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The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has spurred interest in natural fiber epoxy composites as a viable substitute for synthetic-based composites. Impact strength is a crucial mechanical property for structural applications and plays a key role in successfully utilizing natural fiber epoxy composites. This comprehensive review explores the impact strength characteristics of different natural fiber epoxy composites by examining the latest research and advancements in the field. The effect of fiber content, fiber length, stacking sequence, and fiber treatment techniques, such as chemical treatments and coupling agents, on epoxy-based composites' impact strength was discussed. Additionally, the effect of fiber hybridization and formulation in determining impact strength is explored, including the curing agents, manufacturing techniques and fillers. The challenges and limitations associated with the impact strength of natural fiber epoxy composites are addressed, along with strategies to overcome them. The review concludes with a summary of the approaches to improve impact strength, including fiber selection, fiber treatment, hybridization, matrix modification, fiber orientation, curing parameters, fiber content, and fiber length. The conclusions of this review provide valuable insights into enhancing the impact strength of natural fiber epoxy composites, paving the way for their wider adoption in various industries and promoting sustainable material alternatives., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Abdu mohammed reports was provided by Wollo University. Abdu Mohammed reports a relationship with Wollo University that includes: employment. Abdu Mohammed has patent pending to Abdu mohammed. no other additional relationships. Both corresponding author and co-author working at Wollo university If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Erection Dysfunction, which primarily affects males older than 40 years, is the inability to regularly produce or retain a penile erection that is strong enough to satisfy sexual activity., Objective: To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to erectile dysfunction and its predictors among community pharmacy technicians in Gondar, Ethiopia., Method: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study on pharmacy technicians in Gondar from June 1, 2022, to August 30, 2022. The study included 165 respondents and utilized a standardized questionnaire with 42 questions to assess their knowledge (18 items), attitudes (5 items), practices (15 items), and demographic characteristics (4 items) regarding erectile dysfunction. We performed both univariate and multivariate analyses on the collected data., Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that greater educational attainment was independently correlated with increased knowledge of erectile dysfunction. For postgraduate pharmacy education, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was 0.031 (95 % CI: 0.006-0.170, p < 0.001).Regarding work experience, the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were as follows: 6.223E-010 (95 % CI: 9.713E-011-3.987E-009, p < 0.001) for 1-5 years, 7.940E-010 (95 % CI: 1.381E-010-4.566E-009, p < 0.001) for 5-10 years, and 6.134E-010 (95 % CI: 1.333E-010-2.824E-009, p < 0.001) for over 10 years.Additionally, respondents with 5-10 years of work experience had an AOR of 8.129 (95 % CI: 1.476-44.786, p = 0.016), and the gender of the participants had an AOR of 3.399 (95 % CI: 1.239-9.325, p = 0.017), both of which were associated with erectile dysfunction behaviors.The aggregate ratings indicated that the participants had moderate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding erectile dysfunction. The Pearson Correlation Test revealed a significant positive relationship between knowledge of erectile dysfunction and attitude (r = 0.589 and p < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.524 and p < 0.001). Additionally, attitudes and practices showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.321, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The study findings showed that pharmacy technicians have a moderate level of understanding, attitudes, and practices regarding erectile dysfunction. The scores for general erectile dysfunction knowledge, attitude, and practice showed a significant positive association (p < 0.001)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background and Objective: According to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors, lower respiratory infections cause more than 2.3 million deaths globally, with a majority occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia.Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major contributor to global mortality and morbidity. Understanding the prevalence and common bacterial causes of CAP is crucial for clinicians to accurately diagnose and improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this systematic review was to report the pooled prevalence and common bacterial etiologies of CAP among adult patients in Ethiopia., Methods: This review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of the published articles between January 2000 and October 2022 was performed using open access electronic databases such as PUBMED, Science Direct, CINAHL, HINARI, Google Scholar, and local university repositories. Cochrane Q and I 2 values were used to assess heterogeneity among the studies. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence., Results and Conclusions: Of all the publications that were thoroughly searched, 9 studies with 2496 participants met the criteria for analysis. All of the studies were cross-sectionally designed and most of the studies used convenient sampling techniques. The included studies consisted of two conducted among adult patients diagnosed with CAP and living with HIV/AIDS, while the remaining seven studies were conducted among adult patients diagnosed with CAP without HIV/AIDS. The combined prevalence of bacterial causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among adult patients was found to be 39.18% (CI 36.34-42.02), with an I 2 of 52.6 and a P value of 0.032. The primary bacterial cause was Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.1%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.11%), and Staphylococcus aureus (6.8%). Therefore, it is advisable to introduce a diagnostic tool for identifying specific causative agents and drug resistance, which could lead to improved treatment and better patient outcomes by reducing the need for empirical treatments., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Nephrotoxic drugs may hasten the decline in kidney function and worsen the progression of renal impairment as a result; these drugs should be avoided or used with caution in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to assess the burden of nephrotoxic medication use and its predictors among patients with underlying renal impairment., Methods: A multicenter, institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from May 30, 2021 to July 30, 2021, at medical wards. Renal impaired patients admitted during the data collection period who took at least one medication were enrolled in the study. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was collected through an interview and a medical card review. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were fitted to identify factors associated with nephrotoxic drug use., Results: Among the 422 participants, more than half of them (53.6 %) were male. The mean patient's age was 47.5 (±16.7) years. A total of 1310 drugs were prescribed for 422 patients with renal impairment, of which 80.15 % were nephrotoxic. Nephrotoxic drugs were prescribed for 66.4 % of patients. The burden of nephrotoxic medication prescription was significantly associated with variables like the presence of comorbidity (AOR = 6.31, 95 % CI: 2.01-19.79), the number of medications prescribed (AOR = 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.05-1.93), and the age of participants (AOR = 1.12, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.17)., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that two-third of the patients with renal impairment were exposed to nephrotoxic medications. Furosemide, Enalapril, and vancomycin were the most frequently prescribed nephrotoxic medications. The study suggests that prescribers need to give special attention to older patients who have underlying renal insufficiency, a comorbid condition, and polypharmacy regarding exposure to contraindicated nephrotoxic medication., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The increasing life expectancy and the growing number of older people are becoming public health challenges, warranting the need for appropriate policy tools. Existing policy frameworks should prioritize and cover the public health demands of elders. However, there is a lack of concrete evidence on the existing policy tools and programs targeting elders in Ethiopia., Objective: This study was to explore the existing policies, programs, and interventions for elderly people in Ethiopia., Study Design: A descriptive qualitative study using phenomenological approach and secondary data review wa conducted., Methods: A combination of systematic desk reviews of relevant policy and program documents and key informant interviews (KIIs) was used to capture data. Four purposefully selected interviews, based on their expertise, rich experience, in-depth understanding, and direct involvement in the policy environment, were conducted. Face-to-face interviews with the Audio recorder were employed during KII. The number of KIIs was limited to four, the point of theoretical saturation where no further new and informative themes were identified. Interview audios were transcribed, translated, and analyzed in thematic descriptive analysis. The United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging was used as a guideline for the data extraction process from relevant documents., Results: A total of 221 documents were retrieved, and 75 met the inclusion criteria. We identified four interconnected main themes and 11 sub-themes of concern for the elderly. Ethiopia recognized old people as vulnerable in various national legal and policy documents, including the constitution, population policy, and development plans. Surprisingly, no government policy exists in Ethiopia to address the health and nutritional problems of the elderly in particular., Conclusion: Though Ethiopia is facing demographic transition, no specific old-age policies, programs, or interventions are being implemented. Hence, the government and relevant stakeholders should strive to design and implement an old-age policy outlining cost-effective interventions for elders., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that they have no competing interests.The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)