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Abstract Background Paediatric cancer patients often experience anxiety and depression. Evidence suggests that cognitive-behavioural interventions may help reduce anxiety and depression in children undergoing cancer treatment. However, only a few studies evaluated its impact on the psychological well-being and quality of life of paediatric cancer patients globally. In Ethiopia, there has been no published study to date. Thus, this trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a culturally tailored cognitive-behavioural intervention for Ethiopian children with haematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy. Methods A single-blinded, parallel-group, two-arm, repeated measure randomised controlled trial will be conducted. Eighty children aged 8 − 18 years with haematological malignancy receiving chemotherapy will be recruited and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group will receive five sessions of introducing cognitive-behavioural intervention, identifying and modifying maladaptive thoughts and behaviour, behavioural activation, practising deep breathing exercises, reassessing goals or treatment plans, and encouraging participants to maintain changes. Each session will be conducted face-to-face for 30–35 min a week. The control group will receive usual care. The outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-intervention, and one month after the intervention using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale and Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Score 4.0. Discussion The findings of this study will provide evidence to support the integration of culturally effective cognitive-behavioural intervention strategies into paediatric oncology practice and thus, add new knowledge to the literature and help improve the care of children with haematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy. If the cognitive-behavioural intervention is shown to be effective and culturally acceptable, it will provide evidence to include the intervention as a standard of care in paediatric haematology/oncology. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05270655. Registered on March 8, 2022.

This study assessed the instructional processes of Universities and Colleges of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The research design was descriptive survey and data were obtained from 204 participants (instructors, department heads and deans from Universities and Colleges) using questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion. Both University and College instructors’ practices of the instructional processes and their conceptions on effective teaching and the factors affecting effective teaching were examined. Results indicated that the three interactive instructional processes (instructional planning, methods of teaching and assessment) were not adequately implemented in an integrated manner. More specifically, significant differences were observed between Universities and Colleges in the application of instructional planning and continuous assessment (assessment for learning that served as a feedback for students’ learning). In this regard, Colleges were in a good position than Universities. However, active learning strategies that could enhance higher order thinking and problem-solving skills of students were not applied passably in both the Universities and the Colleges. There was also no statistically significant difference among the three Universities and the three Colleges themselves in applying various active learning methods. Attitudinal problems to prepare instructional plans (mainly for Universities), lack of knowledge on various active learning strategies and work load were influencing factors for the effective implementation of the instructional processes in Universities and Colleges. As a result, re-conceptualizing the practices of instructional processes in Universities and Colleges to enhance effective teaching is a timely concern for all education actors at various levels.

We report the case of a 35-year-old female with combined Chiari 1 malformation and basilar invagination, who presented with intermittent conjunctival chemosis and unilateral chorioretinal folds that were temporally correlated. She denied any flashes, floaters, eye redness, or pain. She also denied nausea or vomiting. Clinical exam and optical coherence tomography imaging revealed conjunctival chemosis and chorioretinal folds in the left eye. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and the orbits were consistent with combined Chiari 1 malformation and basilar invagination. The unilateral and intermittent chorioretinal folds and conjunctival chemosis presentation of combined Chiari 1 malformation and basilar invagination is unusual. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported with this unique clinical presentation. It is most important to be aware that unilateral and intermittent chorioretinal folds associated with conjunctival chemosis may be signs of intracranial disease.

Background: Pain management is a crucial component of patient care that promotes relaxation, lowers complications, improves quality of life, and shortens hospital stays. Several studies assessed the nurses' pain management practices in Ethiopia. However, the findings of these studies are highly variable and inconsistent. Therefore, the study aims to determine the overall prevalence of pain management practice and associated factors among nurses working in Ethiopia. Method: The study included all observational quantitative research articles conducted among nurses in Ethiopia. We used Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus searching databases. The Newcastle—Ottawa Scale was used to check the study quality. Then I2 statistics and Cochran's Q test were used to evaluate heterogeneity. The Funnel, Egger's test, and non-parametric trim and fill effect tests were used to check publication bias by using a random effect model. Finally, we conducted subgroup analysis and sensitivity tests to evaluate statistical heterogeneity and the presence or absence of any influential study. Result: In the final analysis, we included eighteen studies, and 4,213 nurses participated. The overall pooled prevalence of nurses with good pain management practice was 43.79% (95% CI: 38.52, 49.06%). In-service training AOR; 95% CI 3.21 (1.87, 4.54), good knowledge AOR; 95% CI 2.44 (1.78, 3.09), positive attitudes AOR; 95% CI 2.84 (1.24, 4.44), and pain management guidelines in health facilities AOR; 95% CI 3.46 (1.48, 5.44) were the significant associated factors with pain management practice among nurses in Ethiopia. Conclusion: This study found that over half of Ethiopian nurses had poor pain management practices. Knowledge, attitude, training, and pain management guidelines in health facilities were significant factors. Therefore, health managers and stakeholders should prioritize pain management awareness, attitudes, availability of guidelines, and in-service training to improve patient care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the status of primary and middle school physical education (PE) teachers' professional knowledge competence (PKC) in the Amhara Region, in Ethiopia. For this, a quantitative research approach was employed and data were collected from 382 randomly selected PE teachers and analysed quantitatively. Findings revealed that the overall PKC of PE was low. Statistically, a significant difference was observed among PE teachers in their content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and PKC. Female PE teachers, novice PE teachers, and rural PE teachers were less competent in their CK, PK, and PCK. Besides, unlike in their PK, degree-holder PE teachers have better CK, PCK, and PKC than diploma holders. Accordingly, due care and special intervention need to be given by the education actors in the recruitment, training, and deployment of PE teachers in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban land use plans (ULUPs) contribute to the efficient use of resources for sustainable urban development. However, the metered contribution of Bahir Dar's ULUPs to the efficient use of resources has not yet been known. Bahir Dar is the capital of the Amhara Region and a scenic city on the southern shore of Lake Tana, Ethiopia's largest lake and the source of the Blue Nile. It attracts many visitors from inside and outside the country. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ULUPs in Bahir Dar to achieve efficient use of resources such as water, energy, and food. Thus, the study developed criteria to assess the effectiveness of ULUPs based on the global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results show that its ULUPs were not resource efficient in terms of food production, water quality and yield, and transport energy usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the present scenario of chicken husbandry and breeding practices in the rural districts of Sidama Region, southern Ethiopia. Four districts, namely Hula, Shebedino, Aleta Chuko, and Boricha were purposefully selected based on their chicken production potential and agroecological distinctiveness. The study data were collected from 161 chicken‐keeping households through interviews, on‐farm follow‐ups, group discussions, and field observations. Descriptive statistics and indexed ranking procedures were applied to summarize the data using SAS software. The chicken farming system was predominantly free‐scavenging, followed by slowly growing semi‐intensive and few intensive farming systems. The majority of rural farmers were keeping chickens primarily to support family income and for home use. A decreasing flock size of indigenous chickens and an increasing trend of improved chicken distribution and rearing were observed. It has been noted that farmers have a good experience of selecting hatching eggs, breeding cocks, and hens. In highland districts, pure breeding is common, while in midland and lowland districts, crossbreeding is more common due to the high distribution of exotic breeds. In all study districts, chickens mainly rely on scavenging with minimal feed supplementation and sit on simple perches fixed in family houses and kitchens. More than 65% of farmers use various traditional medications that were known by farmers to cure sick chickens. Furthermore, the study identified seasonal feed shortages, disease outbreaks, unplanned breeding, limited management knowledge, predators, and drought as major bottlenecks to chicken production. Thus, these findings could raise guiding information to improve small‐scale chicken husbandry and breeding practices, which help poor rural families, and the major bottlenecks to ensure sustainable poultry farming were identified. Moreover, the high mortality of chickens observed during peak dry and wet seasons in the Boricha and Hula districts, respectively, calls for further research on the adaptation potentials of chickens in their respective ecologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a preliminary in vitro study, leaves of Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Cajanus cajan, Leucaena leucocephala and seed kernel of Mangifera indica were identified as potential candidates in mitigating ruminal methane (CH4) production. The objective of the current study was to investigate the combination efficiency of these unconventional feeds with concentrate mix (CM) or Chloris gayana grass in CH4 reduction. Two feed combinations in different proportions were incubated in vitro with buffered rumen fluid at Hohenheim Gas test. In combination 1, C. gayana and CM were included as basal substrates, while in combination 2, A. nilotica, P. juliflora, C. cajan, L. leucocephala or M. indica seed kernel were included as CH4 reducing supplements at different proportions. The CH4 reducing potentials of feed combinations were presented as the ratio of CH4 to net gas production and expressed as percentage (pCH4). The pCH4 for CM and C. gayana was 16.7% and 16.9%, respectively, while it ranged from 3.18% in A. nilotica to 13.1% in C. cajan. The pCH4 was reduced (p < 0.05) from 14.6% to 9.39% when A. nilotica was combined with CM. In combination of L. leucocephala or C. cajan with CM, the pCH4 (p < 0.05) was reduced from 16.5% and 16.6% with the lowest proportion to 15.1% and 15.2% with the highest inclusion rate respectively. The combination of C. gayana with L. leucocephala or C. cajan reduced (p < 0.05) the pCH4 from 16.3% and 16.4% to 15.1% and 14.9% respectively. The pCH4 was reduced (p < 0.05) from 13.4% to 7.60% when A. nilotica was combined with C. gayana. Estimated digestible organic matter (dOM) and metabolizable energy (ME) increased (p < 0.05) with increasing proportions of M. indica seed kernel with CM or C. gayana. In conclusion, the combination of the basal substrates with unconventional supplements resulted in CH4 reduction without affecting the dOM and ME at lower inclusion rates. Animal‐based experiments await to validate in vitro findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to examine the direct and indirect influences of school climate characteristics and the mediating role of teacher professional identity to the development of teachers' professional capital using data from 302 primary and middle school teachers of Banja woreda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Results of Structural Equation Modeling analysis revealed teachers' perception of school climate had a statistically significant and strong direct influence on their professional identity development but did not have a significant direct influence on their professional capital development. Mediation analysis has shown that school climate had a statistically significant and strong indirect influence on professional capital development, i.e. teachers' perceived professional identity fully mediated the effect of school climate on their professional capital development. The SEM analysis also disclosed the direct effect of school climate on teachers' professional identity and professional capital development and the direct effect of professional identity on teachers' professional capital development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although there are available efficacious PPR vaccines produced using Nigeria 75/1 and Sungri/96 strains for controlling the disease, a challenge arises with the need for maintaining the cold chain during vaccine distribution and delivery since these vaccines are used in tropical areas with hot climatic conditions and are also prone to thermal degradation. This study aimed to evaluate the thermotolerance of various formulations of freeze-dried and reconstituted PPR vaccines with different formulations of stabilizers. The results obtained from this study showed that the reconstituted all PPR vaccines with saline buffer maintained the titre above 102.5 TCID50/dose following a storage in the cold chain (at 4 °C) after 4 h, except the vaccine formulation stabilized with lactalbumin hydrolysate, maltose and gelatine. Moreover, it was noted that PPR vaccine stabilized with a formulation such as lactalbumin hydrolysate and sucrose, trehalose, and Lactose and N-Z Amine complied to the minimum titre of 102.5 TCID50/dose after storage at 40 °C for 5 days. Therefore, the type of stabilizer used to formulate the vaccine freeze-drying process to meet the residual moisture content and the thermotolerance criteria are the keys to maintain the vaccine quality in areas with hot climatic conditions where the cold chain is difficult to maintain. Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) disease is widely distributed in Africa. Live attenuated PPR vaccines are produced using approved Nigeria 75/1 and Sungri/96 strains by the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) to control the disease. These PPR vaccines are very efficacious; however, the main challenge is the maintaining of the cold chain during vaccine distribution and delivery. This study evaluated the thermotolerance of freeze-dried and reconstituted PPR Nigeria 75/1 vaccines from vaccine manufacturers using eight stabilizer formulations (lactalbumin hydrolysate and sucrose, sucrose and peptone, Weybridge medium, trehalose, Lactose and N-Z Amine, lactalbumin hydrolysate, sucrose and L glutamine, skimmed milk, and lactalbumin hydrolysate, maltose and gelatine). Aliquots of the reconstituted PPR vaccine batches were titrated after 2, 4, and 6 h of storage at 4 °C and 40 °C. The PPR vaccines were also titrated after storage at 40 °C and 45 °C for 3 and 5 days. The results showed that reconstituted PPR vaccine stabilized with lactalbumin hydrolysate–sucrose promoted tolerance at 40 °C for 6 h. It was also noted that all reconstituted PPR vaccine formulations except the formulation stabilized with lactalbumin hydrolysate–maltose–gelatine maintained the titre above a 102.5 TCID50/dose after 4 h of storage at 4 °C. Furthermore, the results showed that the PPR vaccine formulation containing lactalbumin hydrolysate sucrose was as the only one that maintained the titres above 102.5 TCID50/dose after storage at 45 °C for 5 days, with a titre loss of 100.95 TCID50/dose. Therefore, vaccine manufacturers producing PPR vaccines for use in tropical field regions could preferably use lactalbumin hydrolysate–sucrose stabilizer in vaccine formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between the dependent variable that is ‘feeling of tenure security’ of landholders in Bahir Dar city and the possible determinant factors (independent variables) such as ‘land use type of a parcel’, ‘building type constructed on a parcel’, ‘adequacy of legal provisions’, ‘institutional capacity’, ‘awareness of the landholder about the existing legal provisions of land tenure’, and ‘location of the parcel’ derived from different empirical evidences and practices. And the study also explores the perceptions of the landholders of Bahir Dar city about their land tenure security. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through desk review, observation, structured and semi-structured interview. Content analysis for reviewed books and articles was applied. Also, inferential statistics and descriptive analysis of data for all independent and dependent variables were used to analyse the quantitative data. Additionally, critical examination of respondents’ personal perceptions about tenure security on the area was used to analyse the qualitative data. The results showed that the aggregate contribution of those considered independent variables were 74.3% to the effect on feeling of tenure security. It is also revealed that there are five significant predictor variables for felling of tenure security in Bahir Dar city. But ‘building type’ is the most significant determinant of all variables. Contrary to the empirical evidence the results indicate that awareness of legal provision correlated negatively with security feeling. This study found that the feeling of tenure security for landholders in Bahir Dar city are not much affected by ‘land use type of a parcel’, ‘institutional capacity’, and ‘location of the parcel’. Rather other factors like noise, misbehaviour of neighbours, projected road upgrading, heavy traffic and accidents may push someone to feel insecure and leave the place.