Awareness of Breast Cancer and Its Early Detection Measures Among Female Students, Northern Ethiopia

Globally breast cancer is the most common of all cancers. Since risk reduction strategies cannot eliminate the majority of breast cancers, early detection remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. This paper, therefore, attempts to assess the awareness of breast cancer and its early detection measures among female students in Mekelle University, Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected female students. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. In this study, 760 students participated making a response rate of 96 percent. Respondents with good knowledge score for risk factors, early detections measures and warning signs of breast cancer were 1.4 percent, 3.6 percent and 22.1 percent respectively. The majority 477 (62.8 percent) of participants practiced self-breast examination. In conclusion the participants had poor knowledge of risk factors, early detection measures and early warning signs of breast cancer.Therefore, the Ministry of health of Ethiopia together with its stalk holders should strengthen providing IEC targeting women to increase their awareness about breast cancer and its early detection measure

Non-carbon benefits for effective implementation of REDD+: The case of Bale Mountains Eco-Region, Southeastern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in four districts, namely Nansebo, Harenna Buluk, Dolo Mena and Dodolla, Southeastern Ethiopia with the following objectives - to: (i) investigate species richness and similarity, diversity, evenness and stand structure of the woody species; (ii) determine the amount of carbon stock stored in the above-ground biomass of woody species; (iii) establish the relationship between the Shannon diversity indices and carbon stock, (iv) identify the most important forest non-carbon benefits obtained by the local communities from the forests; and (v) determine contribution of forest resources to the local economy when compared with other incomes generated from agriculture, including livestock. Data generated by FARM Africa were used to achieve objectives (i) - (iii). To achieve objectives (iv) and (v), a focus group discussion and household survey were conducted. A total of 125 species of woody species, representing at least 45 families and 77 genera, were recorded. The Shannon diversity and evenness indices of the woody species ranged between 2.8 (Dodolla) and 3.5 (Harenna Buluk) and 0.79 (Nansebo) to 0.82 (Dolo Mena), respectively. The woody species had densities ranging from 550 (Dodolla) to 2106 (Harena Buluk) individuals ha-1. The above ground carbon stock stored ranged between 148.88 (Dodolla) and 246.27 (Dolo Mena) tons ha-1. About 10 products and services were mentioned by the respondents as important non carbon benefits from the forests. The non-carbon benefit with the highest contributions in the three districts was fuelwood, while coffee had the highest contribution in Dolo Mena. The contribution of forests to the local economy was significantly compared with other incomes. Forests contributed 40.2% to the household income in Harenna Buluk District and 18.8% in Nansebo District. Considering non-carbon benefits in the design and implementation of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is important to ensure its acceptance by local communities.Keywords: Bale, eco-region, non-carbon benefit, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+)

Study of thermal conductivity design for thermal loaded geomaterials.

Soil thermal conductivity plays preponderant role in many geoengineering projects involving thermal effects, such as high voltage underground power cables, oil and gas pipelines, nuclear waste disposal facilities, ground heat energy storage and heat exchanger piles. A thorough understanding of thermal conductivity is necessary in heat transfer modelling. Depending upon the application and desired purpose of such projects, materials with either high or low thermal conductivity are used. Materials with high thermal conductivity are desirable in cases such as high voltage underground power cables to dissipate the generated heat rapidly to the surrounding soil. On the other hand, ground heat energy storage needs materials with low thermal conductivity and high heat capacity to hinder the heat energy loss. In this study, high conductive backfill materials for underground power cables were analysed based on existing knowledge of heat transfer mechanism in granular media and models of soil thermal conductivity in both dry and wet conditions (Yun and Santamarina, 2007, Cortes and Santamarina, 2009). Several researchers have developed theoretical, empirical and semi-empirical models to estimate the thermal conductivity of natural soils and crushed rock materials based on various factors such as particle shape and size, particle distribution, mineral composition, dry density, and wate

Evaluation of mixed-effects models for predicting Douglas-fir mortality

We examined the performance of several generalized linear fixed- and mixed-effects individual-tree mortality models for Douglas-fir stands in the Pacific Northwest. The mixed-effects models accounted for sampling and study design overdispersion. Inclusion of a random intercept term reduced model bias by 88% relative to the fixed-effects model; however, model discrimination did not substantially differ. An uninformed version of the mixed model that used only its fixed effects parameters produced predicted mortality values that exceeded the fixed-effects model bias by 31%. Overall, we did not find compelling evidence to suggest that the mixed models fit our data better than the fixed-effects model. In particular, the mixed models produced fixed-effects parameter estimates that predicted unreasonably high mortality rates for trees approaching 1 m in diameter at breast height.Keywords: Douglas-fir, Mortality, Generalized linear model, Mixed mode

Evaluation of sampling methods to quantify abundance of hardwoods and snags within conifer-dominated riparian zones

• Aims: Six sampling alternatives were examined for their ability to quantify selected attributes of snags and hardwoods in conifer-dominated riparian areas of managed headwater forests in western Oregon. • Methods: Each alternative was simulated 500 times at eight headwater forest locations based on a 0.52-ha square stem map. The alternatives were evaluated based on how well they estimated the number of hardwoods and snags per hectare and their basal area per hectare using root mean square error and percent bias. • Results: In general, 3.6-m wide systematic strips oriented perpendicular to the stream outperformed the other alternatives. However, the variance of all six sampling alternatives was quite high and further research is needed to determine an optimal sampling method for quantifying hardwood and snag attributes in forests dominated by live conifers. • Conclusion: When sampling snag and hardwood as a minor component of the overall forest composition within a riparian area, we suggest using 3.6-m strips perpendicular to the stream.Keywords: Stand structure, Monitoring, Pacific Northwest, Strip samplin

Estimating the environmental impact of dairy cattle breeding programs through emission intensity.

A recently developed methodological approach for determining the greenhouse gas emissions impact of national breeding programs was applied to measure the effects of current and future breeding goals on the emission intensity (EI) of the Canadian dairy industry. Emission intensity is the ratio of greenhouse gas outputted in comparison to the product generated. Traits under investigation affected EI by either decreasing the direct emissions yield (i.e. increasing feed performance), changing herd structure (i.e. prolonging herd life) or through the dilution effect of increased production (i.e. increasing fat yield). The intensity value (IV) of each trait, defined as the change in emissions' intensity per unit change in each trait, was calculated for each of the investigated traits. The IV trend of these traits was compared for the current and prospective selection index, as well as for a system with and without quota (the supply management policy designed to prevent overproduction). The overall EI of the average genetic merit Canadian dairy herd per breeding female was 5.07 kg CO2eq/kg protein equivalent output. The annual reduction in EI due to the improvement of production traits was -0.027, -0.018 and -0.006 for fat, protein and milk other solids, respectively. The functional traits, herd life and mastitis resistance, had more modest effects (-0.008 and -0.001, respectively). These results are consistent with international studies that identified traits related to production, survival, health and fertility as having the largest impact on the environmental footprint of dairy cattle. Overall, the dairy industry is becoming more efficient by reducing its EI through selection of environmentally favorable traits, with a 1% annual reduction of EI in Canada

Geostatistical modeling of riparian forest microclimate and its implications for sampling

Les modèles de prédiction du microclimat pour différentes conditions de station dans les zones riveraines boisées des cours d’eau de tête de bassin sont peu développés et les procédures d’échantillonnage pour caractériser les gradients sous-jacents du microclimat riverain sont rares. Nous avons utilisé des données de microclimat riverain collectées le long de huit cours d’eau de tête de bassin dans la chaîne côtière de l’Oregon pour comparer le krigeage ordinaire (KO), le krigeage universel (KU) et le krigeage avec dérive externe (KDE) pour la prédiction localisée de la température moyenne maximale de l’air (Tair). Plusieurs caractéristiques topographiques et de la structure de la forêt ont été considérées comme paramètres spécifiques à la station. L’élévation au-dessus du cours d’eau et la distance du cours d’eau étaient les covariables les plus importantes dans les modèles de KDE qui donnaient de meilleurs résultats que le KO et le KU en termes d’écart-type. La répartition des échantillons a été optimisée sur la base de la variance de krigeage et des moyennes pondérées du critère de la plus courte distance à l’aide d’un algorithme de recuit simulé. La répartition optimisée des échantillons donnait de meilleurs résultats que la répartition systématique en termes de variance moyenne de krigeage, surtout lorsque le nombre d’échantillons était faible. Ces résultats suggèrent des méthodes pour augmenter l’efficacité du suivi du microclimat dans les zones riveraines.Predictive models of microclimate under various site conditions in forested headwater stream – riparian areas are poorly developed, and sampling designs for characterizing underlying riparian microclimate gradients are sparse. We used riparian microclimate data collected at eight headwater streams in the Oregon Coast Range to compare ordinary kriging (OK), universal kriging (UK), and kriging with external drift (KED) for point prediction of mean maximum air temperature (T air). Several topographic and forest structure characteristics were considered as site-specific parameters. Height above stream and distance to stream were the most important covariates in the KED models, which outperformed OK and UK in terms of root mean square error. Sample patterns were optimized based on the kriging variance and the weighted means of shortest distance criterion using the simulated annealing algorithm. The optimized sample patterns outperformed systematic sample patterns in terms of mean kriging variance mainly for small sample sizes. These findings suggest methods for increasing efficiency of microclimate monitoring in riparian areas

Podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs): double burden of neglected tropical diseases in Wolaita zone, rural southern Ethiopia

Background Both podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections occur among barefoot people in areas of extreme poverty; however, their co-morbidity has not previously been investigated. We explored the overlap of STH infection and podoconiosis in Southern Ethiopia and quantified their separate and combined effects on prevalent anemia and hemoglobin levels in podoconiosis patients and health controls from the same area. Methods and Principal Findings A two-part comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from adult patients presenting with clinically confirmed podoconiosis, and unmatched adult neighborhood controls living in the same administrative area. Information on demographic and selected lifestyle factors was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Stool samples were collected and examined qualitatively using the modified formalin-ether sedimentation method. Hemoglobin level was determined using two different methods: hemoglobinometer and automated hematology analyzer. A total of 913 study subjects (677 podoconiosis patients and 236 controls) participated. The prevalence of any STH infection was 47.6% among patients and 33.1% among controls (p<0.001). The prevalence of both hookworm and Trichuris trichiura infections was significantly higher in podoconiosis patients than in controls (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25 to2.42, AOR 6.53, 95% CI 2.34 to 18.22, respectively). Not wearing shoes and being a farmer remained significant independent predictors of infection with any STH. There was a significant interaction between STH infection and podoconiosis on reduction of hemoglobin level (interaction p value = 0.002). Conclusions Prevalence of any STH and hookworm infection was higher among podoconiosis patients than among controls. A significant reduction in hemoglobin level was observed among podoconiosis patients co-infected with hookworm and ‘non-hookworm STH’. Promotion of consistent shoe-wearing practices may have double advantages in controlling both podoconiosis and hookworm infection in the study area

Insufficient referral practices of sick children in Ethiopia shown in a cross-sectional survey.

AIM: This study aimed at assessing the referral of sick young infants and children from the community, health posts and health centres to higher levels. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four of the largest Ethiopian regions from December 2016 to February 2017. Referral practices were assessed at each level in 46 districts of these regions. Interviews were supplemented by reviews of registers at health posts and health centres. RESULTS: The women's development group leaders, who do not provide health services, referred half of the sick children they visited in the community to the health posts. The health extension workers referred 16% of the sick young infants and 6% of older infants and children to higher levels. From health centres, the health workers referred 6% of sick young infants and 1% of older infants and children to hospital. Many cases of possible severe bacterial infection were not referred to higher levels. A functional ambulance was available for a bit more than a third of the health centres. CONCLUSION: Referral practices of sick young infants and children at all levels were weak that may threaten the continued reduction of child mortality in Ethiopia. Referral logistics were insufficient, which partly could explain the missing referrals of severely ill infants and children