Rangeland condition and feed resources in Metema district, North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in 2006/07 in Metema district, North Gondar Zone of Amhara region, Ethiopia, with the objectives to characterize the existing rangeland and to determine the feed resources utilization practices, to assess the natural grazing land condition based on herbaceous, woody and soil condition and to evaluate the chemical composition of major livestock feed resources of the area. A single-visit formal survey, group discussions and visual observations are used to collect the primary information and secondary sources are also used in livestock feed resources assessment of the district. A total of 140 respondents from 7 kebeles were selected for interviewing by stratified random sampling techniques. To assess the range conditions, the samples were collected by classifying the district into cotton–livestock and sesame–livestock farming systems. Within a farming system, grazing lands were further stratified into three sampling areas: communal, road side and enclosure grazing areas. In each of the range sites a sampling block of 4 km × 1 km was demarcated and this was further stratified into four sampling plots of equal size. In each of the plot, a belt transects of 50 m × 4 m was laid out randomly. Then, the parameter used for (herbaceous, soil and woody) grass species composition, basal cover, litter cover, soil erosion, soil compaction, seedling count, age distribution and woody density enumeration, canopy cover and hedging were determined. For the height classes 1–3 m, >3–4.5 m and >4.5 m was used. Feed samples were stratified by season and types and subjected to chemical analysis for determination of DM, ash, CP, ADF, ADL and IVDMD. About 83% of the inhabitants in the district practice mixed crop–livestock farming system. The mean family size is 5.31 ± 0.20 persons per household, while the average land holding is 6.78 ± 1.33 ha/household. The mean livestock holding per household is 12.52 ± 6.23 TLU, and is composed of cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and camels. Natural pasture (55.7%), crop residues (20.7%), stubble (14.3%) and hay (9.3%) are the major feed resources for dry season whereas in the wet season only natural pasture serves as feed resource. The total estimated DM yield of grazing land and stubble is 780,750 and 51,954 t DM per annum, respectively. The total estimated available feed supply is 833,531.2 t DM per annum. Of the identified 33 herbaceous species, 14 and 19 are different grasses and non-grass species. From the non-grass species 6 legumes and 13 sedges and other species are recorded. Of the grasses, 23.07%, 38.46% and 30.77% are highly desirable, desirable and less desirable, respectively. Of the identified 20 woody species, 15%, 35%, and 50% are highly desirable, desirable and less desirable, respectively. The largest proportion of woody vegetation is contributed by different species of acacia (20%)and commbretum (10%). Trees and shrubs grouped within the height class of >1–3 m constituted 41.2% in communal grazing areas, 38.5% in road side grazing and 33.3% in enclosures. Range condition assessment factors such as basal cover, litter cover, grass species composition, woody vegetation density, canopy cover, hedging effect, age distribution and total condition score are significant (P<0.05) in communal grazing areas of the sesame–livestock than in the cotton–livestock farming system. The communal grazing areas have significantly (P< 0.05) higher values of grass species composition, basal cover, litter cover, age distribution, and woody species density score, than the road side grazing areas and lower (P<0.05) than the enclosure grazing areas. The dry matter biomass of grass, highly desirable, desirable species of grasses and legumes and others obtained in the same farming system were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the road side grazing types and lower (P<0.05) in total grass biomass, highly desirable grass, and total biomass than enclosure areas. The total dry matter biomass, dry matter biomass of grass and highly desirable grasses, and legumes are significantly (P<0.05) higher in the enclosure followed by communal grazing and the road side grazing areas. In general, there is low feed resources conservation and utilization and very poor traditional grazing land management system in Metema. The abundant feed resources in the wet season are wasted. In the dry season, grasses are turned to ash by wild and man-made fire in the process of forest honey harvesting and crop land cleaning. As a result, the livestock populations seriously suffer from the critical feed shortage during the long dry season.The rangeland, species composition and biomass production are also affected by human, livestock and natural factors (biotic and abiotic factors). The human population of the district has increased due to settlement programs, investment induced settlers, expanding crop cultivation and have increased the pressure on the rangelands and natural grazing areas. Bush encroachment and overgrazing are also serious problems. Shifting cultivation practice is also contributing to the increased bush encroachment. The seasonal movement and transhumant livestock production by highlanders in adjacent districts also increases the grazing intensity. Absence of adequate baseline information about the rangeland resources, unsynchronized seasonal availability of feed resources and cropland encroachment to the rangeland are some of the main constraints of the district, and studies on rangeland management systems and improved livestock production should be initiated

Modeling the response of tropical highland herbaceous grassland species to climate change:the case of the Arsi mountains of Ethiopia

AbstractGlobal warming is forcing plant and animal species to respond either through pole-ward or upslope migration to adjust to temperature increases, and grassland communities are not an exception to this phenomenon. In this study, we modeled the response of herbaceous species of grasslands within the Arsi Mountains in Ethiopia under no-migration and with migration scenarios to the projected 4.2°C increase of temperature by 2090 (under the A2 emission scenario). For 67 species of grasses and legumes, we determined the current and predicted altitudinal limits and calculated current and projected area coverage using a Digital Elevation Model. The results indicated that the projected warming significantly reduced altitudinal ranges and habitat areas of all the species studied. All the studied species faced range contraction and habitat loss with range shift gaps among forty two species under the no-migration scenario. With the migration scenario, however, the forty two species with range shift gaps are predicted to benefit from at least some habitat area retention. Between growth forms, legumes are predicted to lose significantly more habitat area than grasses under the no-migration scenario while no significant difference in habitat area loss is predicted under the migration scenario. It can be concluded that management options are required to facilitate upslope species migration to survive under the warming climate. This could involve leaving suitable dispersal corridors and assisted colonization depending on species behavior and level of extinction risk predicted under the projected warming

Mapping the vegetation of the Lake Tana basin, Ethiopia, using Google Earth images

The basin of Lake Tana is one of the most important watersheds in the Nile Basin. It is of great significance to the economy and politics of Ethiopia. In the past, the natural vegetation of the Lake Tana basin was heavily damaged to facilitate the continued expansion of cropland. Vegetation must be conserved and restored to protect the natural environment and maintain the biodiversity of the Lake Tana basin. In this research, we mapped the vegetation of the Lake Tana basin through visual interpretation using high-spatial-resolution images provided by Google Earth and field survey data to provide detailed information of the actual vegetation state for planning conservation and restoration. A total of 33&thinsp;171 polygons were generated to represent the vegetation patches of the Lake Tana basin on the map, and the validation using surveyed vegetation plots indicated that 90&thinsp;% of the patches were correctly identified. The DOI of the dataset used for map production is https://doi.org/10.4121/uuid:48d45053-36f6-411b-96b1-7ae0e22d56d0. We expect that this vegetation map could benefit vegetation conservation and restoration in the Lake Tana basin.</p

Computational strategies for single-cell multi-omics integration

Single-cell omics technologies are currently solving biological and medical problems that earlier have remained elusive, such as discovery of new cell types, cellular differentiation trajectories and communication networks across cells and tissues. Current advances especially in single-cell multi-omics hold high potential for breakthroughs by integration of multiple different omics layers. To pair with the recent biotechnological developments, many computational approaches to process and analyze single-cell multi-omics data have been proposed. In this review, we first introduce recent developments in single-cell multi-omics in general and then focus on the available data integration strategies. The integration approaches are divided into three categories: early, intermediate, and late data integration. For each category, we describe the underlying conceptual principles and main characteristics, as well as provide examples of currently available tools and how they have been applied to analyze single-cell multi-omics data. Finally, we explore the challenges and prospective future directions of single-cell multi-omics data integration, including examples of adopting multi-view analysis approaches used in other disciplines to single-cell multi-omics.</p

Growth inhibition of oral mutans streptococci and candida by commercial probiotic lactobacilli - an in vitro study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Probiotic bacteria are suggested to play a role in the maintenance of oral health. Such health promoting bacteria are added to different commercial probiotic products. The aim of the study was to investigate the ability of a selection of lactobacilli strains, used in commercially available probiotic products, to inhibit growth of oral mutans streptococci and <it>C. albicans in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eight probiotic lactobacilli strains were tested for growth inhibition on three reference strains and two clinical isolates of mutans streptococci as well as two reference strains and three clinical isolates of <it>Candida albicans </it>with an agar overlay method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At concentrations ranging from 10⁹to 10⁵CFU/ml, all lactobacilli strains inhibited the growth of the mutans streptococci completely with the exception of <it>L. acidophilus </it>La5 that executed only a slight inhibition of some strains at concentrations corresponding to 10⁷and 10⁵CFU/ml. At the lowest cell concentration (10³CFU/ml), only <it>L. plantarum </it>299v and <it>L. plantarum </it>931 displayed a total growth inhibition while a slight inhibition was seen for all five mutans streptococci strains by <it>L. rhamnosus </it>LB21, <it>L. paracasei </it>F19, <it>L. reuteri </it>PTA 5289 and <it>L. reuteri </it>ATCC 55730. All the tested lactobacilli strains reduced candida growth but the effect was generally weaker than for mutans streptococci. The two <it>L. plantarum </it>strains and <it>L. reuteri </it>ATCC 55730 displayed the strongest inhibition on <it>Candida albicans</it>. No significant differences were observed between the reference strains and the clinical isolates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The selected probiotic strains showed a significant but somewhat varying ability to inhibit growth of oral mutans streptococci and <it>Candida albicans in vitro</it>.</p

In vivo efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Central Ethiopia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>In vivo </it>efficacy assessments of the first-line treatments for <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>malaria are essential for ensuring effective case management. In Ethiopia, artemether-lumefantrine (AL) has been the first-line treatment for uncomplicated <it>P. falciparum </it>malaria since 2004.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between October and November 2009, we conducted a 42-day, single arm, open label study of AL for <it>P. falciparum </it>in individuals >6 months of age at two sites in Oromia State, Ethiopia. Eligible patients who had documented <it>P. falciparum </it>mono-infection were enrolled and followed according to the standard 2009 World Health Organization <it>in vivo </it>drug efficacy monitoring protocol. The primary and secondary endpoints were PCR uncorrected and corrected cure rates, as measured by adequate clinical and parasitological response on days 28 and 42, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 4426 patients tested, 120 with confirmed falciparum malaria were enrolled and treated with AL. Follow-up was completed for 112 patients at day 28 and 104 patients at day 42. There was one late parasitological failure, which was classified as undetermined after genotyping. Uncorrected cure rates at both day 28 and 42 for the per protocol analysis were 99.1% (95% CI 95.1-100.0); corrected cure rates at both day 28 and 42 were 100.0%. Uncorrected cure rates at day 28 and 42 for the intention to treat analysis were 93.3% (95% CI 87.2-97.1) and 86.6% (95% CI 79.1-92.1), respectively, while the corrected cure rates at day 28 and 42 were 94.1% (95% CI 88.2-97.6) and 87.3% (95% CI 79.9-92.7), respectively. Using survival analysis, the unadjusted cure rate was 99.1% and 100.0% adjusted by genotyping for day 28 and 42, respectively. Eight <it>P. falciparum </it>patients (6.7%) presented with <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>infection during follow-up and were excluded from the per protocol analysis. Only one patient had persistent parasitaemia at day 3. No serious adverse events were reported, with cough and nausea/vomiting being the most common adverse events.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>AL remains a highly effective and well-tolerated treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the study setting after several years of universal access to AL. A high rate of parasitaemia with <it>P. vivax </it>possibly from relapse or new infection was observed.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p><a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01052584">NCT01052584</a></p

Reducing stigma and increasing workplace productivity due to mental health difficulties in a large government organization in the UK: a protocol for a randomised control treatment trial (RCT) of a low intensity psychological intervention and stigma reduction programme for common mental disorder (Prevail)

Background Common mental disorders are the leading cause of workplace absences. While the reasons for this are multifarious, there is little doubt that stigma related to common mental disorder plays a large role in sickness absence and in poor help-seeking. Frequently both managers and staff are unsure of how to approach and intervene with mental health related problems. We have therefore devised a mental health intervention programme (Prevail) that aims to reduce stigma and to educate staff about evidence-based low intensity psychological interventions. These can be used by the individual, as well as in collaboration with managers via co-production of problem-focussed solutions, with the aim of improving mental health, reducing sickness absence, and increasing workplace productivity. Methods This two-armed cluster randomised control trial (RCT) will evaluate the effectiveness of Prevail. Eighty managers at a large UK government institution (the DVLA) and their teams (approximately 960 employees) will be randomised into the active intervention group or control (employment as usual) arms of the study. All participants will be invited to complete a series of questionnaires related to mental health stigma, their current and past mental health, and their recent workplace productivity (absenteeism and presenteeism). All employees in the active arm will receive the Prevail Staff intervention, which covers stigma reduction and includes psychoeducation about evidence-based low intensity psychological interventions for common mental disorder. The managers in the active arm will also receive the Prevail Managers programme which covers communication skills, problem formulation, and problem-solving skills. The questionnaire battery will then be given to both groups again 4 weeks post training, and 12 months post-training. Official records of absenteeism from Human Resources will also be gathered from both active and control groups at 12 months post-training

Malaria in Africa: Vector Species' Niche Models and Relative Risk Maps

A central theoretical goal of epidemiology is the construction of spatial models of disease prevalence and risk, including maps for the potential spread of infectious disease. We provide three continent-wide maps representing the relative risk of malaria in Africa based on ecological niche models of vector species and risk analysis at a spatial resolution of 1 arc-minute (9 185 275 cells of approximately 4 sq km). Using a maximum entropy method we construct niche models for 10 malaria vector species based on species occurrence records since 1980, 19 climatic variables, altitude, and land cover data (in 14 classes). For seven vectors (Anopheles coustani, A. funestus, A. melas, A. merus, A. moucheti, A. nili, and A. paludis) these are the first published niche models. We predict that Central Africa has poor habitat for both A. arabiensis and A. gambiae, and that A. quadriannulatus and A. arabiensis have restricted habitats in Southern Africa as claimed by field experts in criticism of previous models. The results of the niche models are incorporated into three relative risk models which assume different ecological interactions between vector species. The “additive” model assumes no interaction; the “minimax” model assumes maximum relative risk due to any vector in a cell; and the “competitive exclusion” model assumes the relative risk that arises from the most suitable vector for a cell. All models include variable anthrophilicity of vectors and spatial variation in human population density. Relative risk maps are produced from these models. All models predict that human population density is the critical factor determining malaria risk. Our method of constructing relative risk maps is equally general. We discuss the limits of the relative risk maps reported here, and the additional data that are required for their improvement. The protocol developed here can be used for any other vector-borne disease

Measuring the availability of human resources for health and its relationship to universal health coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Human resources for health (HRH) include a range of occupations that aim to promote or improve human health. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO Health Workforce 2030 strategy have drawn attention to the importance of HRH for achieving policy priorities such as universal health coverage (UHC). Although previous research has found substantial global disparities in HRH, the absence of comparable cross-national estimates of existing workforces has hindered efforts to quantify workforce requirements to meet health system goals. We aimed to use comparable and standardised data sources to estimate HRH densities globally, and to examine the relationship between a subset of HRH cadres and UHC effective coverage performance. Methods: Through the International Labour Organization and Global Health Data Exchange databases, we identified 1404 country-years of data from labour force surveys and 69 country-years of census data, with detailed microdata on health-related employment. From the WHO National Health Workforce Accounts, we identified 2950 country-years of data. We mapped data from all occupational coding systems to the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 (ISCO-88), allowing for standardised estimation of densities for 16 categories of health workers across the full time series. Using data from 1990 to 2019 for 196 of 204 countries and territories, covering seven Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) super-regions and 21 regions, we applied spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) to model HRH densities from 1990 to 2019 for all countries and territories. We used stochastic frontier meta-regression to model the relationship between the UHC effective coverage index and densities for the four categories of health workers enumerated in SDG indicator 3.c.1 pertaining to HRH: physicians, nurses and midwives, dentistry personnel, and pharmaceutical personnel. We identified minimum workforce density thresholds required to meet a specified target of 80 out of 100 on the UHC effective coverage index, and quantified national shortages with respect to those minimum thresholds. Findings: We estimated that, in 2019, the world had 104·0 million (95% uncertainty interval 83·5–128·0) health workers, including 12·8 million (9·7–16·6) physicians, 29·8 million (23·3–37·7) nurses and midwives, 4·6 million (3·6–6·0) dentistry personnel, and 5·2 million (4·0–6·7) pharmaceutical personnel. We calculated a global physician density of 16·7 (12·6–21·6) per 10 000 population, and a nurse and midwife density of 38·6 (30·1–48·8) per 10 000 population. We found the GBD super-regions of sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and north Africa and the Middle East had the lowest HRH densities. To reach 80 out of 100 on the UHC effective coverage index, we estimated that, per 10 000 population, at least 20·7 physicians, 70·6 nurses and midwives, 8·2 dentistry personnel, and 9·4 pharmaceutical personnel would be needed. In total, the 2019 national health workforces fell short of these minimum thresholds by 6·4 million physicians, 30·6 million nurses and midwives, 3·3 million dentistry personnel, and 2·9 million pharmaceutical personnel. Interpretation: Considerable expansion of the world's health workforce is needed to achieve high levels of UHC effective coverage. The largest shortages are in low-income settings, highlighting the need for increased financing and coordination to train, employ, and retain human resources in the health sector. Actual HRH shortages might be larger than estimated because minimum thresholds for each cadre of health workers are benchmarked on health systems that most efficiently translate human resources into UHC attainment