Development of genomic evaluation for methane efficiency in Canadian Holsteins.

Reducing methane (CH) emissions from agriculture, among other sectors, is a key step to reducing global warming. There are many strategies to reduce CH emissions in ruminant animals, including genetic selection, which yields cumulative and permanent genetic gains over generations. A single-step genomic evaluation for methane efficiency (MEF) was officially implemented in April 2023 for the Canadian Holstein breed, aiming to reduce CH emissions without affecting production levels.

Digital continuous glucose monitoring systems for patients with HIV-diabetes comorbidity in Ethiopia: a situational analysis.

In patients with HIV-diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity, invasive blood glucose testing can increase the risk of HIV-related blood contamination and discourage regular glucose monitoring. Digital continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems may allow real-time glucose monitoring without the need for blood specimens. However, in high-burden HIV-DM countries, current glucose monitoring practices and their challenges are insufficiently explored to guide digital CGM research and developments.

Barriers to equitable healthcare services for under-five children in Ethiopia: a qualitative exploratory study.

Background: Disparities in child healthcare service utilization are unacceptably high in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, little is known about underlying barriers to accessing child health services, especially among low socioeconomic subgroups and in remote areas. This study aims to identify barriers to equity in the use of child healthcare services in Ethiopia.

Inequities and trends of polio immunisation among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey.

Introduction: Despite Ethiopia's policy intention to provide recommended vaccination services to underprivileged populations, inequity in polio immunisation persists.

Objective: This study examined inequity and trends in polio immunisation and determinant factors among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2019.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016 and 2019 Ethiopian demographic and health surveys were analysed with the updated version of the WHO's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit software.

Impact of Covid -19 incidence rate and government-initiated risk communication measures on individual's NPI practices.

Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) are the most widely recognized public health measures recognized globally to prevent the spread of Covid-19. NPIs' effectiveness may depend on the type, combination of applied interventions, and the level of proper public compliance with the NPIs. The expected outcome of behavioural practices varies relative to the intervention duration.

Trends of inequality in DPT3 immunization services utilization in Ethiopia and its determinant factors: Evidence from Ethiopian demographic and health surveys, 2000-2019.

Background: Low levels of diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, pertussis (DPT3) immunization services utilization and high deaths among under five children are concentrated in economically and socially disadvantaged groups, especially in low and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess levels and trends in DPT3 immunization services utilization in Ethiopia and identify inequalities.

Methods: This study used data from 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016, and 2019 Ethiopian Demographic Health Surveys (EDHSs).

Primary health care in practice: usual source of care and health system performance across 14 countries.

Primary health care (PHC) is central to attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, yet comparable cross-country data on key aspects of primary care have not been widely available. This study analysed data from the People's Voice Survey, which was conducted in 2022 and 2023 in 14 countries. We documented usual source of care across countries and examined associations of usual source of care with core PHC services, quality ratings, and health system confidence.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Tuberculosis in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia: A Hotspot Analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the spatiotemporal distribution of TB and identify TB risk factors in Ethiopia's Oromia region. Descriptive and spatiotemporal analyses were conducted.

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project-A general overview of methods and objectives related to feed efficiency and methane emissions.

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project (RDGP) is an international large-scale applied research project that aims to generate genomic tools to breed more resilient dairy cows. In this context, improving feed efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases from dairy is a high priority. The inclusion of traits related to feed efficiency (e.

Novel genetic parameters for genetic residual feed intake in dairy cattle using time series data from multiple parities and countries in North America and Europe.

Residual feed intake is viewed as an important trait in breeding programs that could be used to enhance genetic progress in feed efficiency. In particular, improving feed efficiency could improve both economic and environmental sustainability in the dairy cattle industry. However, data remain sparse, limiting the development of reliable genomic evaluations across lactation and parity for residual feed intake.

Intrauterine growth pattern in Butajira HDSS, Southern Ethiopia: BUNMAP pregnancy cohort.

Background: Abnormal fetal growth pattern during pregnancy including excessive fetal size and intrauterine growth restrictions are the major determinants for perinatal outcomes and postnatal growth. Ultrasonography is a useful tool in monitoring fetal growth for appropriate care and interventions. However, there are few longitudinal studies using serial ultrasonography in low and middle-income countries.

Early-Life Exposure to Lipopolysaccharide Induces Persistent Changes in Gene Expression Profiles in the Liver and Spleen of Female FVB/N Mice.

The objective of this study was to investigate how subcutaneous (sc) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration affects the gene expression profiles of insulin signaling as well as innate and adaptive immunity genes in mouse livers and spleens. FVB/N female mice were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups at 5 weeks of age: (1) a six-week subcutaneous injection of saline at 11 μL/h (control-CON), or (2) a six-week subcutaneous injection of LPS from 0111:B4 at 0.1 μg/g body weight at 11 μL/h.

Mapping digital health ecosystems in Africa in the context of endemic infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Investments in digital health technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and telemedicine may support Africa achieve United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal for Health by 2030. We aimed to characterize and map digital health ecosystems of all 54 countries in Africa in the context of endemic infectious and non-communicable diseases (ID and NCD). We performed a cross-national ecological analysis of digital health ecosystems using 20-year data from the World Bank, UN Economic Commission for Africa, World Health Organization, and Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Genetic Analysis of Methane Emission Traits in Holstein Dairy Cattle.

Genetic selection can be a feasible method to help mitigate enteric methane emissions from dairy cattle, as methane emission-related traits are heritable and genetic gains are persistent and cumulative over time. The objective of this study was to estimate heritability of methane emission phenotypes and the genetic and phenotypic correlations between them in Holstein cattle. We used 1765 individual records of methane emission obtained from 330 Holstein cattle from two Canadian herds.

Milk metabolomics analyses of lactating dairy cows with divergent residual feed intake reveals physiological underpinnings and novel biomarkers.

The opportunity to select for feed efficient cows has been limited by inability to cost-effectively record individual feed efficiency on an appropriate scale. This study investigated the differences in milk metabolite profiles between high- and low residual feed intake (RFI) categories and identified biomarkers of residual feed intake and models that can be used to predict residual feed intake in lactating Holsteins. Milk metabolomics analyses were undertaken at early, mid and late lactation stages and residual feed intake was calculated in 72 lactating dairy cows.

Tracking health system performance in times of crisis using routine health data: lessons learned from a multicountry consortium.

COVID-19 has prompted the use of readily available administrative data to track health system performance in times of crisis and to monitor disruptions in essential healthcare services. In this commentary we describe our experience working with these data and lessons learned across countries. Since April 2020, the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) network has used administrative data and routine health information systems (RHIS) to assess health system performance during COVID-19 in Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Republic of Korea and Thailand.

Health-Related Quality of Life Using EQ-5D-3L Utility Score Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Experiences from Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia.

Purpose: To assess the health-related quality of life and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, 2019.

Patients And Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 type 2 diabetic patients coming to receive their routine outpatient follow-up service during the study period, from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2019, in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northern Ethiopia. The EQ-5D-3L instrument was used to assess the patients' self-reported health status and a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model was used to determine the independent factors associated with the health-related quality of life and P-value <0.

Factors influencing drop-out of households from community based health insurance membership in rural districts of Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Community based case-control study.

Background: Financial risk-sharing through community-based health insurance is a critical component of universal health coverage. However, its development is a great challenge, not only due to low enrollment but also due to the high dropout rate of members from the program, which threatens its sustainability. So far, the few existing studies in this area have focused on household enrollment into community-based health insurance, rather than on the number of members dropping out.

Predicting methane emission in Canadian Holstein dairy cattle using milk mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and other commonly available predictors via artificial neural networks.

Interest in reducing eructed CH is growing, but measuring CH emissions is expensive and difficult in large populations. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of milk mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) data to predict CH emission in lactating Canadian Holstein cows. A total of 181 weekly average CH records from 158 Canadian cows and 217 records from 44 Danish cows were used.

Predicting dry matter intake in Canadian Holstein dairy cattle using milk mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and other commonly available predictors via artificial neural networks.

Dry matter intake (DMI) is a fundamental component of the animal's feed efficiency, but measuring DMI of individual cows is expensive. Mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (MIRS) on milk samples could be an inexpensive alternative to predict DMI. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess if milk MIRS data could improve DMI predictions of Canadian Holstein cows using artificial neural networks (ANN); (2) to investigate the ability of different ANN architectures to predict unobserved DMI; and (3) to validate the robustness of developed prediction models.

Predicting enteric methane emission in lactating Holsteins based on reference methane data collected by the GreenFeed system.

Methane emission is not included in the current breeding goals for dairy cattle mainly due to the expense and difficulty in obtaining sufficient data to generate accurate estimates of the relevant traits. While several models have been developed to predict methane emission from milk spectra using reference methane data obtained by the respiration chamber, SF6 and sniffer methods, the prediction of methane emission from milk mid-infrared (MIR) spectra using reference methane data collected by the GreenFeed system has not yet been explored. Methane emission was monitored for 151 cows using the GreenFeed system.