Assessment of livestock husbandry practices and production constraints among smallholder mixed crop-livestock production systems in the Majang zone, southwest Ethiopia.

Livestock production plays a significant role in improving the livelihoods of poor smallholder farmer households in the Majang zone. However, despite its importance, there is limited information on husbandry practices and constraints on livestock production to design and implement effective interventions to maximize productivity. The aim of this study was to assess husbandry practices and major constraints on livestock production in the Majang zone, southwest Ethiopia. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 168 households (HHs) through a face-to-face interview from January to May 2021. The results revealed that mixed crop-livestock farming is the dominant livestock production system in the study area. The overall average herd size per household (HH) was 2.15 ± 0.11 cattle, 0.15 ± 0.01 sheep, 0.31 ± 0.09 goats, 0.10 ± 0.02 donkey, 0.04 ± 0.00 mule, 0.13 ± 0.02 horses and 0.24 ± 0.02 chickens. Overall herd size did not differ significantly by AEZ except for sheep (p < 0.05). The primary reason for keeping cattle, goats, sheep, equines and poultry were milk production (27.4 %), meat for home consumption (33.9 %), cash income (33.3 %), transportation (85.1 %), and meat for home consumption (72 %), respectively. In the dry and wet seasons, natural pasture, crop residues, indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTSs), nonconventional feed resources (NCFRs), crop stubbles and improved forages were the main livestock feed resources. The majority (60.1 %) of respondents practiced free-grazing systems. Separate sheds, family dwellings, kraals, and open-walled sheds were the main housing systems used for animals. The majority (79.2 %) of respondents used rivers as a source of livestock drinking water. Trypanosomiasis (18.45 %), African horse sickness (66.1 %) and Newcastle disease (47.02 %) were the most important diseases of livestock. Diseases (35.7 %), lack of access to artificial insemination (35.7 %) and inadequate veterinary services (11.3 %) were identified as the top three constraints limiting production. It is recommended that constraints identified by farmers should be considered in developing and implementing effective interventions to improve livestock productivity and their contribution to poverty alleviation in the study area.

Comparison of the chemical composition of major feed resources between the midland and lowland agro-ecological zones in the Majang zone of southwest Ethiopia.

Evaluation of feed chemical composition is essential for predicting nutrient deficiencies and improving feed for optimal livestock productivity. However, variation in agro-ecological zones (AEZs) might affect the chemical composition of feeds. The main objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the chemical composition of major feed resources in the midland and lowland AEZs of the Majang zone in southwest Ethiopia. A total of eight representative samples of feed resources were collected from lowland (Godere district) AEZ (500-1500 m above sea level) and midland (Mangashi district) AEZ (1501-2300 m above sea level). The samples were analysed for dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The result revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the chemical composition traits between the two AEZs in the study area. For example, the DM, ash and NDF contents of C. dactylon were higher (P < 0.05) in the lowland AEZ, while the ADF and ADL contents were higher in the midland; D. abyssinica had higher (P < 0.05) ADF content in the lowland, while Z. mays stover had higher (P < 0.05) DM, ash and ADF contents in the lowland. S. bicolor stover showed higher (P < 0.05) DM, ash, ADF and ADL contents in the lowland, while C. gayana had higher (P < 0.05) ash and CP contents in the lowland and higher (P < 0.05) ADF and ADL contents in the midland AEZ; Atella (a traditional alcohol byproduct) had greater (P < 0.05) ash and ADF contents in the lowland. Regardless of the AEZs, the DM, ash, NDF, ADF, EE, CP and ADL contents of the feed samples varied from 89.97 ± 0.33 % in P. purpureum to 92.50 ± 0.01 in Sorghum bicolor stover, 4.27 ± 0.19 in Atella to 12.37 ± 0.42 in elephant grass, 51.66 ± 0.38 in Atella to 66.10 ± 0.25 in D. abyssinica, 32.21 ± 0.29 in D. abyssinica to 42.58 ± 0.44 in D. abyssinica, 0.63 ± 0.15 in Atella to 2.55 ± 0.03 in C. dactylon, 4.77 ± 0.01 in Zea mays stover to 11.83 ± 0.02 in V. unguiculata and 10.31 ± 0.07 in Z. mays stover to 19.41 ± 0.07 % DM in C. dactylon, respectively. From this study it was concluded that variation in AEZ has a significant effect on chemical composition traits of the feeds in the study area. The results of the study revealed that V. unguiculata stands out as a valuable protein source, while crop residues may require additional protein supplementation to meet livestock requirements in the study area.

Understanding and practice of active learning among upper primary school science and mathematics teachers.

Active learning methods have established significance in the teaching-learning of science and mathematics. This study investigated the understanding, beliefs, self-efficacy, practices, and challenges of active learning among upper primary school (grades 7 and 8) science and mathematics teachers in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 155 teachers drawn from nine schools of Addis Ababa, Amhara, and the Southern Regional States using validated questionnaires and observation. Descriptive analysis was employed to make meaning of the collected data. The result showed that teachers lack to have an appropriate understanding of active learning. But they have shown fairly consistent positive belief and self-efficacy about the outcomes of active learning if they use them in their classes. Teachers believed that they implement active learning to a higher extent. The result further indicated that teachers differ in their understanding, practices, and efficacy of active learning across their gender and educational levels. High teaching load, large class size, lack of teachers' motivation, shorter instructional time, the subject they teach, absence of guidelines for active learning methods at school, and lack of appropriate knowledge and skill of active learning methods were the common challenges reported by teachers. The findings of this study imply that there is a need to enhance teachers' understanding of active learning and to provide continuous support to them to use active learning even in challenging situations.

Open access in the age of a pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of transparency, open, and timely access to information. Open Access (OA) has the potential to increase the exposure and use of not only published research but also authoritative and reliable information. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted the work of journalists, scientists, and doctors while ordinary citizens are seeking trusted information sources and the truth about the new virus. Government and private institutions worldwide are reacting to the new situation where researchers, educators, students, and staff are trying to adjust to remote teaching and learning as well as telecommuting. In March 2020, a message from the White House was sent to the Scholarly Publishing Community asking them to make all COVID-19 papers openly available and machine readable. Considering the evolving and unresolved issues around OA and scholarly communications, together with the UN 2030 Agenda (a plan of action for sustainable, universal development), this panel brings together diverse perspectives to review the current landscape of OA and shed light on the role it plays in such crises. The panel will also discuss the future implications and impact of the pandemic in the overall advancement of scholarship in general.

Intestinal parasitic infections in relation to HIV/AIDS status, diarrhea and CD4 T-cell count.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection has been modifying both the epidemiology and outcome of parasitic infections. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among people with and without HIV infection and its association with diarrhea and CD4 T-cell count. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawassa Teaching and Referral Hospital focusing on HIV positive individuals, who gave blood for CD4 T-cell count at their first enrollment and clients tested HIV negative from November, 2008 to March, 2009. Data on socio-demographic factors and diarrhea status were obtained by interviewing 378 consecutive participants (214 HIV positive and 164 HIV negative). Stool samples were collected from all study subjects and examined for parasites using direct, formol-ether and modified acid fast stain techniques. RESULTS: The prevalence of any intestinal parasitic infection was significantly higher among HIV positive participants. Specifically, rate of infection with Cryptosporidium, I. belli, and S. stercoralis were higher, particularly in those with CD4 count less than 200 cells/microL. Diarrhea was more frequent also at the same lower CD4 T-cell counts. CONCLUSION: Immunodeficiency increased the risk of having opportunistic parasites and diarrhea. Therefore; raising patient immune status and screening at least for those treatable parasites is important.