The feeding behaviour and Plasmodium infection of Anopheles mosquitoes in southern Ethiopia in relation to use of insecticide-treated livestock for malaria control.

Anopheles arabiensis and An. quadriannulatus species B mosquitoes were collected at sites of human and livestock housing and analysed for blood feeding patterns and infection with malaria sporozoites. A low percentage of human blood meals at some sites suggested that zooprophylaxis could be effective in reducing challenge from Plasmodium falciparum

Environmental management in the Caribbean accommodations sector

This study focused on the implementation of environmental management (EM) in the Caribbean accommodations sector based on diffusion of innovations theory. More specifically, it examined the status of EM and the differences between adopters and non-adopters in terms of hotel characteristics, attitudes to the natural environment, familiarity, and the constraints to implementation. This study was conducted among general managers and owners of various types of accommodations within the 19 English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. Data were collected via an online user-administered questionnaire due to the wide geographic range. There were 197 completed questionnaires with at least one respondent from each country. Based on the results, four different levels of EM have been implemented and have diffused to two thirds of the sector throughout the region, though some countries exhibited a higher proportion of adopters. Generally, adopters were small properties 75 rooms or less. Adopters and non-adopters were compared to determine differences and there were very few variations between adopters and non-adopters. However, given that adoption of EM is still in the growth segment of the diffusion curve, the number of non-adopters may decrease over time as some of the non-adopters have indicated that they were relatively new properties and/or intended to implement EM in the future. Overall, the results have implications for hoteliers, local and regional hotel associations, and policy makers

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of gastroretentive floating drug delivery system of ofloxacin

AbstractThis study aimed to develop hydrophilic matrix based controlled release gastroretentive drug delivery system of ofloxacin and conducting its in vitro and in vivo evaluations. Effervescent floating gastroretentive drug delivery system of ofloxacin was prepared utilizing Box–Behnken statistical design with 3 factors, 3 levels and 15 experimental trials. Formulation optimization was done by setting targets on selected responses. In vivo studies were carried out for the optimized formulation with 12 healthy human volunteers and obtained pharmacokinetic parameters were compared with the marketed once daily formulation, “Zanocin OD”. Optimized formulation showed satisfactory controlled in vitro drug release for more than 12 h with excellent buoyancy properties (floating lag time <1 min, floating duration >16 h). Optimized and marketed formulations were found to have similar in vitro release profile (f2 = 79.22) and also were found to be bioequivalent. Serum ofloxacin concentration was well maintained above its reported minimum inhibitory concentrations for most of the pathogens for sufficiently longer duration. Cmax and AUC values of optimized formulation were found to be significantly higher than of marketed product despite their bioequivalence. Bettertherapeutic effect can be expected since ofloxacin exhibits concentration dependent killing. Hence, gastroretention can be a promising approach to enhance bioavailability of ofloxacin with narrow absorption window in upper GIT

Is the Job Satisfaction Survey a good tool to measure job satisfaction amongst health workers in Nepal? Results of a validation analysis

BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction is an important predictor of an individual's intention to leave the workplace. It is increasingly being used to consider the retention of health workers in low-income countries. However, the determinants of job satisfaction vary in different contexts, and it is important to use measurement methods that are contextually appropriate. We identified a measurement tool developed by Paul Spector, and used mixed methods to assess its validity and reliability in measuring job satisfaction among maternal and newborn health workers (MNHWs) in government facilities in rural Nepal. METHODS: We administered the tool to 137 MNHWs and collected qualitative data from 78 MNHWs, and district and central level stakeholders to explore definitions of job satisfaction and factors that affected it. We calculated a job satisfaction index for all MNHWs using quantitative data and tested for validity, reliability and sensitivity. We conducted qualitative content analysis and compared the job satisfaction indices with qualitative data. RESULTS: Results from the internal consistency tests offer encouraging evidence of the validity, reliability and sensitivity of the tool. Overall, the job satisfaction indices reflected the qualitative data. The tool was able to distinguish levels of job satisfaction among MNHWs. However, the work environment and promotion dimensions of the tool did not adequately reflect local conditions. Further, community fit was found to impact job satisfaction but was not captured by the tool. The relatively high incidence of missing responses may suggest that responding to some statements was perceived as risky. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the adapted job satisfaction survey was able to measure job satisfaction in Nepal. However, it did not include key contextual factors affecting job satisfaction of MNHWs, and as such may have been less sensitive than a more inclusive measure. The findings suggest that this tool can be used in similar settings and populations, with the addition of statements reflecting the nature of the work environment and structure of the local health system. Qualitative data on job satisfaction should be collected before using the tool in a new context, to highlight any locally relevant dimensions of job satisfaction not already captured in the standard survey