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Background Ethiopia’s Community-based health insurance (CBHI) is currently providing financial protection to more than 54 million beneficiaries (64% of the target population). Beneficiaries’ satisfaction with health service provision is among the important factors that influence the decision to enroll and renew. Despite the importance of satisfaction in influencing such important decisions, there is limited evidence on systematic studies conducted at a national level on CBHI beneficiaries’ satisfaction with health care service provision. Hence, this study aimed to measure the level of CBHI beneficiaries’ satisfaction with health service provision and identify its determinants in Ethiopia. Methods This study employed a health facility-based cross-sectional study design. A total of 1,836 patients who made OPD visits were sampled, yielding a 99.9% response rate. The mean value of a composite variable derived from satisfaction items, was used to measure the level of satisfaction. Factors determining patient satisfaction were measured using binary logistic regression model, and variables with p-values < 0.05 were considered the final predictors of satisfaction. Results Overall, 58% [(95% CI: 55.8, 60.4)] of the patients were satisfied with the health service they received. Factors associated with higher satisfaction include fully receiving prescribed medicines [AOR = 5.31, 95% CI; 3.74, 8.12], partially receiving prescribed medicines [AOR = 1.92, 95% CI; 1.27, 2.9], being informed about health problem [AOR = 1.84, 95% CI; 1.47, 2.31], being informed about recovery methods [AOR = 1.61, 95% CI; 1.28, 2.03], patient’s perception about conformity of service with benefit package [AOR = 1.4, 95% CI; 1.12, 1.73], visiting urban health facility [AOR = 1.34, 95% CI; 1.07, 1.67], and being in older age group. The study revealed a lower satisfaction at hospitals (53%) compared with health centers (61%). Conclusion Notably, a substantial proportion of patients (42%) were not satisfied, a rate higher than reported in comparable studies. Dissatisfaction was predominantly associated with shortages of prescribed medicines, inadequate laboratory services, and exposure to out-of-pocket payments. These findings highlight the need for coordinated efforts among health authorities and service providers to ensure uninterrupted availability of prescribed medicines and diagnostic services in alignment with the CBHI benefit package. Addressing these gaps is critical to fostering trust and improving satisfaction among CBHI beneficiaries.

ABSTRACT In this study, a deterministic mathematical model describing the coexistence of corruption and racism is formulated, incorporating a jailed compartment and punishment strategy to assess the impact on corruption transmission. The total population is divided into eight compartments. The model's validity is established by proving that solutions are positive and bounded. Key properties, including the basic reproduction number, are derived using the next-generation matrix method. Equilibrium points are identified, and stability analyses are performed for the corruption-only and racism-only scenarios. Sensitivity analysis using the normalized forward sensitivity method highlights the most influential parameters affecting transmission rates. Numerical simulations conducted in MATLAB confirm the analytical findings and demonstrate that the endemic equilibrium of the coexistence model is locally asymptotically stable under certain conditions. The study recommends focusing on reducing transmission rates and increasing punishment rates as effective strategies to mitigate both corruption and racism in society.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of non-coding transcripts, have recently been emerging with heterogeneous molecular actions, adding a new layer of complexity to gene-regulation networks in tumorigenesis. LncRNAs are considered important factors in several ovarian cancer histotypes, although few have been identified and characterized. Owing to their complexity and the lack of adapted molecular technology, the roles of most lncRNAs remain mysterious. Some lncRNAs have been reported to play functional roles in ovarian cancer and can be used as classifiers for personalized medicine. The intrinsic features of lncRNAs govern their various molecular mechanisms and provide a wide range of platforms to design different therapeutic strategies for treating cancer at a particular stage. Although we are only beginning to understand the functions of lncRNAs and their interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs) and proteins, the expanding literature indicates that lncRNA-miRNA interactions could be useful biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer. In this review, we discuss the genetic variants of lncRNAs, heterogeneous mechanisms of actions of lncRNAs in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis, and drug resistance. We also highlight the recent developments in using lncRNAs as potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. Lastly, we discuss potential approaches for linking lncRNAs to future gene therapies, and highlight future directions in the field of ovarian cancer research.

The differences in small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), including miRNAs, piRNAs, and tRNA-derived fragments (tsRNAs), between X and Y sperm of mammals remain unclear. Here, we employed high-throughput sequencing to systematically compare the sncRNA profiles of X and Y sperm from bulls ( n  = 3), which may have a wider implication for the whole mammalian class. For the comparison of miRNA profiles, we found that the abundance of bta-miR-652 and bta-miR-378 were significantly higher in X sperm, while nine miRNAs, including bta-miR-204 and bta-miR-3432a, had greater abundance in Y sperm ( p  < 0.05). qPCR was then used to further validate their abundances. Subsequent functional analysis revealed that their targeted genes in sperm were significantly involved in nucleosome binding and nucleosomal DNA binding. In contrast, their targeted genes in mature oocyte were significantly enriched in 11 catabolic processes, indicating that these differentially abundant miRNAs may trigger a series of catabolic processes for the catabolization of different X and Y sperm components during fertilization. Furthermore, we found that X and Y sperm showed differences in piRNA clusters distributed in the genome as well as piRNA and tsRNA abundance, two tsRNAs (tRNA-Ser-AGA and tRNA-Ser-TGA) had lower abundance in X sperm than Y sperm ( p  < 0.05). Overall, our work describes the different sncRNA profiles of X and Y sperm in cattle and enhances our understanding of their potential roles in the regulation of sex differences in sperm and early embryonic development.

Our understanding of the post-transcriptional mechanisms involved in follicular atresia is limited; however, an important development has been made in understanding the biological regulatory networks responsible for mediating follicular atresia. MicroRNAs have come to be seen as a key regulatory actor in determining cell fate in a wide range of tissues in normal and pathological processes. Profiling studies of miRNAs during follicular atresia and development have identified several putative miRNAs enriched in apoptosis signaling pathways. Subsequent in vitro and/or in vivo studies of granulosa cells have elucidated the functional role of some miRNAs along with their molecular pathways. In particular, the regulatory roles of some miRNAs have been consistently observed during studies of follicular cellular apoptosis. Continued work should gradually lead to better understanding of the role of miRNAs in this field. Ultimately, we expect this understanding will have substantial benefits for fertility management at both the in vivo or/and in vitro levels. The stable nature of miRNA holds remarkable promise in clinical use as a diagnostic tool and in reproductive medicine to solve the ever-increasing fertility problem. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the involvement of miRNAs in follicular atresia, discuss the challenges for further work and pinpoint areas for future research.

AKT3 gene is a constituent of the serine/threonine protein kinase family and plays a crucial role in synthesis of milk fats and cholesterol by regulating activity of the sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP). AKT3 is highly conserved in mammals and its expression levels during the lactation periods of cattle are markedly increased. AKT3 is highly expressed in the intestine followed by mammary gland and it is also expressed in immune cells. It is involved in the TLR pathways as effectively as proinflammatory cytokines. The aims of this study were to investigate the sequences differences between buffalo and cow. Our results showed that there were substantial differences between buffalo and cow in some exons and noteworthy differences of the gene size in different regions. We also identified the important consensus sequence motifs, variation in 2000 upstream of ATG, substantial difference in the “3′UTR” region, and miRNA association in the buffalo sequences compared with the cow. In addition, genetic analyses, such as gene structure, phylogenetic tree, position of different motifs, and functional domains, were performed to establish their correlation with other species. This may indicate that a buffalo breed has potential resistance to disease, environment changes, and airborne microorganisms and some good production and reproductive traits.

The study was conducted at Kombolcha ATVET College, Eastern Ethiopia using 25 intact male yearling Somali goats weighing 18.4±1.5kg at the start of the experiment. The objectives of the study was to examine the effects of urea treated groundnut pod hulls and supplementation of wheat bran and mustard seed cake mixture at a ratio of 3:1, respectively at different levels on body weight change and carcass yield performance of Somali goats. A completely randomized block design was employed and the experimental animals were grouped in five blocks of five goats each based on their initial bodyweight. The result of this experiment demonstrated that urea treatment increased intake of groundnut pod hulls and decreased body weight loss as compared to the untreated groundnut pod hulls (UGNPH). The researchers recommend supplementation with 375g DM/day/head of the concentrate mixture to UGNPH based diet for small scale goat fattening programs, since neither UGNPH nor UTGNPH provided sufficient nutrients for growing goats.

BackgroundAgroforestry (AF) is an ancient tradition in Ethiopian dryland farming system. Several studies have examined system design, soil fertility management and system interactions, but the biodiversity and mitigation aspects of climate change have received less focus. We assessed the diversity of woody species, biomass carbon (C), and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock associated with indigenous dryland AF practices. A total of 197 smallholder farmers representing four AF practices (home garden, parkland, boundary plantation, and woodlot) from lowland, midland, and highland areas were systematically selected. The inventory of woody species was carried out on each farm's randomly formed plot.ResultsWe identified a total of 59 woody species representing 48 genera and 32 families. Shannon diversity index (H') was highest in home garden and parkland AF, while woodlots had the highest mean total stock of biomass C (31 Mg C ha−1). C stocks for smallholding systems (total biomass C and SOC 0–60 cm) ranged from 77–135 Mg ha−1. Total biomass C stocks were significantly correlated with abundance (Spearman r = 0.333; p = 0.002) but biomass components were not significantly correlated with H'. SOC soil depth stock (0–60 cm) was positively and significantly associated with H' (Spearman r = 0.291 & 0.351; p < 0.01).ConclusionsWe report greater species richness in home garden and parkland AF systems than in woodlots. While parkland AF produce lower biomass and SOC stock relative to other AF systems. The strategic use of home gardens and boundary planting can improve tree diversity and carbon storage in Ethiopian dryland ecosystems.