Controlled Field Trial Research Articles

Effect of a theory-based educational intervention for enhancing nutrition and physical activity among Iranian women: a randomised control trial.

The relative contribution of health promotion models (HPM) to improve health-related behaviours in intervention programmes is still limited. Here, we tested whether Pender's HPM operationalised in the educational intervention was effective to modify nutrition and physical activity (PA) behaviours among Iranian women. A randomised controlled field trial evaluating the efficacy of an educational intervention based on Pender's HPM to improve PA and nutrition behaviours from August 2016 to October 2016. R version 3.0.2 and SPSS version 16 were used to conduct multiple statistical analyses. Ten public healthcare centres in Bojnourd, Iran were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The experimental group received the full intervention programme, which included nine 4-h training sessions and consulting support via phone contact and social media group. The control group did not receive any intervention. Women aged 4-6 years (n 202) were randomised to intervention (n 102) and control conditions (n 100) and completed baseline and 3-month follow-up. In the experimental group, the intervention programme had a significant effect (P < 0·05) on all construct of Pender's HPM and behaviour outcome, and the estimates for prior behaviours, self-efficacy, interpersonal influences, feeling, perceived benefits and barriers, commitment and behaviour outcomes in the intervention group were 0·72 (95 % CI 0·31, 0·98), 0·54 (95 % CI 0·27, 0·71), 0·74 (95 % CI 0·27, 0·91), 0·52 (95 % CI 0·19, 0·75), 0·62 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·91), 0·63 (95 % CI 0·30, 0·86) and 0·56 (95 % CI 0·37, 0·85), respectively. Educational intervention based on Pender's HPM was feasible and highly acceptable to modify PA and nutrition behaviours in the women population.

Response of Sorghum to Cold Stress at Early Developmental Stage

Native and adapted to the semiarid tropical regions of Africa, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is generally sensitive to cold temperatures, especially during the early developmental stages. However, there is genetic variability within the existing germplasm in terms of tolerance to low temperatures. The highland regions of Africa possess important sources of germplasm with adaptation to cold stress, since they tend to be cooler than the low land regions. The goals of the study were to evaluate and identify sorghum lines with tolerance to cold temperature stress and make recommendations on varieties that may be planted in the East African highland regions or used in plant breeding programs for cold tolerance. Forty sorghum genotypes were evaluated for emergence, shoot, and root development at seedling stage under controlled environment in growth chambers and in the field. Significant genotypic differences were detected for all evaluated traits. Correlation between controlled environment experiments and field trial results was mostly significant, suggesting that the growth chambers can be used to predict and identify cold-tolerant genotypes. Results showed that emergence and vigor are the best surrogate traits for selecting cold-tolerant genotypes. Using rank summation index, we were able to identify the best cold-tolerant sorghum genotypes (IS 25557, IS 25558, IS 25546, BM6, BM 29, IESV 90042LT, and Cytanobe) that can be used in future breeding programs and enhance adaptation and expansion of sorghum production further into the highland regions of Africa.

Randomized controlled field trial comparing quarter and cow level selective dry cow treatment using the California Mastitis Test

Selective use of antibiotic dry cow treatment can be implemented at the cow or quarter level, with the latter having the potential to further reduce antibiotic use. Our objective was to compare these 2 approaches in 6 herds in the United Kingdom in which environmental mastitis predominated. Eight hundred seven cows were enrolled and categorized as having a high cell count (n = 401) or low cell count (n = 406) in the last 3 mo of lactation and clinical mastitis history. All quarters of all enrolled cows received an internal teat sealant. Within each category, cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups; in one group antibiotic treatment was allocated at cow level (i.e., all 4 quarters received antibiotic), whereas in the 2 remaining groups antibiotic treatment was allocated at quarter level, based on California Mastitis Test (CMT) findings. Two different thresholds, score 1 and 2, were used to determine likely infection status. Quarter milk samples were collected at dry off and postcalving for bacteriological culture and somatic cell count (SCC). Cows were monitored for clinical mastitis from dry off until 100 d in milk. Cow level SCC and milk yield data were collated from farm records. Within each category, the 2 quarter level treatment groups were compared with cow level treatment at dry off. Leaving quarters untreated with intramammary antibiotic in cows in the high cell count group, with a CMT <2 or <1, reduced antibiotic use by 55% and 31%, respectively, and resulted in no difference in the odds of being infected with any pathogen postcalving, but was associated with a higher SCC at the first test day. Intramammary antibiotic treatment of quarters with a CMT ≥1 in cows in the low cell count category at dry off was not associated with any reduction in the odds of being infected with a major pathogen postcalving but was associated with a decrease in the odds of being infected with a minor mastitis pathogen postcalving. The use of antibiotics in quarters of cows categorized as low cell count at dry off, increased the proportion of quarters treated with antibiotic from 0% at cow level to 31% (CMT ≥ 1) and 12% (CMT ≥ 2) at quarter level, only resulting in a reduction in SCC of around 20,000 cells/mL at the first test day, if all quarters with CMT score ≥1 were treated with antibiotic. No differences in clinical mastitis incidence and milk yield in the first 100 d in milk were detected between any of the treatment groups. These study findings support selective quarter level dry off treatment only in cows with cow level SCC >200,000 cells/mL at dry off.

The effect of pasture molluscicide on small lungworm infections and the productivity of grazing lambs

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pasture molluscicide treatment on the prevalence and severity of small lungworm infections, and the productivity of lambs grazing improved pastures in southeastern Australia. A randomised control field trial of 260 Merino-cross lambs was conducted on a commercially managed farm in South Australia with a history of high small lungworm prevalence. Separate groups of lambs rotationally grazed irrigated lucerne paddocks treated with iron chelate molluscicide or untreated control paddocks. Lambs were monitored every 2–6 weeks from weaning until slaughter with liveweight, lungworm and gastrointestinal nematode infection status measured. At slaughter indicators of small lungworm infection via inspection and carcass characteristics were assessed. The density of the intermediate host snail and lucerne pasture availability were also measured. There was a higher population of adult Prietocella barbara molluscs in the Control paddocks compared to the Treatment paddocks after molluscicide had been applied and prior to grazing commencing (206 vs. 14 snails/m2, respectively; P = 0.03; 95 % CI 8, 528). However, the overall mollusc density was similar between Control and Treatment. The prevalence of small lungworm infections was quite low during the trial (0–13 %), in both Control and Treatment lambs, except at day 94 when 48 % of 28 Control lambs were positive compared to none of 27 Treatment lambs (P < 0.001; 95 % CI 30, 66). A similar proportion of Treatment and Control lambs had evidence of small lungworm infection lesions at slaughter (both 67.8 %). Control lambs grew slightly faster than Treatment lambs, with an average daily gain of 202 (± 3 SEM) g/head/day for Control and 190 (± 4 SEM) for Treatment (P < 0.001) during the 112-day trial.Despite historic evidence of very high prevalence of lungworm infection in this region of southeastern Australia, iron chelate molluscicide treatment prior to lambs grazing the pasture had no demonstrable effect on the prevalence and severity of small lungworm infections, nor the productivity of lambs grazing these pastures. This study indicates that for a commercial sheep farm, additional molluscicide treatments of pastures after they are established, for the prevention of small lungworm infection, may not be warranted. Furthermore, requirements for more precisely monitoring snails are discussed.

Comparison of the effect of basic CPR training, in-person and e-learning, on self-efficacy of secondary school students

INTRODUCTION: Today, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is highly important to save the lives of people in need of CPR by those present at the scene, and it is useful to study new training tools in this field. This study aimed to determine and compare the effect of basic CPR face-to-face and electronic training on the self-efficacy of high school students. METHODS: This randomized controlled field trial study was conducted on second-grade high school students in Tabas, Iran, referring to high schools by an announced call. The samples (n=62) were randomly selected and divided into two groups of e-learning and face-to-face training (n=31 each). Both groups completed the Basic Resuscitation Skills Self-Efficacy Scale at the baseline and 1 week and 2 months after the training intervention. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 20) using statistical measures of mean and standard deviation and statistical tests of t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures analysis of variance. FINDINGS: The results showed that both e-learning and face-to-face training methods significantly increased the self-efficacy of high school students in CPR in 1 week and 2 months after training. In addition, a significant difference was observed between the two methods regarding the mean score of basic CPR self-efficacy 1 week after the intervention (P&lt;0.001). CONCLUSION: Considering the benefits of e-learning on students' CPR learning, this method should be used seriously for basic CPR self-efficacy training.

Examining the crime prevention claims of crime prevention through environmental design on system-trespassing behaviors: a randomized experiment

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is a non-punitive method for reducing crime through the design of the built environment. The relevance of CPTED strategies, however, is less clear in the context of computing environments. Building upon prior research indicating that computing environments may change computer users’ behaviors, this study tests the effectiveness of CPTED-based approaches in mitigating system-trespassing events. Findings from this randomized controlled field trial demonstrate that specific CPTED strategies can mitigate hacking events by reducing the number of concurrent activities on the target computer, attenuating the number of commands typed in the attacked computer, and decreasing the likelihood of hackers returning to a previously hacked environment. Our findings suggest some novel and readily implemented strategies for reducing cybercrime.

The effect of rosemary essential oil inhalation on sleepiness and alertness of shift-working nurses: A randomized, controlled field trial

BackgroundSleepiness during the night shift is a common complaint of shift workers, including the nurses. This study investigated the effects of inhaled rosemary oil on sleepiness and alertness of shift-working nurses. MethodsEighty shift-working nurses were selected and assigned randomly into control (n = 40) and intervention (n = 40) groups. Both groups completed the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Survey before the intervention. The intervention group received one drop of rosemary essential oil using a mask. The control group received a drop of distilled water instead, after which the questionnaires were completed for a second time. ResultsThe sleepiness mean score in the intervention group reduced from 12.15 to 8.3, while it increased from 11.41 to 13.76 in the control group (P < 0.001). The alertness mean scores changed from 4.45 to 3.25 and from 4.41 to 5.34 in intervention and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). ConclusionRosemary aroma decreased sleepiness and increased alertness in shift-working nurses.

Effects of Zinc and Menthol-Based Diets on Co-Selection of Antibiotic Resistance among E. coli and Enterococcus spp. in Beef Cattle.

Simple SummaryAs antibiotic resistance increases globally, alternatives to antibiotics are increasingly being investigated as growth promoters, as well as preventive and therapeutic agents, particularly in agriculture. Equally important is the need for investigation into the effects of antibiotic alternatives on antibiotic resistance and particularly their risk for co-selection. In this study, we explored the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in cattle fed zinc, menthol or a combination of the two. We found that zinc supplementation was associated with higher levels of macrolide resistance observed among enterococcal isolates.Antibiotic resistance represents a growing crisis in both human and veterinary medicine. We evaluated the use of antibiotic alternatives—heavy metals and essential oils—in beef cattle feeding, and their effects on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In this randomized controlled field trial, we measured the impact of supplemental zinc and menthol on antibiotic resistance among commensal enteric bacteria of feeder cattle. Fecal suspensions were plated onto plain- and antibiotic-supplemented MacConkey and m-Enterococcus agar for quantification of total and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp., respectively. Temporal effects on overall E. coli growth were significant (p < 0.05), and menthol was associated with decreased growth on tetracycline-supplemented agar. Zinc was associated with significant increases in growth on erythromycin-supplemented m-Enterococcus agar. Cattle fed zinc exhibited significantly higher levels of macrolide resistance among fecal enterococci isolates.

Evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of feline vaccines with reduced volume

A non adjuvanted vaccine against feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus, feline panleucopenia and feline leukemia has been formulated in reduced volume (0.5 ml) with the same antigen content as the conventional 1 ml presentation. This paper reports studies evaluating the safety and the immunogenicity of this reduced volume vaccine in comparison with the conventional volume vaccine. The safety of both vaccines was evaluated in a small sized laboratory trial. It was further tested in a randomized controlled field trial on a total of 398 cats. Immediate and delayed local and systemic adverse events were monitored after vaccination. The immunogenicity of each vaccine was also checked by serological antibody responses against the vaccines antigens during the laboratory trial.These studies showed that the 0.5 ml vaccine was well tolerated in cats, inducing less local events, while keeping the same immunogenicity as the corresponding 1 ml vaccine. Reducing the volume of the vaccine is a way to improve the convenience of administration and to help following vaccination guidelines with the aim of reducing the incidence of adverse events following vaccination.

The effect of educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior and self-regulatory strategies on the social vitality of women employee.

BACKGROUND:Social vitality is one of the most important social indicators to develop a sense of public satisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-regulatory strategies on the social vitality of women employee.MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this randomized controlled field trial study, 66 women employees of Birjand University of Medical Sciences (Iran) were selected including intervention (n = 31) and control (n = 35). Data were collected by standard Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire based on TPB which its the validity and reliability were confirmed. The educational intervention consisted of 5 sessions based on the constructs of the TPB and self-regulatory strategies which were to the interventional group. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test at a significance level of <0.05.RESULTS:The mean age of women in the intervention and control group was 37.1 ± 9.3 and 36.2 ± 7.6 years (P = 0.67). Model constructs and happiness scores were homogeneous (P > 0.05) before the intervention, in two group of study, but after attitude (P = 0.016), subjective norm (P = 0.029), perceived behavior control (P = 0.01), intention (P = 0.006), and happiness score (P < 0.001) had a significant increase in the intervention group. In the control group, only a significant difference occurred over time in the happiness rate (P = 0.031).CONCLUSIONS:The results of the present study showed the effectiveness of educational intervention on the social vitality of women employees. Therefore, TPB is recommended to use in interventions to promote social vitality.

Effects of a Household Air Pollution Intervention with Liquefied Petroleum Gas on Cardiopulmonary Outcomes in Peru. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Rationale: Approximately 40% of people worldwide are exposed to household air pollution (HAP) from the burning of biomass fuels. Previous efforts to document health benefits of HAP mitigation have been stymied by an inability to lower emissions to target levels. Objectives: We sought to determine if a household air pollution intervention with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) improved cardiopulmonary health outcomes in adult women living in a resource-poor setting in Peru. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled field trial in 180 women aged 25-64 years living in rural Puno, Peru. Intervention women received an LPG stove, continuous fuel delivery for 1 year, education, and behavioral messaging, whereas control women were asked to continue their usual cooking practices. We assessed for stove use adherence using temperature loggers installed in both LPG and biomass stoves of intervention households. Measurements and Main Results: We measured blood pressure, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and respiratory symptoms using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire at baseline and at 3-4 visits after randomization. Intervention women used their LPG stove exclusively for 98% of days. We did not find differences in average postrandomization systolic blood pressure (intervention - control 0.7 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval, -2.1 to 3.4), diastolic blood pressure (0.3 mm Hg; -1.5 to 2.0), prebronchodilator peak expiratory flow/height2 (0.14 L/s/m2; -0.02 to 0.29), postbronchodilator peak expiratory flow/height2 (0.11 L/s/m2; -0.05 to 0.27), or St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (-1.4; -3.9 to 1.2) over 1 year in intention-to-treat analysis. There were no reported harms related to the intervention. Conclusions: We did not find evidence of a difference in blood pressure, lung function, or respiratory symptoms during the year-long intervention with LPG. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02994680).

Effect of Family-Based REDUCE Intervention Program on Children Eating Behavior and Dietary Intake: Randomized Controlled Field Trial.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a family-based intervention program (REDUCE) on children’s eating behaviors and dietary intake. A two-arm randomized controlled field trial was conducted among parents and children of 7 to 10 years old who were either overweight or obese. The intervention was conducted via face-to-face sessions and social media. The child eating behaviors were assessed using the child eating behaviors questionnaire (CEBQ), while their dietary consumption of vegetables and unhealthy snacks was assessed using a parental report of three days unweighted food. The generalized linear mixed modelling adjusted for covariates was used to estimate the intervention effects with alpha of 0.05. A total of 122 parents (91% response rate) completed this study. At the six-month post-training, there were statistically significant mean differences in the enjoyment of food (F(6481) = 4.653, p < 0.001), fruit and vegetable intake (F(6480) = 4.165, p < 0.001) and unhealthy snack intake (F(6480) = 5.062, p < 0.001) between the intervention and wait-list groups; however, it was not clinically meaningful. This study added to the body of knowledge of family-based intervention that utilized social media and assessed the effect in children’s eating behavior using the CEBQ and children’s dietary intake.

Engaging Farmers and the Agriculture Industry Through the Testing Agricultural Performance Solutions Program

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Testing Agricultural Performance Solutions (TAPS) program involves use of farm management competitions to increase engagement across producers, industry, and universities. Participants make several management decisions throughout the growing season in a controlled field trial held at the university research station. Results are analyzed, and awards are presented for most profitable farm, most efficient farm, and farm with the greatest grain yield. The TAPS program involves several techniques for facilitating participatory assistance, including two-way communication and transformational learning. It has resulted in participants' questioning their past management decisions and realizing that they need to improve their marketing skills to improve profitability.

Efficacy of probiotics on digestive disorders and acute respiratory infections: a controlled clinical trial in young Vietnamese children

ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on the incidence of constipation, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections (ARI), and nutritional status of young Vietnamese children.MethodsA controlled field trial was conducted with 1003 children (3–5 years old) in Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam. The probiotic group (n = 510) consumed fermented milk 65 mL/day containing 108 CFU/mL of LcS for the 12-week intervention period, whereas the control group (n = 493) was not given any. The incidence of constipation, diarrhea, ARI, and anthropometry in children was determined at baseline, after 4, 8, and 12-week intervention, and after the 4-week follow-up period.ResultsProbiotic drink decreased the incidence of constipation after the 12-week intervention period (12.0% vs. 32.0%, OR = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.21–0.40), p < 0.001), tended to decrease the incidence of diarrhea (4.9% vs. 7.9%, OR = 0.60 (95% CI: 0.35–1.01), p = 0.068), and prevented the occurrence of ARI (15.9% vs. 24.5%, OR = 0.58 (95% CI: 0.42–0.79), p < 0.001), when compared with the control group. In contrast, no probiotic effects were observed for the duration of diarrhea or ARI. Weight gain was higher in the probiotic group than in the control group after 4, 8, and 12-week intervention and after the 4-week follow-up period (p < 0.05).ConclusionsDaily intake of fermented milk containing LcS strongly prevented the incidence of constipation and ARI in Vietnamese children. This study also revealed the potential effects of the use of a probiotic drink on diarrhea prevention as well as nutritional status improvement.

A cluster‐randomized trial measuring the effects of a digital learning tool supporting decoding and reading for meaning in grade 2

AbstractA large‐scale, cluster‐randomized controlled field trial (Nclassrooms = 47; Nstudents = 1,013) assessed the impact of a digital text‐to‐speech reading material that supported 8‐year‐olds’ decoding and reading comprehension. An active control group used the most prevalent Danish learning material with a research‐based systematic, explicit phonics approach supporting primarily decoding. The digital tool allows children to read unfamiliar text for meaning. Students are supported in mapping between orthography and phonology by three levels of text‐to‐speech support and in identifying spelling patterns. The risk of students overusing text‐to‐speech was countered by postponing access to having words read aloud by directing students towards identifying and training relevant orthographic patterns before activating text‐to‐speech. Results showed no statistically significant difference in decoding, but treatment improved reading comprehension. The study demonstrates how digital tools can facilitate strengthening students' decoding skills as efficiently as a traditional phonics‐based programme while students are reading text of relatively high orthographic complexity for meaning.

A randomized controlled field trial assessing foot and mouth disease vaccine effectiveness in Gondar Zuria district, Northwest Ethiopia

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly transmissible viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, which is endemic in many developing countries. Vaccination is the main tool for FMD control in resource limited endemic countries like Ethiopia. Vaccine quality, which is often questionable in developing countries, is a critical element for effective disease control. The present study was aimed at evaluating the field effectiveness of a trivalent FMD vaccine (containing serotypes O, A and SAT 2), produced and widely used in Ethiopia, in terms of preventing clinical infection and severe disease. A randomized controlled field trial design was employed in the study in which the attack rate of clinical FMD infection in vaccinated cattle was compared with the attack rate in unvaccinated controls in cattle population of 16 villages in Gondar Zuria district, Northwest Ethiopia. The vaccine was administered as a single dose course in the face of an impending FMD outbreak and the trial groups were monitored for clinical infection until the end of the outbreak. The attack rate of clinical FMD 20 days post vaccination in the vaccinated cattle (34 %) was significantly lower than the attack rate in the unvaccinated controls (49 %) (p < 0.001). However, the effectiveness of the vaccine was only 31 % (95 %CI: 20–40 %). This vaccine effectiveness increased to 52 % ((95 %CI: 33–66 %) 42 days post vaccination. The proportion of severely affected cattle in the vaccinated group (5.7 %) was significantly lower than in the unvaccinated group (9.4 %) (p < 0.001), resulting in 39 % (95 %CI: 18–55 %) vaccine effectiveness against severe disease. Generally, the observed level of vaccine effectiveness was lower than the internationally recommended 75 % plus expected percentage of protection for a standard potency 3PD50/dose FMD vaccine. Moreover, the level of effectiveness was insufficient to provide herd immunity to control the disease at the population level. Nevertheless, given the significant difference in the incidence of clinical disease and severity between vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle, it might still be worth using the current vaccine to reduce production losses associated with the disease provided it is cost effective and affordable for the farmers. Factors that cause low effectiveness of the vaccine need to be identified and addressed for effective control of the disease at population level.

Resilience Skills Training Versus Metacognitive Therapy: A Comparison of Effectiveness on Anxiety in Nurses Working in Intensive Care Units and Emergency Department

Background: Anxiety is an outcome of stressful work environments like clinical environments, which harms the mental health and delays provision of services to patients, consequently. Objectives: This study examined the effects of resilience skills training and metacognitive therapy on nurses’ anxiety who work in intensive care units and an emergency department. Methods: This randomized controlled field trial was carried out on 54 nurses working in ICU, PICU, and NICU units and the emergency department of Valiasr Hospital, Birjand, Iran. The participants were allocated via permuted block randomization into three groups of resilience, metacognitive therapy, and control. Research instruments include a demographics form and the Spielberger anxiety inventory. Parametric statistics (e.g., ANOVA, repeated measures ANOVA, Chi square and Fisher’s exact test) were employed for data analysis in SPSS (V.19) (P &lt; 0.05). Results: In the resilience group, the mean scores of trait and state anxiety significantly decreased immediately and one month after the intervention compared to the period before the intervention (P &lt; 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the metacognitive therapy group in terms of the mean score of trait and state anxiety in the three stages of study (P &gt; 0.05). There were significant differences between the three groups in terms of trait and state anxiety mean score changes before and immediately after the intervention, and before and one month after the intervention (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: Resilience skills training were more efficient than metacognitive therapy in attenuating anxiety in emergency and intensive care nurses. Nursing managers are recommended to hold resilience skills training sessions to alleviate nurses’ anxiety.

Evaluation of effectiveness of a sexuality education program for parents of male adolescents: promoting of parent-adolescent sexual communication.

Parents play a significant role in promoting of healthy sexuality in adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a sexuality education intervention program to enhance parent-adolescent sexual communication. This study was a randomized controlled field trial. Parents of male adolescent aged 13-16 years were recruited from eight public all-boys high schools in Karaj, Iran. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used and 102 parents were assigned into intervention and control groups. The recruitment and data collection process lasted from February to November 2019. Self-report demographic questionnaire and six general parenting and parent-adolescent sexual communication measures were used to assess the impact of intervention. Sexuality education program was presented for the parents of intervention group, in the form of four weekly 2-h sessions. Parents were assessed at the baseline, within one week post-intervention, and three-month follow-up to evaluate the outcome variables. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, two-sample t-test, general linear model analyses, and Bonferroni test. In terms of parent-adolescent general communication, parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication about sex-related topics, parent's sexual communication skills, parent's self-efficacy, and responsiveness to sexual communication. There were no significant differences between intervention and control groups at the baseline (p>0.05). Compared to controls, intervention parents reported more improvement in general communication across the time; however, significant differences were not observed regarding general communication and parental monitoring (p=0.94, p=0.95). Parents in the intervention group significantly differed from those in the control group for the mean scores of parent-adolescent communication about sex-related topics (p=0.04), parent's sexual communication skills (p=0.04), parent's self-efficacy (p=0.002), and responsiveness (p<0.001) to sexual communication at each follow-up. We identified the educational program as a promising tool for improving parent-adolescent communication regarding sexuality-related issues. This program provides the evidence for implementation of parent-based sexuality education programs.

Zero-tillage wheat provides stable yield and economic benefits under diverse growing season climates in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

ABSTRACT Sustainably enhancing wheat productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is vital for ensuring future food security. While in controlled field trials zero-tillage (ZT) wheat has demonstrated considerable yield benefits, empirical assessments of the performance stability of the practice in farmers’ fields under varying climatic conditions are lacking. Given progressive climate change, this constitutes an important knowledge gap which we address with a unique panel dataset from 961 farm households in Bihar, India, spanning two favourable and two less favourable growing seasons. We employ an endogenous switching regression (ESR) framework to derive unbiased estimates of the expected impacts of ZT on wheat yields and production costs among the farming population (average treatment effect, ATE). The prevailing ZT practices led to significant yield gains in three out of the four years, notably in the less favourable seasons. Overall, the estimated yield ATE was 660 kg ha−1. More importantly from the farmers’ perspective, ZT led to significant cost savings in all four seasons, commensurate to a 5% increase in average total household incomes. We conclude that ZT for wheat in Bihar provides tangible and consistent benefits to farmers. Policy-makers in Bihar and adjacent states should continue to strongly support its adoption at scale.

Effect of Bismuth Subnitrate Teat Canal Sealant with Ampicillin-Cloxacillin Combination in Control of Bovine Mastitis in Selected Farms in Kenya

This study presents the results of effect of a combination of bismuth subnitrate teat canal sealant (Boviseal® -Bimeda® Animal Health, Ireland) and the antibiotic Ampicillin &amp; Cloxacillin (Bovaclox® DC-Norbrook Laboratories Ltd-UK) when used during the dry period on occurrence of mastitis 100 days post-calving. The objectives of this study were: to determine the effect of Boviseal® teat canal sealant in combination with Bovaclox® DC in control of dairy cow mastitis 100 days after calving; to determine bacterial pathogens causing mastitis in the selected farms and to determine risk factors for occurrence of dairy mastitis in the selected farms. This controlled field trial was carried out in two Kenyan dairy farms: Chemusian Farm in Nakuru County and Gicheha Farm in Kiambu County. 156 dairy cows were used in the study. Healthy cows with no history of mastitis in their current lactation were recruited. They were randomly placed into either of the two study groups: the control and the test group. The Control group received Bovaclox® DC while the Test group received the Bovaclox® DC followed by Boviseal®. The cows were followed during the entire dry period and 100 days post-calving monitoring for mastitis occurrence. Cows in the control group were more susceptible to mastitis 100 days post-calving compared to cows in the treatment group (P&lt;0.001, RR=4.4, OR=17.7). Of the bacterial pathogens, coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) were the most common pathogens isolated from mastitic milk at 34.6 % followed by Micrococcus spp. (9.0%). Other bacteria isolated were Streptococcus agalactiae (3.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (1.9%); Escherichia coli (0.6%) and various bacterial mixtures. Results of logistic regressions at P≤0.05 showed that farm, position of the quarter, type of barn floor and type of treatment were significantly associated with occurrence of mastitis. Cows in Gicheha farm whose barn floor was earthen, those cows in the control group and hindquarters were risk factors for mastitis (RR=1.5, 4.4 and 1.18 respectively). The results of this study showed that Bovaclox® DC + Boviseal® teat canal sealant combination applied during the dry period is more effective in controlling bovine mastitis 100 days post-calving compared to the use of Bovaclox® DC alone. The study thus recommends the use of Bovaclox® DC + Boviseal® dry cow combination for control of bovine mastitis.