Exploring the Ability of a Distributed Hydrological Land Surface Model in Simulating Hydrological Processes in the Boreal Forest Environment

Land surface models (LSMs) simulate vertical fluxes, including evapotranspiration, in a rigorous manner, and are included in atmospheric models, including Regional and Global Circulation Models (RCMs and GCMs). Large-scale hydrological models on the other hand simulate the lateral processes that generate streamflow. Coupling of the two models (referred to as a hydrological land surface model) has the potential to combine the strengths of each. The MESH model developed at Environment Canada is such model that combines the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) with a distributed hydrological model called WATFLOOD. In this thesis, the performance of the MESH model was explored using two different runoff generation schemes (i.e., elementary and enhanced runoff generation) and with a priori parameter values and with parameter calibration. The model was tested in the White Gull creek Basin located in the boreal forest, central Saskatchewan using meteorology and flux data recorded at two monitoring stations within the basin for driving and validation. Application of the model with a priori parameter values without calibration resulted in poor performance in simulating both streamflow and evapotranspiration while optimization to calibrate the model to the observed streamflow resulted in a good performance. Streamflow simulation with enhanced runoff generation included performed even better. The optimal model configuration was taken forward for a detailed parameter sensitivity analysis. Univariate analysis was used for pre-screening the parameter space to eliminate insensitive parameters, and subsequently multivariate analysis was performed for a subset of parameters. Vegetation parameters were more identifiable when an objective function measuring the fit to observed latent heat flux was used than when measuring the fit to streamflow. Physiographic and topographic parameters were more identifiable when a streamflow objective function was used. Streamflow was more sensitive to parameter variability than latent heat flux. The use of multiple objective functions to simultaneously constrain the model was explored. Selection of objective function had no significant effect on the simulated evapotranspiration but had some influence on streamflow. Using NSE objective function with streamflow was found to be the most effective way of identifying the best model runs. The additional constraints imposed by evapotranspiration had no impact on the results

Ethiopian Common Medicinal Plants: Their Parts and Uses in Traditional Medicine - Ecology and Quality Control

The main purpose of this review is to document medicinal plants used for traditional treatments with their parts, use, ecology, and quality control. Accordingly, 80 medicinal plant species were reviewed; leaves and roots are the main parts of the plants used for preparation of traditional medicines. The local practitioners provided various traditional medications to their patients’ diseases such as stomachaches, asthma, dysentery, malaria, evil eyes, cancer, skin diseases, and headaches. The uses of medicinal plants for human and animal treatments are practiced from time immemorial. Stream/riverbanks, cultivated lands, disturbed sites, bushlands, forested areas and their margins, woodlands, grasslands, and home gardens are major habitats of medicinal plants. Generally, medicinal plants used for traditional medicine play a significant role in the healthcare of the majority of the people in Ethiopia. The major threats to medicinal plants are habitat destruction, urbanization, agricultural expansion, investment, road construction, and deforestation. Because of these, medicinal plants are being declined and lost with their habitats. Community- and research-based conservation mechanisms could be an appropriate approach for mitigating the problems pertinent to the loss of medicinal plants and their habitats and for documenting medicinal plants. Chromatography; electrophoretic, macroscopic, and microscopic techniques; and pharmaceutical practice are mainly used for quality control of herbal medicines

The impact of multi-criteria performance measurement on business performance improvement

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between multi-criteria performance measurement (MCPM) practice and business performance improvement using the raw data collected from 33 selected manufacturing companies. In addition, it proposes modified MCPM model as an effective approach to improve business performance of manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach:Research paper. Primary and secondary data were collected using questionnaire survey, interview and observation of records. The methodology is to evaluate business performances of sampled manufacturing companies and the extent of utilization of crucial non-financial (lagging) and non-financial (leading) performance measures. The positive correlation between financial business performance and practice of MCPM is clearly shown using Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. Findings –This research paper indicates that companies which measure their performance using important financial and non-financial measures achieve better business performance. Even though certain companies are currently using non-financial measures, the researchers have learned that these financial measures were not integrated with each other, financial measures and strategic objectives. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this paper is that the number of surveyed companies is small to make generalization and they are found in a single country. Further researches which incorporate a large number of companies from various developing nations are suggested to minimize the limitation of this research. Practical Implication: The paper shows that multi-dimensional performance measures with the inclusion of key leading indicator are essential to predict the future environment. But cost-accounting based financial measures are inadequate to do so. These are shown practically using Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. Originality/value: The significance of multi-dimensional performance measures for business improvement in developing countries has been an issue among researchers. The originality of the paper is evident in the proposal of MCPM model, considering the problems being faced by some manufacturing firms leading to low performance.Peer Reviewe

The Geography of Success in Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries: A Comparative Analysis

Developing countries have achieved steady poverty reduction in recent years. This achievement involves robust economic growth in a number of these economies. Translating fast economic growth into poverty reduction, however, requires putting into place policies and institutions that promote sustainable and shared economic growth process. The degree of success in poverty reduction depends largely in balancing the process of economic growth and judicious pattern of income distribution so that an increasing share of the population benefit from the growth process and engage in more productive endeavors. Building the necessary policy and institutional framework to promote sustainable and shared economic growth are central in generating a process of economic growth that could steadily reduce the scope and depth of chronic poverty in developing countries. The study argues that a large number of developing countries have failed to achieve both growth and equitable distribution of income that hampered their effort for sustainable poverty reduction

People’s Awareness and Perception Level on the Risks of Climate Change and Constraints of Their Adaptation Strategies in Mekelle City, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia

All over the world Climate change is creating significant environmental, ecological, social and economic threats mainly to the cities of the developing nations. Likely, in Ethiopia, climate change induced risks such as drought, flooding and hot temperature are rapidly increasing and causing adverse effects. Adequate level of community’s awareness and perception about the cause, indicators and impacts of climate change and its adaptation measures to effectively cope climate change related impact is essential. Therefore, the main objective of this journal article was to evaluate the level of people’s awareness and perception on the risks of climate change and the challenges of their adaptation strategies in Mekelle city.  In order to realize this objective, the study employed descriptive type, survey method and mixed approach of research. Primary data were collected using questionnaire, interview, focused group discussion and observation.  The study also used secondary data using literature and document review from secondary sources. Moreover, the data analysis methods utilized in this study were SPSS and Excels through graphs, line graphs, cross tabs, chi-square and simple linear regression to show the trends of temperature and rainfall. Finally the study has identified lower level of awareness and perception on climate change; increased daily temperature; reduced amount and duration of rainfall, increased incidence of disease; drying of wetlands and rivers and fluctuation of rainy season as the major findings. Consequently, the communities confronted with water shortage, heath problem, fuel wood shortage, loss of assets and shortage of food supply. The most common adaptation strategies were planting of seedlings, efficient use of fuel stove and water, agro-forestry practice awareness raising and soil and water conservation. Nevertheless, lack of up-to-date climate change related information, limited adaptation technologies, poverty and financial shortage can be considered as the major constraints of adaptation strategies of the people

Feeding ecology and activity patterns of African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) in and around Lake Ziway, Ethiopia

Feeding ecology, activity patterns and habitat association of the African spoonbill (Platalea alba) in Lake Ziway were studied during March-September, 2011. A total of 28 individuals of African Spoonbills were recorded in both wet and dry seasons. They spent more time for stirring and feeding than other diurnal activities. The durations spent on stirring, feeding, movement and resting were statistically significant between seasons ( =29.9, p<0.001, = 38.1, p<0.001, =11.1, p<0.001, = 57.3, p<0.001, respectively). However, the time engaged in preening, wing display and defecation did not show significant difference between seasons. Additional studies were made in four different study sites, where the species was frequently observed. The time devoted for different activity patterns in wet and dry seasons in the study sites was statistically significant ( = 639.31, P < 0.0001). The activity patterns of African Spoonbill could influence substantially by tidal stage, rise and fall of water level in foraging sites, and other related environmental factors. Keywords: African Spoonbill, activity patterns, diet

Measurement of Technical Efficiency and Its Determinants in Wheat Production: The Case of Smallholder Farmers in Wogidi District, South Wollo Zone Ethiopia

Growth in agriculture was one of the major drivers of the remarkable economic growth recorded in Ethiopia in the last decade. The major grain crops grown in Ethiopia are wheat, teff, maize, barley, sorghum and millet. The aim of this study was to determine the level of technical efficiency of smallholder Wheat producers and identify factors affecting technical efficiency of smallholder farmers in Wheat production of Wogidi district, South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia. A three-stage sampling technique was employed to select 123 sample farmers who were interviewed using a structured schedule to obtain data pertaining to Wheat production during 2016/2017 production year. A Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production analysis approach with the inefficiency effect model was used to estimate technical efficiency and identify the determinants of efficiency of Wheat producing farmers. The maximum likelihood parameter estimates showed that Wheat output was positively and significantly influenced by area, fertilizer, labor and number of oxen. This would mean that there is a room to increase Wheat output from the existing level if farmers are able to use these input variables in an efficient manner. The estimated mean levels of technical efficiency of the sample farmers were about 82%. This shows that there exists a possibility to increase the level of Wheat output by 18% through efficiently utilizing the existing resources. The estimated stochastic production frontier model together with the inefficiency parameters showed that, age, education, improved seed, training and credit were found to have negative and significant effect on technical inefficiency while farm size was found to have positive and significant effect on technical inefficiency of Wheat production. Hence, local government should provide necessary supports such as formal as well as informal education, training, credit, improved seed and timely supply of fertilizer. Keywords: Wegidi district; stochastic frontier analysis; Technical efficiency; Whea

Quality Improvement in Stroke Care and Its Impact: the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry Experience

The Georgia Department of Public Health has been engaged in a registry-based quality improvement initiative to monitor and improve the quality of stroke care. It is important to evaluate effectiveness of the quality improvement initiative in order to expand the effort to other sites or disease conditions. The studies, included in this dissertation, addressed whether acute ischemic stroke patients cared for by hospitals participating in the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry (GCASR) had a better survival than those treated at other facilities, assessed whether quality of care as measured by nationally accepted ten performance measures is associated with improved patient outcome and evaluated the impact of intravenous alteplase treatment on 1-year mortality. Three data sources – GCASR, Georgia Discharge Data System and the death data – were used for analyses. These data sources were linked applying both a hierarchical deterministic and a probabilistic linkage methods. Survival after stroke incident was analyzed using the extended Cox proportional hazard model. Generalized estimating equation (glimmix procedure) and conditional logistic regression were applied, respectively, to assess the association of quality of care and intravenous alteplase use with 1-year mortality. Acute ischemic stroke patients treated at nonparticipating facilities had a hazard ratio for death of 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.26; p-value = .01) after the first week of admission compared with patients cared for by hospitals participating in the registry. Among patients treated in GCASR-participating hospitals, patients who received the lowest and intermediate quality care respectively had a 3.94 (95%CI: 3.27, 4.75; p-value \u3c0.0001) and a 1.38 (95%CI: 1.12, 1.62; p-value=0.002) times higher odds of dying in one year compared to those who got the best quality stroke care. Patients who were eligible but did not receive IV alteplase had a 1.49 (95%CI: 1.09-2.04; p-value=0.01) times higher odds of dying within one year than those who were treated with the thrombolytic agent. The results strongly suggest that registry-based quality improvement effort has brought significant improvements in ischemic stroke patients’ outcomes. Therefore, it is critical that hospitals adopt a quality improvement strategy to change the process of care delivery for a better patient outcome