Early History of Written Oromo Language up to 1900

The purpose of this paper is to make known historical development of written Afaan Oromo to 1900. The study draws upon primary and  secondary sources. The primary data are drawn from oral and archival  sources. Books and articles in Afaan Oromo and in other languages about Afaan Oromo were consulted. Many of these sources are not only indicators of the status of written Oromo but also of situations that the Oromo  people have endured over decades and centuries. The paper reveals how the assimilation activity targets above all the language of the society to be assimilated and how Afaan Oromo had been able to survive such  assimilation policy of successive Ethiopian regimes. In addition, it puts an overview on how the missionaries, foreign travelers, religious personalities and some Ethiopians attempted to reduce Afaan Oromo into written  language. It gives an idea about the beginning of writing Afaan Oromo inthe early 17th century. The study also indicates the school founded in  those problematic periods to teach in Afaan Oromo and the translations of many books into Afaan Oromo

The burden of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia from 1990 to 2016: evidence from the Global Burden of Diseases 2016 Study

BACKGROUND: The burden of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia has not been comprehensively assessed over the last two decades. In this study, we used the 2016 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk factors (GBD) data to analyze the incidence, prevalence, mortality and Disability-adjusted Life Years Lost (DALY) rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Ethiopia over the last 26 years. METHODS: The GBD 2016 used a wide range of data source for Ethiopia such as verbal autopsy (VA), surveys, reports of the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations (UN) and published scientific articles. The modified United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Spectrum model was used to estimate the incidence and mortality rates for HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: In 2016, an estimated 36,990 new HIV infections (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 8775-80262), 670,906 prevalent HIV cases (95% UI: 568,268-798,970) and 19,999 HIV deaths (95% UI: 16426-24412) occurred in Ethiopia. The HIV/AIDS incidence rate peaked in 1995 and declined by 6.3% annually for both sexes with a total reduction of 77% between 1990 and 2016. The annualized HIV/AIDS mortality rate reduction during 1990 to 2016 for both sexes was 0.4%

Differential hypoglycaemic, anorectic, autonomic and emetic effects of the glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist, exendin-4, in the conscious telemetered ferret.

Background: Rodents are incapable of emesis and consequently the emetic potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists in studies designed to assess a potential blood glucose lowering action of the compound was missed. Therefore, we investigated if the ferret, a carnivore with demonstrated translation capability in emesis research, would identify the emetic potential of the GLP-1R agonist, exendin-4, and any associated effects on gastric motor function, appetite and cardiovascular homeostasis. Methods: The biological activity of the GLP-1R ligands was investigated in vivo using a glucose tolerance test in pentobarbitone-anesthetised ferrets and in vitro using organ bath studies. Radiotelemetry was used to investigate the effect of exendin-4 on gastric myoelectric activity (GMA) and cardiovascular function in conscious ferrets; behaviour was also simultaneously assessed. Western blot was used to characterize GLP-1R distribution in the gastrointestinal and brain tissues. Results: In anesthetised ferrets, exendin-4 (30 nmol/kg, s.c.) reduced experimentally elevated blood glucose levels by 36.3%, whereas the GLP-1R antagonist, exendin (9–39) (300 nmol/kg, s.c.) antagonised the effect and increased AUC0–120 by 31.0% when injected alone (P < 0.05). In animals with radiotelemetry devices, exendin-4 (100 nmol/kg, s.c.) induced emesis in 1/9 ferrets, but inhibited food intake and decreased heart rate variability (HRV) in all animals (P < 0.05). In the animals not exhibiting emesis, there was no effect on GMA, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, or core body temperature. In the ferret exhibiting emesis, there was a shift in the GMA towards bradygastria with a decrease in power, and a concomitant decrease in HRV. Western blot revealed GLP-1R throughout the gastrointestinal tract but exendin-4 (up to 300 nM) and exendin (9–39), failed to contract or relax isolated ferret gut tissues. GLP-1R were found in all major brain regions and the levels were comparable those in the vagus nerve. Conclusions: Peripherally administered exendin-4 reduced blood glucose and inhibited feeding with a low emetic potential similar to that in humans (11% vs 12.8%). A disrupted GMA only occurred in the animal exhibiting emesis raising the possibility that disruption of the GMA may influence the probability of emesis occurring in response to treatment with GLP-1R agonists

Prevalence, withdrawal symptoms and associated factors of khat chewing among students at Jimma University in Ethiopia

Background: Recently, khat chewing has become a common practice among high school, college, and university students. Regular khat chewing is thought to be a predisposing factor for different physical and mental health problems. It can lead to absenteeism from work and classes. In Ethiopia, to our knowledge no published study has investigated khat withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence, withdrawal symptoms, and associated factors of khat chewing among regular undergraduate students on the main campus of Jimma University in Ethiopia. Methods: The institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2016. Data were collected from 651 main campus regular undergraduate students with a structured, self-administered questionnaire, entered into Epidata 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for Windows. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore associations and identify variables independently associated with khat chewing. Results: The study found that the lifetime and current prevalence of khat chewing among students were 26.3% (95% CI: 24.3, 28.3) and 23.9% (95% CI: 21.94, 25.86), respectively. About 25.7% of students started chewing after joining university, and 60.5% of these students started during their first year. The main reason given for starting khat chewing was for study purposes (54.6%), followed by socialization purposes (42.3%). Among current khat chewers, 72.9% reported that they had chewed khat for 1 year or more and 68.2% reported that they had experienced various withdrawal symptoms. The most frequently reported withdrawal symptoms were feeling depressed, craving, and feeling fatigued. Being male, attending a place of worship daily/2-3 times per week, cannabis use, smoking cigarettes, and having family members currently chewing khat were independently associated with khat chewing. Conclusions: This study found that large numbers of university students were currently chewing khat. In this study withdrawal symptoms and factors that significantly affect khat chewing were identified. Besides it gave new ideas regarding khat withdrawal symptoms in Ethiopia. It serves as a critical role of providing information to form rational foundation for public health policy, prevention and planning to bring change in contributing factors for Khat chewing. The finding will be serving as base line information for further study

Data on dynamics of landscape structure and fragmentation in Ambo district, central highlands of Ethiopia

The data is concerned with landscape dynamics and fragmentatio

Data on dynamics of landscape structure and fragmentation in Ambo district, central highlands of Ethiopia

The data is concerned with landscape dynamics and fragmentatio

In vivo and in vitro hypotensive effect of aqueous extract of Moringa stenopetala

Background: Moringa stenopetala , Baker f. (Moringaceae) is used for food and medicine in Southern Ethiopia. Objective: To substantiate the hypotensive effect of M. stenopetala in vivo and in vitro. Methods: An in vivo experiment was carried out on male guinea pigs anaesthetized with pentobarbital. The arterial blood pressure was recorded from a carotid artery filled with heparinized saline via an arterial cannula connected to a pressure transducer. For the in vitro experiment the descending thoracic aorta was removed and kept moistened in Krebs-Henseleit solution and then mounted in a 20ml tissue bath maintained at 370C and bubbled with a mixture of 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide. Results: Crude aqueous leaf extract of M. stenopetala caused significant fall in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) at doses of 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg in normotensive anaesthetized guinea pigs (n = 12). The effect might have been mediated by non-autonomic nervous system as the effect is not altered by atropine and propranolol. The extract also caused significant dose and time dependent inhibition of K+ induced contraction on guinea pig aorta. Conclusion: M.stenopetala has blood pressure lowering effect substantiating the use of the plant in traditional medicine

In vivo and in vitro hypotensive effect of aqueous extract of Moringa stenopetala

Background: Moringa stenopetala, Baker f. (Moringaceae) is used for food and medicine in Southern Ethiopia.Objective: To substantiate the hypotensive effect of M. stenopetala in vivo and in vitro.Methods: An in vivo experiment was carried out on male guinea pigs anaesthetized with pentobarbital. The arterial blood pressure was recorded from a carotid artery filled with heparinized saline via an arterial cannula connected to a pressure transducer. For the in vitro experiment the descending thoracic aorta was removed and kept moistened in Krebs-Henseleit solution and then mounted in a 20ml tissue bath maintained at 370C and bubbled with a mixture of 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide.Results: Crude aqueous leaf extract of M. stenopetala caused significant fall in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) at doses of 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg in normotensive anaesthetized guinea pigs (n = 12). The effect might have been mediated by non-autonomic nervous system as the effect is not altered by atropine and propranolol. The extract also caused significant dose and time dependent inhibition of K+ induced contraction on guinea pig aorta.Conclusion: M.stenopetala has blood pressure lowering effect substantiating the use of the plant in traditional medicine.Key words: Moringa stenopetala, hypotensive, aqueous extrac