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There is a need to identify additional routes of supply for ophthalmic tissue in the UK. This paper reports the findings from a national study exploring the potential for eye donation (ED) from three Hospice Care (HC) and three Hospital Palliative Care Services (HPC) in England. The objectives addressed in this paper are i.) to establish the size and describe the clinical characteristics of the potential eye donor population across six clinical sites; ii.) to identify challenges for clinicians in applying the standard ED criteria for assessing patient eligibility. Retrospective assessment of 1199 deceased patient case notes, 601 Hospice Care and 598 Hospital Palliative Care services, against current eye donation criteria. Clinicians’ assessments were then evaluated against the same criteria. by specialists based at the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Tissue Services division (NHSBT-TS). Results of the assessment and evaluation are reported as descriptive statistics (numerical data). Free-text comment boxes facilitated clarification and/or justification of review and evaluation decisions. 46% (n = 553) of 1199 deceased patients’ notes were agreed as eligible for eye donation (Hospice care settings = 56% (n = 337); Palliative care settings = 36% (n = 216). For all eligible cases (n = 553) the option of ED was recorded as being raised with family members in only 14 cases (3%). Significant potential exists for eye donation from the clinical sites in this study. This potential is not currently being realised.

PURPOSE: The main goal of managing diabetes is to achieve glycemic control. However, the glycemic level of most diabetic patients is shown to be poorly controlled mainly due to poor adherence to self-care practices. This study aims to assess the level of self-care practice and glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients on follow up in a resource limited country. METHODS: A four-month prospective observational study was conducted among type 2 diabetes patients from February 1 to May 30, 2021. Data was collected using a data abstraction checklist and structured questionnaire. The data was entered into Epidata version 4.4.6 and analyzed with SPSS version 26. Glycemic control and its predictors were determined using binary logistic regression. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were included in the study. Nearly three-fourths (74.6%) of patients had poor glycemic control and the majority of patients had poor self-care practice. 78.3%, 98.6%, 96.4%, and 55.8% of patients had poor adherence to diet, exercise, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and medications respectively. Importantly, 85(79%), 102(75%), 99(74.4%), and 65(84.4%) patients with poor adherence to diet, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and antidiabetic medications had poor glycemic control. On multivariate logistic regression, BMI (AOR 4.1, CI:1.20–14.11, p = 0.024) and drug adherence (AOR 3.08, CI:1.22–7.08, p = 0.017) were factors associated with poor glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: A higher proportion of patients had low-level of self-care practice and poor glycemic control. This highlights the need to improve patients’ awareness about the importance of self-care practice to maintain good glycemic control and prevent adverse outcomes associated with the disease. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-022-00995-4.

Background Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with infant mortality and postpartum health complications. In previous studies, overall LBW has been found to be significantly associated with several sociodemographic factors, including ethnicity, maternal age, and family income. Few studies have evaluated the association between environmental risk factors and LBW rates. This study investigated the effect of pre-birth water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and housing conditions on self-reported low birth weight. Methods The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, which covered all administrative regions of Ethiopia from January to June 2016, provided data for this study. STATA version 16 was used to analyze 12,125 participants across weighted samples. Multivariable multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the effects of each factor on the outcome while accounting for data clustering. The adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to determine the statistical significance of the independent variables. Results One thousand five hundred and seventeen newborns, or 12.59% [95% CI (10.2- 15.3)], had low birth weights. When other factors were taken into account, the following factors were significantly associated with low birth weight: not using small-scale water treatment technology before using water [AOR (95% CI) 1.36 (1.08–2.23)], burning solid fuels for energy [AOR (95% CI) 1.99 (1.60–2.21)], living in homes with natural wall coverings [AOR (95% CI) 1.81 (1.47–2.21)], using a shared latrine within a woman's housing complex or compound [AOR (95% CI) 1.63(1.06–2.25)], and living in peripheral, isolated regions [AOR (95% CI) 1.38 (1.06–2.21)]. Conclusion A little more than one out of every ten deliveries in Ethiopia was under normal (recommended) weight. This study shows that poor housing conditions and lack of household WASH infrastructure are independent predictors of poor birth outcomes among Ethiopian women, adding to the limited evidence that environmental factors within the domicile contribute to low birth weight. Interventions to address these issues may help lower the prevalence of LBW.

Background Vector control is the most effective malaria control and prevention measure. Among these, IRS and LLINs are the most important chemical insecticide interventions used in malaria prevention and control strategies in Ethiopia. However, the long-term effectiveness of these strategies is under threat due to the emergency and spread of insecticide resistance in the principal malaria vector. Therefore, this study was carried out, under standardized laboratory conditions to assess the killing effect of some insecticides against An. gambiae s.l. Methods Mosquitoes in late instar larvae and pupae stages were collected from different breeding habitats of the study sites using a soup ladle (350 ml capacity). The immature was reared to adults at optimum temperature and humidity in a field insectary using the WHO protocol. Four insecticides representing three chemical classes were used against adult mosquitoes. These were permethrin, deltamethrin, pirimiphos-methyl and bendiocarb. Susceptibility tests were carried out from September to December 2021 using the WHO standard procedures. Mortality rate, variation, interaction effect and knockdown times (KDT50 and KDT95%) were computed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance and log-probit regression model using SPSS version 20 software. Results Totally, 1300 Anopheles gambiae s.l. were tested to determine the susceptibility status to the four insecticides. Among these, 90.7% of them were susceptible to insecticides, whereas the remaining 9.3% of specimens were resistant to the insecticides. The results of the analysis of variance showed that mortality significantly varied between insecticides (F = 26.06, DF = 3, P F = 1.56, DF = 3, P = 0.212). On the other hand, the mean comparison of dead mosquitoes showed some signs of interaction between bendiocarb and locations, but not other insecticides and locations. Conclusions This study revealed that the knockdown times and effectiveness of different insecticides varied in different study sites. Therefore, insecticide resistance information is very essential for concerned bodies to make informed and evidence-based decisions on vector control.

Arthropods are indispensable because of their role in the food chain and in the recycling of ecosystem resources. The objective of the study was to assess the diversity and abundance of soil arthropods in selected habitats in northwestern Ethiopia. Soil arthropod taxa richness and abundance were estimated using transect sampling from January 2019 to May 2020. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, diversity indices, detrended correspondence analysis, and cluster analysis. A total of 5512 arthropods were found, i.e., 2585 macro- and 2927 micro-arthropods. Fifty-seven percent (3054) were found in the forest, 29% (1670) in the grassland and 14% (788) in the cultivated area. According to the Shannon–Weaver index, species diversity of soil macro-arthropods was higher in the forest and grassland (H′ > 2) habitats than the cultivated ((H′ 0.9) than macro-arthropods (J 0.37) than macroarthropods (

Old-age needs are multifaceted and require multiple support sources, yet caregiving roles for older Nigerians are largely shifted to adult children. However, the children also declining capacity to respond. The extent to which older adults access support from other sources remains under-researched. This study investigates the patterns and determinants of access to complementary supports among older adults in South-Western Nigeria, taking Oyo State as the case study. The study is cross-sectional and utilized primary data of 827 older adults aged ≥ 65 years selected using a multi-stage sampling design. Box plot was used to determine the patterns while multiple ordinary least square regression was used to predict the determinants of access to complementary support. Expressed in percentage, the median complementary support score of older adults in Oyo State was 30 (interquartile range [IQR] = 24) with a slightly higher score for men (median = 32, IQR = 24) compared to women (median = 28, IQR = 20). Access to complementary support was lower for the widow(er)s, the lower socioeconomic group and self-dependent older adults across genders, and for urban women with secondary/higher education compared to the otherwise groups. Increased access to complementary support was significantly associated with primary/no education (β = 4.365; p p p p p p

Background Hypertension is defined as two or more measurements of systolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 80 mm Hg. At the community level, symptoms of hypertension are not often detected in the early stages and it leads to many people being left undiagnosed with the disease. Undiagnosed hypertension increases the risk of complications like heart failure, kidney failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, and premature death. There is a paucity of studies concerning the burden of undiagnosed hypertension in Ethiopia including the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the burden of undiagnosed hypertension among adults in Wolaita Sodo Town, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia,2021. Methods and materials A community-based cross-sectional study involving 662 study participants was conducted at Wolaita Sodo Town from May 3 to July 3, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the total number of participants. The data was entered using Epidata version 3, and analyzed by SPSS version 25 respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to check for a possible association. P-values Results A total of 644 have participated in the study giving a response rate of 97.3%. The mean (± SD) age of the study participants was 39.18 (± 10.64) years. This finding showed that the burden of undiagnosed hypertension was 28.8% (95% CI: 24.7–33.2%). Body mass index with overweight (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.17–6.86), the presence of unrecognized diabetic mellitus (AOR = 1.31 95% CI: 1.11–2.15) habit of alcohol drinking (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.31–4.48), triglyceride (AOR = 3.48 95% CI: 1.22–9.95), age 31–43 years (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.02–2.01) were significantly associated factors with undiagnosed hypertension. Conclusions The burden of undiagnosed hypertension findings was high. Body mass index with overweight, unrecognized diabetic mellitus the habit of alcohol drinking, triglyceride, and age 31–43 years were the factors with undiagnosed hypertension. These findings suggested that preventing risk factors and screening for hypertension at the community level should be encouraged for early detection, and monitoring of the burden of hypertension with ages more than 30 years old, high body mass index, and undiagnosed diabetic mellitus in the population.

Background Desire for more children has an impact on couple’s fertility behaviors. It can be a precursor of actual fertility performance. However, the desire for more children is declining over time in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to identifying the determinants of the desire for more children among women in Ethiopia. Methods The 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data were used for the analysis. The sample consisted of 15,683 women. The binary logistic regression model was used to assess the determinants of desire for more children among women in Ethiopia. The results are presented as crude odds ratios (COR) and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results No education (having no formal education) (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.61–2.13), attained primary education (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.43–1.83), age at first marriage 10–19 years (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.27–2.54), Orthodox religion (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.01–2.19), Catholic religion (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.17–3.97), Muslim religion (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.15–2.50), living in Amhara (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.18–1.78), Oromia (AOR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.73–2.54), Benishangul (AOR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.01–1.45), SNNPR (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.05–1.60), Gambela (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.02–1.57), Harari (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.82–2.76), ideal number of children four or fewer (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.42–0.53), number of living children four or fewer (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.90–2.37), and not use of contraceptives (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.35–1.68) were associated with a higher desire for more children. Conclusion This finding showed that the age of women, educational level, age at first marriage, religion, region, occupation, ideal number of children, number of living children, and use of contraceptives were significant determinants of desire for more children. Therefore, it is important to adopt programs to encourage the desire for more children, implement policies in an attempt to increase the total fertility rate in Ethiopia ought to critically consider these factors. Moreover, continuous education and knowledge on reproductive health will help for better fertility behaviour for the women.

Background The Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance (the Alliance) is a collaboration of leading hospitals, research and academic organisations, supported by its member organisations and the Victorian Government. The Alliance was set up by its members in 2013 to steer the translation of genomics, making it an integral part of health care in Victoria, Australia. The Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed soon after, to give input and advice across the program. This was to ensure consideration of community values, perspectives and priorities, and knowledge translation for patient care. The CAG was charged with providing a strong community voice for the duration of the program. Appointed members were experienced consumer advocates with developed connections to the community. Main body The Alliance progressed from an initial Demonstration Project (2013–2015) to a multifaceted program (2016–2020). The CAG worked strategically to help address complex issues, for example, communication, privacy, informed consent, ethics, patient experience, measurement and evaluation standards and policies, data storage and re-use of genomic data. Many aspects of translating genomics into routine care have been tackled, such as communicating with patients invited to have genomic testing, or their caregivers, and obtaining informed consent, clinical questions across 16 areas of health care, training and education of health and laboratory professionals, genomic data management and data-sharing. Evidence generated around clinical utility and cost-effectiveness led to government funding of testing for complex genetic conditions in children. Conclusion The CAG activities, recorded in a CAG-inspired Activity register, span the full spectrum of information sharing and consultation to co-design and partnership. The CAG were involved at multiple levels of participation and in all tiers of activity including governance, development of policies and procedures, program planning and evaluation. Working relationships were built up and a level of trust instilled to advance the Alliance work program in ensuring an effective patient-care model of delivery of genomics. CAG input into project deliverables has been tangible. Less tangible contributions included presentations at external meetings and conferences, direct interactions at meetings with Alliance members, interactions with visitors and external experts, taking part in consultations with experts, state and federal government., Plain English summary Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance was established in 2013 to steer genomics into health care in Victoria, Australia. The Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed soon after to provide advice and insights from the patient perspective. The CAG has added value to the Alliance’s complex research-to-clinical service program of work over eight years to date. Following an explanation of the program, the CAG members identified priority areas and mechanisms for their involvement. Areas that members were involved in included: communication, visual identity and website, patient portal and its evaluation, information management, consent processes, laboratory requirements, tools for patient experience and quality of life measures, predictive health issues study, storage and sharing of data, databases, CAG Communication Plan, the Patient Guide, role with Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services, implementation plan, workshop to upskill patient advocates, financial and strategic planning. Members also presented on the role of the CAG at conferences and symposia. The balanced, trusting relationship that developed between the CAG, the Program Team and its governance structure was of great value to and an achievement for the Alliance. CAG input into project deliverables and impact was recorded in a CAG inspired Activity Register and has been very tangible. Their less tangible contribution to the project is also important. Contributions included presentations at external meetings, direct interactions at annual meetings with Alliance members, interactions with visitors and external experts, taking part in consultations with experts, state and federal government. These provided opportunities to influence mindsets.

Approximately 15% of patients experience seizures after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The pathogenesis of seizures post-ICH is not well-known; however, iron deposition–related neuronal injury following hemoglobin breakdown may contribute. Profiling known miRNAs to identify biomarkers for post-ICH late seizures, we found 64 differentially expressed miRNA: 32 upregulated and 32 downregulated in seizure vs. non-seizure. Functional classification of upregulated miRNA for KEGG pathways and biological processes identified enrichment for cell cycle, protein modifications, and FoxO neurotrophin signaling pathways. No significant enrichment was found for downregulated miRNA. Molecular functions Gene Ontology (GO) terms enriched for upregulated miRNA are numerous, while downregulated miRNAs were associated with ion channel activity. RT-PCR confirmed two miRNAs, 4317 and 4325, were differentially expressed in patients who developed seizures at 1 year. MiR-4317 regulates SLC38A1, a glutamine–glutamate transporter. Integrated miRNA–mRNA network analysis identified COMMD6, APOBEC2, and RASSF6—involved in NF-kB regulation. Two miRNAs (miR-4317 and 4325) differentiated post-ICH late seizures vs. non-seizures at 1 year. The results suggest functional and miRNA–mRNA networks as potential biomarkers for post-ICH late seizures.

Porous silica with hierarchical organization of pore structure is desired for a variety of applications such as, chromatography, sensing, control release, scaffold for biomedical applications and catalysis. Highly porous polymers obtained from high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating route have attracted increasing attention of researchers due to their hierarchical porous and interconnected structure with high porosity and low density. The novel method adopted in our approach combines redox initiated polymerization using HIPE polymerization and an in-situ sol–gel processing technique followed by calcination to obtain highly porous materials. The obtained materials have reminiscent of polyHIPE morphology containing pores and interconnected pore throats in micrometer size range with mesopores on the wall of macropores. The effect of concentration of TEOS, volume of dispersed phase, crosslinker concentration, shear rate and surfactant concentration as well as variation in calcination temperatures on the properties of silica materials were examined.

In this present study, a series of cross-linked porous polymers based on Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) were synthesized by suspension polymerization using cyclohexanol and hexanol as pore generating solvents. β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was covalently bonded to the polymers by using Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HMDI) and Sebacoyl Chloride (SC) as spacer arms. The effects of matrix properties such as pore volume, type of crosslinker, and spacer on the loading of β-cyclodextrin were investigated. The stereoselective binding of enantiomers of the anti-depressant drug citalopram was studied using β-cyclodextrin loaded polymers under batch adsorption mode. The capacity factor and selectivity of isomers were investigated also. This study reveals that these β-cyclodextrin bonded Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) polymers are potentially suitable for chromatographic separation of citalopram.

Background Proper hand hygiene using alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) is an effective preventive approach for the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and other infections. World Health Organization recommends local production of ABHR solution in healthcare settings which provides a feasible alternative to the use of relatively expensive commercially produced hand sanitizers. The aim of this study was to explore the adequacy of ABHR solution production practice in response to COVID-19 in public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was applied using assessment checklist for evaluation of the adequacy of ABHR production practice in compounding units of public hospitals. The evaluation was done with regard to the standard requirements as per the checklist. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 was used for data entry and analysis. Descriptive statistics was employed for analyses of data and categorical variables were described by frequencies and percentages. Results Out of the 13 public hospitals observed in the study, 11 facilities had dedicated premises for compounding of ABHR solution. Seven facilities determined the concentration of ethanol in ABHR solution using alcoholmeters. Only one health facility had a titration kit and performed a strength test for the hydrogen peroxide raw material. Thermal and chemical disinfection processes were practiced for cleaning of recycled dispensing bottles only in 3 and 2 hospitals, respectively. Most of the hospitals (11 facilities) had standard operating procedures (SOPs) for production, but the majority lack SOPs for beyond-use-date assignment (11 facilities), premise and equipment cleaning (12 facilities), and disinfection of recycled bottles (12 facilities). Conclusion Most hospitals have fulfilled the majority requirements of premises required for compounding of ABHR solution in their facilities. Five hospitals did not verify the concentration of ethanol in the ABHR solution which might affect the effectiveness of the product. Generally, lower compliance of the majority studied hospitals to good compounding practice was observed during ABHR solution production especially for product preparation, quality control, and documentation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using inquiry-based writing instruction on students’ academic writing skills. A pretest-posttest two groups quasi-experimental design was employed. Data were obtained through test, focus group discussion, and reflective journal from 62 first-year pharmacy students who were selected using comprehensive sampling. While the experimental group received the inquiry-based writing instruction, the control group learned using the conventional learning method. The quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples T-test and descriptive statistics when the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that there was a statistical difference between the control and experimental groups in their academic writing performance. Hence, students who participated in the inquiry-based writing instruction improved their academic writing skills. Mainly, students who learned through inquiry-based writing instruction were able to produce essays that addressed task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy. Thus, this study recommends researchers, teachers, and students to pay due attention to inquiry-based writing instruction in their academic journey.