knowledge 62% (95% CI: 51-73), positive attitude 66% (95% CI: 47-86), and good practice 51% (95% CI: 36-65) toward food safety were found among street food vendors. Being of secondary school education (OR = 5.95, 95% CI: 4.05-7.85), having training in food safety (OR = 4.64, 95% CI: 2.62-6.67), having a higher monthly income (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.06-4.9), and having good knowledge of food handling (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.17-3.16) were found to be associated factors in the food safety practice of street food vendors. Based on the findings of this study, there was a significant gap in the KAP of street food vendors toward food safety. Therefore, the provision of training and strengthening health education about food safety are invaluable strategies for improving food safety., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Desye et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Vascular scaffold implantation induces injury to the intimal layer and causes discontinuity of the regenerated endothelial monolayer, compromising barrier integrity, increasing permeability, and allowing the transmigration of leukocytes and lipoproteins into the subendothelial space. Mechanical vascular wall stretching triggers Ras homolog family member A (RhoA)/Rho kinase-mediated actomyosin contractility and destabilization of adherens junctions, leading to endothelial barrier dysfunction. Assembly of intercellular adhesion and actin cytoskeletal organization of interendothelial junctions are controlled by downregulation of RhoA guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase)-mediated barrier-disruptive activity and upregulation of repressor-activator protein 1 (Rap1) and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) GTPase-mediated cytoskeletal reorganization, leading to endothelial barrier stabilization. This review highlights the involvement of Rho GTPases in the disruption of endothelial barrier integrity following vascular scaffold implantation and the targeting of downstream Rho-associated protein kinases, which signal the network to restore endothelial barrier integrity and stability., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Three-dimensional (3D) cancer models are revolutionising research, allowing for the recapitulation of an in vivo-like response through the use of an in vitro system, which is more complex and physiologically relevant than traditional monolayer cultures. Cancers such as ovarian (OvCa) are prone to developing resistance, are often lethal, and stand to benefit greatly from the enhanced modelling emulated by 3D cultures. However, the current models often fall short of the predicted response, where reproducibility is limited owing to the lack of standardised methodology and established protocols. This meta-analysis aims to assess the current scope of 3D OvCa models and the differences in the genetic profiles presented by a vast array of 3D cultures. An analysis of the literature (Pubmed.gov) spanning 2012-2022 was used to identify studies with paired data of 3D and 2D monolayer counterparts in addition to RNA sequencing and microarray data. From the data, 19 cell lines were found to show differential regulation in their gene expression profiles depending on the bio-scaffold (i.e., agarose, collagen, or Matrigel) compared to 2D cell cultures. The top genes differentially expressed in 2D vs. 3D included C3, CXCL1, 2, and 8, IL1B, SLP1, FN1, IL6, DDIT4, PI3, LAMC2, CCL20, MMP1, IFI27, CFB, and ANGPTL4. The top enriched gene sets for 2D vs. 3D included IFN-α and IFN-γ response, TNF-α signalling, IL-6-JAK-STAT3 signalling, angiogenesis, hedgehog signalling, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, hypoxia, and inflammatory response. Our transversal comparison of numerous scaffolds allowed us to highlight the variability that can be induced by these scaffolds in the transcriptional landscape and identify key genes and biological processes that are hallmarks of cancer cells grown in 3D cultures. Future studies are needed to identify which is the most appropriate in vitro/preclinical model to study tumour microenvironments.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with occupational respiratory morbidity among hairdressers in Northwestern Ethiopia., Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 6 July 2022 to 17 August 2022. The data were collected using a standardised American Thoracic Society questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.4.6 and analysed using Stata V.14. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with occupational respiratory morbidity. The association was determined using an adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI at a p value of <0.05., Setting: The study was conducted in Gondar city, Northwestern Ethiopia., Participants: A total of 403 hairdressers participated in this study., Outcome Measures: The primary outcome is the prevalence of occupational respiratory morbidity., Results: The total response rate was 95.5%. The majority, 250 (62%) of the respondents were women. The mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 27 (±6.0) years. The overall prevalence of occupational respiratory morbidity during the past 12 months was found to be 134 (33.3%) (95% CI (28.7% to 38.1%)). Female hairdressers (18.6%) showed greater respiratory morbidity than male hairdressers (14.7%). Working experience 3-5 years (AOR: 3.05; 95% CI (1.76 to 5.30)) and working experience >5 years (AOR: 6.22; 95% CI (2.73 to 14.16)), overweight (body mass index (BMI)) (AOR: 3.01; 95% CI (1.19 to 7.58)) and working near roadsides (AOR: 2.15; 95% CI (1.33 to 3.37)) were risk factors of occupational respiratory morbidity among hairdressers., Conclusions: This study concluded that one-third of hairdressers experienced occupational respiratory morbidity. Longer work experience, higher BMI and working near roadsides were identified as significant risk factors for respiratory morbidity in hairdressers. Dietary calorie restrictions for overweight individuals and the development and implementation of air pollution mitigation measures targeted at roadside workers are advised to curb the problem., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: More than half of the 700 million people worldwide who lack access to a safe water supply live in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Globally, approximately 2 billion people use drinking water sources that are contaminated with fecal matter. However, little is known about the relationship between fecal coliforms and determinants in drinking water. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential for contamination of drinking water and its associated factors in households with children under 5 years of age in Dessie Zuria district in northeastern Ethiopia., Methods: The water laboratory was conducted based on the American Public Health Association guidelines for water and wastewater assessment using a membrane filtration technique. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to identify factors associated with the potential for contamination of drinking water in 412 selected households. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with the presence or absence of fecal coliforms in drinking water, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and a value of p  ≤ 0.05. The overall goodness of the model was tested using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and the model was fit., Results: A total of 241 (58.5%) households relied on unimproved water supply sources. In addition, approximately two-thirds 272 (66.0%) of the household water samples were positive for fecal coliform bacteria. Water storage duration ≥3 days (AOR = 4.632; 95% CI: 1.529-14.034), dipping method of water withdrawal from a water storage tank (AOR = 4.377; 95% CI: 1.382-7.171), uncovered water storage tank at control (AOR = 5.700; 95% CI: 2.017-31.189), lack of home-based water treatment (AOR = 4.822; 95% CI: 1.730-13.442), and unsafe household liquid waste disposal methods (AOR = 3.066; 95% CI: 1.706-8.735) were factors significantly associated with the presence of fecal contamination in drinking water., Conclusion: Fecal contamination of water was high. The duration of water storage, the method of water withdrawal from the storage container, covering of the water storage container, the presence of home-based water treatment, and the method of liquid waste disposal were factors for fecal contamination in drinking water. Therefore, health professionals should continuously educate the public on proper water use and water quality assessment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Berihun, Abebe, Hassen, Gizeyatu, Berhanu, Teshome, Walle, Desye, Sewunet and Keleb.)

The provision of potable water is crucial to ensuring the health and dignity of individuals. In many developing countries, including Ethiopia, waterborne disease has become a major public health problem. There is a significant gap in accessing comprehensive national-wide evidence on Household Water Treatment (HWT) practices and associated factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to assess the pooled HWT practice and associated factors in Ethiopia. A comprehensive search of published studies before October 15, 2022, was identified using databases and other sources. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel, and analysis was performed using STATA 14/SE software. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled proportion of HWT practices and the odds ratio of associated factors. The funnel plot and Egger's regression test were used to assess publication bias, and I2 test statistics was used to assess heterogeneity. Duval and Tweedie's "trim and fill" method was performed to adjust the pooled estimate. A subgroup analysis was also conducted to identify the sources of heterogeneity. In this study, a total of 708 articles were retrieved, and 16 eligible studies were included. The pooled proportion of HWT practice in Ethiopia was found to be 21% (95% CI: 17-24). Having a formal education (OR: 2.42, 95% CI (2.11-2.74)), being male (OR: 1.32, 95% CI (1.13-1.51)), owning radio (OR: 1.33, 95% CI (1.18-1.47)), having a higher income (OR: 1.73, 95% CI (1.41-2.04)), unimproved water source (OR: 1.71, 95% CI (1.41-2.01)), fetching water at more frequently (OR: 3.31, 95% CI (1.99-4.64)), dipping methods of water drawing (OR: 2.08, 95% CI (1.66-2.51)), and taken training of water treatment (OR: 2.15, 95% CI (1.55-2.75)) were all found to be associated with HWT practice. Based on the findings of this study, the pooled proportion of HWT practice in Ethiopia was found to be one-fifth, which indicated that it was significantly low. Therefore, the authors recommend that households could better receive adequate information about HWT practices through strengthened health education and intensive training on HWT., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Desye et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: To find out the determinants of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) among under-five children in East Africa based on the 2017 revised indicator. Methods: Secondary data from the demographic and health survey (DHS) of eight countries in East Africa were combined. A total of 27,223 weighted samples of children aged 6-59 months were included. Multi-level logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the determinants of dietary diversity. Results: The magnitude of adequate MDD in East Africa was found to be 10.47% with 95% CI (10.12-10.84) with the lowest and highest magnitude in Ethiopia and Rwanda respectively. Having a mother in the age group of 35-49, having a mother with higher educational attainment, and having a post-natal check-up within 2 months were significant factors in determining adequate MDD. Conclusion: The magnitude of adequate MDD intake among children aged 6-59 months in East Africa is relatively low. Therefore, strengthening interventions focused on improving the economic status of households, the educational status of mothers, and diversified food consumption of children aged 6-59 months should get priority to improve the recommended feeding practice of children., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Raru, Merga, Mulatu, Deressa, Birhanu, Negash, Gamachu, Regassa, Ayana and Roba.)

Background: Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) is a rapid qualitative study anticipated to understand the ethical sphere of the research setting prior to recruiting study subjects. This study assessed the communities' knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) and research, understand the social arrangements advisable for recruiting research participant and appraised the information provision and consent process., Methods: The study was conducted in Amhara region, Ethiopia from 5 th -30 th January 2021. Google-based survey, face-to-face in-depth interview and focus group discussion were carried out to collect the data from researchers, data collectors, health professionals, TB program officers. A structured questionnaire was administered to assess the knowledge of TB patients and healthy controls about TB, research, gene, (co)evolution and consent process., Results: Over 71% of researchers were not satisfied with the current consent process, and 82.7% of researchers agreed that the best interest of the research participants was not adequately addressed in the current research practices in ANRS. TB patients and healthy controls misunderstood research and its goals. Participants advised the researchers to approach the community with the assistance of health extension workers (HEW) or religious/local leaders. Combined use of verbal and written based information provision at individual participant level is the preferred way for information provision., Conclusions: The adherence of researchers to standard information provision and consent process was very low. Healthy controls and TB patients have low level of knowledge and awareness about research, ethics and genomic research-related common terms. Hence, public education is required to strengthen the research ethics in the region., (© 2023 Mekonnen D., et al.)

Background: Street food is expanding all around Ethiopia. Street vendors have become commonplace near schools, hospitals and bus stations. Because street vended food is sold in unsanitary surroundings near streets, it can be contaminated with variety of pathogens, exposing consumers to foodborne illnesses. There haven't been enough studies on Ethiopian street food, and little is known about how hygienic these foods are. The local authorities don't even have a regulatory system to ensure food safety for street food vendors. Thus, this study aimed to assess food hygiene practices among street food vendors and associated factors., Methods: Community-based cross-sectional analytical study design was conducted from June, 2021 to July, 2021 including 402 respondents. Structured questionnaire and observational checklists were used for assessing food hygiene practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistics (version 25.0). Binary logistic regression analyses were used to check association of covariates with food hygiene practices. Adjusted odds ratio, and P -value less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval were used to report significant association., Results: Out of 402, 390 individuals responded. About 123 (31.5%) (95% CI: 27.2-36.4) of vendors had good food hygiene practices. Being female (AOR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.09-0.27), age (19-25 years (AOR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.11-0.81) and 26 to 35 years (AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08-0.74), marital status (being married (AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-0.93), educational status (college and above (AOR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.35-8.62), monthly income (1001-2000 Ethiopian Birr (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19-0.68), being inspected (AOR = 13.15; 95% CI: 2.76-62.66) and lack of water at vending site (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17-0.97) were factors significantly associated with food hygiene practices of street vendors., Conclusion: Few street food vendors who adhered to good food hygiene were present. Significant variables of food hygiene behaviors included gender, age, marital status, education level, monthly income, inspection frequency, and the availability of water at vending sites. The vendors' food hygiene practices needed to be improved, which necessitated continual assistance, frequent inspections, and public awareness campaign., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance and Kleiber ratio (KR) and to determine the growth curve of Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. Growth and efficiency-related traits were analyzed by using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS. Gompertz, Logistics, Brody, Monomolecular, and Negative exponential models were used to determine the growth curve, and growth curve parameters were estimated via the nonlinear regression model (NLIN) procedure of SAS. The overall least-squares means of the birth weight, weaning weight, 6-month weight, and yearling weight were 3.29, 13.7, 17.3, and 23.4 kg, respectively. Dorper × Tumele lambs grew faster during the preweaning period (115.3 ± 1.19 g day -1 ) than during the postweaning periods (44.1 ± 1.26 g day -1 to 33.5 ± 1.13 g day -1 ). Likewise, a higher KR was observed during the pre-weaning age (16.1 ± 0.08 g/day/kg 0.75 ) than during postweaning periods (5.08 ± 0.13 g/day/kg 0.75 to 3.10 ± 0.09 g/day/kg 0.75 ). Brody, a model without an inflection point was the best-fitted growth function for Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. The highest and lowest asymptotic weight was observed for Brody (23.8 ± 0.22 kg) and Logistics (20.7 ± 0.11 kg) models, respectively. The maturation rate ranged between 0.21 (Brody) and 0.66 (Logistics). Based on the Brody model, the correlation between asymptotic weight and maturity rate was -0.92. The growth parameter estimate in this study indicates that Dorper × indigenous sheep had a better speed to achieve mature weight and the early mature crossbred sheep are less likely to exhibit high adult weight. The rapid growth of crossbred sheep during the early period can provide more profit to the farmer by reducing the cost of sheep production inputs. Therefore, crossing Tumele with Dorper sheep and integrating with improved management would be suggested to improve productivity and profit from sheep production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Introduction: Electronic waste (e-waste) is an emerging human and environmental problem. Lead (Pb) is one of the most dangerous chemicals for human health, and it is the most prevalent heavy metal pollutant in e-waste. Despite the rapid growth of e-waste globally and the health effects of Pb, there is little information regarding the effects of Pb exposure from e-waste on children. Therefore, the aim of this review was to provide concise information on the health effects of Pb exposure from e-waste on children., Methods: A comprehensive search of databases was undertaken using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, HINARI, African Journal Online (AJOL), and additional sources were searched up to November 25, 2022. Eligibility criteria were determined using Population, Exposure, Comparator, and Outcome (PECO). The guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) were used during the article selection process. The protocol of this systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration ID: CRD42022377028). The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality appraisal checklist was used to assess the quality of the included studies., Results: From a total of 1,150 identified studies, 20 full-text studies were included in the systematic review. All most included studies were conducted in China recycling area for e-waste. The included studies were conducted with an exposed group versus a reference group. The majority of the included studies found that blood Pb levels were ≥5 μg/dl and that Pb exposures from e-waste were affecting children's health, such as a decrease in serum cortisol levels, inhibition of hemoglobin synthesis, impact on neurobehavioral development, affect physical development, etc., Conclusion: Lead exposure had a significant impact on children's health as a result of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, formalizing the informal sector and raising public health awareness are important steps toward reducing Pb exposure from e-waste. Moreover, the concerned stakeholders, like national and international organizations, should work together to effectively manage e-waste., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Desye, Tesfaye, Berihun, Ademas and Sewunet.)

Introduction: Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are widely used tools that have been proven effective in preventing and controlling malaria. However, usage varies among households and can greatly affect the benefits of ITNs. Thus, this study aimed to assess the household utilization of insecticide-treated nets and its associated factors for under-5 children., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March-April 2020 in the East Mesekan district. A total of 591 households with under-5 children were chosen by using a systematic random sampling approach for the interviews. The data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Epi-Data version 3.1 was used to enter data and SPSS version 21 for analysis. A P -value of .05 was considered statistically significant., Results: In this study, 58.2% (95% CI: [54.1%-62.2%]) of household participants used ITN for children under 5 years of age while sleeping the night before the survey. The study participants' overall knowledge and practice of malaria prevention were 27.1% and 23.9%, respectively. Having a family size of less than 5 (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: [0.37-0.98]) and complaints of skin irritation (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI: [0.29-0.63]) significantly decreased ITN utilization. However, having 1 ITN (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: [1.15-4.02]) or 2 ITNs (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: [1.51-4.39]), as well as low (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI: [1.33-3.20]) and medium (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: [1.11-3.02]) knowledge of ITN importance, increased ITN utilization significantly., Conclusions: The households' use of ITNs for children under the age of 5 was inadequate. It was significantly associated with having a family size of less than 5, complaints of skin irritation, owning 1 or 2 ITNs, and having low and medium knowledge of its importance. It is recommended that continuous and progressive health awareness about the consistent use of ITN for malaria prevention in the study area be promoted., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Breeding programs involving either centralized nucleus schemes and/or importation of exotic germplasm for crossbreeding were not successful and sustainable in most Africa countries. Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) are now suggested as alternatives that aim to improve local breeds and concurrently conserve them. Community-based breeding program is unique in that it involves the different actors from the initial phase of design up until implementation of the programs, gives farmers the knowledge, skills and support they need to continue making improvements long into the future and is suitable for low input systems. In Ethiopia, we piloted CBBPs in sheep and goats, and the results show that they are technically feasible to implement, generate genetic gains in breeding goal traits and result in socio-economic impact. In Malawi, CBBPs were piloted in local goats, and results showed substantial gain in production traits of growth and carcass yields. CBBPs are currently being integrated into goat pass-on programs in few NGOs and is out-scaled to local pig production. Impressive results have also been generated from pilot CBBPs in Tanzania. From experiential monitoring and learning, their success depends on the following: 1) identification of the right beneficiaries; 2) clear framework for dissemination of improved genetics and an up/out scaling strategy; 3) institutional arrangements including establishment of breeders' cooperatives to support functionality and sustainability; 4) capacity development of the different actors on animal husbandry, breeding practices, breeding value estimation and sound financial management; 5) easy to use mobile applications for data collection and management; 6) long-term technical support mainly in data management, analysis and feedback of estimated breeding values from committed and accessible technical staff; 7) complementary services including disease prevention and control, proper feeding, and market linkages for improved genotypes and non-selected counterparts; 8) a system for certification of breeding rams/bucks to ensure quality control; 9) periodic program evaluation and impact assessment; and 10) flexibility in the implementation of the programs. Lessons relating to technical, institutional, community dynamics and the innovative approaches followed are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Haile, Getachew, Rekik, Abebe, Abate, Jimma, Mwacharo, Mueller, Belay, Solomon, Hyera, Nguluma, Gondwe and Rischkowsky.)

Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) have shown, at pilot scale, to be effective and beneficial in achieving genetic progress and in improving livelihoods of smallholder communities. In Ethiopia 134 sheep and goat CBBPs were operational producing their own improved rams and bucks. Based on experience the implementation of further programs is possible with appropriate private and public support. A different challenge is the efficient dissemination of the improved genetics produced in current CBBPs to create population-wide economic impact. We present a framework applied to the Ethiopian Washera sheep breed to meet this challenge. We propose the establishment of a genetic improvement structure that supports a meat commercialization model based on the integration of community-based breeding program cooperatives, client communities and complementary services such as fattening enterprises. We calculated that the recently established 28 community-based breeding programs in the Washera breeding tract can provide genetically improved rams to 22% of the four million head. To reach the whole population 152 additional CBBPs are needed. We simulated the genetic improvements obtainable in the current 28 CBBPs assuming realized genetic progress in CBBPs of a similar breed and calculated the expected additional lamb carcass meat production after 10 years of selection to be 7 tons and the accumulated discounted benefit 327 thousand USD. These benefits could be increased if the CBBPs are linked to client communities by providing them with improved rams: additional meat production would be 138 tons with a value of 3,088 thousand USD. The total meat production of the existing Washera CBBPs was calculated at 152 tons and the joint meat production of CBBPs if integrated with client communities would be 3,495 tons. A full integration model, which includes enterprises purchasing lambs for fattening, can produce up to 4,255 tons of meat. We conclude that Washera CBBPs cooperatives can benefit from a higher level of organization to produce population-wide genetic improvement and economic benefits. Unlike in the dairy and chicken industries, for low input sheep and goat smallholder systems the proposed commercialization model puts breeder cooperatives at the center of the operation. Cooperatives need to be capacitated and supported to become fully functional business ventures., Competing Interests: BS was employed by AbacusBio Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Mueller, Haile, Getachew, Santos, Rekik, Belay, Solomon, Yeheyis and Rischkowsky.)

In Ethiopia, like that of the other developing countries, pesticides are widely used for a variety of purposes, but their unsafe use causes a major environmental and health hazard. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide use practice and its associated factors among the rural community of Malga district, Sidama region, southern Ethiopia. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2021 at Malga District. Data were collected from 549 farmers by a structured and pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was used for the data analysis. Adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the association between safe practices of pesticide use and several related factors. Safe practice of pesticide use was observed in 193 (35.2%). The participants who had primary education [AOR = 5.605, 95% CI: 3.309, 9.495], secondary education and above [AOR = 9.847, 95% CI: 5.007, 19.368], used pesticide for 10 years and above [AOR = 6.790, 95% CI: 3.589, 12.843], used pesticide between 6 and 10 years [AOR = 1.913, 95% CI: 1.166, 3.141] pesticide bought from any shop [AOR = 2.320, 95% CI: 1.364, 3.947], agricultural office [AOR = 7.187, 95% CI: 3.654, 14.137] were associated with safe use of pesticides. The safe practice of pesticide use was low in the study area. Continuous training programs should be implemented on the safe practice of pesticide use to the local farmers., Competing Interests: The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)