Awareness of Breast Cancer and Its Early Detection Measures Among Female Students, Northern Ethiopia

Globally breast cancer is the most common of all cancers. Since risk reduction strategies cannot eliminate the majority of breast cancers, early detection remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. This paper, therefore, attempts to assess the awareness of breast cancer and its early detection measures among female students in Mekelle University, Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected female students. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. In this study, 760 students participated making a response rate of 96 percent. Respondents with good knowledge score for risk factors, early detections measures and warning signs of breast cancer were 1.4 percent, 3.6 percent and 22.1 percent respectively. The majority 477 (62.8 percent) of participants practiced self-breast examination. In conclusion the participants had poor knowledge of risk factors, early detection measures and early warning signs of breast cancer.Therefore, the Ministry of health of Ethiopia together with its stalk holders should strengthen providing IEC targeting women to increase their awareness about breast cancer and its early detection measure

Homegardens and Agrobiodiversity Conservation in Sabata Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Homegardens are repositories of biocultural assets of communities, the hub of plant-based resources and the microcosms of agrobiodiversity hotspots. The homegardens of Sabata, a peri-urban town located in the tepid-humid mid highland agroecological zone of southwest Shewa of Oromia Regional State (Ethiopia), were investigated using standard methods of ethnobotany with the aim of elucidating their diagnostic features and significance in agrobiodiversity conservation. Semi-structured interviews, observations, discussion with key informants and guided garden tour with plant specimen collection and identification constituted the main study methods. The resulting data were subjected to matrix ranking, descriptive statistical analysis and calculations of diversity and similarity indices. One hundred thirty-five plant species of different use categories and life forms, distributed in 110 genera and 58 families were recorded. Each homegarden had an average of 33 species. Ensete ventricosum, represented by 18 locally identified landrace clones, was the most frequent (91.60%) species. Among 240 randomly sampled households, 78% had attached homegardens. These homegardens provide sizeable returns in terms of plant material for home use and income generation on top of their ecological and aesthetic values. Cupressus lusitanica had the highest relative density (0.02%) among the tree species. An average Shannon-Wiener diversity index of 4.301 indicated the richness of Sabata homegardens in plant agrobiodiversity. These homegardens represent rich compositional, structural and functional diversity playing key roles for on-farm conservation and ensuring environmental well-being while contributing to livelihood support. This rich agrobiodiversity together with the local biocultural knowledge and management skills, backed by household decision-making and information networks of the multiethnic communities are the regulators of the homegarden dynamics. Key desirable actions relevant to Sabata homegardens include enhancement and development programmes that would facilitate climate adaptation efforts and optimize provision of resources with conservation of agrobiodiversity while preserving the local biocultural knowledge

Modeling, and FEA of Multi-Plate Clutches by Varying Materials for Optimum Torque Transfer Capacity of TCT System of Green, And Light Vehicles

This paper addresses Modeling and analysis of easily applicable multi-plate clutches to use in twin clutch transmission (TCT) system for green and Light Weight Vehicle. The static and dynamic analysis were developed for a clutch plate by using finite element analysis (FEA). The 3D solid model was done using SOLID WORK 2016 and imported to ANSYS work bench 16 for model analysis. The mathematical modelling was also done using different vastly available materials (i.e. Aluminum alloy 6061, E-Glass Epoxy, and Gray Cast iron); then, by observing the results, comparison was carryout for materials to validate better lining material for multi plate clutches using ANSYS workbench 16 and finally concluded that composite material E-Glass Epoxy has a better friction material for design of multi-plate clutches in TCT system

Construction of a polarization insensitive lens from a quasi-isotropic metamaterial slab

We propose to employ the quasiisotropic metamaterial (QIMM) slab to construct a polarization insensitive lens, in which both E- and H-polarized waves exhibit the same refocusing effect. For shallow incident angles, the QIMM slab will provide some degree of refocusing in the same manner as an isotropic negative index material. The refocusing effect allows us to introduce the ideas of paraxial beam focusing and phase compensation by the QIMM slab. On the basis of angular spectrum representation, a formalism describing paraxial beams propagating through a QIMM slab is presented. Because of the negative phase velocity in the QIMM slab, the inverse Gouy phase shift and the negative Rayleigh length of paraxial Gaussian beam are proposed. We find that the phase difference caused by the Gouy phase shift in vacuum can be compensated by that caused by the inverse Gouy phase shift in the QIMM slab. If certain matching conditions are satisfied, the intensity and phase distributions at object plane can be completely reconstructed at image plane. Our simulation results show that the superlensing effect with subwavelength image resolution could be achieved in the form of a QIMM slab.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figure

On Exact Superpotentials, Free Energies and Matrix Models

We discuss exact results for the full nonperturbative effective superpotentials of four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric U(N) gauge theories with additional chiral superfield in the adjoint representation and the free energies of the related zero dimensional bosonic matrix models with polynomial potentials in the planar limit using the Dijkgraaf-Vafa matrix model prescription and integrating in and out. The exact effective superpotentials are produced including the leading Veneziano-Yankielowicz term directly from the matrix models. We also discuss how to use integrating in and out as a tool to do random matrix integrals in the large $N$ limit.Comment: 14 pages; v2: typos corrected; v3: the scheme for computing exact superpotentials including both the Veneziano-Yankielowicz term and all instanton corrections directly using matrix models is emphasized and references added, to appear in JHE

Superluminal group velocity in an anisotropic metamaterial

Based on boundary condition and dispersion relation, the superluminal group velocity in an anisotropic metamaterial (AMM) is investigated. The superluminal propagation is induced by the hyperbolic dispersion relation associated with the AMM. It is shown that a modulated Gaussian beam exhibits a superluminal group velocity which depends on the choice of incident angles and optical axis angles. The superluminal propagation does not violate the theory of special relativity because the group velocity is the velocity of the peak of the localized wave packet which does not carry information. It is proposed that a triglycine sulfate (TGS) crystal can be designed and the superluminal group velocity can be measured experimentally.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Implementation and Status of Biogas Technology in Ethiopia- Case of Tigray Region

In Ethiopia, like most developing countries, the majority of households depend on wood and charcoal as their cooking energy resources. This energy has a direct impact on the forest coverage and its emissions have significant health issues. Biogas technology has introduced to address these problems and reduce energy poverty in developing countries. However, the success of this technology depends on many factors such as technology appropriateness, available skill, proper introduction, and government support to create favorable financial incentives. The objective of this paper is to make an overview assessment of biogas development programs in Ethiopia, identify development barriers and provide suggestions to mitigate these barriers. The national and regional biogas program of Ethiopia has implemented to give energy for cooking and to some extent for lighting. However, it has shown limited success over the years. The National Biogas Programme of Ethiopia has shown an overall 50% achievement while the Tigray region registered 55% achievement. In addition, the owner of the biogas facility in Tigray reported a 57% functionality rate but the lowest satisfaction level of 15%.  Generally, the region has shown relatively better performance in terms of dissemination and functionality but a low satisfaction rate due to technical limitation, unsteady input, and financial factors.       &nbsp

Evaluation of pre-service training on integrated management of neonatal and childhood illness in Ethiopia

Background: The Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness strategy equips health workers with essential knowledge and skills to effectively manage sick children with common neonatal and childhood diseases. Since in-service training is very demanding to achieve the desired coverage of training of health workers, pre-service training is taken as a solution. At the time of the survey, most public and some private health professionals’ training institutions were conducting pre-service training. However, several concerns have been expressed on the training. Therefore, this survey was conducted to assess the status of pre-service Integrated Management of New-born and Childhood Illness training. Methods: A cross sectional survey on health professional training institutes/schools to evaluate pre-service Inte-grated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness training was conducted in November 2007. Data was col-lected using pre-tested questionnaires, focused group interviews with teachers and students, observation of stu-dents while managing sick children using Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness guidelines, and reviews of pediatric course outlines and other teaching/learning materials. Data was entered in computer and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 12.0.1. Results: Twenty nine health professionals’ training institutions (34 academic programs) which have started pre-service training were included in the survey. Of the 34 programs 22 were diploma nursing, 6 Bachelor of Sciences nursing, 4 health officer and the remaining two medicine. Thirty (88.2%) programs have integrated it in their cur-riculum. All academic programs had at least one fulltime staff for Integrated Management of Newborn and Child-hood Illness classroom instruction. Twenty nine (85.3%) programs had staff trained in case management skills. All the 34 academic programs taught health workers skills, 28(82.3%) used mixed approach. Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness was either incorporated for 21 (61.8%) or added to the previous teaching 11 (32.3%). The instructor to student ratio was low for most of the schools. Main challenges encountered in the pre-service teaching were constraints with trained staff and other resources each by 28 (82.3%) programs. Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness was included in student evaluation by all programs (100%). All students and instructors (100%) rated that Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness concept is very relevant or extremely relevant but majority said the time given was short. The over all mean score of students clinical practice was 63.5%. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness was intro-duced into the teaching programs of most health professional training institutions. The most preferred teaching style was the mixed approach. Group discussion and demonstration were commonly used methods and Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness questions were included in students’ evaluation in almost all pro-grams. Shortage of IMNCI trained staff and teaching materials were major challenges. The use of teaching materi-als prepared for pre-service training like handbook and model chapter was limited. Instructors and students atti-tude towards IMNCI was very good. The students overall performance in managing sick child as per the IMNCI guidelines was above average. We recommend that the respective bodies at every level make every effort to strengthen IMNCI pre-service teaching through revisiting curricula, facilitating staff training, availing teaching materials and allocating adequate time. Exploring for an alternative/innovative and sustainable training approach is an assignment for all