Assessment of household solid waste characteristics, quantity, and management practices in Dangila Town, Ethiopia.

Solid waste refers to the material that is discarded because of human activity. In developing countries like Ethiopia, rapid urbanization leads to the production of large amounts of solid waste in towns. As a consequence, it causes severe problems to human health, aesthetics, and the environment, particularly in Dangila Town. Therefore, this study aimed to assess household solid waste characteristics, quantity, and management practices. Data was collected for seven days in January 2020 from 73 households, which were divided into three income groups. Observations, interviews, field measurements, sorting, and open-ended questionnaires were used as data collection tools. The research showed that food waste and ash and dust were the most dominant fractions, comprising 41.04% and 26.18%, respectively. It was also revealed that 77.88%, 12.74%, and 9.38% of household solid waste was decomposable, recyclable, and disposable waste, respectively. Furthermore, the waste components showed a significant statistical difference among income groups, except for the metal and miscellaneous groups. The quantification result indicated that the per capita household generation rate was 0.26 kg/day. The management practice assessment found that most households did not practice integrated solid waste management options. They disposed of waste indiscriminately, leading to environmental pollution. The results of this study suggest that the municipality needs to create awareness among households regarding proper solid waste management practices. It is crucial to apply appropriate solid waste management mechanisms and establish a well-organized institution that will collect solid waste in the town and achieve a circular economy.

Plastic pollution in Harari region, Ethiopia: practices and impacts on health and environment.

Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to the environment and human health on a global level. This study aimed to investigate plastic pollution in the Harari region of Ethiopia. The result indicated that 62% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge about plastic waste, and 59% of them perceived plastic waste as harmful. Polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polycarbonates were the types of plastic waste identified. Being female (AOR = 1.82), aged 15-45 (AOR = 1.82), married (AOR = 1.83), and having families >3 (AOR = 2.15) were significantly positively associated with good plastic waste management practice. Being illiterate (AOR = 0.52), and having poor knowledge about plastic waste (AOR = 0.54) were significantly negatively associated with poor management practice. The findings indicated that the Harari region is prone to adverse health and environmental effects from plastic pollution. Policies restricting plastic use, training municipal waste collectors and health extension workers, and improving public awareness are indispensable.

Survival and plasticity in Acacia saligna growth across Contrasting management practices and growing niches.

Reforestation and afforestation either through natural regeneration, tree planting or both methods have been globally promoted to motivate ecological restoration of degraded lands and to improve livelihoods. However, moisture stress and infertile soils limit the survival and growth of trees planted for restoration in drier areas. Hence, understanding the factors that determine the restoration success of drylands through tree planting is critical. We conducted a factorial experiment in Tigray, Ethiopia to evaluate the survival, growth performance and biomass of planted seedlings of the multipurpose agroforestry tree species Acacia saligna over 24 months. The treatments were application of watering (W), mulching (M) and compost (C) separately and in combinations (WM, WMC). We established experimental plots on farmland and on a nearby hillside-exclosure to examine the role of planting niches on seedling performance. Seedlings treated with watering, mulching, and compost (WMC) revealed significantly greater height, root collar diameter (RCD), and dry biomass compared to the other treatments. Seedlings planted in farmland showed significantly greater height, RCD, and total dry biomass compared to those planted at the hillside-exclosure. Although the survival rate was slightly higher in farmland, we also found sufficient survival rates in the hillside-exclosures. Therefore, post-planting care and activities including mulching, watering and fertilization are crucial to enhance the survival and growth performance of A. saligna or other tree species so that efforts in reversing land degradation and restoration of drylands will be successful.

Food waste generation and its industrial utilization: An overview.

Food waste is produced for intended human consumption and is normally lost, discharged, contaminated, or finally degraded. The rising problem of food waste is increasing rapidly, so every sector is involved in minimizing food waste generation as well as waste management from collection to disposal, and scientists are developing the best eco-friendly and sustainable solutions for all sectors in the food supply chain, from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector and even up to the retailer to human consumption. Sustainable management is needed for the food wastes in the agricultural and industrial sectors, which are a major burning headache for environmentalists, health departments, and the government all over the earth. Various strategies can be employed to effectively control food waste, and these strategies can be ranked in a manner similar to the waste management hierarchy. The most desirable options involve the act of avoiding and donating edible portions to social agencies. Food waste is utilized in industrial operations to produce biofuels or biopolymers. The next stages involve the retrieval of nutrients and the sequestration of carbon through composting. The government implements appropriate management practices, laws, and orders to minimize food waste generation. Different contemporary methods are utilized to produce biofuel utilizing various types of food waste. In order for composting techniques to recover nutrients and fix carbon, food waste must be processed. Both the management of food waste and the creation of outgrowths utilizing biomaterials require additional study. This review aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the ongoing discourse surrounding the definitions of food waste, the production and implementation of methods to reduce it, the emergence of conversion technologies, and the most recent trends.

Structural equation modeling approach for the analysis of ergonomics risk factors and occupational injuries among building construction workers in Bahir Dar City-Ethiopia.

Ergonomic risk factors are a prominent cause of fatality and severe injuries in building constructions. Hence, this study applies a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach to analyze ergonomics risk factors and occupational injuries among building construction workers in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The results indicate significant relationships between ergonomics risk factors and the prevalence of occupational injuries. This study's findings contribute to the understanding of occupational health and safety in the construction industry, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. A cross-sectional study has been carried out, where data was collected through direct observations and standardized pretested questionnaires. The study recruited 220 participants in the construction industry. The data was analyzed using AMOS to study the direct and indirect effects of the identified variable. SEM has shown that the magnitude of the prevalence of occupational injury was 65.2 %. The results also revealed that the mostly affected body parts were lower arm, lower leg, hand, toe, and knee. Carpenter & roofers, plasterer and daily labors & other helpers were highly injury subjected occupations in respective order. The six leading significant risk factors were, do not tie belt at scaffold, falling stairways & ladders, exposure hazardous substances, tools & machinery, electricity (electric power accidents), repetitive tasks, the layout didn't consider health & safety aspects in the site, and do not provide safety orientation for new workers engaging the job. Employees are mostly affected on their lower body parts which needs more focus to prevent it, especially carpenter & roofers, plasterer and daily labors. Also the findings show that 50 % of respondents agree that the higher priority for safety and health management practices should be given to finishing part of the construction followed by excavation and earth work, masonry, and electrical installations. Therefore, it is recommended that the contractors must focus more on the finishing phase.

Time management practice and associated factors among health professionals working in public and private hospitals in Dessie City, Northeast Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study.

Background: Time management is a widely ignored concern in all types of organizations, including the healthcare system, despite its crucial role in the achievement of personal and organizational goals. Therefore, determining the practice of time management and its associated factors among health professionals is of paramount importance. Objective: We aimed to assess time management practice and associated factors among health professionals working in public and private hospitals in Dessie City, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 24 March to 24 April 24 2021 among 660 health professionals (220 from private hospitals and 440 from public hospitals), who were randomly selected using a stratified sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was run separately for public and private hospitals. A p-value of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval were reported to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 615 participants responded to the survey, which resulted in a response rate of 93.2%. The magnitude of good time management practice among health professionals in both public and private hospitals was reported to be 57.1% (95% CI: 53.5-60.8%). However, the magnitude differed between public [50.1% (95% CI:45.5-54.7%)] and private hospitals [70.9% (95% CI: 63.5-76.7%)]. Living with families (AOR: 5.39, 95% CI: 1.84-15.77), satisfaction with compensation and benefits (AOR: 7.83, 95% CI: 1.97-31.16), satisfaction with work autonomy (AOR: 7.10, 95% CI: 1.94-25.95), and having a good plan (AOR: 3.42, 95% CI: 1.15-10.13) were statistically significant predictors of time management practice in private hospitals. Satisfaction with an organizational policy and strategy (AOR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.25-4.36), performance appraisal (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.13-3.36), work autonomy (AOR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.12-3.27), and the good approach of employees toward time (AOR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.26-3.58) were statistically significant predictors of time management practice in public hospitals. Conclusion: The magnitude of a good time management practice in public and private hospitals in the study area was low. The practice was observed to be higher in private hospitals than in public hospitals. The study revealed that the magnitude and associated factors of time management practice vary between hospitals, indicating the need for targeted intervention.

Dissimilarity in radial growth and response to drought of Korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.) under different management practices in the western Loess Plateau.

Quantitative assessment of tree responses to the local environment can help provide scientific guidance for planted forest management. However, research on the climate-growth relationship of Korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.) under different land preparation and post-management (irrigation) conditions is still insufficient. In this study, we collected 223 tree-ring samples from Korshinsk peashrubs using dendroecological methods and systematically quantified the relationships between shrub growth and climatic factors under different management practices in the western Loess Plateau of China. Our findings demonstrated that drought stress caused by scarce precipitation from April to August was the primary factor limiting the growth of Korshinsk peashrubs in the northern and southern mountains of Lanzhou. The "climwin" climate model results showed a weak correlation between natural Korshinsk peashrub growth and drought stress, whereas planted Korshinsk peashrub under rain-fed conditions in the southern mountain was significantly (p<0.05) limited by drought stress from April to August. Moreover, planted Korshinsk peashrub growth under irrigated conditions in the northern mountain was limited only by drought stress in January. Drought model explained 28.9%, 38.3%, and 9.80% of the radial growth variation in Xiguoyuan (XGY), Shuibaozhan (SBZ), and Zhichagou (ZCG) sites, respectively. Artificial supplementary irrigation alleviated the limitation of drought on planted forest growth, which may be implemented for Korshinsk peashrubs planted on sunny slopes, while planted Korshinsk peashrubs under natural rain-fed conditions can be planted on shady slopes through rainwater harvesting and conservation measures such as horizontal ditches and planting holes.

Factors associated with perceived Anaplasma marginale infection and clinical anaplasmosis cases on beef operations in California.

Bovine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma marginale in the United States. The objective of this study was to use a survey tool to generate information for beef operations in California on anaplasmosis prevention and control management, including to what extent management activities were informed by perceived herd-level exposure to A. marginale infection or occurrence of clinical anaplasmosis cases. We mailed 2,621 questionnaires with questions on Anaplasma status, herd demographics, anaplasmosis control and prevention measures, and environmental factors to beef ranchers in California in October 2020. Survey-weighted chi-square tests were used to compare management differences according to perceived Anaplasma infection status. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze whether region of California, management practices, or environmental factors were associated with reported clinical cases of anaplasmosis in the previous five years. A total of 466 questionnaires describing 749 herds were obtained and used in this study. Use of management measures, including deliberate exposure of calves to ticks, vaccination for Anaplasma, infection control through antibiotics in feed, maintaining a completely closed herd, blood testing for Anaplasma on all herd additions, and taking no anaplasmosis control and prevention measures, were significantly different between herds with or without perceived A. marginale infection based on producers' self-declared status. The overall perceived prevalence for Anaplasma infection and reported clinical cases of anaplasmosis at the herd level was 26.0 % (95 % CI: 24.3-27.7 %) and 17.1 % (95 % CI: 15.6-18.6 %) respectively, with the highest perceived infection and case numbers reported in the Central Coast region. In the GEE model, higher odds of reporting clinical cases of anaplasmosis in the previous five years were observed in cattle located in the Central Coast region, cattle within a large herd, cattle that are treated with tick/fly control, cattle in a completely closed herd, and cattle receiving Anaplasma vaccine. Anaplasma infection and bovine anaplasmosis status may be underestimated in beef herds in California based on previous study results. Changing needles between cattle after injections and conducting blood testing for Anaplasma on herd additions are important Anaplasma management measures that are infrequently implemented in beef herds in California. The results show a need for producer education to improve producers' awareness of bovine anaplasmosis and implement proper measures for disease control and prevention.

Ruminant Production from Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum): A Review.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) supports a significant proportion of animal production in subtropical and tropical regions, but its quality is low and when offered alone, results in low ruminant production. Shifting the management of Napier grass towards a higher-quality feed increased milk yield and liveweight gain for small, mature cattle without supplementation. This review highlights the opportunity for further increases in milk and meat production for differing classes of livestock in the tropics and subtropics by improving the nutritive value of Napier grass using new best management practice flowing on to improve food security for the millions of people in these regions.

Implication of self-organizing map, stable isotopes combined with MixSIAR model for accurate nitrogen control in a well-protected reservoir.

Nitrogen pollution and eutrophication in reservoirs is a global environmental geochemical concern. Occasional algal blooms still exist in reservoirs that have undergone pollution treatment. The lack of quantitative evidence of nitrogen sources and fate limits long-term stable ecological safety management. This work applied an approach integrated zonal mapping, stable isotopes (δ18OH2O, δ15Nnitrate, δ18Onitrate, and δ13C-DIC) and a Bayesian isotope model to analyze regional and seasonal differences in the contribution and sources of nitrogen to a well-protected reservoir. The values of δ18Onitrate and the positive relationship between NO3- and δ13C-DIC suggested that nitrification was the primary NO3- production in the rivers. While Denitrification was present at only a few sites. Results of the MixSIAR model coupled the NO3-/Cl- indicator revealed that the domestic sewage contributed high riverine NO3- loading (68.6 ± 10.6 %) in the dry season. In the wet season, the main nitrate sources of upper watershed were ammonia and carbamide fertilizers (47.5 % and 40.3 %). While the domestic sewage was still the major contributor of downstream region (a dense residential area), indicating possible problems with rainwater and sewage drainage networks. The results implied that the colleting and treatment of sewages were the priority in downstream region, and non-point source pollution control and wastewater treatment plant upgrading were essential to control nitrate pollution in the two upstream regions. These findings provide new insights into precise nitrogen pollution traceability and identification of treatment priorities in the sub-region, and promote the management other well-protected watershed in similar need of further nitrogen contamination control.

Safe Surgery Checklist Implementation: Associations of Management Practice and Safety Culture Change.

Designing and developing safe systems has been a persistent challenge in health care, and in surgical settings in particular. In efforts to promote safety, safety culture, i.e., shared values regarding safety management, is considered a key driver of high-quality, safe healthcare delivery. However, changing organizational culture so that it emphasizes and promotes safety is often an elusive goal. The Safe Surgery Checklist is an innovative tool for improving safety culture and surgical care safety, but evidence about Safe Surgery Checklist effectiveness is mixed. We examined the relationship between changes in management practices and changes in perceived safety culture during implementation of safe surgery checklists. Using a pre-posttest design and survey methods, we evaluated Safe Surgery Checklist implementation in a national sample of 42 general acute care hospitals in a leading hospital network. We measured perceived management practices among managers (n = 99) using the World Management Survey. We measured perceived preoperative safety and safety culture among clinical operating room personnel (N = 2,380 (2016); N = 1,433 (2017)) using the Safe Surgical Practice Survey. We collected data in two consecutive years. Multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between changes in management practices and overall safety culture and perceived teamwork following Safe Surgery Checklist implementation.

Healthcare waste management practice and associated factors among healthcare workers in public healthcare facilities of Southwest Shewa Zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia.

Poor management of waste can cause serious disease to healthcare personnel, cleaners, waste handlers, patients and the public. An observation-supported cross-sectional study was conducted to assess healthcare waste (HCW) management practice and professional, management and resource availability-associated factors among healthcare workers of 23 public health facilities in Southwest Shewa Zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia, 2021. A total of 424 health workers participated in this study. The level of proper healthcare waste management (HCWM) practice was 38.4%. Lack of knowledge on different methods of healthcare waste treatment (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.101, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.042, 0.242, p < 0.05)), lack of knowledge about the types of healthcare waste (AOR: 0.136, 95% CI (0.039, 0.481, p < 0.05)), lack of knowledge on the use of different colour-coded waste bin and safety box (AOR: 0.145, 95% CI (0.040, 0.520, p < 0.05)), and healthcare workers who had no training/orientation on HCWM practice (AOR: 0.396, 95% CI (0.245, 0.639, p < 0.05)) were less likely to practice effective HCWM compared to their counterparts. The current HCWM practices in studied health facilities was inadequate. Professional knowledge and availability of training were independently associated with HCWM practice. Therefore, regular orientation during employment and on-job training on HCWM practice, regular monitoring and supervision of HCWM are important. Further research should be conducted on the area of HCWM, and its associated environmental impacts by using more strong methods and wider health facilities.

Comprehensive effects of climate, land use/cover and management practices on runoff and nutrient variations in a rapidly urbanizing watershed.

As non-point source pollution has emerged as a significant global and regional concern, climate change (CC), land use/cover transformation (LUCT), and management practices (MP) play vital roles in addressing nutrient pollution. However, current studies lack comprehensive quantification and consistent conclusions on the response to these factors, especially for management practices. To quantify and elucidate the impact of representative environmental factors on rapidly urbanizing regions, this study focused on the Shenzhen River, which serves as the most typical urbanizing watershed. Using a process-based distributed hydrological model with a factor-controlled simulation method, we identified significant differences in nutrient concentrations and the impacts of climate variability, land use/cover changes, and anthropogenic interventions from 2003 to 2020. Moreover, effective measures greatly improved water quality in the Shenzhen River during study period, as evident from trend and cluster analysis. However, ecological water supplements implemented since 2016 have led to a slight reduction in simulated runoff performance, and CC may amplify the synergistic effects of precipitation and temperature on the river system. While the implemented practices have been effective in reducing total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads, strong TN pollution control is still needed in rapidly urbanizing areas due to the results of land use/cover type changes. Our findings emphasize the intricate interplay among CC, LUCT, and MP in shaping water quality and hydrological processes in rapidly urbanizing watersheds, and clarify the independent effects of these factors on nutrients. This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interactions between multiple factors in watersheds and provides guidance for sustainable watershed management.

Soil health benefits associated with urban horticulture.

As the global population grows and is increasingly concentrated in urban environments, the quality of urban horticultural soils is of mounting importance. Until now, most urban horticultural soil assessments have been applied in nations and continents outside North America, and none have been conducted in Canada-an important agricultural region. Here, we present the first Canadian study to evaluate soil health in urban horticultural soil (gardens producing fruit and vegetables), benchmarked against conventional agricultural soil in surrounding rural areas (producing cereals, oilseeds, and legumes). We assessed a range of soil health indicators (total C, soil organic C [SOC], active C, CO2 evolution, wet aggregate stability [WAS], total N, autoclave citrate extractable [ACE] protein, potentially mineralizable N [PMN], and N2O production), soil fertility indicators (inorganic N, available P, and available K), and inherent soil properties (texture, electrical conductivity [EC], and pH). We found that carbon- and nitrogen-based soil attributes in urban horticultural soils were 200 % that of the agricultural soils, indicating superior soil health-which had significant implications for interpreting soil health scores. As for soil fertility, inorganic N and available K did not differ between the two systems, but available P was 400 % higher in urban horticulture than agriculture soils, indicating that management practices which build soil health might risk also building excessive soil P levels. Our findings suggest that urban horticulture soils may provide superior ecosystem services and function as a reservoir for SOC, likely due to the soil health management practices implemented by gardeners-but care should be taken to manage soil health alongside managing soil fertility. Urban horticulture soil is an ideal platform for expanding research and governance not only for food production but for valuable ecosystem services.

Social psychological factors drive farmers' adoption of environmental best management practices.

Agriculture is a main driver of land-cover change globally resulting in decreased biodiversity, increased carbon emissions, and land desertification. Environmental best management practices reduce risk to the environment caused by agricultural operations. However, the adoption of environmental best management practices by farmers often is lower than what would be possible. While prior studies have investigated determinants of environmental best management practices, it is not well understood how social psychological drivers of various best management practices may be modified by contextual factors. To help close this knowledge gap, we conducted a large-scale survey of Ontario farmers investigating how social psychological factors and resource constraints combine to determine adoption of farm forests, riparian buffers and windbreaks, and how these relationships are modified by farmer demographics and farm characteristics. We analyzed survey responses of 490 farmers with structural equation modeling using the Theory of Planned Behavior as theoretical framework. Our results suggest that perceived benefits of environmental best management practices are of relatively low impact on best management practice adoption. Beliefs of a personal obligation for adoption and the perception of the capacity for adoption consistently were of higher impact, with lack of labor as main constraint. The relationships of perceived benefits and social norms with adoption were modified by farmer income, education, and age, as well as by the distance between a farm and the nearest settlement. However, the relationship of control beliefs with adoption was not affected by any contextual factors. We conclude that the improvement of programs in support of labor availability may have positive impacts on the adoption of the investigated environmental best management practices.

Surgical management practice of pelvic organ prolapse among Ethiopian gynecologists, 2021: a descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic Organ Prolapse is the descent of one or more of the anterior vaginal wall, posterior vaginal wall, the uterus, or the apex of the vagina. Surgical intervention addresses both anatomical defect and associated symptoms. The landscape of prolapse surgery has been evolving constantly over years. Emerging evidences either support or challenge existing surgical treatment options, making urogynecology a dynamic field. In Ethiopia, the surgical management of pelvic organ prolapse has transitioned from abdominal to vaginal hysterectomy, supplemented later by McCall's culdoplasty. Disparities exist in the national uniformity of surgical approaches, linked to the establishment of Urogynecology centers in certain institutions. OBJECTIVES: This study was done to assess the surgical management practice of Ethiopian gynecologists on pelvic organ prolapse. METHODS: A cross-sectional study encompassing all Gynecologists in Ethiopia took place between January to June 2021. Information was gathered through online Google forms crafted in English. Subsequently, the collected data underwent verification, coding, and entry into Epi info 7 before being exported to SPSS version 22 software for descriptive statistical analysis. RESULTS: We reached 280 gynecologists out of the 450 practicing in the Ethiopia making 62% response rate. Anterior colporrhaphy (98.6%), vaginal hysterectomy with McCall's cul-do-plasty (51.8%), and Posterior colporrhaphy (97.5%) were the most commonly performed surgical procedures for anterior vaginal wall prolapse, apical prolapse (uterine/cervical), and posterior vaginal wall prolapse respectively. Only 3.2% and 0.7% of the gynecologists conducted abdominal and vaginal paravaginal repair for anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Sacrospinous ligament fixation and sacrocolpopexy for apical prolapse were carried out by 32.9% and 9.3% of the gynecologists respectively. Site-specific posterior repair for posterior vaginal wall prolapse was performed only by 23.9% of the gynecologists. The main reasons mentioned not to perform paravaginal repair, sacrocolpopexy, sacrospinous ligament fixation, and site-specific posterior repair were lack of skill and lack of appropriate materials. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Most gynecologists in Ethiopian continue to perform vaginal hysterectomy and colporrhaphy procedures for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse due primarily to lack of skill and appropriate materials to perform the alternative procedures. Implementing short term training on alternative surgical treatment options of pelvic organ prolapse with provision of suitable materials and increasing the number of urogynecologists in the country in the long run holds the potential to enhance the standard of care of women with the condition.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) management strategies for dairy and meat production in the tropics and subtropics: yield and nutritive value.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) comprises up to 80% of the cattle diet in many tropical and subtropical regions and is used primarily by smallholder farmers. Despite the grass's high yield, resulting animal productivity from this grass is low. One of the key reasons for the low animal productivity of Napier grass is its low nutritive value under current management. Taken together, previous work has shown the current yield, crude protein (CP), and metabolisable energy (ME) of Napier grass to be 26 t dry matter (DM)/ha/year, 96 g/kg DM, and 8.7 MJ/kg DM, respectively, ranging from 2 to 86 t DM/ha/year, 9 to 257 g CP/kg DM, and 5.9 to 10.8 MJ ME/kg DM, respectively, suggesting an opportunity for significant improvement on both yield and nutritive value of this grass. The DM yield and nutritive value of this grass are inversely related, indicating a trade-off between yield and quality; however, this trade-off could be minimised by increasing sowing density and harvesting frequency. Available literature shows that this simple management strategy of increasing sowing density (50 cm × 40 cm) and harvesting frequency (11-12 harvests/year) provides 71 t DM/ha with 135 g/kg DM CP and 10.8 MJ ME/kg DM. This quality of Napier grass has the potential to increase both milk and meat production substantially in the tropics and subtropics, and the farmers will likely find this simple management acceptable due to the high yield obtained through this management. However, there is a paucity of work in this field. Therefore, management strategies to improve the nutritive value of Napier grass are required to increase milk and meat production in the tropics and subtropics and in doing so improve the food security of more than half of the global population living in these regions.

Evaluation of best management practices to reduce sediment yield in the upper Gilo watershed, Baro akobo basin, Ethiopia using SWAT.

The increasing sediment yield in the watershed is caused by natural and human activities, which significantly shifts the hydro-meteorological in the watershed. The Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) equation in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to estimate sediment yields for each hydrological response unit (HRU) based on peak runoff, daily runoff volume, area of hydrological response unit, and other estimated and default hydrological model parameters. The amount of sediment yield from each HRU is then summed to give the total soil erosion for the watershed.The spatio-temporal variations of sediment yield in the Upper Gilo watershed was simulated to identify the hotspot area and select the effective management practices (BMPs) for reducing significant problems. Model calibration and validation were carried out using sediment yield data from 1990 to 2004 and 2005 to 2014. The results indicated that the watershed total sediment yield is 1021.8 tonnes/yr. Furthermore, 17 sub-basins (37.8% of total watershed area) are severely threatened by high soil erosion. According to the simulation results, the filter strips, terraces, and contours reduced the watershed sediment yield by up to 53.2%, 45.4%, and 48%. Overall, the selected BMPs are highly effective in reducing sediment yield in watershed-prone areas.

Nurses' pain management practices for admitted patients at the Comprehensive specialized hospitals and its associated factors, a multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Pain is the most common challenge that most hospitalized patients complain of and is influenced by several patients, nurses, and institutional-related factors. Most studies in Ethiopia on pain were focused on surgical illnesses only. OBJECTIVE: To assess nurses' pain management practice and associated factors for admitted patients at Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A multi-center institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the five randomly selected Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals of the Amhara region from May 01 to June 01, 2022. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select a total of 430 nurses and patients for whom the nurses were responsible. Data were collected using standard self-administered, structured, and checklist questionnaires from nurses, patients, and patients' charts respectively. The modified Bloom's criteria categorized the overall practice as good, moderate, and poor. Data were checked, coded, and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25. An ordinal logistic regression model was applied, and variables with a p-value < 0.05 with a 95% CI in the multivariable analysis were considered significant. RESULTS: The study evaluated the pain management practices of 430 nurses and only a quarter had good pain management practices. Those nurses with first degrees and above education level (AOR = 2.282) and who attended in-service training (AOR = 2.465) were found to have significantly higher pain management practice. Expected though patients with painful procedures (AOR = 5.648) and who had severe pain (AOR = 2.573) were receiving better pain management practices from their nurse care provider. Nurses working in the institutions with a pain-free initiative focal person (AOR = 6.339) had higher pain management practices. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Overall, the majority of nurses had poor pain management practices. Higher educational levels, in-service training, and assigning a pain-free focal person had an impact on pain management services. Patients with higher pain levels and painful procedures were getting better attention. Hospital administrations need to provide due attention to the pain management of hospitalized patients by providing in-service training and educational opportunities to improve the capacity of nurses. Patients would be benefited considerably if hospitals focus on assigning focal persons for advocating regular pain management for admitted patients regardless of their pain level.

Neonatal pain management practice in the neonatal intensive care unit of public hospitals: a survey of healthcare providers in eastern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Newborns experience multiple painful and stressful procedures during their hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Repeated or untreated pain can have negative consequences for the health and development of newborns. Despite the growing knowledge of pain assessment and intervention, several studies have shown that the practice of neonatal pain management among healthcare providers is poor. Therefore, data regarding neonatal pain management practice and affecting factors are essential for taking appropriate actions. This study assessed neonatal pain management practice and associated factors among healthcare providers working in the NICUs of public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia from 1 January to 28 February 2022. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used among 372 randomly selected healthcare providers working in the NICUs of public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured self-administered questionnaire and an observation checklist. The collected data were reviewed, coded and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify the associations between outcome and predictor variables at a 95% confidence level and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study found that 185 (53.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 48.4 to 59.2) of the 343 respondents had good neonatal pain management practice with a mean of 11.38 (standard deviation 3.64). Receipt of in-service training in neonatal pain management (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.12 [95% CI 1.15 to 3.91]), availability of protocols and guidelines in the NICUs (AOR 2.94 [95% CI 1.74 to 4.91]) and accessibility of analgesics in the NICUs (AOR 4.302 [95% CI 2.46 to 7.53]) were significantly associated with good neonatal pain management practice. CONCLUSIONS: The overall practice of healthcare providers in neonatal pain management in public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia is relatively high compared with previous studies conducted in Ethiopia. Improving the availability of analgesics as well as neonatal pain management protocols and guidelines in NICUs will aid in the promotion of good neonatal pain management practices. In addition, providing ongoing in-service training on neonatal pain management will allow healthcare providers to better care for newborns in pain.