Mersha Alehegne: The Ethiopian Commentary on the Book of Genesis: Critical Edition and Translation

 Dissertation Abstract   

Orature on Literature: the Case of Abba Gärima and His Gospel

This paper presents oral narratives told about Abuna Gärima, one of the so called Nine Saints, and his evangelical mission in northern Ethiopia. The narratives presented in the paper discuss different issues: where and how did he write his Gospel, which is believed to be the first Ethiopic Gospel, and the oldest known manuscript in the literary culture of the country; the different miracles the Saint performed during his years of service at the monas­tery; and how he is commemorated in the people’s popular songs and qǝne, a unique style of Gǝʿǝz poetry. These narratives were collected through oral interviews made with individuals who relate themselves to the monastery which is believed to have been founded by the Saint

Petros S. Berga: What Happened to the Original Christian Unity in Ethiopia? Towards the Restoration of Our Original Unity in Christ

Review 

CAPRINE γδ T CELL BIOLOGY

CAPRINE gd T CELL BIOLOGY AUGUST 2020 ALEHEGNE W YIRSAW, DVM, ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA MSC., ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA PHD., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST DIRECTED BY: PROFESSOR CYNTHIA L BALDWIN Goats are important food animals and are disseminated globally. Their productivity is impacted by infectious diseases thus impacting the livestock owners and the community. γδ T lymphocytes or T cells have vital roles in immune responses in mammals and thus we identified information gaps regarding these cells in goats. We used genome annotation, PCR amplification of genomic DNA and cDNA, and Sanger and PacBio sequencing for this research to evaluate the important receptors of these cells, i.e. the T cell receptor (TCR) and the hybrid pathogen pattern recognition receptor (PRR) and TCR co-receptor known as WC1. The annotated TCRγ (TRG) and TCRδ (TRD) loci were similarly organized in goats as previously reported for cattle and the gene sequences were highly conserved between these ruminant species. However, the number of genes varied slightly as a result of duplications within loci and differences occurred in mutations resulting in pseudogenes. Goats have 6 functional and 1 pseudogene TRG gene cassettes and TRD genes have one constant gene (TRDC), 4 joining genes (TRDJ), 7 diverging genes (TRDD and 34 TRD variable genes (TRDV). In cattle, the WC1+ γδ T cells only use TCRγ genes from one of the 6 available cassettes and we found the same conservation for goat WC1+ γδ TCRγ gene usage. With regard to the co-receptor, we found evidence for up to 30 caprine WC1 genes, twice that of cattle, and seven different WC1 gene structures of which 4 are unique to goats. The most distal WC1 scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains known as SRCR a1, based on sequence and position, were highly conserved among goat breeds but fewer were conserved between goats and cattle. Caprine WC1 genes also had multiple splice variants of transcripts coding for the intracytoplasmic domains that in some cases eliminated tyrosines shown previously to be important for signal transduction. In summary, goat WC1 molecules may have expanded functions given their expanded number and structure variations. Using immunofluorescence and flow cytometric analysis and monoclonal antibody (mAb) GB21A, reactive with the TCR δ constant region (TRDC), we found that the proportion of gd T cells in caprine blood was not significantly less than that of CD4 or CD8 T cells, with WC1+ γδ T cells ranging from ~20-90% of the total. Less than half of the WC1+ cells could be classified as WC1.1+ or WC1.2+ subpopulations by additional mAb staining indicating a large third subpopulation in goats. Since WC1 gene expression may direct pathogen responses the WC1 genes expressed by subpopulations of WC1+ γδ T cells were also identified by next-generation sequencing. To experiments to evaluate responses to pathogens, we found that naïve gd T cells proliferated in in vitro recall cultures stimulated with Leptospira borgpetersenii or Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) above that in control cultures without antigen or those with M. bovis BCG. The responding cells included both WC1+ and WC1- γδ T cells and the WC1- γδ T cells produced IL-17. In ex vivo PMA-stimulated cultures WC1+ γδ T cells were shown to also produce IL-17 while WC1- γδ T cells produced both IL-17 and interferon-g (IFNγ). In the future, more extensive studies of caprine gd T cells will be needed to evaluate the role of the various γδ T cell subpopulations to important livestock pathogens. Knowing this information will be important for understanding how to engage these cells in vaccine designs

Towards a Glossary of Ethiopian Manuscript Culture and Practice

The study is aimed at providing definitions for important terms that have specialized meaning in the Ethiopian manuscript culture. Terms related with lemmatized entry are also given under the same entry and marked as synonyms. The entries are arranged alphabetically following the Latin alphabetical order

Bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis prevalence in cattle from selected milk cooperatives in Arsi zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and bovine brucellosis are two important milk-borne zoonoses that have been shown to be prevalent to various degrees in Ethiopian cattle. The study was carried out in four Woredas (districts) around Asella town, Arsi Zone between October 2011 and March 2012 and included 318 small-holders in 13 dairy cooperatives that marketed the delivered milk. The aims of the study were i) to assess the prevalence of the two diseases in cattle in a cross-sectional study, ii) to assess potential risk factors of BTB and brucellosis to humans as well as the knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) among these farmers towards these diseases.; BTB testing using the comparative intradermal skin test (CIDT) was done on 584 milking cows, out of which 417 were serologically tested for brucellosis using the Rose Bengal Plate Test and reactors confirmed with an indirect ELISA test (PrioCHECK®). The individual animal prevalence was 0.3% (95% CI 0.1% to 1.3%) for BTB, 1.7% (95% CI 0.8% to 3.5%) for brucellosis and 8.9% (95% CI 6.8% to 11.5%) for MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex). Of the 13 milk cooperatives, two had at least one positive BTB reactor and five had animals positive for brucellosis. Cross-breeds accounted for 100% and 71.4% of the BTB and brucellosis reactors respectively. For both diseases, there were prevalence variations depending on Woreda. No animal was concomitant reactor for BTB and brucellosis. Raw milk was consumed by 55.4% of the respondents. 79.2% of the respondents reported touching the afterbirth with bare hands. The latter was fed to dogs in 83% of the households. One cow among the herds of the 130 interviewees had aborted in the last 12 months. Among the interviewees, 77% stated knowing tuberculosis in general but 42 out of the 130 respondents (32.3%) did not know that BTB was transmitted by livestock. Less than half (47.7%) of the respondents knew about brucellosis.; Low prevalence of both diseases reflected the potential for the area to compete with the growing milk demand. The authors discussed the possible control strategies for the area

Regularity and Uniformity in the Ethiopian Hagiographical Tradition: A Particular Focus on Narrating the Childhood of Saints

The paper is an attempt to show how uniformity and regularity characterize the childhood of different Ethiopian saints as it is sketched in the Ethiopic hagiographic tradition. Presenting ample evidences from different hagiographies of Ethiopian saints, it tries to show how the saints’ early life follows a set of standardized patterns which are seen nearly as universal convention that is almost interchangeable between one saint and another. The discussion is focused on three patterns (infertility, prophecy/vision and old-child) of childhood where uniformity and regularity in the tradition are evident

Ngo Interventions For Conflict Prevention And Resolution: The Case Of Agri-Service Ethiopia

For the last thirty-eight years, Agri-Service Ethiopia (ASE) has engaged in rural development in Ethiopia. Recently, ASE has realized the effect of violent conflict on its development work. To sustain the development program, ASE in partnership with Mercy Corps Ethiopia (MCE) began a Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) Interventions program in May 2005. The project launched several programs including capacity building, outreach, a small grant schemes project and mainstreaming. This study assessed the type of CP & R methods used by ASE and its impact to promote peace in the targeted community. Structured questionnaires, secondary document analysis and the researcher’s own experience were employed as the major research methodology. Twenty- eight respondents from ASE, MCE and stakeholder groups participated in the research process. The major findings of this study revealed that ASE used culturally appropriate conflict resolution methods that increased the participation of the community and enhanced the sustainability of the intervention. The research also highlighted how the Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) interventions cultivated a culture of nonviolence in the community, encouraged participants to think positively about each other, built a peace constituency and improved the participation of the community in resolving conflict in their daily lives. The war that broke out between the targeted community and their neighboring Woreda was the major challenge faced by the program participants. The results of the research also indicated that tribal modalities/indigenous conflict resolution methods were effective in preventing and resolving conflict. How to merge contemporary Conflict resolution (CR) methods with traditional approaches requires further investigation. Moreover, this research contributes to the sustainability of CP & R interventions in the areas that ASE operates

Ngo Interventions For Conflict Prevention And Resolution: The Case Of Agri-Service Ethiopia

For the last thirty-eight years, Agri-Service Ethiopia (ASE) has engaged in rural development in Ethiopia. Recently, ASE has realized the effect of violent conflict on its development work. To sustain the development program, ASE in partnership with Mercy Corps Ethiopia (MCE) began a Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) Interventions program in May 2005. The project launched several programs including capacity building, outreach, a small grant schemes project and mainstreaming. This study assessed the type of CP & R methods used by ASE and its impact to promote peace in the targeted community. Structured questionnaires, secondary document analysis and the researcher’s own experience were employed as the major research methodology. Twenty- eight respondents from ASE, MCE and stakeholder groups participated in the research process. The major findings of this study revealed that ASE used culturally appropriate conflict resolution methods that increased the participation of the community and enhanced the sustainability of the intervention. The research also highlighted how the Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) interventions cultivated a culture of nonviolence in the community, encouraged participants to think positively about each other, built a peace constituency and improved the participation of the community in resolving conflict in their daily lives. The war that broke out between the targeted community and their neighboring Woreda was the major challenge faced by the program participants. The results of the research also indicated that tribal modalities/indigenous conflict resolution methods were effective in preventing and resolving conflict. How to merge contemporary Conflict resolution (CR) methods with traditional approaches requires further investigation. Moreover, this research contributes to the sustainability of CP & R interventions in the areas that ASE operates

Ngo Interventions For Conflict Prevention And Resolution: The Case Of Agri-Service Ethiopia

For the last thirty-eight years, Agri-Service Ethiopia (ASE) has engaged in rural development in Ethiopia. Recently, ASE has realized the effect of violent conflict on its development work. To sustain the development program, ASE in partnership with Mercy Corps Ethiopia (MCE) began a Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) Interventions program in May 2005. The project launched several programs including capacity building, outreach, a small grant schemes project and mainstreaming. This study assessed the type of CP & R methods used by ASE and its impact to promote peace in the targeted community. Structured questionnaires, secondary document analysis and the researcher’s own experience were employed as the major research methodology. Twenty- eight respondents from ASE, MCE and stakeholder groups participated in the research process. The major findings of this study revealed that ASE used culturally appropriate conflict resolution methods that increased the participation of the community and enhanced the sustainability of the intervention. The research also highlighted how the Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CP & R) interventions cultivated a culture of nonviolence in the community, encouraged participants to think positively about each other, built a peace constituency and improved the participation of the community in resolving conflict in their daily lives. The war that broke out between the targeted community and their neighboring Woreda was the major challenge faced by the program participants. The results of the research also indicated that tribal modalities/indigenous conflict resolution methods were effective in preventing and resolving conflict. How to merge contemporary Conflict resolution (CR) methods with traditional approaches requires further investigation. Moreover, this research contributes to the sustainability of CP & R interventions in the areas that ASE operates