Management-related Factors Research Articles

Assessment of Food Wastage in Hostel Messes – An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Abstract Introduction: The level of food waste must be assessed to ensure food security, as increasing agricultural productivity alone will not be sufficient. A common contributor to food waste is unintentionally heaping the plate with more food than is intended. In areas with a mass group and an endless supply of food, like a hostel mess, the amount of food wasted rises drastically. Thus, we planned to explore the reasons of food wastage amongst the resident students in the hostel mess and to know the possible solutions to reduce its waste. Methodology: It was a qualitative exploratory study carried out amongst 50 students residing in girls’ and boys’ hostel of tertiary care teaching hospital. Informed consent was taken from all the study participants. Free listing was done to find the reasons and possible solutions of food wastage with validated interview guide. The data were entered and analysed using Visual Anthropac software. Results: The three categories emerged from the reasons of food wastage were student-related factors, mess staff-related factors and management-/warden-related factors. The most salient student-related factors voted for food wastage were 20% ordering food from outside without prior intimation, 15% said that they deliberately waste food as they paid for it, 60% of the participants felt that the taste of the food was not up to the level and 45% proclaimed that cooking more food than required. The management-related factors were monotonous menu (35%). Conclusion: Despite surplus food production wastage of food occurs due to the lethargic behaviour of everyone on food wastage. It is imperative for each one of us to judiciously consume food which is required which solves half of the problems of wastage and the unmanageable wasting can be used to create energy or other purposes in order to prevent complete wastage and produce energy.

A SYNTHESIS OF THE DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESSFUL INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN ORGANISATIONS

Organisations exist, function and develop through communication. Intercultural communication is a specific communication activity in which the parties involved represent different cultures. The current context, dominated by globalisation, multiculturalism, internationalisation and digitalisation, underlines the importance of studying intercultural communication in an organisational context. The aim of this paper is to develop a comprehensive synthesis of the factors that influence the effectiveness of intercultural communication in organisations and to propose research hypotheses for future studies in this area. The methodology used to conduct this study includes the methods of analysis, synthesis, induction (for logical connections), deduction (for identifying theories from the literature), abduction (for identifying causes and factors and building hypotheses) and hierarchical classification (for grouping factors in the three-level taxonomy). The analysis of the factors mentioned in the literature on the effectiveness of intercultural communication in organisations has led to the development of a three-level taxonomy that groups them into five categories: management-related factors, group factors, individual factors, cultural factors and communication factors. This systematic and clarifying approach suggests linkages and directions for research as well as lines of action for practitioners to ensure sustainable development of multicultural organisations and increase the chances of success of intercultural communication in different organisational contexts. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that the existing literature does not propose a systemic view of the factors that influence intercultural communication outcomes. Most of the identified research presents comparative, descriptive approaches to the characteristics of intercultural communication in specific cultural contexts.

Spatio-Temporal Variation in the Exceedance of Enterococci in Lake Burley Griffin: An Analysis of 16 Years' Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Data.

Recreational waterbodies with high levels of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) pose health risks and are an ongoing challenge for urban-lake managers. Lake Burley Griffin (LBG) in the Australian Capital city of Canberra is a popular site for water-based recreation, but analyses of seasonal and long-term patterns in enterococci that exceed alert levels (>200 CFU per 100 mL, leading to site closures) are lacking. This study analysed enterococci concentrations from seven recreational sites from 2001-2021 to examine spatial and temporal patterns in exceedances during the swimming season (October-April), when exposure is highest. The enterococci concentrations varied significantly across sites and in the summer months. The frequency of the exceedances was higher in the 2009-2015 period than in the 2001-2005 and 2015-2021 periods. The odds of alert-level concentrations were greater in November, December, and February compared to October. The odds of exceedance were higher at the Weston Park East site (swimming beach) and lower at the Ferry Terminal and Weston Park West site compared to the East Basin site. This preliminary examination highlights the need for site-specific assessments of environmental and management-related factors that may impact the public health risks of using the lake, such as inflows, turbidity, and climatic conditions. The insights from this study confirm the need for targeted monitoring efforts during high-risk months and at specific sites. The study also advocates for implementing measures to minimise faecal pollution at its sources.

The Reinforced Treat-and-Extend Protocol for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Retrospective Assessment of 24-Month Real-World Outcomes in France.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the real-world outcomes of the reinforced treat-and-extend (RTE) protocol for the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration with intravitreal injections of aflibercept or ranibizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies). This was a retrospective review of patients from two tertiary ophthalmology centers in France initiating the RTE protocol between February 2018 and June 2021. The primary outcome was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after 24months. Secondary outcomes were change in central retinal thickness (CRT), recurrence, and management-related factors (injection interval, number of injections/consultations). Outcomes were additionally evaluated after protocol changes (strict versus modified RTE protocol groups). Sixty-eight patients (72 eyes) were included (68% females; mean age 82.2 ± 7.8years). After 24months, mean BCVA significantly improved (65.22 ± 14 vs. 71.96 ± 13 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters; p < 0.001) and CRT significantly decreased (388.6 ± 104 vs. 278.8 ± 51μM; p < 0.001) with 21% of eyes showing signs of exudation. Over the 24months, a mean total of 14.9 ± 4.0 injections and 8.6 ± 1.4 consultations were performed. Mean 24-month injection interval was 7.9 ± 2.3weeks. Initial and 24-month ophthalmic outcomes for eyes in the strict (47%) versus modified (53%) groups were not significantly different, but mean time interval to first recurrence of disease activity was significantly shorter for the modified group (7.3 ± 2.4 vs. 9.9 ± 2.5weeks; p < 0.001). Patients in the strict RTE group received significantly less injections (13.9 ± 3.6 vs. 16.5 ± 3.9; p = 0.006) and mean 24-month injection interval was significantly longer (9.5 ± 2.7 vs. 6.5 ± 2.1weeks; p < 0.001). Consultation number was similar (8.5 ± 1.9 vs. 8.8 ± 1.6; p = 0.93). Treatment with aflibercept versus ranibizumab did not influence ophthalmic or management outcomes. The RTE protocol, even when modified, reduced consultations but improved ophthalmic outcomes. The RTE protocol could reduce hospital visits and overall burden while also encouraging better patient compliance. Video Abstract available for this article. Vincent Soler and François-Philippe Roubelat summarize the Reinforced Treat-and-Extend Protocol and main results (MP4 225022 KB).

The influence of increasing mineral fertilizer application on nitrogen leaching of arable land and grassland—results of a long-term lysimeter study

IntroductionDespite various efforts to reduce nitrogen leaching from agricultural land, the permissible nitrate concentrations in groundwater have often been exceeded in the past. Intensive farming is often seen as the cause of the deterioration in water quality. Therefore, the present lysimeter study aimed to quantify nitrogen (N) leaching at different N fertilization levels for the agricultural land use systems of arable land and grassland to derive suitable management measures for improving groundwater quality.MethodsThe effects of three different of mineral fertilization treatments (50%, 100%, and 150%) in arable land and grassland use on four distinct soil types (loamy sand, sand, loam, loess) concerning seepage formation, nitrogen concentrations, nitrogen loads, dry matter yields and nitrogen balances were tested. The study was conducted at the lysimeter facility of the Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research – UFZ at Falkenberg (northeast Germany). Twenty-four non-weighable lysimeters with a surface area of 1 m² and a depth of 1.25 m were managed as grassland and arable land with three different fertilization treatments since 1985.Results and DiscussionFor arable land use, N leaching differed between the studied soil types, with the highest N loads from the sand (36.6 kg ha–1 yr–1 ) and loamy sand (30.7 kg ha–1 yr–1 ) and the lowest N loads from loess (12.1 kg ha–1 yr–1) and loam soil (13.1 kg ha–1 yr–1). In contrast to grassland use, a reduction of N fertilization level by 50 % did not result in reduced N leaching for arable land, whereas a maximal 29% reduced dry matter yields was observed. An increase of N fertilization by 50 % did not cause significant enhanced N leaching at arable land use. Soil-and management-related factors (soil type, texture, soil tillage, crop rotation, and others) mask the effect of increased N fertilization rates in arable land using lysimeters. For arable land use, a reduction of N fertilizer levels as the only measure was insufficient to reduce NO3– leaching, and other strategies besides N fertilization levels are required to improve groundwater quality. Measures should be targeted to reduce N losses by mineralization processes.

Infant survival is significantly impacted by dam- and management-related factors in zoo-managed Eulemur populations.

Due to their potential impact on population growth, many studies have investigated factors affecting infant survival in mammal populations under human care. Here we used more than 30 years of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) studbook data and contraception data from the AZA Reproductive Management Center, along with logistic regression models, to investigate which factors affect infant survival in four Eulemur species managed as Species Survival Plans® in AZA. Across species, infant survival to 1 month ranged from 65% to 78%. Previous experience producing surviving offspring was positively correlated to infant survival in collared (Eulemur collaris), crowned (Eulemur coronatus), and mongoose (Eulemur mongoz) lemurs. Both dam age and previous use of contraception were negatively correlated to infant survival for collared lemurs, though our results suggest the latter may be confounded with other factors. Blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons) were affected by birth location, suggesting differences in husbandry that may affect infant survival. These results can be used to assist in reproductive planning or to anticipate the likelihood of breeding success. Population managers may also be able to focus their reproductive planning on younger dams or those with previous experience to predict successful births. Future studies should seek to determine what aspects of previous dam success are most important to infant survival, investigate sire-related factors, and examine factors related to cause of death in infants that may lead to differential survival. Our hope is to present a framework that may be useful for investigating infant survival in other mammal species' breeding programs.

CEO-executive connections and auditor resignations

ABSTRACT This article examines the impact of connections between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other executives on auditor resignations. Prior literature documents both the positive and negative effects of CEO-executive connections on financial disclosure quality. However, there remains a lack of understanding regarding whether auditors perceive CEO-executive connections as a factor that potentially increases or decreases audit risk. To address the gap, this study investigates the association between CEO-executive connections and the likelihood of auditor resignations. The results based on 19,452 firm-year observations of S&P 1500 firms from 2004 to 2015 show that CEO-executive connections, especially visible connections, are positively associated with auditor resignations. Moreover, the association is more pronounced for firms with poor oversight over the financial reporting process and management. This suggests that CEO-executive connections are an audit risk factor that heightens the inherent and control risks of the firm, which can be mitigated through effective oversight mechanisms. This study contributes to the auditing literature by investigating an unexplored determinant of audit risk, that is, CEO-executive connections, and highlights the need to evaluate the management-related factors that could potentially heighten risks for auditors and regulators.

The Effect of Partial and Temporary Vaccination on African Swine Fever Eradication Rates

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most severe diseases of pigs, with drastic impact on pig industry. Wild boar populations play the role of ASF virus epidemiological reservoir. No effective and safe ASF vaccine is available, yet, but a future vaccine will not be 100% effective and will provide protection for no more than a few months. We present an individual-based spatially explicit model of wild boar demography and ASF epidemiology, allowing to simulate a vaccination campaign. We tested how many animals should be vaccinated in relation to vaccine efficacy and to the duration of vaccine protection. We estimated how these parameters will affect ASF eradication probabilities. We also assessed how partial vaccination will interact with a series of ecological, epidemiological, and management-related factors linked to ASF persistence. In the case of a highly effective vaccine with short duration, eradication chances were generally low, and the virus disappeared only when simulating a high effort (2.5 vaccinated wild boars/km2). A vaccine with low efficacy and long duration was even less effective in eradicating the ASFV, as none of the simulated scenarios provided acceptable eradication rates. Our results indicate that, under realistic conditions, vaccination against the ASF genotype II virus cannot be seen as an effective stand-alone tool for eradication. Its use should be integrated into a more comprehensive strategy, making use of all the available management tools, such as density control through hunting and carcass removal. If the vaccine will exhibit 12 months or longer duration of its protection, splitting the vaccination effort into two or three bait distribution campaigns during the year will be a feasible option. If the vaccine will exhibit a duration of its immunization significantly shorter than 1 year, a single distribution at the end of winter will maximize the probability of eradication.

Predictors of postoperative mortality among neonates after major-risk surgery: A one-year experience from a Tunisian hospital

Background: Neonatal surgery in developing countries remains a high-risk modality p and its outcomes depend on various patient-related, system-related, and management-related factors. This study aims to describe our experience in managing newborns requiring surgical interventions and to investigate the primary predictors of postoperative mortality. Methods: In this observational study, we included all newborns aged less than 28 days who underwent surgery in the pediatric surgery department under general anesthesia with tracheal intubation for major-risk surgery. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the outcome (survival or death) during the two months following surgery. Following a comparison of the two groups, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore predictors of perioperative mortality among neonates. Results: Sixty-seven newborns were included in this study, with an early mortality incidence of 28.3%. Anesthesia management did not impact neonatal mortality. The main predictors of neonatal mortality were revision surgery [aOR=35.5; 95% CI: 1.33- 94.1], surgery duration ≥ 120 minutes [aOR=36.5; 95% CI: 1.48- 312], preoperative mechanical ventilation [aOR=3.88; 95% CI: 1.12- 30.8], and the occurrence of perioperative adverse events [aOR=5.7; 95% CI: 1–29.5] or postoperative surgical complications [aOR=32.5; 95% CI: 1.05–101]. Conclusion: The early mortality rate after major neonatal surgery remains high in our department. It appears that preoperative poor conditions can elevate the risk. Additionally, major-risk surgeries requiring prolonged procedures and revision surgery, along with the incidence of postoperative infections, significantly increase the risk of neonatal mortality.

Beliefs about medication after hospital discharge in patients with polypharmacy: are patients convinced of the benefits of their medicines?

Introduction: Negative beliefs about medication can pose a threat to treatment adherence, which in turn can jeopardize drug effectiveness and beneficial health outcomes. In order to support and empower patients in safe medication use at home, it is important to assess patients’ preferences and beliefs affecting patients’ motivation to start and continue with treatment. Little is known about medication beliefs in geriatric patients with polypharmacy recently discharged from hospital and the impact of discharge management on patients’ beliefs.&#x0D; Aims: This study aimed to describe beliefs about medication in geriatric patients with polypharmacy post-discharge and to evaluate the impact of discharge management on patients’ beliefs.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2019 and March 2020 in twelve general hospitals in Belgium. Four hundred geriatric patients with polypharmacy were surveyed at hospital discharge and two to five days post-discharge using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire and a self-developed questionnaire concerning medication-related discharge management.&#x0D; Results: Most geriatric patients with polypharmacy held strong beliefs about the necessity of medication for maintaining their health now and in the future. However, a significant proportion was concerned about the possible negative effects of medication such as long-term effects and the development of medication dependence. Nevertheless, the benefits of medication outweighed the disadvantages as the mean necessity score (19.4/25) outweighed the mean concern score (11.9/25). Patients receiving help with medication management post-discharge had stronger necessity-, concern- and harm-related beliefs. No patient- or discharge management-related factors were significant predictors of medication beliefs in this sample.&#x0D; Conclusions and implications for practice: Although polymedicated patients hold predominantly positive beliefs about medication, it is important to discuss beliefs about medication with patients, as respected partners in care, prior to discharge in order to prevent non-adherence and enhance safe medication practices at home. Actively involving the patient in (decisions about) medication enables patients to express doubts and concerns about their medicines and ensures that pharmacotherapeutic care is more attuned to the patients’ values, preferences and needs. However, patients should be provided with sufficient and correct information to avoid misconceptions and misplaced concerns and to allow patients to make an accurate assessment of the pros and cons of medicines.

Factors Affecting Building Maintenance Practices: Review

Buildings begin to deteriorate gradually over time due to several factors, including environmental influences, improper use of the building, and neglected repairs for damages during the building's life span. Effective maintenance practices can minimize operational costs, extend the life of building systems and components, improve energy efficiency, and maintain property value. This paper aims to review articles related to building maintenance to identify factors affecting maintenance practices. After conducting the review, the result was that there were 33 factors affecting building maintenance categorized into six groups: management-related factors, manpower-related factors, technical-related factors, financial-related factors, building user-related factors, and building characteristics-related factors. Facility managers can enhance their understanding of building maintenance by examining the various factors that affect maintenance. By doing so, they can assess how these factors affect maintenance practices. This evaluation is crucial as it assists in creating efficient maintenance plans while optimizing resource allocation and timely repairs. Moreover, this approach enables facility managers to adopt proactive strategies toward maintenance, ultimately leading to cost savings by addressing or managing potential obstacles hindering optimal building maintenance.

Applying Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning to Discover Factors That Shorten Duration of Treatment in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Using Real-World Patient-Level Longitudinal Data from Medical Data Vision Database

Introduction: To maximize the benefit of treatment in multiple myeloma (MM), it is important to continue treatment for appropriate duration . Our recent real-world study using the Medical Data Vision (MDV) claim database showed that median duration of treatment (DoT) of 1 line (L), 2L and 3L treatment was rather short (range: 6.7 to 8.6 months) in Japanese non-transplant patients with MM (Handa H, et al. Plos one. 2023). However, the broad range of treatment patterns in Japan makes it difficult to identify the cause of shortened DoT. Therefore, we assessed the predictive factors that shorten DoT at threshold of &amp;lt;3, &amp;lt;6 and &amp;lt;12 months by applying machine learning (ML) model using real-world clinical data of MM patients from the MDV database. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 4848 individual treatments (2,762 patients; 1L for stem cell transplant-not conducted, 2L/3L) in patients (aged ≥18 years) with transplant-ineligible (newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory) MM between 2003-21. An explainable deep learning model (point-wise linear model, PWL) was developed using 647 feature variables (evaluated before, during, and after treatment; Table) from the MDV database to identify the important predictors associated with DoT. The PWL model generated a custom-made logistic regression model for each sample, which was very familiar to medical researchers and allowed to analyze the importance of the feature variables. Predictive performance of the PWL model was compared with elastic-net regularized logistic regression and XGBoost models and calculated by area under the curve (AUC) and evaluated by 10-fold double cross validation. To stratify the patients with shorter DoT, a clustering analysis of 4848 individual treatment was conducted based on the similarity of coefficients of the custom-made logistic regression models generated from the PWL model. To understand characteristics of samples belonging to each cluster, the relationship between predicted DoT and MM treatment-related comorbidity management was investigated ( Table). Results: The AUC score of the PWL model to predict DoT of &amp;lt;3, &amp;lt;6 and &amp;lt;12 months was 0.61, 0.64 and 0.66, respectively ( Figure). As per clustering analysis, there were 2 clusters (cluster A and B) at DoT of &amp;lt;3 months and 3 clusters (cluster A, B and C) each at DoT of &amp;lt;6 and &amp;lt;12 months, respectively. At &amp;lt;3 months, cluster B showed lower median of prediction probability, and had a significantly (P&amp;lt;0.01) higher previous treatment lines, pre-treatment Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) versus cluster A. At &amp;lt;6 months, cluster C showed lower median of prediction probability, and had significantly (P&amp;lt;0.01) higher CCI and comorbidities, and cluster B had significantly (P&amp;lt;0.01) lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, among the clusters. At &amp;lt;12 months, cluster C showed lower median of prediction probability, and had significantly (P&amp;lt;0.01) higher lactate dehydrogenase (LD), previous treatment lines, pre-treatment CCI, degree of care requirement at diagnosis of MM, pre-treatment tube and parenteral nutrition, and comorbidities, among clusters. Additionally, in cluster B (at &amp;lt;3 months), and cluster C (at &amp;lt;6 and &amp;lt;12 months), use of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) in treatment for MM was significantly higher in patients who met predicted DoT at each threshold versus the ones who were not. However, age and history of infectious diseases (antibacterial agents, γ globulin, etc.) was not affected. In addition, IMiDs and aspirin use at &amp;lt;3 and &amp;lt;6 months, and IMiDs use at &amp;lt;12 months had significant differences in events during and after treatment, which are important for considering treatment strategies for MM patients and may lead to the optimization of treatment plans. Study limitation included exclusion of important prognostic factors (cytogenetic profile, R-ISS stage, and presence of all plasmacytomas). Conclusions: TheML technique with PWL model yielded efficient results to understand the trend associated with event in treatment and characteristics of Japanese patients with MM whose DoT were shortened. Patient's condition and management related factors might have associated with shortened DoT, in consistent with clinical findings. These results are critical to continually improving MM management, achieving optimal patients care, and understanding the burden of disease and health services available to Japanese patients with MM in the real-world.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Blue Space in Beijing and the Identification of Multifactor Driving Mechanisms Using Remote Sensing

With rapid urban development in Beijing, there is a critical need to explore urban natural resources and understand their underlying mechanisms. Urban blue space (UBS) has gained increasing attention due to its potential to drive microcirculation, mitigate heat islands, and enhance residents’ well-being. In this study, we used remote sensing data to extract UBS in Beijing and employed exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) methods to examine its spatial and temporal development over the past two decades. We adopted a mesoscopic perspective to uncover the full spectrum of landscape patterns and quantitatively simulate the mechanisms influencing the area of UBS and landscape patterns. Our findings are as follows: (1) The UBS area in Beijing exhibited fluctuating growth from 2000 to 2020. (2) Spatial clustering of UBS was stable with subtle changes. (3) The ecological conditions in Beijing improved over the last 21 years, indicated by increased habitat diversity and richness, while notable landscape fragmentation posed significant challenges. (4) Science and technology management-related factors, such as UEM, EDUI, and STI, emerged as the most influential mechanisms for the UBS area. The coefficients for these factors were 0.798, 0.759, and 0.758, respectively. Following closely were vegetation conditions (NDVI) with a coefficient of 0.697 and an annual average temperature (T) with a coefficient of 0.692. (5) Precipitation was identified as the most vital influencing factor for the UBS landscape, with a significant correlation coefficient of 0.732. It was followed by residential population (POP), with a coefficient of 0.692, and economic conditions represented by gross domestic product (GDP), with a coefficient of 0.691.

Measuring economic resilience of manufacturing organization leveraging integrated data envelopment analysis (DEA)-machine learning approach

ABSTRACT This study aims to assess the economic resilience of manufacturing firms through a combination of output-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) and machine learning techniques. The research draws on economic resilience factors identified in the literature and focuses on three categories: economic-related factors (financial flexibility, microeconomic market, macroeconomic stability), production-related factors (restoration of production, backup inventories, resource pooling/sharing), and management-related factors (diversification of activities, good governance (management), relocation). Using DEA, a mathematical approach, the study computes and analyzes the contributions of various components to economic resilience. The results of DEA normalization indicate that the highest weighted criteria are financial flexibility, good governance (management), and resource pooling (sharing). To gain a deeper understanding of the data structure, the K-means algorithm is employed for clustering and analysis. K-means clustering is a popular exploratory data analysis technique that aims to group samples into clusters of equal variances by minimizing inertia or the sum of squares within each cluster. The combination of these techniques with sensitivity analysis provides a novel analytical approach for policy formulation and decision-making. The findings have implications for practitioners and domain experts, offering valuable insights into enhancing economic resilience in the manufacturing sector.

Trends in output of hypertension management and associated factors in primary care facilities: a latent trajectory analysis in China from 2009 to 2017

BackgroundThe prevalence of hypertension is high (25.2% in 2012) and there were a large number of patients with hypertension (more than 200 million) in China. Township health centres in rural areas and community health centres in urban areas are responsible for hypertension management. This study aims to identify trends in hypertension management output and related facility-level, geographical and economic factors in primary care facilities and to assess the effect of the national project of basic public health services in China from 2009 to 2017.MethodsA cross-sectional survey (2018) was combined with retrospective data collection (2009–2017) from 685 primary care facilities in six provinces in China. The hypertension management output was indicated by the number of patients with hypertension under management per 10,000 population. Latent class growth analysis and group-based trajectory models were applied to classify trajectories and determine associations with facility-level, geographic and economic characteristics.ResultsThe trend in the output increased rapidly from 2009 to 2012 with an average growth rate of 54.58% and slowed down from 2012 to 2017 (growth rate of 5.94%). Five trajectories of the output were identified and labelled according to baseline status and increase rates: low-gradually increasing (16.9%), middle-slightly increasing (16.2%), low-sharply increasing (7.9%), middle-sharply increasing (34.2%) and persistently high (24.9%). The time-stable characteristics, including region (eastern, central or western), district (urban or rural), landform, were associated with hypertension management output of the facilities. Number of public health physicians was a significant time-dependent characteristic influencing management output.ConclusionsFive latent trajectories of hypertension management output were identified. The output was still at a low level compared with the prevalence of hypertension. Hypertension screening in young people need to be emphasized. Facilities are recommended to establish good relationships with residents for better hypertension management outcomes especially in urban areas.

Summer rain and wet soil rather than management affect the distribution of a toxic plant in production grasslands

In the northern forelands of the Alps, farmers report an increase of Jacobaea aquatica in production grasslands. Due to its toxicity, the species affects grassland productivity and calls for costly control measures. We are investigating the extent to which management practices or climatic factors are responsible for the increase of the species and how the situation will change due to climate change. We tested for effects of management intensity, fertilization, agri-environmental measures, and soil disturbance, and modeled the occurrence of the species under rcp4.5 and rcp8.5 scenarios. The main determinants of the occurrence of the species are soil type and summer rainfall. A high risk is associated with wet soils and > 400 mm of rain between June and August; an influence of the management-related factors could not be detected. Under the climate-change scenarios, the overall distribution decreases and shifts to the wetter alpine regions. Thus, the current increase is rather a shift in the occurrence of the species due to the altered precipitation situation. Under future climatic conditions, the species will decline and retreat to higher regions in the Alps. This will decrease the risk of forage contamination for production grassland in the lowlands.

Causes of honeybee colony decline in south Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to identify the major causes of colony decline in the Gedeo Zone, South Ethiopia. Three districts, namely, Yirga Cheffe, Wonago, and Dilla Zuria, were purposefully selected based on beekeeping potential. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 135 beekeepers and 15 key informants using a semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussion, and personal observation of apiary sites. The results revealed two main causes of colony declines in the Gedeo zone: colony management-related factors and natural factors. Seventy percent of beekeepers lack the practical skills to perform hive inspection; 47% do not feed their colonies; 45% spray pesticides and insecticides near their apiaries; and 82% fail to control swarming. As a result, 87% of sampled beekeepers have experienced frequent colony absconding. The trends of colony decline showed an increase from 2008 to 2020 in the highlands and from 2008 to 2017 in the midlands and lowlands, respectively. The number of households facing colony declines increased in all agro-ecologies from 2008 to 2020. Pests and predators, like wax moths, and small hive beetles were take the first rank followed by ants, the inherent behavior of honeybees, a shortage of flora, and the presence of poisonous plants were the top five challenges among natural factors, respectively. Therefore, we strongly recommend educating beekeepers on scientific methods of colony management and planting bee flora. Laboratory diagnostics are required to identify bee diseases.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY

The study examines the relationship between risk management and the performance of the Nigerian banking industry. The panel data analysis technique based on the fixed effects estimation was employed to analyze the Nigerian banking industry performance. Risk management related factors such as credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk, interest rate risk and operational risk. A total of 18 most active deposit money banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Market for a period of 22 years (2000 to 2021) were used in the analysis. The empirical findings revealed that credit risk and operational risk variables were negative and do not have any significant relationship with the performance of the Nigerian banking industry while liquidity risk and market risk have significant positive effect on bank performance, interest rate risk has significant negative relationship with banks performance in Nigeria within the period of study. The study recommends among others that, banks’ management should have proper understanding of how credit policy affects the operations of their banks to ensure judicious utilization of deposits and maximize profit. Improper credit risk management reduces bank profitability, affects the quality of its assets and increases loan losses and non-performing loan which may eventually lead to financial distress.

Animal- and herd-level factors associated with onset of puberty in grazing dairy heifers

ABSTRACT Aims To explore animal- and herd-level risk factors influencing age at puberty in predominantly Holstein-Friesian dairy heifers managed in seasonal, pasture-based systems. Methods Heifers born in spring 2018 (n = 5,010) from 54 commercial dairy herds in New Zealand were visited on three occasions when the mean heifer age, within herd, was 10 (visit 1; V1), 11 (V2) and 12 (V3) months old. Blood samples were collected on each visit and liveweight, stature and anogenital distance (AGD) were measured at V2. Heifers were defined as having reached puberty at the first visit where blood progesterone was elevated (≥ 1 ng/mL). Animal-level response variables included pubertal status by V1, V2 and V3, and age at puberty (or age at V3 plus 31 days for those that had not attained puberty by V3). To explore herd-level management factors, farmers answered a questionnaire relating to animal location, land type, health, feeding, and management between weaning and mating. A partial least squares regression was undertaken to identify herd-level factors associated with the greatest influence on puberty rate within herd. Results The mean age at puberty was 352 (SD 34.9) days. Heavier animals at a greater proportion of expected mature liveweight based on their breeding value for liveweight, or animals with a higher breed proportion of Jersey and lower breed proportion of Holstein, were associated with earlier puberty. Herd puberty rates varied widely among enrolled herds, and averaged 20%, 39% and 56% by V1, V2 and V3, respectively. Liveweight, followed by breed and land type, had the greatest influence on the herd puberty rate. Heifer herds with a greater mean liveweight (absolute and proportion of expected mature weight) or greater Jersey proportion had more animals that reached puberty at any visit, whereas herds located on steep land or with greater Holstein breed proportions had lower puberty rates. Management-related factors such as vaccinations, provision of feed supplements, and weighing frequency were also herd-level risk factors of puberty but had less influence. Conclusions and clinical relevance This study highlights the importance of having well-grown heifers for increasing the chances of earlier puberty onset and the effect of breed and youngstock management to achieve growth targets. These outcomes have important implications for the optimal management of heifers to achieve puberty before their maiden breeding and for the timing of measurements to potentially incorporate a puberty trait in genetic evaluations.

Implementation fidelity of infection prevention practices at Debre Tabor comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundHealthcare-Acquired Infections are a major problem in the world and within the healthcare delivery system. An estimated 5–10% and around 25% of hospitalized patients have healthcare-acquired infections in developed and developing countries, respectively. Infection prevention and control programs have proven to be successful in lowering the incidence and spread of infections. Thus, this evaluation aims to evaluate the implementation fidelity of infection prevention practices at Debre Tabor comprehensive specialized hospital in Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional design with a concurrent mixed method was used to evaluate the implementation fidelity of infection prevention practices. A total of 36 indicators were used to measure adherence, participant responsiveness, and facilitation strategy dimensions. A total of 423 clients were administered for an interview, an inventory checklist, a document review, 35 non-participatory observations, and 11 key informant interviews were conducted. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with the satisfaction of clients. The findings were presented using descriptions, tables, and graphs.ResultThe overall implementation fidelity of the infection prevention practices was 61.8%. The dimensions of adherence to infection prevention and control guidelines were 71.4%, participant responsiveness was 60.6%, and facilitation strategy was 48%. In multivariable analysis, ward admission and educational level had a p-value of below 0.05 and were significantly associated with the satisfaction of clients with infection prevention practices at the hospital. The major themes that emerged in qualitative data analysis were healthcare worker-related factors, management-related factors, and patient- and visitor-related factors.ConclusionThe evaluation result of this study concluded that the overall implementation fidelity of infection prevention practice was judged to be medium and needed improvement. It included dimensions of adherence and participant responsiveness that were rated as medium, as well as a facilitation strategy that was rated as low. Enablers and barriers were thematized into factors related to healthcare providers, management, institutions, and patient and visitor relations.