Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Scale Irrigation Practice in Abay Chomen District of Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia

Ethiopian economy is highly dependent on agriculture which is dominated by traditional rain-fed small-scale farmers. The government is working on irrigation development giving special emphasis to research activities on irrigation at different scales. In this study, two-stage sampling technique was used to select 167 target respondents. The primary data were collected using an interview schedule and conducting focus group discussions and key informant interview. Various documents were reviewed to collect the secondary data. Moreover, different constraints related with lack of market access, topography associated with distance of land from water source, inadequate government support, and poor or nonexistent market linkage, poor irrigation water management and development were forwarded by the participants. To solve the problems and improve small-scale irrigation practice, the government, should attempt to hamper factors that hinder small-scale irrigation practice and enhance factors that initiates small-scale irrigation practice. Keywords: Abay Chomen District, Challenges, Opportunities, Small-Scale Irrigation Practice DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-17-03 Publication date:September 30th 202

S-4B stage storage plan

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Chemical Composition of Essential Oils From Released Coriander Variety (Coriandrum sativum L.) Grown in Ethiopia

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of two coriander variety (Indium and Dinqnesh) produced in Ethiopia. The essential oil content was obtained by hydro distillation method with Clevenger apparatus. The chemical profiles of two varieties were identified using GC-MS. The essential oil content of the dried seeds was 0.60% for Dinqnesh and 0.50% for Indium varieties, respectively. About thirty four and fifty one different compounds were identified from essential oil of Indium and Dinqnesh varieties, respectively. Linalool was found to be the principal constituent for both varieties. The variety Indium had higher linalool content (76.45%) than Dinqnesh (58.85%). Other major components identified were Geranyl acetate (5.60% for Indium and 4.04% for Dinqnesh variety), γ-terpinene (6.76% for Dinqnesh variety and 2.83% for Indium) and α-pinene (6.15% for Dinqnesh and 4.90% for Indium) were identified. Bicycle [2,2,2] heptan-2one,1,7,7-trimethyl-, (1S) and Benzene, 1-methyl-3-(1-methylethyl) were a compounds found only in Dinqnesh Variety and yielded  6.54% and 1.28%, respectively. With comparing the chemical composition of both variety essential oil constituents to other origin or standard requirements, both varieties meet the potential for nutritional and export standard requirement. Keywords: Coriander, essential oil, chemical composition, quality DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-9-01 Publication date: November 30th 201

Vývoj směsných společenstev patogenních kvasinek Candida albicans a Candida guilliermondii

The objective of this thesis was to investigate how cocultures of Candida albicans and Candida guilliermondii change overtime under control conditions and under the influence of fluconazole. These species are opportunistic fungal pathogens but widely differ in their susceptibility to antimycotic of interest - fluconazole. After a brief introduction to special commonalities, the mechanism of pathogenesis, and the treatment of infection, this work explores each organism's growth curves under selected conditions and the process of artificial evolution using the model of passaging of cocultures. Afterwards, these populations of C. albicans and C. guillieromondii were investigated using qPCR and chromogenic media. qPCR analysis revealed that under control conditions, C. albicans (CA) prevails; the possible reason behind this is a 20% shorter generation time, as revealed by the growth curve. In the presence of fluconazole, two trends occurred. One is related to the innate resistance of C. guilliermondii (CG), where CG was dominant by the end of passaging. The second trend led to CA being the dominant one, despite its susceptibility. This is a result of a heightened resistance, where minimal inhibitory concentration 50 (MIC50) increased almost 10-fold, possibly due to mutations. The change in populations...Cílem této práce bylo zjistit, jak se mění kokultury kvasinek Candida albicans a Candida guilliermondii v průběhu času, jednak za kontrolních podmínek a též pod vlivem flukonazolu. Tyto druhy jsou oportunní fungální patogeny, které se značně liší ve své citlivosti k nejčastěji používanému antimykotiku - flukonazolu. Po krátkém úvodu do společných rysů studovaných druhů, jejich mechanizmu patogeneze a léčby infekcí, které způsobují, se tato práce věnuje růstovým křivkám obou mikroorganizmů za vybraných podmínek a taktéž procesu umělé evoluce pomocí modelu pasážování kokultur. Poté byly tyto populace C. albicans a C. guillieromondii zkoumány pomocí qPCR a chromogenních médií. qPCR analýza odhalila, že za kontrolních podmínek v kulturách převládá C. albicans (CA). Možným důvodem je 20 % kratší generační doba, jak ukazuje růstová křivka. V přítomnosti flukonazolu bylo možno pozorovat dva trendy. Jeden souvisí s přirozenou rezistencí C. guilliermondii (CG) a vedl k tomu, že CG byla na konci pasážování dominantní. Druhý trend vedl k dominanci CA, přestože tato kvasinka je za normálních okolností k flukonazolu citlivá. Na základě tohoto zjištení byla testovaná minimalní inhibiční koncentrace (MIC50) náhodně vybraných kolonií CA. V experimentu, kde ve 12. pasáži CA převládla, došlo až k 10- násobnému...Department of BiochemistryKatedra biochemiePřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Institutional Autonomy and its Mechanisms in Ethiopian Higher Education : Perspectives of Formal and De Facto Autonomy in the Case of Adama Science and Technology University

Tässä väitöstutkimuksessa kuvataan muodollisen autonomian laajuutta ja tutkitaan, miksi ja miten tosiasiallinen autonomia poikkeaa muodollisesta autonomiasta ASTU-yliopistossa (Adama Science and Technology University, ASTU) Etiopiassa. Tutkimus on toteutettu monimenetelmäisenä tapaustutkimuksena. Tutkimuksen kvantitatiivinen osio muodostuu lomaketutkimuksesta (N 238), jonka analysoinnissa hyödynnettiin kuvailevia tilastomenetelmiä ja monimuuttujamenetelmiä. Tutkimuksen laadullinen aineisto muodostuu puolistrukturoiduista teemahaastatteluista (N 17) sekä dokumenttiaineistosta. Tapaustutkimuksen määrällisen vaiheen tulokset osoittavat, että ASTU:n tosiasiallinen ja muodollinen autonomia eroavat toisistaan. Laadullisen analyysin perusteella voidaan todeta että, pakottavat mekanismit ovat keskeisiä syitä tosiasiallisen ja muodollisen autonomian välillä havaittuun eroon. Lisäksi keskushallinnon muutoshalukkuus ja ammatillisten verkostojen toiminta ovat syitä ja mekanismeja tosiasiallisen ja muodollisen autonomian väliseen eroon. Tutkimukseen pohjautuen voidaan päätellä, että ASTU saisi mahdollisimman suuren hyödyn muodollisesta autonomiasta, ottamalla vastuun rahoituksestaan. Tämä vähentäisi sen resurssiriippuvuutta. Valtion voisi vastaavasti vähitellen vähentää yliopistolle myöntämiensä resurssien määrää. Rahoitussäännöt ja - määräykset olisi räätälöitävä yliopiston kontekstiin sopiviksi, ja niihin olisi liitettävä kohtuullinen tilivelvollisuusjärjestelmä. ASTU:n poliittisen riippuvuuden vähentämiseksi tutkimukseen pohjautuen esitetään myös, että yliopiston johto nimitettäisiin puhtaasti ansioiden perusteella. Tämä tutkimus tukee käsitystä, että tosiasiallinen ja muodollinen autonomia eroavat toisistaan ja, että sen laajuuden tutkiminen vain säännöksen perusteella on harhaanjohtavaa.This study is aimed to describe the extent of the practices of formal autonomy and explaining why and how de facto autonomy diverges from formal autonomy at Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU). Methodologically, it is a sequential mixed-method case study design. The first phase is quantitative and its data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 238 participants (94% of the sample population of 253). The sampling technique employed is optimum allocation stratified sampling, which was followed by systematic random sampling. The analysis of these data was conducted using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and one-way ANOVA. The second phase of the mixed method case study is qualitative. Its data were collected using semi-structured interviews administered to 17 participants, and document analysis. The results of the quantitative phase of the case study show that ASTU’s de facto and formal autonomy are different from one another. As the qualitative phase indicated coercive mechanisms (policy, political power, financial rules and regulations, performance evaluation, market and stakeholder contexts, knowledge power, dependence, and lifespan) are the identified reasons and mechanisms for the difference observed between de facto and formal autonomy. In addition, the state's desire to bring change as a social mechanism, and profession network as a cultural mechanism are reasons and mechanisms for the discrepancy between de facto and formal autonomy. Therefore, to maximise ASTU’s benefits of its given autonomy, it is suggested that the university should be made responsible for its funding and reduce its resource dependence. The state should also gradually decrease the amount of funds it has been providing. In addition, the financial rules and regulations should be customised to the context of the university with a reasonable accountability scheme. Besides, making the assignments of university leadership purely merit-based and maintaining secularism are also suggested to reduce ASTU’s political dependence. This study in general implies that de facto and formal autonomy could not often appear the same, and autonomy cannot be absolute. Thus, studying the extent of institutional autonomy based only on the provision side is misleading

Blurring Group Boundaries: The Impact of Subgroup Threats on Global Citizenship

We examined the outcomes of an extinction threat (possible discontinuation of a group’s symbolic or actual existence) to one’s nation on global citizenship identification and related prosocial values. In Study 1, participants showed a drop in global citizenship identification when America was threatened (vs. absence of threat). In Study 2, participants reported lower global citizenship identification when America was threatened (vs. absence of threat) and the perception that one’s normative environment did not support a global citizen identity mediated the relationship between threat and identification. Furthermore, the threat was shown to indirectly predict lower endorsement for prosocial values and behaviors (e.g., intergroup empathy and helping). Together, the results highlight threats to subgroups as a potential barrier to viewing oneself as a global citizen

The Global Profile of Breast Cancer: Exploring the Disease Epidemiology among International & Migrant Populations.

Examining the global occurrence and racial disparities in breast cancer is critical to our understanding of the disease etiology. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, about which very little is known. Given the lack of comparative studies on breast cancer and inflammatory breast cancer on a global scale, this dissertation investigated trends in breast cancer in a population-based cancer registry in Gharbiah, Egypt. Furthermore, we utilized Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry data from California, Detroit and New Jersey to evaluate racial disparities in IBC, including among Arab Americans. Finally, this research focused on the lack of standardization in IBC diagnosis by comparing differing criteria for diagnosis to demonstrate the effect of differing criteria on estimating IBC occurrence. The findings from this dissertation demonstrate significant increases in breast cancer incidence in Egypt from 1999-2008, particularly among women 50 years and older; estrogen receptor negative tumors were over represented. These observed trends add to our overall understanding of the etiology of breast cancer and can be used to inform clinicians and policy makers in this region of the world. Furthermore, our research demonstrates that IBC occurrence may be more common among certain minority groups in the United States, including Arab American women. With the significant lack of epidemiologic data on IBC, this study represents important progress toward our understanding of this disease. Finally, our study results suggest for the first time, that the incidence of IBC is likely to be underestimated in the U.S. SEER registry using the current SEER coding guidelines. Emphasis must be placed on the documentation of clinical and pathological characteristics of IBC in the medical record, so that analysis of putative IBC subtypes will be possible and we can further evaluate and come to a consensus on the definition of IBC to be utilized in future research. This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of global heterogeneity in breast cancer and IBC and provides concrete scientific evidence in order to reduce the global burden of this disease.PHDEpidemiological ScienceUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97974/1/kalamb_1.pd

A Randomized Trial of Realignment Therapy for Treatment of Medial Tibiofemoral Osteoarthritis

Objectives: The objective of this 30-week randomized crossover trial was to determine whether a multi-modal realignment therapy would be successful in relieving pain and improving function among persons with medial tibiofemoral OA. METHODS: We conducted a double blind, randomized crossover trial of a multi-modal realignment therapy for persons with medial tibiofemoral OA. Trial participants met ACR criteria for OA with knee pain, aching or stiffness on most days of the past month and radiographic evidence of a definite osteophyte with predominant medial tibiofemoral OA. We tested two different treatments: A) CONTROL TREATMENT consisting of a neutral knee brace (no valgus angulation), flat unsupportive foot orthoses, and shoes with a flexible midsole; and B) ACTIVE TREATMENT consisting of a valgus knee brace, customized neutral foot orthoses, and shoes designed for motion control. For each subject, the trial lasted 30 weeks, including 12 weeks each of active and control treatment separated by a 6-week washout period. The primary outcome of the linear regression model was change in knee pain and function as assessed by the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index. RESULTS: 80 participants with medial tibiofemoral OA were randomized. Their mean age was 62 years, mean BMI was 34 kg/m2 and mean WOMAC pain score was 9.2 (0-20 scale). There was no evidence of a carryover effect. The regression model demonstrated that the mean difference in pain between the active and control treatments was -1.82 units (95% confidence interval: -3.05 to -0.60 [p=0.004]) on the WOMAC pain scale, indicating a small, but statistically significant decrease in pain with the multi-modal active treatment. For WOMAC function the realignment intervention had a non-significant effect on function with a -2.90 unit decrease (95% CI -6.60 to 0.79) compared with the control condition (p=0.12). CONCLUSION: Multi-modal realignment therapy decreases pain in persons with medial tibiofemoral OA

A Randomized Trial of Patellofemoral Bracing for Treatment of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis

Purpose The number of effective knee osteoarthritis (OA) interventions, especially those tailored to specific compartmental involvement, are small. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a realigning patellofemoral (PF) brace in improving pain and function among persons with symptomatic lateral PF OA. Method We conducted a double blind, randomized crossover trial of a realigning PF brace for persons with lateral PF OA. Participants had lateral PF OA with anterior knee symptoms on most days of the month, lateral PF joint space narrowing, and radiographic evidence of a definite osteophyte in the PF joint. We compared two treatments: (1) Control treatment consisting of a BioSkin Q Brace with patellar realigning strap removed; and (2) Active treatment consisting of a realigning BioSkin Q Brace with the strap applied. For each participant, the trial lasted 18 weeks, including 6 weeks each of active and control treatment period separated by a 6-week washout period. The order of treatments was randomized. The primary outcome was change in knee pain on the visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included WOMAC pain, function, and stiffness. An unstructured correlation matrix for observations within participants was used in generalized estimating equation fitting to derive a linear regression model that expressed the relation between the intervention and change in VAS pain. Results 80 participants (63 F) with a mean age and body mass index of 61 years and 28 kg/m2, respectively, were randomized by order of treatment. A model examining the main effects for change in VAS knee pain (0–100) demonstrated no significant treatment effect (−0.68 VAS units, 95% CI: −6.2, 4.8 units, P = 0.81) and no differential carryover effect. There was also no significant difference between active and control treatments for WOMAC pain, function, or stiffness outcomes. Conclusion The effects of a specific realigning PF brace are not of clinical or statistical significance