Background: Diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (pTB) in children is challenging due to the difficulties in acquiring respiratory specimens, which unspecific and paucibacillary disease presentation, and the lack of sensitive diagnostic assays with non-invasive sample collection methods. As a result, millions of children around the world get tuberculosis (TB) each year, which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Stool and Respiratory Sample-based Genexpert MTB/RIF assay from presumptive TB among children in Northwest, Ethiopia.
Methods and Materials: Hospital based cross-sectional with diagnostic accuracy study was conducted on consecutively recruited presumptive TB children. Data were collected by sem-structured questionnaires. Single respiratory (5ml) and 3g stool specimen were collected Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) and Xpert assay. Laboratory SOPs were strictly followed to assure the quality of whole procedures. The diagnostic accuracy of stool Xpert was evaluated against respiratory specimen Xpert, culture and composite reference standards (CRS). Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for the stool Xpert assay were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) with MedCal statistical software. Data were entered in EPIData V4.2 and exported to SPSS 25 for further analysis.
Results: A total of 557 children were recruited; 510 of whom had complete microbiological results. Overall, pTB was diagnosed in 52/510 (10.2%) of the children with presumptive TB. Of these, only four had microbiologically unconfirmed pTB, were clinically diagnosed with positive response to anti-TB and the remaining 48 were microbiologically confirmed (Positive Xeprt and LJ culture). Stool specimen Xpert had sensitivity of 93.8 %( 95%CI: 82.8-98.6) and specificity of 99.8% (95%CI: 98.7–100) compared to culture; however, the sensitivity of stool was 88.5% (72-95.6) and specificity 100% (99.2-100) when compared to CRS. The Xpert on respiratory specimen had sensitivity and specificity of 95.8 % (85.8– 99.5) and 99.8% (98.7–100) to culture and 92.3 %( 81.4-97.9) and 100% (99.2-100) compared to CRS.
Conclusion: The sensitivity and specificity of Xpert assay for stool specimen is almost similar to that of respiratory specimen. Stool specimen is a highly promising alternative specimen in the diagnosis of pTB in children when respiratory specimen is impossible.


Key words: Diagnostic accuracy, pulmonary tuberculosis, Xpert MTB/RIF, Stool, Children

Introduction Protecting digital health data from unauthorized access, alteration, and destruction is a crucial aspectof healthcare digitalization. Currently, digital security breaches are becoming more common. Healthcare databreaches have compromised over 50 million medical records per year. In Ethiopia, health digitization has growngradually. However, there is a limitation of study in digital health security. Studying digital health data security helpsindividuals protect digital data as a baseline and contributes to developing a digital health security policy.Objective To assess the practice of healthcare professionals in digital health data security among specializedteaching referral hospitals in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.Method A cross-sectional study design supplemented by a qualitative purposive sampling method was usedto measure the digital data security practices of health professionals. The sample size was determined via singlepopulation proportion formula. A simple random sampling technique was used for the study participants. Then, self-administered questionnaires were administered. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to identify associated factorsusing STATA software. For the qualitative study, key informant interviews were used and analyzed using thematicanalysis approach via open-code software.Results Out of the 423 health professionals, 95.0% were involved in the survey. The finding indicates digital healthdata security practice of health professionals working at specialized teaching hospitals were 45.0%, CI: (40, 50). Healthprofessionals 41–45-year age group (AOR = 0.107), master’s degree (AOR = 2.45), postmaster’s degree (AOR = 3.87),time to visit the internet for more than two hours (AOR = 2.46), basic computer training (AOR = 2.77), training indigital data security (AOR = 2.14), and knowledge (AOR = 1.76) were associated with the practice of digital health datasecurity. For the qualitative study, three teams were prepared. The findings indicate digital health data security can beimproved through training, advanced knowledge and working with digital security.
Conclusion The practice of digital health data security in specialized teaching hospitals in the Amhara region wasinadequate. Therefore, it can be improved through enhancing education status, increasing the time needed to visitthe internet, providing computer training, and updating health professionals’ knowledge toward digital health datasecurity.Keywords Practice, Digital health, Digital data security, Health profession

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Globally, the amount of time children spend using electronic or digital devices—commonly referred to as screen time are increasingly prevalent. This growing prevalence of screen time among children has raised concerns about its impact on their development. Therefore, this study aimed to explore three key themes: (1) the availability and use of electronic devices in households, (2) factors contributing to excessive screen time among children, and (3) the relationship between screen time and children's cognitive, emotional, and social development. The study was conducted in five selected towns within the East Gojjam Administrative Zone, namely Debre Markos, Bichena, Merto Lemariam, Dejen, and Lumame. For the quantitative data, 845 participants were chosen using multistage sampling techniques. Additionally, qualitative data was collected through interviews with 25 participants, 9 focus group discussions, and the collection of 16 diaries. We collected data by using questionnaires, semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and diary records. For quantitative data analysis, SPSS version 20 was used. To summarize the demographic characteristics of participants, and describe the availability and use of electronic devices, descriptive statistics such as percentage and mean were used. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the total and device-specific screen time and children’s socioemotional and cognitive development. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that children ages 2 to 5 had an average screen time of 244 minutes each day. The two most frequently used electronic devices in this age group are televisions, at 80.4%, and smartphones, at 45.2%. The multiple regression analysis indicated that parental screen time, mother’s employment status, and age were significantly and positively associated with children’s screen time. In conclusion, screen time for children aged 2 to 5 years exceeds the recommended limit. To have proper screen time for both parents and children, it is important to establish and implement clear guidelines.

Knowledge of domestic dog ecology and demography has been recognized as central to the designof an effective rabies control program. The study was conducted to assess owned dogs’ ecologyand demography and to identify predictors associated with dog ownership and rabies occurrencein the Amhara region, Ethiopia.Method: ology: The study employed dog census and questionnaire surveys of 907 householdsselected using a multistage sampling technique from six rural and six urban districts of theAmhara region, Ethiopia. The ecology and demography of owned dogs in the selected areas wererecorded and described using descriptive statistics. Mixed-effect logistic regression models wereused to identify factors associated with dog ownership and rabies occurrence.Results: A total of 6609 dogs were estimated from 42 kebeles in the 12 study districts. The male-to-female ratio of dogs was 1.7:1.0, and the mean age of dogs was 3.2 years. The proportion ofhouseholds who owned at least one dog was 5.9 %. The average number of dogs per dog-ownedhousehold was 1.3. Dog to household ratio was 1.0:13.0, and dog to human ratio was 1.0:48.5.The majority of the dog owners (97 %) keep dogs for home guard and livestock herding. Only 57% of the dogs were confined, and 16 % of them were vaccinated. Ninety-one percent of the dogowners did not practice neutering and spaying for dog population control. Religion, livestockownership pattern, and occupation were associated with dog ownership (p < 0.05). Communityresidence and age of respondents were associated with rabies occurrence (p < 0.05), while zonewas associated with both dog ownership and rabies occurrence at p-value

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the agronomic performance and dry matter yield of thePennisetum pedicellatum varieties (areka, kulmsa, and kindonkosha-591) at Debre Markos University,Ethiopia, during 2023 in a RCBD with three replications. The agronomic performance of all varieties wasmeasured from the six plants that were selected randomly from the middle rows of each plot at 105, 119,and 133 days after planting, and dry matter yield was measured at 135 days after planting. The studyshowed that there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in plant height, number of tillers and leaves,leaf length, and dry matter yield, but the number of nodes and leaf width were not significantly different(p > 0.05) among varieties. The highest values of plant height, number of tillers and leaves per plant, andleaf length and width were measured from the areka variety, followed by the kulmsa variety, while theleast was recorded from the kindonkosha-591 variety. The plant height, number of tillers per plant,number of leaves per plant, and dry matter yield of the areka variety were significantly higher (p < 0.05)than the kulmsa and kindonkosha-591 varieties. The highest dry matter yield was also produced fromareka (11.55 t/ha), followed by kulmsa (8.52) and kindonkosha −591 (7.99 t/ha). The areka grass varietyshowed superior agronomic performance and dry matter yield, suggesting its potential for improvingfeed shortage constraints in the study areas.
KEYWORDS: Agronomy; Desho grass; dry matter; Pennisetum pedicellatum; varieties

Recent advances in electrochemistry and electrode surface modification highlight the potential of transitionmetal coordination compounds as effective modifiers. This study presents sodium tetraresorcinolatocuprate(II)(Na₂[Cu(HR)₄]), a newly synthesized compound characterized using UV–Vis, FT-IR spectroscopy, ICP OES, andmelting point analysis. A poly(Na₂[Cu(HR)₄])/GCE was fabricated via potentiodynamic techniques, with cyclicvoltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirming the formation of a polymer film thatenhanced the electrode’s active area and electrocatalytic properties. The developed poly(Na₂[Cu(HR)₄])/GCEwas applied for determination of ciprofloxacin (CPF), an antibiotic prone to resistance issues, that requiresreliable monitoring in pharmaceutical and biological samples. The poly(Na₂[Cu(HR)₄]) modifier significantlyimproved CPF detection by reducing its oxidation potential and increasing current response by eightfoldcompared to unmodified electrodes, suggesting the modifier’s catalytic role in CPF oxidation. Differential pulsevoltammetry (DPV) showed a linear CPF response over concentrations of 1.0 × 10 8 to 4.0 × 10 4 M, withdetection and quantification limits of 2.0 nM and 6.8 nM, respectively. Analysis of commercial CPF brandsshowed 98.05–100.00 % accuracy, while spike recovery rates (99.25–100.40 %) and low interference errors(

This study was conducted to estimate the technical, allocative and economic efficiency levels, identify the determinant factors of technical and allocative inefficiencies, Debre Markos City and Sinan District of the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The data were collected from 397 smallholder sheep fatting farmers in all kebeles in debremarkos and two kebeles in sinan district of the study area. Maximum likelihood techniques were used to estimate a Truncated-Normal Model production frontier. The mean estimated technical, allocative and economic efficiencies were 83.07, 91.84.61 and 76.5 respectively with consecutive SD of .1645 , 0.1490 and 0.1985. The estimated results provide evidence that the sheep fatting farmers are technical, allocatively and economically inefficient. The coefficients estimated from the Truncated-Normal Model stochastic production frontier model show the effect of different inputs on sheep fatting farmers. Ln (fodder) has a positive coefficient of .0481792, significant at the 1% level, meaning that the improvement in feed quality increases read met output. Likewise, Ln (heredsize) showed a highly significant coefficient value of .9518208 significant at the 1%, showing its importance to increase fatting sheep.Also, Ln (cost fodder) has a negative coefficient of 1.628079, significant at the 1% . Likewise, Ln (cost of animal health) showed a highly significant coefficient value of 1.838712significant at 10%. The most vital factors include sex, education, age, family size of household, availability of feed supply, extension and training on significant effect on technical inefficient of small scale sheep fatting farmers. The most vital factors include education, non-farm activities, Total livestock unit, availability of feed supply, family size of the household and training on significant effect on allocative inefficient of small scale sheep fatting farmers.The government and the concerned body should be encouraging sheep fatting farmers to grow, properly harvest and store high-protein fodder on their farms reduce reliance on expensively purchased fodder. The government and the concerned body should be expanding animal health centers to keep animal health for fulfill small scale sheep fatting sheep to bring productive the fatting sheep and improve the livelihood. Extension of the household has been shown to significantly improve technical efficiency by providing advice the way of fatting, how to feed

Method Twenty inactive males (BMI 27.67 ± 0.88 kg/m2 , age 49.15 ± 2.58 years) participated in an eight-week wererandomly assigned to one of three intervention groups (combined (CT), resistance (RT), and aerobic (AT)) exercisemodalities to assess within-subject and between group changes in glycolipid profile. Data were analyzed usingrepeated measures ANCOVA.Result Pre-post mean values of body fat percentage (%BF), area under the curve (AUC), low density lipoprotein (LDL),high density lipoprotein (HDL) and total cholesterol (TC) decreased in all three groups. The main effect of exercisemodality on the AUC (F (2, 26) = 10.577, P = 0.001, η2 = 0.569) was significant. Post-hoc analyses revealed that the RTgroup (-30.653 ± 6.766, p = 0.001) with 11.53% and the CT group (M = -0.896, SE = 3.347, P = 0.015) with 3.79% exhib-ited significantly greater reductions in AUC compared to the AT group. LDL levels showed significant differentbetween groups (F (2, 26) = 6.33, p = 0.009, η2 = 0.442), specially significantly 3.7% lowered in AT (MD = 4.783, SE = 1.563,P = 0.002) and 3.79% lower in CT (MD = 4.57, SE = 1.284, P = 0.008) groups compared to the RT group. AT significantlyreduced TC by 17.716 ± 5.705 mg/dL (p = 0.02) compared to RT, representing a 7.97% decrease.Conclusion Exercise type significantly influences lipid profiles and glycemic control. Notably, both aerobic and com-bined training demonstrated a superior ability to modulate the lipid profile, and resistance training and combinedtraining were more effective in reducing the AUC.Trial registration May, 31st 2024. Registration no: PACTR202405463745521 “Retrospectively registered”.Keywords Glucose tolerance, Lipid profile, Resistance training, Aerobic training and combind training

Eucalyptus camaldulensis is commonly planted on farmland in highland Ethiopia because of its high economic proftability.However, the expansion of woodlot plantations has led to a decline in crop growth and yield, which negatively afects foodsecurity. To address this issue, this study aimed to examine the efects of Eucalyptus camaldulensis woodlot expansion on cropproduction and food security in South Achefer. Data were collected from 180 respondents using a three-stage sampling techniquefor the four kebeles in the district. Te survey data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and a binary logitregression model using SPSS software version 24. Tis study found that most households (87%) perceived a rapid increase inEucalyptus woodlot expansion. Te allocation of more land for Eucalyptus woodlot expansion was positively and signifcantlyafected by family size, landholding size, total annual income, and availability of unproductive land. Additionally, the studyrevealed that Eucalyptus woodlots highly compete with nearly all grown crops for nutrients and moisture. Tis causes a reductionin yield from one to four quintals compared to the normal crop grown far from the Eucalyptus tree. Approximately three-fourths(71%) of the sampled farmers did not obtain stable food annually and were considered food insecure. To alleviate food insecurity,this study suggests that stakeholders should focus on improving livelihood alternatives rather than expanding Eucalyptuswoodlots.Keywords: access; availability; binary logistic regression; stability; utilization; woodlot

Abstract: The egg quality measurements were undertaken as egg weight loss (%), shell thickness,Haugh unit, yolk height, yolk width, yolk index and albumen height. The non-sprayed chickeneggs showed a higher weight loss percentage of 3.07% within 15 days of storage. However, itwas shown to be lower the weight loss of 0.48% when sprayed. Even though a progressivedecrease in yolk height, albumen height, yolk index and Haugh unit values were shown as thestorage period advances, sprayed eggs which resulted to be greater within each storage periodthan non-sprayed eggs. Non- sprayed eggs stored for 15, 10, 5, and 0 day had a Haugh unit valueof 52.42±2.66, 73.29±6.44, 77.51±3.88 and 85.72 ± 2.85, respectively. Whereas, Haugh unitvalues were shown as 82.43±4.31, 82.90 ±4.43, 84.73 ±3.25 and 85.52±6.37 respectively whichrecorded after spraying. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in moisture percentage, fatand protein content among non-sprayed eggs kept for different storage period. But percentage ofash and carbohydrate were unaffected. There was gradually decreased in the percentage ofmoisture, fat and protein content as the storage period advances.Keywords: Haugh unit, Albumen height, Fat, Protein, Ash, Carbohydrate