Subjective Quality of Life and Perceived Adequacy of Social Support among the Elderly in Arbaminch Town

Cultural discourse in Ethiopia appears to retain mixed attitudes about life in the latter years. There is on the one hand, a portrayal of the elderly as socially valued, privileged, respected, and supported. On the other hand, there is a conception that links aging and retirement with sickness, inability, helplessness, and dependency (“ke areju aiyebeju”) and going down the hill. However, academic discourse is only emerging and there is a lot more to be done to uncover what it really feels like to be an elderly in Ethiopia. One such major concern pertains to the very general experiences of life of the elderly and associated factors. The purpose of this study was then to specifically assess the subjective quality of life and perceived adequacy of social support and the possible socio-demographic factors making differences in quality of life. Data were collected through questionnaire administered to a sample of 360 elderly (aged 60 and over) in Arbaminch Town. Data analysis was made through descriptive statistics, one-samplemean test, bivariate correlation analysis, multiple regression, and the forward stepwise variant of multiple regression analysis. Findings indicated that very few elderly had a high quality of life, but the majority had either low or moderate quality of life. Perceived adequacy of social support also took the same pattern contrary to the  expectation that the elderly in “developing nations” are believed to enjoy extended social support. Attempts to explain this profile of the elderly yielded that perceived social support and income were indeed the strongest predictors generally explaining about fifty percent of the variance in self-ratings of subjective quality of life. Hence, it was suggested that there is a need to explore other potent factors that would do the remaining fifty percent of the explaining. Other recommendations were also suggested to better address the problem in the future.Keywords: Elderly in Ethiopia, quality of life, Social Support, Subjective Quality of Life

Factors predisposing to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment among Ethiopians

Aim: To determine and describe the causes and risk factors predisposing Ethiopian patients to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods: A retrospective study of all patients with RRD seen at the retina clinic of Menilik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, from April 1999 to October 2003 was done. Charts of patients with the diagnosis of RRD were collected and data were filled on structured questionnaires and analyzed using EPI INFO 6 software. Results: Data were available for 276 patients (305 eyes) in whom the diagnosis of RRD was made. Age of patients ranged from 7-85 years; mean age was 41 and median was 40 years. Hundred-eighty-eight [68%] of the patients were males and 88 [32%] were females with male-to-female ratio of 2.1:1. Myopia was the predisposing factor for RRD in 78 [28.3%] patients of which 63 had myopia of > 5D. In 57 [20.7%] patients with RRD, there was a history of ocular trauma. Thirty-nine [14.2%] patients had had cataract surgery with lens implantation and 21 [7.6%] patients were surgically aphakic. Macula-off RRD was seen in 225 [73.8%] eyes. Bilateral RRD was seen in 29 [10.5%] patients. Conclusion: The study showed that myopia, ocular trauma, pseudophakia and aphakia in decreasing frequency were the main risk factors associated with RRD among Ethiopians attending a tertiary eye care centre

Bovine Hydatidosis in Ambo Municipality Abattoir, West Shoa, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study on bovine hydatidosis was conducted in Ambo municipality abattoir from November 2007 to March 2008 with the aim of investigating the prevalence, intensity, fertility and economic losses in cattle slaughtered for human consumption. Stray dogs killed with strychnine baited meat piece were also examined for the presence of adult Echinococcus granulosus. Out of the total 384 cattle examined 114 (29.69%) were found infected with hydatidosis. From the examined animals 61 (15.89%), 19 (4.95%) and 26 (6.77.3%) contained hydatid cyst in their lungs, livers, and in both lung and liver, respectively. Age related infection was significant in that older animals were more infected (

2-[2-(2-Pyrid­yl)eth­yl]isoindolinium perchlorate

In the title salt, C15H17N2 +·ClO4 −, the isoindoline N atom is protonated and an intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and numerous weak C—H⋯O inter­actions occur between the cation and anion. The O atoms of the perchlorate anion are disordered over four sets of sites with occupancies of 0.438 (4), 0.270 (9), 0.155 (8) and 0.138 (5)

Fataluku medicinal ethnobotany and the East Timorese military resistance

BACKGROUND: An ethnobotanical study of medicinal and poisonous plants used by the East Timor resistance was undertaken in the Lautem District of East Timor to study medicinal plant use in the region. Interviews were conducted with a single key consultant from the resistance army who belonged to the Fataluku culture. This study is of importance as a historical document and because no previous medicinal ethnobotanical studies on this region exist. METHODS: A rapid ethnobotanical survey of medicinal and poisonous plants was conducted through the proposed Conis Santana National Park in the Lautem district of East Timor. Medicinal and poisonous plants were identified by a Consultant and data was collected by the authors using classical descriptive ethnobotanical techniques (i.e. no quantitative measures) through an unstructured open ended interview. RESULTS: During the survey 40 medicinal and poisonous plants were identified by the Consultant and collected by the authors. Defining characteristics of the Consultant's knowledge include a high frequency use of trees, heavily forested habitats, leaves, decoctions and drinks for a range of conditions relevant to a resistance army. CONCLUSION: Despite limitations of the study, important contributions of this study include preservation of a part of the cultural history of the resistance movement and traditional botanical knowledge of the Fataluku. Furthermore, initial findings may indicate that traditional botanical knowledge is unique amongst different East Timorese cultures in terms of plant selection

Squalene and amentoflavone from Antidesma laciniatum

Squalene, (2E, 7x,11x)-phyt-2-en-1-ol and amentoflavone have been isolated from the extract of the leaves of Antidesma laciniatum. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. This is the first report of these compounds from Antidesma species.   KEY WORDS: Antidesma laciniatum, Euphorbiaceae, Squalene, Amentoflavone, (2E, 7x,11x)-Phyt-2-en-1-ol  Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2006, 20(2), 325-328

The impacts of rice cultivation on an indigenous Fogera cattle population at the eastern shore of Lake Tana, Ethiopia

BackgroundEven though increasing population pressure and associated increased demand for food and economic development have led to overexploitation and degradation of wetlands throughout the world, the drivers are most severe in developing countries. For generations, Fogera wetlands in Ethiopia which are parts of Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve have been widely used for grazing of indigenous cattle. Fogera cattle are one of several recognized indigenous breeds of Abyssinian zebu bovine cattle (Bos primigenius indicus) found in Fogera district, Ethiopia. This study was conducted to quantify impacts of rice expansion on cattle population in Fogera wetlands. Data were collected through questionnaire, focus group discussions, interviews, and land use/land cover analysis. Respondents were selected using systematic random sampling. Variance and LEVENES test were used to analyze the livestock unit and to check homogeneity.ResultsThe study revealed that during the 20-year period preceding 2015, the number of cattle owned decreased from 3509 to 1510 heads. In the same period, rice cultivation increased from 182 to 9499 ha and production from 6701 to 714,013 qt. Grazing lands were reduced from 8550 to 3501 ha, wetlands from 3114 to 1060 ha, and forests from 1542 to 907 ha. Land use/land cover changes showed a negative balance of 40% dry matter requiring cattle feed to be increasingly supplemented through purchases, or reduction in herd number. The study also indicated that the land-use changes brought at the expense of traditional cattle production systems.ConclusionHence, proper management is required to maintain these valuable resources and keep their role in socioeconomic development of the area

Transcriptome of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua L.) Early Embryos from Farmed and Wild Broodstocks

Author's accepted version (post-print).The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10126-013-9527-y

Sex-biased miRNA expression in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) brain and gonads

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(Acetonitrile)[bis­(2-pyridylmeth­yl)amine]bis­(perchlorato)copper(II)

In the title compound, [Cu(ClO4)2(C12H13N3)(C2H3N)], the CuII atom is six-coordinate in a Jahn–Teller distorted octahedral geometry, with coordination by the tridentate chelating ligand, an acetonitrile mol­ecule, and two axial perchlorate anions. The tridentate ligand bis­(2-pyridylmeth­yl)amine chelates meridionally and equatorially while an acetonitrile mol­ecule is coordinated at the fourth equatorial site. The two perchlorate anions are disordered with site occupancy factors of 0.72/0.28. The amine H is involved in intra­molecular hydrogen bonding to the perchlorate O atoms and there are extensive but weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions