Status of Schistosoma mansoni prevalence and intensity of infection in geographically apart endemic localities of Ethiopia: A comparison

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis is one of the chronic and neglected tropical diseases affecting rural communities. Heavy infections contribute to anemia and can retard children's growth, physical activity and cognitive function. This study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence, intensity and variation of Schistosoma mansoni infection among human subjects in geographically apart localities. The prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection was assessed in three geographically apart endemic areas of Ethiopia from May to August 2010 through cross-sectional approach.METHODS: A total of 1073 individuals (528 males and 545 females) were found eligible for the study. Their age ranged from 5-60 years with mean age of 11 years in Wondo Genet, 22 years in Kemissie and 24 years in Sille-Elgo. Small plastic sheets were distributed to the study participants and sizable stool specimens were collected and examined using Kato-Katz method (41.7mg template).RESULT: The prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection among the study participants in Kemissie, Wondo Genet and Sille-Elgo was 89.6%, 59.9%, and 31.6%, respectively. The highest geometric mean of egg per gram of stool for Kemissie, Wondo Genet and Sille-Elgo was, 5208 and 346, 8472 and 252, 3960 and 91, respectively.CONCLUSION: It was observed that there was comparable variation in the prevalence and intensity of infection among the study localities. Moreover, it is indicated that S. mansoni is still an ongoing public health problem which requires integrated intervention activities in the country.KEYWORDS: Schistosoma mansoni; intensity of infection; geographic variation; Ethiopi

Schistosoma mansoni Infection in Finchaa Sugar Estate: Public health Problem Assessment based on Clinical Records and Parasitological Surveys, Western Ethiopia

The survey of Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) in Finchaa Sugar Estate, Western Ethiopia, was conducted to investigate the prevalence and health problems of schistosomiasis with some of the risk factors. The examination was undertaken based on the analysis of retrospective clinical data from the health center and a cross-sectional parasitological examinations using Kato-thick smear slides in April-June 2012/2013. Over the period 2008 to 2013 average prevalence among suspected patients at the health centre was 30.9%. Examination of double kato-thick smear slides from a random sample of 602 individuals from most schistosomiasis affected camp 7 revealed the prevalence of 37.5%. S. mansoni infection is become a year-round public health problem in Finchaa, Sugar Estate possibly due to permanent streams, water bodies and water contact behaviors and also reduced effectiveness of current control measures. Among the 7th camps, village A (camp 7) is the most schistosomiasis affected area (37.5%) followed by Kuyisa (25%). This is attributed to the presence of permanent stream (Fekerie stream) near camp 7. The present finding shows that the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis in the more affected camp 7 of Finchaa Sugar Estate was significantly higher among males than in females and its prevalence and intensity was found to be higher among study population within the age group of 11-20 years old. This study indicates that schistosomiasis is a major health problem in Finchaa Sugar Estate with moderate prevalence. The study results will provide an additional clinical and parasitological data on the current status of S. mansoni in Finchaa Sugar Estate and could serve as a guide in designing, developing and implementing intervention strategies to mitigate morbidity due to S. mansoni especially in highly risk groups under the Ethiopian health service system.Keywords: Egg per gram; Finchaa Sugar Estate; Kato-katz; Schistosomiasis; S. mansoni; Public healt

Characterization of pysio-chemical properties of novel one stop chemical method in preparations of copper nanofluids and possible explanations

Nanofluid is a dilute suspension containing particles in nanometer sized which are dispersed in the base fluid like ethylene glycol or water. Nanofluid is one of the crucial discovery in modern science which found to be having better thermal properties compared with conventional fluids like water or ethylene glycol thus makes it ideal to be applied and utilized in many areas in heat transfer area such as cooling, utilized as fluid for heat echangers and etc. Besides, the nanofluid with the improved thermal properties could solve the problem faced by various industries in the area of heat transfer. For example, in the semiconductor industry, the needs of superior cooling coolant are very crucialJn this paper, presents about preparation of copper nanofluid using novel one stop chemical method by reducing copper sulphate pentahydrate using reduction agent which is sodium hypophosphite in ethylene glycol as base fluids. The obtained nanofluid by using this novel one stop method is more stable besides cheaper and faster compared with two stop method whereby in the two step method, the production of the nanoparticles and the nanofluids are isolated. The process of drying, storage and transportation of the nanoparticles that takes place in two step method have cause the agglomeration and sedimentation of the nanofluids. As the result, the agglomeration could cause the settlement and clogging in the microchannel besides reduce the thermal conductivity. Therefore in the novel one stop method the production of the nanoparticles and the nanofluids are combined and not separated to avoid the process of drying, storage and transportation of nanoparticles. Meanwhile the nanofluid that obtained were analyzed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, Viscometer and Fourier Transform Infared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The effect and influences of pH and dilution to the reaction rate and properties of nanofluid were also investigated

Weight gain after smoking cessation and risk of major chronic diseases and mortality

Importance: Smoking cessation is frequently followed by weight gain; however, whether weight gain after quitting reduces the health benefits of quitting is unclear. Objective: To examine the association between weight change after smoking cessation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and all-cause mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of Australian adults aged 18 years or older who were studied between 2006 and 2014. Smoking status and anthropometric measurements were self-reported annually. Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between changes in weight and body mass index (BMI) and the risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, cancer, COPD, and mortality. Data were analyzed in January 2019. Exposures: Annual self-reported smoking status; years since quitting. Main Outcomes and Measures: Weight gain after quitting, incident CVD, type 2 diabetes, cancer, COPD, and all-cause mortality. Results: Of a total 16663 participants (8082 men and 8581 women; mean [SD] age, 43.7 [16.3] years), those who quit smoking had greater increases in weight (mean difference [MD], 3.14 kg; 95% CI, 1.39-4.87) and BMI (MD, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.21-1.44) than continuing smokers. Compared with continuing smokers, the HRs for death were 0.50 (95% CI, 0.36-0.68) among quitters who lost weight, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.51-0.98) among quitters without weight change, 0.33 (95% CI, 0.21-0.51) among quitters who gained 0.1 to 5.0 kg, 0.24 (95% CI, 0.11-0.53) among quitters who gained 5.1 to 10 kg, and 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16-0.82) among quitters who gained more than 10 kg. The HRs for death were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.45-0.83) among quitters who lost BMI, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.51-1.44) among quitters without change in BMI, 0.32 (95% CI, 0.21-0.50) among quitters who gained up to 2 in BMI, and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.16-0.45) among quitters who gained more than 2 in BMI. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that smoking cessation was accompanied by a substantial weight gain; however, this was not associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases or an attenuation of the mortality benefit of cessation

Recognizing farmers' knowledge in development initiatives: Indigenous bee-keeping in Alaba Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Woreda agriculture and rural development (OoARD) strategic plan identify honey as one of the priority commodities of the woreda. The OoARD and development partners are exerting effort to boost honey production by introducing modern bee-keeping practice. The success of current development effort in apiculture, to improve the living standard of low income farmers, is dependent on indigenous knowledge because it is the cultural base and starting point of the practice. Thus, recognizing and documenting indigenous beekeeping practice in the woreda is a pre-requisite to sustain honey production and strengthen existing development effort. This paper documents history of bee-keeping the social, medicinal and economic value of honey in Southern Ethiopia, Alaba special woreda. It examines features of indigenous bee-keeping practice and its link with modern bee-keeping in the study area. The study is based on group discussion, community ranking and key informants and household interview. Purposive sampling was used for PA selection from honey producing areas. Community data validation was undertaken at the end of the study. Findings show that knowledge of apiculture in Alaba originated from adjacent woreda and was adopted first in Besheno and surrounding area. Indigenous value of honey is reflected in the generations’ lore, its medical, economic and social value. Honey is used in various social events including conflict resolution, blessing, weeding and religious ceremony. The indigenous feature of beekeeping in Alaba and its value reflects the importance of apiculture and its cultural base for economic development. Early introduction of modern apiculture in the study area has not taken in to account the role and significance of indigenous knowledge in development process. On the bases of the findings, recommendations were suggested to integrate modern and indigenous apiculture development

Lifestyle interventions for type 2 diabetes management among migrants and ethnic minorities living in industrialized countries : a systematic review and meta-analyses

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to improve the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among migrants and ethnic minorities. Major searched databases included MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Ovid) and CINAHL. The selection of studies and data extraction followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In the meta-analysis, significant heterogeneity was detected among the studies (I 2 >50%), and hence a random effects model was used. Subgroup analyses were performed to compare the effect of lifestyle interventions according to intervention approaches (peer-led vs community health workers (CHWs)-led). A total of 17 studies were included in this review which used interventions delivered by CHWs or peer supporters or combination of both. The majority of the studies assessed effectiveness of key primary (hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids, fasting plasma glucose) and secondary outcomes (weight, body mass index, blood pressure, physical activity, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, food habits and healthcare utilization). Meta-analyses showed lifestyle interventions were associated with a small but statistically significant reduction in HbA1c level (-0.18%; 95% CI-0.32% to-0.04%, p=0.031). In subgroup analyses, the peer-led interventions showed relatively better HbA1c improvement than CHW-led interventions, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.379). Seven studies presented intervention costs, which ranged from US$131 to US$461 per participant per year. We conclude that lifestyle interventions using either CHWs or peer supporters or a combination of both have shown modest effectiveness for T2DM management among migrants of different background and origin and ethnic minorities. The evidence base is promising in terms of developing culturally appropriate, clinically sound and cost-effective intervention approaches to respond to the growing and diverse migrants and ethnic minorities affected by diabetes worldwide

Scalable Synthesis of Micron Size Crystals of CH3NH3PbI3 at Room Temperature in Acetonitrile via Rapid Reactive Crystallization

From application point of view, scalable, facile and rapid synthesis method for mass production of a homogeneous and phase pure CH3NH3PbI3 micron size crystal at the industry level is still highly required, although it has been claimed that the CH3NH3PbI3 crystals can be prepared by solution-annealing the precursors at elevated temperature or prolonged reaction time. Herein, polycrystalline CH3NH3PbI3 micron size crystals can be prepared by reactive crystallization of PbI2 and CH3NH3I in a stoichiometric ratio at room temperature. TXM (Transmission X-ray Microscopy), optical microscope, TEM and TEM-EDX analysis were used to confirm the nature of the CH3NH3PbI3 product. Moreover, Ostwald ripening of iodide ion into PbI2 is proposed as the key step to form 3D PbI3−, followed by the intercalation of CH3NH3+ for this reactive crystallization. Interestingly, this result suggests that industry level mass production of micron CH3NH3PbI3 crystals is possible with this novel synthesis method

Unexplained chronic liver disease in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is assumed to be the major cause of chronic liver disease (CLD) in sub-Saharan Africa. The contribution of other aetiological causes of CLD is less well documented and hence opportunities to modulate other potential risk factors are being lost. The aims of this study were to explore the aetiological spectrum of CLD in eastern Ethiopia and to identify plausible underlying risk factors for its development. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken between April 2015 and April 2016 in two public hospitals in Harar, eastern Ethiopia. The study population comprised of consenting adults with clinical and radiological evidence of chronic liver disease. The baseline evaluation included: (i) a semi-structured interview designed to obtain information about the ingestion of alcohol, herbal medicines and local recreational drugs such as khat (Catha edulis); (ii) clinical examination; (iii) extensive laboratory testing; and, (iv) abdominal ultrasonography. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-fifty patients with CLD (men 72.0%; median age 30 [interquartile range 25-40] years) were included. CLD was attributed to chronic HBV infection in 55 (36.7%) individuals; other aetiological agents were identified in a further 12 (8.0%). No aetiological factors were identified in the remaining 83 (55.3%) patients. The overall prevalence of daily khat use was 78.0%, while alcohol abuse, defined as > 20 g/day in women and > 30 g/day in men, was rare (2.0%). Histological features of toxic liver injury were observed in a subset of patients with unexplained liver injury who underwent liver biopsy. CONCLUSION: The aetiology of CLD in eastern Ethiopia is largely unexplained. The widespread use of khat in the region, together with histopathological findings indicating toxic liver injury, suggests an association which warrants further investigation

On the role of soil water retention characteristic on aerobic microbial respiration

Soil water status is one of the most important environmental factors that control microbial activity and rate of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. Its effect can be partitioned into effect of water energy status (water potential) on cellular activity, effect of water volume on cellular motility, and aqueous diffusion of substrate and nutrients, as well as the effect of air content and gas-diffusion pathways on concentration of dissolved oxygen. However, moisture functions widely used in SOM decomposition models are often based on empirical functions rather than robust physical foundations that account for these disparate impacts of soil water. The contributions of soil water content and water potential vary from soil to soil according to the soil water characteristic (SWC), which in turn is strongly dependent on soil texture and structure. The overall goal of this study is to introduce a physically based modeling framework of aerobic microbial respiration that incorporates the role of SWC under arbitrary soil moisture status. The model was tested by comparing it with published datasets of SOM decomposition under laboratory conditions.</p