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Abstract Background K. pneumoniae become multidrug-resistant (MDR) and commonly poses a serious health threat to patients due to limited therapeutic options. As a result, determining the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of K. pneumoniae isolates from clinical specimens is substantial to patient diagnosis and treatment. Methods and materials A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2021 to July 2022 at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Sociodemographic and laboratory data were collected from registered books using a data collection sheet. All types of samples were collected and processed using standard procedures. Identification of K. pneumoniae was done using Gram stain, colony characterization on culture media, anda series of biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique. The data were entered using Epi-info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Results Among 2600 clinical specimens, 735 (28.3%) were positive for bacteria, and K. pneumoniae isolates accounted for 147 (20%). Most of them were isolated from neonates and mainly obtained from blood specimens (81.6%). These isolates were 100% resistant to Nalidixic acid, Cefotaxime, and Cefazolin. About 84% and 83.3% of the isolates were also resistant to Ceftriaxone and Tetracycline, respectively. However, they are sensitive to Nitrofurantoin (86.6%), Imipenem (85.7%), Meropenem (79%), and Amikacin (78.3%). The overall proportion of MDR K. pneumoniae isolates accounted for 57.1%. Conclusion The magnitude of MDR K. pneumoniae was very alarming. Therefore, strengthening antimicrobial stewardship programs and antimicrobial surveillance practices is strongly recommended in the study area.

AbstractThe teaching of conceptual understanding is a key objective in the field of science education. But students, on average, do not adequately understand the concepts in a large number of science subjects. This is the case with Ethiopia’s students as well. Additionally, conventional instruction is the primary method used by Ethiopian school teachers. This study looked into how tenth grade students’ conceptual grasp of heredity was affected by the context-based Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperating, and Transferring (REACT) technique. A convergent embedded experimental design of a mixed-methods approach was employed. One hundred thirty-one students took part in the study. Students in treatment groups 1 and 2 were taught using the REACT technique and conventional instruction integrated with context-based activities, respectively. The pupils in the comparison group received conventional instruction. Semi-structured interviews, observation, and two-tier multiple-choice tests were used to gather the data. Three types of analysis were performed on the gathered data: narrative analysis, one-way ANOVA, and descriptive analysis. The outcome demonstrated that there were significant mean score differences favoring treatment group 2 between treatment group 2 and the comparison group. However, there was no significant difference between the comparison group and treatment group 1. This suggests that, compared to employing the context-based REACT strategy alone or conventional education alone, integrating conventional instruction with a context-based approach has a much stronger positive impact on students’ conceptual understanding.

A successful completion of infrastructure projects in developing countries is greatly affected by poor and incomplete design. In this regard, it is imperative to study the major causes and overall impacts of design change in infrastructure projects across the public market. The primary objective of this research is to identify and analyze the major causes that lead to design change in the implementation phase of construction projects. In addition, the study aims to examine the impacts of design change in terms of cost overrun and time variance during the design and construction stages of infrastructure construction projects. To achieve these goals 48 critical causes and 7 impacts of design changes were identified through a systematic literature review, 23 key causes and 7 impacts were then refined according to the opinions of relevant experts involved in infrastructure projects. Then, a structured questionnaire survey was employed to collect data from various sources. More so, 31 projects were identified as part of the case studies conducted to evaluate the impacts of design change of infrastructure projects. The study analyzed the collected data by Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and to classify the causes using the Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à UN Classement (MICMAC) technique. The result showed that Inadequate project objectives, Unrealistic clients demand, and Obstinate nature of client are the top factors. The findings are believed to be helpful for practitioners, and policy makers to trap the key factors, causes and impacts of design changes across the Ethiopian construction industry.

BackgroundNeonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Understanding the bacterial profiles and antibiotic susceptibility patterns causing neonatal sepsis is crucial for guiding appropriate treatment, improving patient outcomes, and combating the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Despite its importance, data regarding neonatal sepsis in the study area is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the bacterial pathogens and identify associated factors among neonates with suspected sepsis at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing laboratory records of neonates admitted for suspected sepsis from January 2019 to December 2021. Data were checked for completeness and encoded in a spreadsheet program. Then, data were exported to STATA version 17 for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were computed. The association between neonatal sepsis and potential risk factors was assessed using Pearson’s chi-square test. A p-value of < 0.05, was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 1,236 neonates were included. Of these, 96.2% (1,190/1,236) had a fever before admission. The prevalence of culture-confirmed sepsis was 25.4% (314/1,236). Bacterial pathogens accounted for 23% (284/1,236) of these isolates, with Gram-negative bacteria being more prevalent at 75.3% (214/284) than Gram-positive bacteria at 24.7% (70/284). The most frequently isolated bacterial pathogens were K. pneumoniae 38.7% (110/284) and S. aureus 13% (37/284). The isolates demonstrated a high resistance level to commonly used antibiotics, with 61.6% exhibiting multidrug resistance. K. pneumoniae showed the highest rate of multidrug resistance (90.9%). Neonatal sepsis was associated with several factors, including fever before and after admission, hypothermia, increased respiration, suspected pneumonia, and suspected meningitis.ConclusionThis study identified a high prevalence of culture-confirmed sepsis in neonates at UoGCSH, with Gram-negative bacteria, especially K. pneumoniae, dominating the isolated pathogens. The isolated bacteria exhibited alarming resistance to commonly used antibiotics, with a high proportion demonstrating multidrug resistance. Implementing effective antibiotic stewardship programs is crucial to optimize antibiotic use, reduce unnecessary prescriptions, and curb the spread of resistant strains.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate the critical BIM adoption strategies for public construction projects in developing countries to enhance successful BIM implementation schemes in the AEC industry. Initially, an empirical study was conducted using a structured questionnaire survey which is first validated though a pilot test. Then, the study investigated the discrepancy of professional groups on the perception of critical adoption strategies using different statistical tools. Further, factor analysis was conducted to identify potential latent factors associated with public construction projects. The result indicates that the top ranked BIM adoption strategies are strategic & adequate IT infrastructure, availability of standards and guidelines for BIM adoption, and government policy. Similarly, six latent constructs were developed from the factor analysis: organization, application & tools, market, information management, project, and process. The study highlighted critical strategies that are deemed most important to various professionals and business owners, in an effort to improve BIM adoption in the developing countries. The novelty of this study is in relation to BIM implementation strategies towards infrastructure construction projects in developing countries, particularly in the east African region. This paper can also be particularly beneficial to construction firms involved in public construction projects to facilitate the implementation of BIM in their own organizational nature. Moreover, the cross-country comparative analysis provides a global perspective to improve the gap in the understanding and adoption of BIM in the Sub-Saharan African region.

AbstractThe design, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructures have a significant impact on the natural environment, and they are responsible for the degradation of scarce natural resources. In this respect, taking green building measures and initiatives has become a strategic concern for long-term development of nations around the world. Consequently, the study aims to develop a benchmarking green building rating system for public building projects in Ethiopia; investigate the current practice, and identify the key benefits and challenges of implementing green building schemes in the public infrastructure sector. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire survey was employed, and mean score and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) were used to analyse the collected data from various stakeholders including clients, consultants, and contractors. Data was analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to conduct descriptive statistics and MS Excel for the AHP. The findings reveal that the top benefits of green building were identified as using renewable natural resources, enhancing and protecting ecosystem and biodiversity, and improving occupant’s health and comfort. Similarly, the top challenges investigated were lack of adequate incentive for the promotion of green building, inadequate education/training about sustainable design and construction, and lack of awareness and readiness from the public. Moreover, the AHP analysis shows that the critical global weights were Site ecology (20.2%), Energy efficiency (23.33%), Water efficiency (24.7%), Indoor environmental quality (11.94%), and Transport (4.43%). The findings are believed to be helpful for various stakeholders and policy-makers in the Ethiopian construction industry.

The study investigated the effect of integrating traditional medicine (TM) concepts with grade 9th microorganism and disease topics on students’ attitude towards biology. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest, posttest non-equivalent group design. two intact classes were selected in Chiro district of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The first class belonged to the treatment group where TM contents are integrated through 5E’s learning cycle with the topic Microorganism and Disease and the second was assigned as comparison group learning the same biology unit on Microorganisms and Disease using the usual approach. Biological Attitude Questionnaires (BAQ) was administered for both groups as pre- and post-tests. The findings showed that the integration of TM with the school biology enhanced students’ attitude towards biology as compared with teaching the topics without integration.

The study presents analytical data-based multi-criteria approach of critical success factors of infrastructure construction projects analyzed in the Ethiopian construction industry. This multi-criteria technique helps to improve the decision capabilities and ultimate performance of construction processes in various low-income countries of the East African region. The aim of this paper is to establish a logical relationship and interdependencies of success-related factors for enhancing decision making for various project teams and identify priorities while taking into account all known construction organizational constraints. A structured hierarchical matrix was developed based on a pre-identified success-related factors, and initially evaluated by experienced professionals as part of a content validation of the survey. Different professionals working in various construction organizations in Ethiopia were invited to participate in the questionnaire survey. All the required data analysis, including sensitivity performance, was conducted through Expert Choice© 11. Further, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was conducted to examine and compare multiple expert responses. Based on the findings, the top success-related factors that affect decision making in construction projects are Adequate Goals/Objectives, Consultant’s Competency, Prior Experience of Consulting Firms, Consulting Firm’s Willingness and Cooperation, and Financial Standing of Contractor. The results are based on their global priority weights in the hierarchical model. The findings highlighted that there is disagreement between the major stakeholders involved in the construction process. The contribution of the study is introducing a bench-marking multi-criteria decision analysis technique to enhance decision making in the Ethiopian infrastructure sector.

The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of 7E instructional model with metacognitive scaffolding and gender on 9th grade students’ conceptual understanding of human biology concepts and misconceptions. The research method was a quantitative research method and the research design was quasi-experimental research design with pre-test – treatment – post-test. The study was conducted on four purposely selected schools and four classes and teachers (one from each school) and assigned as treatment group 1, treatment group 2, treatment 3 and comparison group randomly. These groups were instructed with 7E instructional model alone, 7E instructional model with metacognitive scaffolding, conventional approach with metacognitive scaffolding and conventional approach respectively to teach human biology for 10 weeks. Human biology conceptual understanding test was administered for all groups as pre-test and post- test. The ANOVA results showed that 7E instructional model supported with metacognitive strategies had a significantly superior effect over the other instructional methods for enhancing students’ conceptual understanding and minimizing misconceptions. However, no significant difference was found between males and females in students’ conceptual understanding. Hence, metacognitive scaffolding with 7E instructional model could help students to understand biology concepts and minimize misconceptions better than the other instructional methods.

Literature highlights that the success of construction projects differs in various attributes. However, only a few empirical studies have been conducted to examine the inter-sectorial aspects of critical success factors in developing countries. Hence, this study aims to investigate the comparative analysis of success factors in public and private sectors across the Ethiopian construction industry. A structured questionnaire matrix was prepared based on the hierarchical model developed through a systematic literature review. Then, the present study introduced a Delphi–Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to analyze successful attributes in the Ethiopian construction sector. The two rounds of Delphi–AHP survey were conducted through a panel of experts working in different construction firms including owner, consultant, contractor, and academia. The result indicates that the top three ranked critical success factors (CSFs) in the private sector are clear project goals, financial capacity of contractor, and competency of consulting firm. However, CSFs such as adequacy of funds, political environment, and clear project goals are the major CSFs in public construction sector. More so, the findings reveal that there was a consensus among respondents on the rankings of success factors. The study provides practical implications and key recommendations regarding CSFs to enhance project management performance in the Ethiopian construction sector.

Recently, the popularity of BIM has grown rapidly in the public construction sector. However, only a few studies so far have been seeking to address the BIM adoption benefits and barriers in developmental public projects across the low-income countries. Thus, the study aims to investigate the benefits and barriers of BIM adoption in the context of the Ethiopian infrastructure market. To achieve the objectives, a comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted to identify BIM adoption benefits and barriers in developing countries. Then, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from various professionals working in organizations including client, consultant, and contractor. The results indicate that Insufficient IT Infrastructure, Poor Government Help, and Lack of BIM Researches & Courses in Universities are the top ranked BIM adoption barriers in infrastructure projects. Whereas, Improved Communication Among Parties, Early Multidisciplinary Coordination, and 3D visualization perceived as the major benefits of BIM adoption in the Ethiopian context. The findings provide empirical evidences to professionals, business CEOs and policy makers for the development of future BIM adoption policy in the Ethiopian construction sector. Further, insightful recommendations were forwarded to enhance the current BIM uptake in various construction projects.

The aim of this paper is to explore the critical BIM adoption drivers across the Ethiopian public infrastructure construction sector. In this regard, a comprehensive systematic literature review was employed to identify potential BIM implementation attributes in developing countries and validated through a pilot test. Then, quantitative data was collected from experts working in various organizations using a structured questionnaire survey. A structural equation model was then developed based on five key BIM adoption constructs and 14 adoption drivers. Based on the path analysis, Application, Environment, and Project related factors positively affect BIM adoption in infrastructure projects, whereas Organization and Information Management are insignificant and negatively affect BIM adoption in the Ethiopian construction industry. The study highlighted key BIM adoption attributes that are helpful to enhance the overall project management performance in infrastructure projects. The proposed action plan is beneficial to various professionals, government, and stakeholders in an effort to improve the current level of BIM uptake in the horn of Africa. More so, the findings of this paper can be used to facilitate and promote BIM adoption in public infrastructure construction projects across the Ethiopian construction market.

In recent years, the integration of new technology-aided processes and methods, such as BIM in complex infrastructure projects, is becoming popular in the construction sector. Despite the growing popularity of BIM in the built environment, there is still a dearth of studies that focus on the intersectorial comparison of BIM adoption drivers in construction projects. Thus, the study aims to examine the project-specific BIM adoption drivers across the public and private construction sectors. Initially, a hypothetical BIM adoption model was developed based on a systematic literature review and desk study. Then, a structured questionnaire survey was employed to collect data from experts working across the Ethiopian construction industry. The empirical data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. The result reveals that Relative Advantage, Financial Competency, Top Management Support, and Customer Pressure are common BIM adoption drivers amongst the public and private construction sectors. Similarly, a few distinct drivers were identified within both sectors. These include Government Pressure and Social/Cultural Factors in public, whereas Competitor Pressure and Communication Behavior in the private construction sector. The paper provides key intersectorial BIM adoption drivers within different adoption stages to reinforce the effort across the public and private construction projects. In addition, practical implications and key recommendations were forwarded to enhance the current BIM uptake in the Ethiopian construction sector.

Abstract Background This study aims to assess suitability of hydroponic technology for treatment of brewery wastewater in a hydroponic bioreactor using Typha latifolia. Triplicated hydroponic bioreactor treatment units were designed, constructed and operated at a hydraulic retention time of 5 days with different surface loadings and mean hydraulic loading rate 0.023 m3 m−2d− 1. Young T. latifolia shoots were collected in the vicinity of study site. Wastewater characteristics, plant growth and nutrient accumulation during experiment were analyzed as per APHA standard methods and nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated based on inlet and outlet values. Results T. latifolia established and grew well in the hydroponics under fluctuations of wastewater loads and showed a good phytoremedial capacity to remove nutrients. Significant removal efficiencies (p

This study aimed to examine the impact of a context-based relating, experiencing, applying, cooperating, and transferring (REACT) strategy on the scientific reasoning (SR) abilities of tenth grade students. A mixed-method approach and convergent embedded experimental design were used. One hundred thirty-one students participated in the study in three groups. REACT strategy of context-based instruction and conventional instruction integrated with context-based activities was used to teach treatment group 1 (TG 1) and treatment group 2 (TG 2) students, respectively. The students in the comparison group (CG) were taught conventional instruction. The data collected using two-tier multiple-choice tests, observation, and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and descriptive analysis. The result showed that there were significant mean score differences between TG 2 and the other two groups in favor of TG 2. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between TG 1 and CG. This implies that when conventional instruction is integrated with a context-based activity, it has a significantly positive effect on students' SR skills compared to using a context-based REACT strategy or conventional instruction alone.

Research demonstrates how enjoyable and meaningful learning is for children when there is smooth transition between home and classroom. This autoethnographic research used in-depth interviews and observations to examine the Ethiopian people's spiritual centered lifestyle at home and whether this style is carried into science classes in the schools. Findings indicated that the current science education in Ethiopia is ignorant of reality at home. The research proposes a new way of looking at science. It interrogates the idea that science has primacy over spirituality and, rather, recommends Ethiopian spirituality to be the standard of science and its education.