Lack Of Linkage Research Articles

ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE PREDICTION USING MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS

Opioid Risk Antibiotics Resistance abuse, overdose, and drug addiction have become public health concerns as a result of the notable increase in the use of both prescribed and over-the-counter medications in the United States. The growing incidence of opioid usage presents a complex public health issue, one of which is the possible influence on antibiotic resistance. The existing system predicts antibiotic resistance profiles in bacterial infections among hospitalized patients using machine learning (ML) algorithms and electronic medical records (EMRs). However, it ignores the impact of opioid use, a major public health issue that may be connected to antibiotic resistance. The complex association between opioid-related behaviors and antibiotic resistance may not be adequately captured by powerful machine learning algorithms, despite their use. The larger context of antibiotic resistance patterns is limited by the lack of linkage with data on opioid intake. The proposed abstract aims to improve predictive accuracy and understanding of the complex factors influencing antibiotic resistance emergence by integrating support vector machines (SVM) and linear regression to thoroughly analyse the relationship between opioid risk and antibiotic resistance. This approach addresses these limitations. We suggested combining linear regression and support vector machines (SVM) to better understand the complex connection between opioid risk and antibiotic resistance. In order to pinpoint the main causes of increased risk, trends in opioid consumption data are analyzed using the SVM model. In parallel, the relationship between opioid abuse and the rise in antibiotic resistance is examined using linear regression. Our goal is to have a thorough grasp of the complex relationship between opioid-related behaviors and the emergence of antibiotic resistance by combining these two analytical approaches. This project is designed under NetBeans with java as front end. Weka tool for machine learning analysis Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, Machine Learning, Bacterial Infections, Global Crisis, Healthcare.

Spice Production, Marketing, and Value Chain in Ethiopia.

The purpose of this paper was to document and organize spice production, marketing, and value chain in Ethiopia. Spice is the most essential farming product. Several native and exotic spices are grown by smallholder farmers across the country because Ethiopia has diverse agroecology and favorable climate conditions. The spice subsector has great potential for the country's economic development and poverty alleviation, cultivation, preparation, transport, and merchandising of spices and herbs. Spice market indicates the commodity value of spices. The major problems regarding the marketing system of spices were lack of communication between farmers and users, lack of linkage between sellers and buyers, and lack of postharvest management, storage facilities, regulated and cooperative markets, transportation, and knowledge of market news. The escalating value of spices is superficially envisioned, extending from smallholder production to partial handling, which seems to be the everyday value chain.

Construction of Multi-Level Ecological Security Pattern for World Natural Heritage Sites from the Perspective of Coupling and Coordination between Humans and Nature: A Case Study of Shilin Yi Autonomous County, China

Building ecological networks (ENs) is an important means to guarantee regional ecological security and achieve sustainable urban development. Development of ENs usually occurs at the county- or urban-area-scale, and there is a lack of linkage between ENs at different levels. Based on the systematic analysis of local environmental characteristics and ecological mechanisms of action in karst areas, the ENs at the county and urban areas levels are combined to build an ecological security pattern (ESP) for Shilin Yi Autonomous County (SYAC), a World Natural Heritage site. The results show that there are 18 Ecological resources in SYAC, with a total area of 326.512 km2 and 29 ecological corridors. In the northern part of the county, an absence of ecological resources and corridors occurred due to the fragmentation of landscape patches and poor ecological service functionality. In this study, three new ecological resources and seven corridors were added in the northern part of the county according to the patch area and landscape connectivity index (PALCI) to balance the layout of ecological resources and corridors in SYAC and improve regional habitat quality. In addition, a total of eight cultural and natural resources were identified in the urban areas of SYAC, and ten cultural and natural landscape corridors were identified. By overlaying the ENs of the county and the urban areas, we identified 3.977 km2 of Material Exchange Conversion Zone, 12.6593 km2 of Priority Restoration Zone, and ten Ecological Stepping Stones. This work helps to establish the interface between the upper and lower levels of the network, and correct for deficiencies of conflicting ecological processes at different levels, and integrate existing green-space system planning research about karst terrains.

Identification and Measurement of Shrinking Cities Based on Integrated Time-Series Nighttime Light Data: An Example of the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Urban shrinkage has gradually become an issue of world-concerning social matter. As urbanization progresses, some Chinese cities are experiencing population loss and economic decline. Our study attempts to correct and integrate DMSP/OLS and NPP/VIIRS data to complete the identification and measurement of shrinking cities in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). We identified 36 shrinking cities and 644 shrinking counties on the municipal and county scales. Based on this approach, we established the average urban shrinkage intensity index and the urban shrinkage frequency index, attempting to find out the causes of shrinking cities for different shrinkage characteristics, city types and shrinkage frequencies. The results show that (1) the shrinking cities are mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, the midstream city cluster and the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle. (2) Most shrinking cities have a moderate frequency of shrinking, dominated by low–low clusters. Resource-based, heavy industrial, small and medium-sized cities are more inclined to shrink. (3) The single economic structure, the difficulty of industrial transformation and the lack of linkage among county-level cities are possible reasons for the urban shrinkage in the YREB. Exploring the causes of urban shrinkage from a more micro perspective will be an inevitable task for sustainable development in YREB and even in China.

IMAGE AS AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF PERSONNEL POLICY IN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT BODIES: HUMANITARIAN ASPECT

The article considers image within the concept of employer branding in public management bodies, in frames of New Public Management. It is shown that the attractiveness of the brand of a particular government body is a key factor for quality staffing and provides an additional advantage in the labor market, however, the lack of linkage between the training and development of public management bodies employees and employer value proposition leads to the absence of the effect of involvement and, accordingly, the leakage of employees to the private sector. Based on the analysis of theoretical provisions both in NPM and business HR-management, as well as some case studies, it is shown that importance of image as an educational component of HR policy in public management bodies is especially evident.

2015개정 초등 국어 교과서의 읽기 상위인지 수용 양상

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze how the metacognition is reflected in the elementary school Korean language textbooks based on the revised 2015 curriculum.
 Methods Through literature review, the metacognition was divided into knowledge (declarative, procedural, conditional knowledge) and regulation (planning, monitoring, evaluation), and an analysis framework was established. The subject of analysis is 11 reading-related chapters in the 6th grade 1st and 2nd semester Korean language textbooks.
 Results After dividing the 11 chapters into general chapters and reading chapters, and analyzing them according to the framework, it was found that the general chapters were biased towards specific functional knowledge rather than regulating the metacognition. Moreover, only one reading chapter in the 1st semester of the 6th grade reflected monitoring of the metacognitive regulation in the textbook. In addition, there was a lack of linkage between the educational content of the metacognition by grade and chapter.
 Conclusions Based on these results, recommendations for future elementary school Korean language textbooks are as follows: Firstly, metacognitive knowledge and regulation, and their sub-elements should be presented in a balanced manner, and knowledge about the metacognition itself should be provided. Secondly, monitoring and regulation should be richly and repeatedly covered in various reading chapters. Thirdly, there is a need to establish linkage and systematization of educational content on the metacognition by grade and chapter.

Research on Sustainable Teaching Models of New Business—Take Chinese University Business School as an Example

Sustainable teaching model innovation is an important way to build a new business discipline in Chinese university business school; however, its effective implementation faces various challenges. This paper conducts an exploratory study on the current status of teaching practices in the business school of L University using personal interviews and questionnaire surveys. This paper compares the main performance of three stages in the initiation of teaching activities, use of teaching methods, and evaluation of teaching effectiveness in the business school of L University. We used project-based learning (PBL) theory, modular teaching theory, and deliberate practice theory to analyze three problems in business school teaching practice: lack of linkage between business knowledge modules, lack of articulation between business theory and business practice, and lack of systematic thinking in course assessment and evaluation. Based on the analysis of the above problems, this paper proposes three countermeasures: to reconstruct the relationship of “course-knowledge-tool” with modular thinking, to strengthen the linkage between theory and practice with deliberate practice, and to promote systemic thinking with real problems assessment. This research is essential to cultivate new business talents with “business theory + business skills + system logic”, and to build a new business talent education system for the digital economy and new consumer development requirements.

Training High-Quality Human Resources at Higher Education Institutions, to Meet the Demands of the Requirements of Vietnam's Socio-Economic Development under Industry 4.0

In this article, the authors have presented the theoretical basis of Training, high-quality human resources, industry 4.0, and the role of high-quality human resources in society and businesses. Through the methodology and data collection method, the research team has determined that the quality of human resources and high-quality human resources have not yet met the requirements of economic development under the impact of technology 4.0. Most of the labor force has not been trained, the unemployment rate of workers with university degrees is large, and employers have not yet appreciated the quality of labor. The causes of the above existing problems are mainly because high-quality human resource training activities do not ensure output standards, lack of linkage between training institutions and enterprises, and the labor structure of different industries. Disproportionate profession. To overcome the above shortcomings, the research team proposes several measures such as raising awareness for the whole society about the importance of high-quality human resources, focusing on comprehensively renovating education and training according to Decree No. Decision 29 and at the same time build training linkage models between schools and businesses.

Divergence of a speciation trait through artificial selection: Insights into constraints, by-product effects and sexual isolation.

Speciation and sexual isolation often occur when divergent female mating preferences target male secondary sexual traits. Despite the importance of such male signals, little is known about their evolvability and genetic linkage to other traits during speciation. To answer these questions, we imposed divergent artificial selection for 10 non-overlapping generations on the Inter-Pulse-Interval (IPI) of male courtship songs; which has been previously shown to be a major species recognition trait for females in the Drosophila athabasca species complex. Focusing on one of the species, Drosophila mahican (previously known as EA race), we examined IPI's: (1) rate of divergence, (2) response to selection in different directions, (3) genetic architecture of divergence and (4) by-product effects on other traits that have diverged in the species complex. We found rapid and consistent response for higher IPI but less response to lower IPI; implying asymmetrical constraints. Genetic divergence in IPI differed from natural species in X versus autosome contribution and in dominance, suggesting that evolution may take different paths. Finally, selection on IPI did not alter other components of male songs, or other ecological traits, and did not cause divergence in female preferences, as evidenced by lack of sexual isolation. This suggests that divergence of male courtship song IPI is unconstrained by genetic linkage with other traits in this system. This lack of linkage between male signals and other traits implies that female preferences or ecological selection can co-opt and mould specific male signals for species recognition free of genetic constraints from other traits.

Consequences of corruption: determinants of public servants’ job satisfaction and performance

Little research has focused on the consequences of corruption on civil servants’ performance outside OECD countries. Yet, corruption is endemic in many countries, and it is unclear how it affects performance and how can organizations use HRM practices to tackle the issue. While most research remains at the national level, we explored corruption’s impact at the individual level of performance. To test these issues, we obtained a unique data set from 1,344 civil servants in Bhutan via a random sampling of the entire civil servants’ population. We contribute to the theory of planned-action/behavior by testing empirically a model linking corruption, job-satisfaction, selected HRM practices and performance. The findings support the ‘sand in the wheel’ theoretical perspective of corruption. The results of SEM analysis reveal that job-satisfaction mediates the relationship between corruption and individual performance. Corruption exhibits an indirect negative one performance via job-satisfaction. Moreover, autonomy, performance-management and promotion opportunities improve job-satisfaction. The lack of linkage between some HRM practices and performance calls into question the contextual application of HRM practices. We offer practical insights into how civil servants’ job-satisfaction and performance can be improved by promoting ethical, anti-corruption policies along with contextualized HRM policies to enhance job-satisfaction.

공공 및 민간 긴급지원사업의 역할과 과제

The study analyzed the characteristics of the public and private emergency welfare support through a literature review. As a result, the public sector contributes numerous roles, such as discovering people in crisis, replenishing the blind spots, and networking people in need with private organizations’s support. The private sector plays the role of being the final solution of the blind spots of public assistance, supplementing social safety nets, and complementing the public sector. Furthermore, the study found several problems in the public and private sectors: first, the overlapping of public emergency support recipients with other public policy recipients due to the ambiguous boundary; second, the insufficiency of income security for low-income people despite both public and private support. Lastly, the lack of linkage and cooperation between private support and public social security system. Based on the findings, the study suggests policy implications related to the emergency welfare programs.

Dissemination of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Clinical Practice Guidelines among Clinical Practitioners: A Systematic Review of Quality Assessment Studies.

Acupuncture clinical practice guidelines are authoritative medical recommendations developed by evaluating and integrating acupuncture-related evidence. However, their synthesis and dissemination are not integrated, and clinical practitioners require more credible effective evidence. The study aim was to systematically review problems disseminating acupuncture clinical practice guidelines to clinical practitioners, to facilitate evidence dissemination. This systematic review included searches of PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and four major Chinese electronic databases (CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed) from inception to October 26, 2021. Two independent reviewers screened the literature, extracted information, and evaluated the quality of included studies. A systematic review was subsequently performed. Eleven studies were reviewed: nine (81.8%) cross-sectional surveys and two (18.2%) systematic reviews. The evaluated clinical practice guidelines differed across studies; seven studies (63.6%) evaluated guidelines for a specific disease, one (9.1%) evaluated guidelines for acupuncture therapies (e.g., moxibustion and fire acupuncture), one (9.1%) evaluated US acupuncture guidelines and recommendations, and two (18.2%) did not describe the guideline content. The included studies used different evaluation indicators. Guideline dissemination problems included lack of guideline standardization, unclear target population, mismatch between guidelines and application environment, lack of reliable health economics evaluation, poor quality content of the recommendations, lack of linkage between recommendations and evidence, and disassociation of recommendations from clinical practice et al. The development and publishing of credible acupuncture clinical practice guidelines is urgently needed to improve the usability of guidelines and standardize and disseminate tools for analysing information to clinical practitioners and to help the domestic and international acupuncture community to apply evidence to practice. Recommendations for promoting the dissemination of acupuncture clinical practice guidelines are to define clinical events suitable for the target population, to develop recommendations relevant to clinical practice, to improve the evidence evaluation index system, and to further standardize the method and process of formulating guidelines.

Reorganisation of emergency departments: From policy to practice

Background: In 2007, a national policy of emergency department reorganisation was announced in Denmark. To obtain the expected benefits of the policy, the policy must be put into practice. The aim of this study is to assess the relation between policy and practice after this policy announcement.
 Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study and we conducted a survey across all Danish emergency departments (n=21), to assess the policy implementation from 2007-2017. The questionnaire was answered by executive staff at the EDs (100% response rate). We applied the multi-contingency theory as an analytical framework to classify policy recommendations (specialised equipment, centralisation, multidisciplinary teams, triage, flow coordinator, senior physician, qualification upgrade) according to key organisational design dimensions (strategy, structure, coordination, staff, incentive structure) known to affect patient outcome. The framework further guides our analysis and expectations of the policy implementation process and ED impact.
 
 Results: The implementation rate varied across organisational dimensions: Coordination (multidisciplinary teams, triage, flow coordinator) was first implemented and terminated at the highest rates from 86-100%, whereas the implementation of structure (specialised equipment and centralisation) and staff (senior physicians and qualification upgrade) were more sluggish with implementations rates from 10-76% and 33-90%, respectively. The policy did not adhere to the multi-contingency theory and strategy and incentive structure were identified as missing organisational design dimensions of the policy.
 Conclusion: We found hesitant and heterogeneous translation from policy to practice, probably due to cooperation and recruitment challenges. According to our analytical framework, these issues might be caused by a lack of linkage between policy and theory. However, most of the Danish EDs developed new coordination strategies to resolve these issues. Since the policy did not suggest a complete design plan, it is not surprising, that the EDs have tried to develop independent solutions. It also shows that if only a partial design is specified with no time limits, the implementation may take different routes.

生态产品价值实现关键问题解决路径

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 生态产品价值实现关键问题解决路径 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202110192951 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家高端智库重点研究课题；中节能生态产品发展研究中心有限公司"生态产品市场交易机制研究（21009-Z-Y） The path to the key problems of the value realization of ecological products Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The key research project of national high-end think tank; China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group Eco-Product Development Research Center program (21009-Z-Y) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:量化、抵押、交易、变现是贯穿于生态产品价值实现全过程的重要环节，而难量化、难抵押、难交易、难变现（简称"四难"）是生态产品价值实现、生态文明建设亟待解决的关键问题。研究深入分析了"四难"问题的具体表征，包括产权界定不清、方法学研究不足、软硬件条件缺失、机制之间缺少联动等。为加强生态产品价值实现工作的统领作用，打通"绿水青山"同"金山银山"的双向转化通道，从整体布局、系统谋划角度出发，研究提出解决"四难"问题的基本路径：（1）通过构建"1+2+N"的政策框架体系，加强顶层设计，为生态产品价值实现试点奠定制度基础；（2）加强农特产品、资产权益类产品两类平台搭建，规范交易流程，健全交易网络，实现供需精准对接；（3）依据产权界定、可验证、可转让、可执行、政策连续性5项准则科学设计生态产品市场，实现生态产品交易市场化。此外，研究提出基于产业链金融链数据链协同深化生态产品价值实现问题研究。 Abstract:Quantification, mortgage, transaction and realization are important links throughout the whole process of the value realization of ecological products, and the four dilemmas of difficult quantification, difficult mortgage, difficult transaction and difficult realization are the key problems to be solved urgently in the realization of the value of ecological products and the construction of ecological civilization. The specific characterization of the four dilemmas was deeply analyzed, including unclear definition of property rights, inadequate methodological research, lack of hardware and software conditions, lack of linkage between mechanisms and so on. In order to strengthen the leading role of the value realization of ecological products and open up the two-way transformation channel between lucid waters & lush mountains and invaluable assets, from the perspective of overall layout and system planning, the basic path to solve the four dilemmas was put forward:(1) strengthen the top-level design to lay the institutional foundation for the pilot project of realizing the value of ecological products through the construction of the 1+2+N policy framework system. Among them, 1 is a programmatic document, which clarifies ideas, principles, guiding ideology and division of tasks; 2 is the intermediate of incentive and restraint, including ecological development fund and government classification assessment system; N stands for a range of mechanisms, including ecological product value accounting, green product standards and brands, ecological compensation, green finance and so on. (2) Strengthen the construction of two platforms of agricultural products and ecological asset & regulating services, standardize the trading process, improve the trading network, and achieve precise docking between supply and demand. (3) According to the five criteria of property right definable, verifiable, transferable, executable and policy continuity, we should scientifically design the market of ecological products and realize the marketization of ecological products transaction. It can not only provide a reference for policy makers, but also help to discuss the standardization and commercialization of ecological products. The industrial chain promotes the integration and development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries for the purpose of realizing industrial value-added, strengthens the circulation of material, energy and information, and truly brings human beings together. To explore the value realization of ecological products based on industrial chain and promote the integration of financial chain and data chain will help to introduce more capital, talent, policy and other elements. Thus we proposes to deepen the value realization of ecological products based on the synergy of industrial chain, financial chain and data chain. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Research and Extension Roles and Standpoints on Collaboration in technology Promotion and Transfer at a Higher Education Institution in the Philippines

Research and extension collaboration has been considered by policymakers as a critical factor in the success of efforts at lifting the agricultural sector especially in developing countries. Generation of technologies aimed at improving crop yields and farmers’ incomes are mainly the researchers’ role, while dissemination, promotion and transfer of these technologies for adoption especially by small-scale farmers is traditionally regarded as the extensionists’ main tasks. The research-extension linkage has been studied in terms of extent of collaboration and communication and causes of weak linkage, but not a single study explored how collaboration is viewed and what roles the researchers and extensionists assume in technology transfer. This study aimed to find out the roles and standpoints of researchers and extensionists in the promotion of technologies generated in an agricultural higher education institution (HEI) in the northern Philippines. Qualitative methodology was utilized to gather data from nine researchers and five extensionists who were all chosen through purposive sampling and who were all from the HEI. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed interviews. Findings show that researchers performed the role of technology transfer agents while extensionists served merely as reinforcement to the promotion activities of the researchers. There were differing standpoints about technology promotion and transfer, with the researchers’ viewpoint of extensionists’ lack of competence as a critical reason for not relegating this role to them, due to the extensionists’ non-involvement in the generation of the technologies. Lack of linkage between the two prevented the extensionists from assuming their prescribed role as technology transfer agent, doing instead the role of facilitator and organizer of farmers’ trainings. The study results call for a re-articulation of extensionists’ function and for their involvement in research centers’ implementation plan for technology promotion and transfer.

Blockchain-Based Processing of Health Insurance Claims for Prescription Drugs

The current legacy system used in processing health insurance claims causes a huge amount of financial loss every year due to fraud claims. It is also highly prone to privacy and security threats due to the use of traditional methods. Health insurance claims for prescription drugs are one such claim that is highly prone to being tampered with. Also, there is a lack of linkage in the prescription data between the medical care provider and the pharmacy, which also leads to miscommunication and the use of false prescriptions. In this paper, we propose processing health insurance claims for drug prescriptions using blockchain technology that manages the processing of prescription drugs in a private, secure, trustworthy, and decentralized manner. The proposed system utilizes a private Ethereum blockchain. The system includes two smart contracts: registration and approval smart contracts, which provide traceability and trustworthiness to the system. The system was integrated with off-chain storage (IPFS) and a fronted decentralized applications (DApps), which improves the accessibility of centralized patient information by authorized parties. To maintain the privacy of the data, a gateway is used to filter the data that can be viewed by the participants. We present the system architecture, sequence diagrams, entity-relationship diagram, and algorithms to demonstrate the working principles of the proposed process for processing health insurance claims for prescription drugs using blockchain. The performance of the proposed solution is evaluated by conducting security analysis and comparing it to the existing solutions. Our smart contract code is publicly available on GitHub.

Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language with the Use of LearningApps Service

The article describes the experience of using applications of the LearningApps service in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language (hereinafter - RFL) to students of the Institute of International Education, Henan University of Science and Technology in the 2018-2020 academic years. The relevance of the topic is due to the lack of a comprehensive description of the potential of the LearningApps service simulators in traditional and distance teaching of foreigners. The purpose of the article is to show the possibilities of LearningApps service simulators as an accompanying electronic resource in teaching various aspects of RFL. The study of the service teaching potential was carried out using the analysis of scientific literature and the study of the service functionality, observation and generalization of pedagogical experience, conversations with students and teachers. In the course of the study, the positive and negative aspects of the resource under consideration were identified. Its advantages for a student are interactivity, individual trajectory of the student's performance, the possibility of receiving prompt advice and multiple execution, game form, availability of a large variety of task templates (more than 20). The advantages of the resource for a teacher are simplicity in learning, lack of linkage of exercises with a certain training platform, which allows including them in printed and electronic teaching aids, availability of ready-made exercises in the public database or possibility to make your own exercises based on them, the ability to use it for different methodological purposes: demonstration, search for information, formation of skills and abilities in different types of speech activity, the possibility of intensive learning of vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, control, conducting students individual work, depending on the level of language proficiency. The disadvantages include the impossibility of quick assessment using a point-rating system, the absence of the Cyrillic font in some templates, the absence of some templates in the database. The prospects for using the resource are associated with the need to develop distance learning of RFL.

A twin data and knowledge-driven intelligent process planning framework of aviation parts

ABSTRACT As the core link of intelligent manufacturing, the process planning of aviation parts still faces the challenges such as relying on manual experiences for process decision-making and lack of linkage between process design and manufacturing for process optimisation. Process knowledge could support scientific decision-making on process issues, while twin data, namely high-fidelity simulation data and feedback information of manufacturing site, could further verify the process plans and optimise process parameters, so as to continuously improve the quality of process plans. Consequently, this paper proposes a general framework for twin data and knowledge-driven intelligent process planning (TDKIPP) of aviation parts, and analyses four standard procedures that support the above-mentioned reference framework, namely mechanism-data fusion process digital twin model, dynamic process knowledge base, process decision-making and evaluation, machining quality prediction and process feedback optimisation. A thus constructed test bed of TDKIPP and its four application examples about the process planning of a micro turbojet engine integral impeller demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Analysis of Sheep Value Chain in Basona Werena District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia

Ethiopia has large number of small ruminant resources, but its contribution to the national economy is far less than its potential. This study was undertaken to analyze sheep value chain actors and their roles, to examine market performance of actors and find out the existing constraints and opportunities of sheep value chain in Basona Worena District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. The primary data was collected from a sample of 366 farmers from five Kebeles and other 40 sheep value chain actors through structured questionnaires, focus group discussion, key informant interview and personal observation. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, frequency, Value Chain Analysis and marketing margin. Results show that input suppliers, farmers, traders, processors, service providers and consumers were the main sheep value chain actors in the study area. The sheep production system was traditional that needs intervention to transform in to market-oriented one. Eight sheep market channels were identified in the study area and the share of farmers from final sheep price was 35% which was very low. Feed shortage, sheep diseases, lack of linkage between Debre Brihan Blanket Factory and farmers, lack of improved sheep rams and low awareness of farmers’ on market oriented sheep production were the major constraints of sheep production in the study area. On the other hand government’s commitment to increase meat export, increment of export abattoirs, high demand of live sheep and sheep meat in both domestic and gulf countries and geographical location of the study area were the major opportunities. Therefore, farmers should have to form farmers’ small ruminant cooperative; strengthen the linkages among them and other value chain actors to increase their bargaining power and to be more beneficiary from the marketing of their sheep. Moreover, policies and strategies aiming at supplying improved sheep breeds, veterinary drugs and feeds, providing financial support, creating awareness and giving training for farmers on market oriented sheep production system are recommended.

Level of knowledge, acceptability, and willingness to use oral fluid HIV self-testing among medical students in Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania: a descriptive cross-sectional study

BackgroundHIV Self-Testing (HIVST) is universally accepted as an innovative strategy complimenting existing HIV testing services to archive the UNAIDS, 95-95-95 goals by 2030. However, the adoption of HIVST is lagging in most sub-Saharan countries, including Tanzania. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, acceptability, and willingness to use HIVST among Medical students in Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study using a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was conducted from May to June 2019 among 271 medical students aged 18–44 years enrolled in a degree of Medicine course at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College.ResultsA total of 271 participants were enrolled (response rate of 100%). The mean age was 23.9 (SD 2.9), the majority (91%) were Christians, being single (92%), and a half (50.2%) were males. More than half (55.7%) was sexually active, 67.5% reported the age of first sexual debut at 19 years and above. The majority (81.5%) reported that they had one sexual partner, 37% used condoms during the last sexual act. The majority (98.7%) had never had a sexually transmitted disease during the past 3 months, 22.5% reported using alcohol when having sex. More than three-quarters (79%) ever tested for HIV, and 41.6% tested for HIV in the past year. More than two-thirds (67.9%) had a high level of knowledge on oral fluid HIV self-test. Being a female was related with high level of knowledge (P = 0.225). The acceptability of HIVST was 62.7%, and about two-thirds showed a willingness to buy a self-test kit if available for public use.ConclusionsThe high level of knowledge on oral fluid HIV self-testing, acceptability and willingness to buy self-test kit if available for public use among sexually active medical students underscores the importance of introducing HIVST as a complementary approach for existing HIV testing services in this setting. To make HIVST effective, interventionist should address concerns associated with self-testing, such as lack of pre and post-test counseling, suicidal risks after receiving HIV positive results, perceived risks of inaccurate HIVST test results, lack of linkage to care of individuals receiving HIV positive results, perceived risks of intimate partner violence, coercive testing of a female partner, and perceived high cost of buying self-test kits.