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Background Globally, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex public problem, which is mainly fuelled by inappropriate use of antimicrobials. Rational use of antimicrobials is the main strategy for the prevention of AMR, which can be achieved by changing the prescribers’ behavior and knowledge. Hence, this study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude of paramedical students regarding antimicrobial resistance, which helps to rationalize the use of antimicrobials. Methods An institutional based cross-sectional study was performed on 323 graduates paramedical students at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Participants were invited to complete a self-reported structured questionnaire on hard copy. The data were summarized using summary statistics such as the median. Furthermore, Kruskal Wallis test, at the level of significance of 0.05, was conducted to compare group difference. Results Among 360 eligible paramedical students, 323 (90%) of them participated and most of them were males 202 (62.5%). Nearly 96% of the participants perceived that antimicrobial resistance is a catastrophic and preventable public problem but about half of the participants (55%) had a poor level of knowledge. It was also found that there was a statistically significant knowledge and attitude difference across the department ( p -value< 0.0001) and ( p  = 0.002), respectively. Furthermore, those participants who had a good level of knowledge had greater attitude rank as compared to those who had a moderate and poor level of knowledge ( p -value< 0.0001). Conclusion Majority of the participants viewed antimicrobial resistance as a preventable public problem if appropriate strategies are formulated. Nonetheless, most of them had a poor knowledge regarding antimicrobial resistance, and their knowledge and attitude significantly vary across their field of study. This result implicates that improving the students’ level of knowledge about antimicrobial resistance might be an approach to flourish their attitude and to rationalize their antimicrobial use.

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of different dimensions of institutional quality indices on the economic growth of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a panel data set of 31 SSA countries from 1991 to 2015 and employs a two-step system-GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) estimation technique.FindingsThe study's empirical results indicate that investment-promoting and democratic and regulatory institutions have a significant positive effect on economic growth; however, once these institutions are taken into account, conflict-preventing institutions do not have a significant impact on growth.Practical implicationsThe study's findings suggest that countries in the region should continue their institutional reforms to enhance the region's economic growth. Specifically, institutions promoting investment, democracy and regulatory quality are crucial.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies that use either composite measures of institutions or a single intuitional indicator in isolation, the present study has employed principal component analysis (PCA) to extract fewer institutional indicators from multivariate institutional indices. Thus, this paper provides important insights into the distinct role of different clusters of institutions in economic growth.

PurposeAlthough the impact of human capital on productivity has long been discussed in prior studies, empirical evidence for African firms remains limited. The existing few studies have focussed on one type of human capital in isolation and failed to explore the distinct role of different types of human capital on productivity. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which various typologies of human capital – schooling, on-the-job training (OJT) and slack time –, both in isolation and as a combination, contribute to the productivity of African firms.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, a cross-sectional firm-level data set from 13 African countries was used. To unravel the casual relationship, propensity score matching (PSM) and multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression (MESTR) techniques were employed.FindingsResults indicate that all typologies of human capital – schooling, slack time and OJT – have a significant and positive impact on firms' productivity. The findings of the study further point out that the highest payoff, in terms of increased productivity, is achieved when various typologies of human capital are used in combination, rather than in isolation, in the production process.Practical implicationsThe policy implications are that productivity of African firms can be improved by increasing the general level of schooling; encouraging firm-sponsored OJT; and giving employees time to develop new ideas.Originality/valueThe present study provides important insights into the distinct role of different types of human capital on productivity. In addition, it provides empirical evidence for a region where empirical evidence is scant.

Despite the overwhelming consensus on the positive effect of financial inclusion on economic outcomes, there is limited rigorous micro-econometric evidence on the causal impact of financial inclusion on household welfare in Ethiopia. This study uses the 2018 Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey data and an endogenous switching regression model to investigate the determinants and the causal impact of financial inclusion on multiple measures of household welfare. The results suggest that households headed by older, more educated, wage or self-employed people in the non-agricultural sector are more likely to access financial services, as are those headed by non-Muslims. In addition, greater financial access appears to be associated with membership in a local social group ( iddir ), ownership of mobile phones, credit information, and knowledge of how to open bank accounts, but negatively associated with the distance from the household’s residence to the nearest formal financial institution. This study further indicates that financial inclusion has a positive and statistically significant impact on multiple household welfare indicators. The most considerable impact of access to formal financial institutions is on utility spending, followed by total expenditure, food expenditure, and education spending. These findings thus suggest that policies geared toward improving household access to formal financial institutions are essential to enhance household welfare in Ethiopia.

The aim of this study was to assess knowledge regarding cataract and associated factors among adults in Gondar town Northwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 836 adults age ≥18years, using multi-stage systematic random sampling technique, in Gondar town Northwest Ethiopia from April 15-May 7, 2017. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires through face to face interview. The collected data was entered to Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors. Those variables with p-value <0.05 and confidence interval ≠ 1 in multivariable logistic regression were considered as statistically significant factors for knowledge regarding cataract. Among 845 eligible adults, 98.9% (836) of them were fully participated. The median age of participants was 28 years with an interquartile range of 17 years. Of the total participants, 67.2% (562) of them had awareness about cataract [95% CI, 63.8-70.2]. Among 562 participants, 61.7% of them had good knowledge about cataract [95% CI, 57.5-66.00]. It was also found that higher level of education [AOR = 2.86, 95%CI: 1.37-5.96], higher family monthly income [AOR = 1.92, 95%CI: 1.03-3.57], having previous eye examination [AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.02-2.31] and positive family history of cataract [AOR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.03-3.01] were positively associated with good knowledge. Significant portion of the participants had good knowledge about cataract, which was positively associated with higher level of education, higher family monthly income, presence of previous eye examination and positive family history of cataract. However, significant knowledge gap regarding the risk factors and prevention strategies was recognized. Hence, it might be logical to pay special attention in prospering knowledge on how to prevent the occurrence of the disease.

While the impact of government interference to the religious domain has long been discussed in previous literature, empirical evidence on the nexus between government intervention to religion and individuals’ giving to religious organizations remains limited. In this study, we aim to fill this gap and examine whether government intervention affects individuals’ giving to faith-based charities. To this end, a survey data conducted in 20 European countries and two measures of government intervention to religion were used. Our empirical investigation based on multilevel logistic regression, after controlling for possible confounding factors at individual and country levels, indicates that government regulation of religion has a significant negative impact both on religious donation and volunteering. The findings of the present study add substantially to our understanding of nexus between government and religion and will serve as a base for future studies.

The prevalence of cognitive impairment is increasing along with global aging. Early retinal structural and vascular changes, prior to the onset of clinically detectable retinal pathologies, have been increasingly associated with cognitive changes. However, the evidence related to the predictive performance of these biomarkers remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram-based scoring tool for opportunistic screening of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study prospectively recruited participants aged 60 years or older, including those with normal cognitive function. The retinal images were scanned using optical coherence tomography and angiography. Following the selection of potential predictors, a logistic regression model was built to predict MCI. Subsequently, a dynamic nomogram was developed to facilitate risk scoring in a clinical setting. The model's discriminative ability was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, along with diagnostic metrics of sensitivity and specificity at 95% confidence interval (CI). The model was internally validated using bootstrapping. Decision curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the model's clinical impact and utility. The model indicated that central macular thickness ( : -1.13; 95% CI: -0.15,-2.15;  < 0.05), outer nasal perfusion density in the macular area (β: 1.68; 95% CI: -2.92, -0.44;  = 0.008), and contrast sensitivity (β: -1.13; 95% CI: -2.03, -0.23;  < 0.05) were independently associated with MCI. This nomogram demonstrated a discriminative power of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.98). The model also demonstrated good performance during bootstrap validation, achieving an AUC of 0.87. The optimal cutoff points achieved an accuracy of 86%, a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 87%. The decision curve analysis showed that the model provides a high net benefit. This study developed and internally validated a dynamic, nomogram-based scoring tool for early detection of MCI that integrates non-invasive retinal and visual biomarkers. The model demonstrated high discriminative power and substantial clinical net benefit. Further evaluation of the model's prognostic value in predicting further cognitive decline may support its clinical utility.

The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of use of eye care service and associated factors among adult diabetic patients attending diabetic clinics in two referral hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia, 2020. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample size of 546 at Dessie and Debre-Birhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals from July 06 to August 14/2020. Systematic random sampling with a sampling fraction of 2 was employed to select study participants at outpatient departments in diabetic clinics. A pre-tested structured questionnaire, checklist, and visual acuity chart were used to collect the data. The collected data were entered into EPI-data version 4.4 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Binary logistic regression was fitted to identify the possible factors associated with the outcome variable, and the strength of association was expressed using an adjusted odds ratio at a 95% confidence interval. Variables with p-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. A total of 531 adult patients with diabetes participated with a response rate of 97.3%. In this study, the proportion of use of eye care service within the past 1 year was 31.5% (95% CI: 27.5, 35.4). Age from 40 to 64 years (AOR=2.86, 95% CI; 1.43,5.70) and >65 years (AOR=3.15, 95% CI: 1.32,7.50), duration of diabetes 6-10 years (AOR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.69) and >11 years (AOR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.51, 5.69), presence of visual symptoms (AOR=3.12, 95% CI: 1.56, 6.18), good attitude on the need of a regular eye checkup (AOR=2.87, 95% CI: 1.68, 4.94), and good knowledge about diabetic ocular complication (AOR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.33, 3.94) were positively associated with the use of eye care service. The proportion of use of eye care service among adult diabetic patients was low. The use of eye care service was significantly and independently associated with older age, longer duration of diabetes, presence of visual symptoms, good attitude on the need of a regular eye checkup, and good knowledge about diabetic ocular complication. We recommend that the patients with diabetes should be taught about diabetic ocular complications and the importance of regular eye check-ups by health professionals to increase utilization of eye care services by patients with diabetes.

Coffee is a well-known beverage that is widely used around the world. Despite the wide use of coffee in Ethiopia, there is a lack of extensive studies addressing the issues related to the caffeine content and hydrogen peroxide antioxidant activity of varieties of coffee types, particularly in Habru woreda, Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the caffeine content and hydrogen peroxide antioxidant activity of raw and roasted coffee beans collected directly from Habru woreda, North Wollo zone of Ethiopia. The study was conducted in Bohoro, Girana, and Wurgisa kebeles of Habru woreda, Ethiopia, by collecting 500 g of green beans of Arabica coffee without considering their variety. Then, the collected beans were divided into raw and roasted coffee to perform aqueous and dichloromethane extraction of their caffeine content and hydrogen peroxide antioxidant activity using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The amounts of caffeine in aqueous and dichloromethane extraction were in the range of 124.01-191.27 ppm and 145.15-200.09 ppm in raw and roasted coffees, respectively. Using the IC value, the hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of the aqueous phase coffee bean extracts in Bohoro raw, Bohoro roasted, Wurgisa raw, Wurgisa roasted, Girana raw, and Girana roasted coffee were 32.17 ppm, 11.69 ppm, 26.14 ppm, 3.12 ppm, 24.83 ppm, and 11.06 ppm, respectively, while that of ascorbic acid was 6.91 ppm. The study showed that the highest amount of caffeine in both aqueous and dichloromethane solvent extraction was found in Bohoro's raw and roasted coffee beans. Also, the amounts of caffeine in all coffee bean samples were safe and the antioxidant activity was excellent. In most of the samples, significant variations in the concentration of caffeine in raw and roasted coffee bean samples were observed in the two extraction solvents.

Background In Ethiopia, there is a substantial mismatch between need and supply of corneal transplant. Although corneal transplantation service is affected by various factors, willingness to donate eyes is an essential indicator of its availability, accessibility, and acceptability. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of willingness to donate eyes and its associated factors, which help to develop appropriate strategies that can address this undersupply and unmet need. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 774 adults who were selected using multistage random sampling in Gondar town, North West, Ethiopia. The data were collected through interviews. Results In this survey, 774 adults with a median age of 30 ± 14.33 years participated. The proportion of willing to donate eyes was 37.6% [95% CI: 34.3%–41.3%]. It was positively associated with the religious belief of Christianity [AOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.08–2.75], having awareness about eye donation [AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01–1.92], educational level of high school [AOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.72–4.90], and College/University [AOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.28–3.87]. Conclusion The magnitude of willingness to donate eyes was moderate and positively associated with the higher educational level and awareness. It is, therefore, strategic to plan awareness creation programs to mobilize the community.