Evaluating land cover change and its impact on hydrological regime in Upper Shire River Catchment, Malawi

A study was conducted to investigate hydrological impacts of land cover changes in the degradation of the hydrological on flow regimes of the Upper Shire river, Malawi. Remote sensing techniques were used to inventory temporal changes of land cover changes in the catchment. Hydrological data were analyzed to reveal the alterations ecosystems, and water resources for an informed decision on proper catchment planning and management and trends for two periods; 1989 and 2002. The study revealed significant changes in magnitude and direction that have occurred in the catchment between 1989 and 2002, mainly in areas of human habitation. Trends in land cover change in the Upper Shire river catchment depict land cover transition from woodlands to mostly cultivated/ grazing and built-up areas. The land cover mapping showed that 23% of the land was covered by agricultural land in 1989. Subsistence agricultural area has increased by 18%, occupying 41% of the study area in 2002. The effects of the derived land cover changes on river flow in the Upper Shire river were investigated using the semi distributed soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model. River flows were found to be highly variable and sensitive to land cover changes. Simulation results show that 2002 land cover data produces higher flow peaks and faster travel times compared to the 1989 land cover data. The changes detected indicate the effects of land use pressure in the catchment. The study highlights the importance of considering effects of land use and land cover changes on ecosystems, and water resources for an informed decision on proper catchment planning and management

Evidence for Jahn-Teller distortions at the antiferromagnetic transition in LaTiO3_3

LaTiO$_3$ is known as Mott-insulator which orders antiferromagnetically at $T_{\rm N}=146$ K. We report on results of thermal expansion and temperature dependent x-ray diffraction together with measurements of the heat capacity, electrical transport measurements, and optical spectroscopy in untwinned single crystals. At $T_{\rm N}$ significant structural changes appear, which are volume conserving. Concomitant anomalies are also observed in the dc-resistivity, in bulk modulus, and optical reflectivity spectra. We interpret these experimental observations as evidence of orbital order.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; published in Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 066403 (2003

Anti-Alcohol and Anxiolytic Properties of a New Chemical Entity, GET73

N-[(4-trifluoromethyl)benzyl]4-methoxybutyramide (GET73) is a newly synthesized compound structurally related to the clinically used, alcohol-substituting agent, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). The present study was designed to assess whether GET73 may share with GHB the capacity to reduce alcohol intake in rats. Additionally, the effect of treatment with GET73 on anxiety-related behaviors and cognitive tasks in rats was investigated. A series of in vitro binding assays investigated the capacity of GET73 to bind to the GHB binding site and multiple other receptors. GET73 (10−9–10−3 M) failed to inhibit [3H]GHB binding at both high- and low-affinity GHB recognition sites in rat cortical membranes. GET73 displayed minimal, if any, binding at dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate receptors in membranes from different rat brain areas. Acute treatment with low-to-moderate, non-sedative doses of GET73 (5–50 mg/kg, i.g. or i.p.) (a) reduced alcohol intake and suppressed “alcohol deprivation effect” (a model of alcohol relapse) in selectively bred, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, (b) exerted anxiolytic effects in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and sP rats exposed to the Elevated Plus Maze test, and (c) tended to induce promnestic effects in SD rats exposed to a modified water version of the Hebb–Williams maze test. Although the mechanism of GET73 action is currently unknown, the results of the present study suggest that GET73 has a multifaceted pharmacological profile, including the capacity to reduce alcohol drinking and anxiety-related behaviors in rats

Activation of the GABAB Receptor Prevents Nicotine-Induced Locomotor Stimulation in Mice

Recent studies demonstrated that activation of the GABAB receptor, either by means of orthosteric agonists or positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), inhibited different nicotine-related behaviors, including intravenous self-administration and conditioned place preference, in rodents. The present study investigated whether the anti-nicotine effects of the GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, and GABAB PAMs, CGP7930, and GS39783, extend to nicotine stimulant effects. To this end, CD1 mice were initially treated with baclofen (0, 1.25, and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), CGP7930 (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg, i.g.), or GS39783 (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg, i.g.), then treated with nicotine (0 and 0.05 mg/kg, s.c.), and finally exposed to an automated apparatus for recording of locomotor activity. Pretreatment with doses of baclofen, CGP7930, or GS39783 that did not alter locomotor activity when given with nicotine vehicle fully prevented hyperlocomotion induced by 0.05 mg/kg nicotine. These data extend to nicotine stimulant effects the capacity of baclofen and GABAB PAMs to block the reinforcing, motivational, and rewarding properties of nicotine. These data strengthen the hypothesis that activation of the GABAB receptor may represent a potentially useful, anti-smoking therapeutic strategy

Knowledge and Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy among Diabetic Sudanese Patients, Khartoum State, Sudan, 2018

Background: The level of awareness of diabetic retinopathy is considered an important factor for early diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness of diabetic retinopathy among patients with diabetes mellitus in Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among diabetic patients attending Zeenam and Abdullah Khalil Diabetic Centers between June and September 2018. A convenience sample of diabetic patients was used. Information on the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, patients’ knowledge, compliance with available treatments, and routine eye examinations was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Patients were also asked about the barriers that may interfere with a regular eye examination. Results: A total of 200 patients were enrolled and 94 (47%) of them were female; 13% of the respondents were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, 31.5% were hypertensive, and 13.5% had hyperlipidemia. Additionally, 88.5% of the patients were aware that DM can affect their eyes and 87% had never been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. Although around 83% thought that diabetic retinopathy could lead to blindness, only 35.5% of them had undergone fundus examination by ophthalmologists. Moreover, 39% of the participants had irregular diabetes follow-up and 43% monthly follow-up. Only 31% went for regular eye check-up; however, their compliance with routine retinal assessment was poor, with a total of 72.5% of participants assuming that they have good vision and need not get their eyes checked up regularly. The chief factor that was related to increased awareness of diabetic retinopathy in the study was the level of education. Conclusion: Although a large proportion of diabetic patients in Khartoum are aware that diabetes mellitus can affect their eyes, regular retinal assessment of patients was poor, thus hindering early diagnosis and management

Complex interplay of 3d and 4f magnetism in La:GdMnO3

We report on structural, magnetic, electrical, and thermodynamic properties of Gd-doped LaMnO3 single crystals for Gd doping levels 0 <= x <= 1. At room temperature, for all doping levels the orthorhombic O' phase is indicative for a strong Jahn-Teller distortion. All compositions are insulating. The magnetism of La$_{1-x}$Gd$_x$MnO$_3$ is dominated by the relatively strong Mn-Mn exchange. The weakening of the antiferromagnetic interactions due to the significant decrease f the Mn-O-Mn bond angles leads to the continuous suppression of the magnetic phase-transition temperatures into the antiferromagnetic low-temperature phase for increasing Gd doping. The magnetization can only be explained assuming canting of the manganese spins. The magnetic moments of Gd are weakly antiferromagnetically coupled within the sublattice and are antiferromagnetically coupled to the Mn moments. For intermediate concentrations compensation points are found, below which the spontaneous magnetization becomes negative. In pure GdMnO3 the Mn spins undergo a transition into a complex, probably incommensurate magnetic structure at 41.5 K, followed by a further ordering transition at 16-20 K revealing weak ferromagnetism due to canting and finally by the onset of magnetic order in the Gd sublattice at 6.5 K. At the lowest temperatures and low external fields both magnetic sublattices reveal a canted structure with antiparallel ferromagnetic components.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR

Re-municipalization of public services: trend or hype?

Re-municipalization is part of a broader set of reverse privatization reforms. We argue the term re-municipalization lacks conceptual clarity and often confuses municipal level reversals from national ones, new service delivery from reversals, and mixed market positions (such as corporatization) from full public control. This conceptual confusion makes measurement of re-municipalization difficult. While more case studies are being discovered, studies based on quantitative time series do not show re-municipalization as an increasing trend. Much case study based research argues re-municipalization is politically transformative, but quantitative research generally finds re-municipalization to be part of a pragmatic market management process, a position confirmed by the papers in this special issue

Remediable institutional alignment and water service reform: Beyond rational choice

A growing body of empirical evidence fails to support rational choice expectations of superior private sector efficiency in the urban water sector. Drawing on Oliver Williamson’s work on comparative institutional analysis, I suggest that institutional adaptability explains the efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector relative to the private sector. Under private sector participation, lowly remediable institutional adaptability favours the deployment of asymmetric power and the production of outcomes unaligned to reform objectives. Conversely, institutions supporting public operations are designed to facilitate the achievement of collective goals. This makes the alignment of individual attitudes, resources and institutions under in-house service provision less resilient to sustainability-oriented change. Remediable institutional alignment undergirds the comparative advantage of public water operations, as more ample opportunities are provided for compliance, allocative efficiency and adaptive performance. I thus call for a critical realist account of the outcomes of water service reform, free of rational choice dogma