Screening Potential Probiotic Bacteria as Starter Culture from Traditional Fermented Ensete (Ensete Ventricosum (WELW) Cheesman

Fermented Ensete (Ensete ventricosum (Welw) Cheesman) commonly called false banana is an important nutrient source in southern part of Ethiopia. This study aimed at screening potential probiotic bacteria from a traditional fermented Ensete. A total of 12(twelve) samples were collected from local traditional fermented Ensete. Various morphological and biochemical tests were performed for screening of the potential probiotic bacteria as starter culture. Media optimization was carried out for cultivation of the potential isolate. The potential isolate was found to be gram positive, non motile, negative for (Catalase, indole). This bacterium had broad range of pH 4.0 – 8.0 and temperature of 25-40 (0c). It was tolerant to 1-4% salt concentration. High growth rate of the isolate was observed in the presence of 2 % glucose and 0.2 % peptone. The optimum temperature and pH for high biomass production was observed at 370c and pH of 7. Fermentation of Ensete with isolate increased the nutritional value and aroma of a food as well. The isolate was found to be Lactobacilli sp. CH2 which fulfills the required criteria for a probiotic such as tolerance to such as high salt, low pH, body temperature range. The result in this study is reproducible and reliable for further processing of Ensete in the local community. Molecular study should be done for characterization of this potential strain. Keywords: Lactobacilli, Prebiotic, Probiotic, Starter culture

Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Lockport, Illinois

Includes bibliographical references (p. 75)

Determinants of acceptance of voluntary HIV testing among antenatal clinic attendees at Dil Chora Hospital, Dire Dawa, East Ethiopia

Back ground: Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is one of the best interventions to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV. Despite the proven benefits of VCT, many women are not willing to have HIV testing.Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors that determine the acceptance of voluntary HIV testing among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Dil Chora Hospital in Dire Dawa. Method: The study employed unmatched case control study which was conducted from August 20 to September 10, 2006. The study population consisted of 234 antenatal care followers. Cases were antenatal care followers who werecounseled and tested for HIV in the current pregnancy. Controls were antenatal care followers who were counseled but not tested for HIV in the current pregnancy. Data were collected by trained enumerators using structured questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analysis was carried out using SPSS version 12.0.1 software. Results: The majority (79.5%) of respondents (97.4% of cases and 60.5% of controls) had good knowledge on HIV, mother to child transmission and VCT. Marital status; knowledge about HIV, mother to child transmission and VCT; attitude towards VCT; antenatal care follow up and perceived benefits of VCT were independent predictors of acceptance of voluntary HIV testing. Conclusion: Knowledge on MTCT and VCT, positive attitude towards VCT, antenatal care follow-up were predictors of acceptance of VCT. During the VCT session, health professionals should focus on knowledge, attitude, and benefitsof VCT

Availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables in nine regions of Ethiopia with special emphasis to vitamin A deficiency

Background: Vegetables and fruits are the main sources of a number of essential micronutrients, and therefore, information on availability and consumption of vegetables/fruits is vital in designing sustainable interventions to prevent micronutrient deficiencies, particularly that of vitamin A deficiency. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia.Methods: Employing, multistage cluster sampling approach, a sample of 2552 households in nine administrative regions were interviewed on availability and consumption practice of vegetables and fruits. Results: In aggregate, 41.5% and 75.5% of households did not produce/cultivate any of the common vegetables and fruits over the year preceding the survey, respectively. The proportion of households who did not produce/cultivate vegetables was high in Addis Ababa (99.7%), Afar (94.9%), Dire Dawa (94.2%) and Tigray (86.4%). The proportion of households who did not produce/cultivate fruits was highest in Addis Ababa (100%), followed in Dire Dawa (95.3%), Afar (92.9%), Tigray (92.2%), Harari (83.3%) and Oromiya (81.8%). In the overall, 38.1% and 36.5% of the children studied did not eat vegetable and fruit in the week preceding the survey, respectively. Own production of fruits and vegetables was significantly better (

The role of wetlands in stormwater runoff for the Flint and Mutton Creek watersheds, Lake County, Illinois

"November 1993.""Prepared for the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.""Office of Sediment & Wetland Studies.

Bacterial Profile and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Isolates Among Burn Patients at Yekatit 12 Hospital Burn Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in burn patients. Clinical diagnosis of bacteremia and/or sepsis in burn patients is difficult for a number of reasons. It could be symptomatic and/or asymptomatic as a result of immune deficiency secondary to thermal injury.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Yekatit 12 Hospital Burn Center. Blood specimen and wound swab were collected from burn patients and were cultured by conventional method. Sensitivity/susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined by disc diffusion method. Some of the risk factors of bacteremia like prior antibiotic use and total body surface area burn were also determined.Results: Fifty patients were enrolled in the study of whom 21(42%) were found bacteremic. Five different bacteria were isolated from blood specimen. Coagulase negative Staphylococci, 9(42.8%), S. aureus, 8(38.2%), Bacillus spps, 2(9.52%), K. pneumoniae, 1(4.8%), and P. aeruginosa, 1(4.8%), were frequent isolates. From wound swab, S. aureus, (34.04%), and P. aeruginosa, (31.8%), were predominant. Antimicrobial resistance was observed for Ampicillin, (77.4%), Doxycycline, (74.0), Nalidixic acid, (70.5%), Penicillin G, (68.2%), and tetracycline, (67.5%). Total body surface area of burn ≥ 15% was found as a risk factor for bacteremia.Conclusion: Bacteremia was detected at a rate of 42% among burn patients. Frequent isolates were S. aureus, (34.04%), and P. aeruginosa, (31.8%). About 82.16% of the isolates showed multiple resistances. In light of our findings, regular antibiotic resistance test has to be done for each patient in order to select an appropriate antimicrobial agent.Keywords: Bacteraemia, Burn, Sepsis, Thermal injur

Prevalence of group B Streptococcus colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of Hawassa Health Center, Hawassa, Ethiopia

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae are members of the normal flora of the female genital tract. GBS has become the major cause of bacterial infections in the peri-natal period, includingbacteraemia, amnionitis, endometritis, and urinary tract infection in pregnant women as well as sepsis and meningitis in neonates and young infants. Infection of the new born may be acquired by the intra-amniotic route or directly during passage through the birth canal.Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization and to analyze related risk factors among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of Hawassa Health centre, Adare Hospital Hawassa, Ethiopia.Methods: A total of 139 pregnant women were screened for GBS  colonization between May and June 2010. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify GBS from vaginal and ano-rectal swabs obtained from study subjects. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for all GBS isolates according to the criteria of the Clinical and laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) by disk diffusion method.Results: A total of 29 out of 139 (20.9%) pregnant women were colonized by GBS. No statistically significant association was observed for GBS colonization with any of socio-demographic characteristics of the study subjects including age, occupation, type of contraceptive used, parity, number of antenatal clinic visits. All GBS strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin and gentamicin. Resistance was observed against erythromycin (6.9%), tetracycline (48.2%), ceftriaxone (10.3%), chloramphenicol (51.7%), ciprofloxacin (13.8%) and norfloxacin(10.3%).Conclusion: This study showed that prevalence of GBS colonization was 20.9% among the study subjects. The finding of this study was comparable with findings reported from developed and developing countries. However,further epidemiological investigations should be done in different parts of the country in order to know the actual GBS colonization rate in pregnant women and to consider the use of intra-partum antibiotics prophylaxis for prevention of early onset GBS-neonatal diseases.[Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2012;26(1):36-42

Longer delays in diagnosis and treatment ofpulmonary tuberculosis in pastoralist setting, Eastern Ethiopia

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the extent of patient, health system and total delays in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in Somali pastoralist setting, Ethiopia. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study among 444 confirmed new pulmonary TB patients aged ≥15 years in 5 TB care units was conducted between December 2017 and October 2018. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and record review. We measured delays from symptom onset to provider visit, provider visit to diagnosis and diagnosis to treatment initiation. Delays were summarized using median days. Mann- Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare delays between categories of explanatory variables. The Log-binomial regression model was used to reveal factors associated with health system delay ≥15 days, presented in adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The median age of patients was 30 years, ranged from 15 to 82. The majority (62.4%) were male, and nearly half (46.4%) were pastoralists. The median patient, health system and total delays were 30 (19-48.5), 14 (4.5-29.5) and 50 (35-73.5) days, respec-tively. The median patient delay (35.5 days) and total delay (58.5 days) among pastoralists were substantially higher than the equivalent delays among non-pastoralists [p<0.001]. Of all, 3.8% of patients (16 of 18 were pastoralists) delayed longer than 6 months without initiating treatment. Factors associated with health system delay ≥15 days were mild symptoms [APR (95% CI) = 1.4 (1.1-1.7)], smear-negativity [APR (95% CI) = 1.2 (1.01- 1.5)], first visit to health centers [APR (95% CI) = 1.6 (1.3-2.0)] and multiple provider contacts [APR (95% CI) = 5.8 (3.5-9.6)]. Conclusion: Delay in diagnosis and treatment remains a major challenge of tuberculosis control targets in pastoralist settings of Ethiopia. Efforts to expand services tailored to transhumance patterns and diagnostic capacity of primary healthcare units need to be prioritized. © 2020 Getnet et al.Purpose: This study aimed to assess the extent of patient, health system and total delays in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in Somali pastoralist setting, Ethiopia. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study among 444 confirmed new pulmonary TB patients aged ≥15 years in 5 TB care units was conducted between December 2017 and October 2018. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and record review. We measured delays from symptom onset to provider visit, provider visit to diagnosis and diagnosis to treatment initiation. Delays were summarized using median days. Mann- Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare delays between categories of explanatory variables. The Log-binomial regression model was used to reveal factors associated with health system delay ≥15 days, presented in adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The median age of patients was 30 years, ranged from 15 to 82. The majority (62.4%) were male, and nearly half (46.4%) were pastoralists. The median patient, health system and total delays were 30 (19-48.5), 14 (4.5-29.5) and 50 (35-73.5) days, respec-tively. The median patient delay (35.5 days) and total delay (58.5 days) among pastoralists were substantially higher than the equivalent delays among non-pastoralists [p<0.001]. Of all, 3.8% of patients (16 of 18 were pastoralists) delayed longer than 6 months without initiating treatment. Factors associated with health system delay ≥15 days were mild symptoms [APR (95% CI) = 1.4 (1.1-1.7)], smear-negativity [APR (95% CI) = 1.2 (1.01- 1.5)], first visit to health centers [APR (95% CI) = 1.6 (1.3-2.0)] and multiple provider contacts [APR (95% CI) = 5.8 (3.5-9.6)]. Conclusion: Delay in diagnosis and treatment remains a major challenge of tuberculosis control targets in pastoralist settings of Ethiopia. Efforts to expand services tailored to transhumance patterns and diagnostic capacity of primary healthcare units need to be prioritized. © 2020 Getnet et al

Challenges in delivery of tuberculosis services in Ethiopian pastoralist settings: clues for reforming service models and organizational structures

BACKGROUND: The End-TB strategy aims to see a world free of tuberculosis (TB) by the coming decade through detecting and treating all cases irrespective of socioeconomic inequalities. However, case detections and treatment outcomes have not been as they should be in Somali pastoral settings of Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to explore the challenges that hinder the delivery and utilization of TB services in pastoral areas. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted between December 2017 and October 2018 among pastoralist patients with delay of >/=2 months in seeking healthcare, healthcare providers and programme managers. Data were collected from different sources using 41 in-depth interviews, observations of facilities and a review meeting of providers from 50 health facilities. The data were transcribed, coded and analyzed to identify pre-defined and emerging sub-themes. ATLAS.ti version 7.0 was used for coding data, categorizing codes, and visualizing networks. RESULTS: Poor knowledge of TB and its services, limited accessibility (unreachability, unavailability and unacceptability), pastoralism, and initial healthcare-seeking at informal drug vendors that provide improper medications were the key barriers hindering the uptake of TB medical services. Inadequate infrastructure, shortage of trained and enthused providers, interruptions of drugs and laboratory supplies, scarce equipment, programme management gaps, lack of tailored approach, low private engagement, and cross-border movement were the major challenges affecting the provision of TB services for pastoral communities. The root factors were limited potential healthcare coverage, lack of zonal and district TB units, mobility and drought, strategy and funding gaps, and poor development infrastructure. CONCLUSION: In pastoral settings of Ethiopia, the major challenges of TB services are limited access, illicit medication practices, inadequate resources, structural deficits, and lack of tailored approaches. Hence, for the pastoral TB control to be successful, mobile screening and treatment modalities and engaging rural drug vendors will be instrumental in enhancing case findings and treatment compliance; whereas, service expansion and management decentralization will be essential to create responsive structures for overcoming challenges

Critical trends assessment project report: trends in suspended sediments and sedimentation in Illinois streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs

Includes bibliographical references (p. 52)."Prepared for the Illinois Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources.