Effect of curing conditions and harvesting stage of maturity on Ethiopian onion bulb drying properties

The study was conducted to investigate the impact of curing conditions and harvesting stageson the drying quality of onion bulbs. The onion bulbs (Bombay Red cultivar) were harvested at three harvesting stages (early, optimum, and late maturity) and cured at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 oC) and relative humidity (30, 50 and 70%). The results revealed that curing temperature, RH, and maturity stage had significant effects on all measuredattributesexcept total soluble solids

Results-based monitoring and evaluation for organizations working in agricultural development: a guide for practitioners

The purpose of this guide for practitioners is to contribute to the development of RBM&E capacity and to facilitate its institutionalization in organizations dealing with agricultural development. The target audiences of the guide include the staff in planning, monitoring and evaluation departments/units of public organizations and non-governmental organizations dealing with agricultural development at federal, regional, zonal or district levels. Staff of the agricultural research and higher learning institutes may also find the guide useful. It is assumed that users of the guide would have some basic knowledge of project/program/policy planning and implementation. The guide is based on an extensive review of M&E literature and the experiences of the RBM&E activities of the IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian farmers project.1 As part of its overall approach to market-oriented agricultural development, the IPMS project is working to facilitate the use and institutionalization of RBM&E system. The guide is organized as follows. Section two deals with basic concepts of RBM&E. Section three presents the relationships between the concepts and practices of M&E. Section four deals with the concepts and applications of participatory monitoring and evaluation. Sections five and six present the practices and processes of the selection of results to monitor and evaluate, and the selection of key performance indicators, respectively. Section seven discusses the methods of setting baseline data and targets, and section eight deals with data collection and analysis. While section nine deals with reporting and using M&E information, section ten discusses issues, approaches and requirements for institutionalizing and sustaining the RBM&E system

Understanding the process of adaptation to climate change by small-holder farmers: The case of east Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

This study examined smallholder farmers' level of perception about climate change, source of information on climate change, types of adaptation strategies, factors influencing adaptation choices and barriers to adaptation in Eastern Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. The surveyed farm households in the study area perceived at least one aspect of climate change primarily through their life experience. Planting trees is the major adaptation measure and 89.1 percent of the farmers took this adaptation strategy. Most farmers (96 percent) believe that deforestation is the main cause of climate change and the choice of farmers to plant trees as an adaptation strategy may be partly a mitigation strategy. However, the majority (49.6 percent) of the households employed at least one adaptation response on top of tree planting. The other adaptation strategies include: early planting, terracing, irrigation and water harvesting. The main source of information for these adaptation strategies for 58.4 percent of the respondents is from extension advice. Results of a multinomial logit model showed that non-farm income, farmer- to-farmer extension, access to credit, distance to selling markets, distance to purchasing markets, and income affect the choice of adaptation strategies. Finally, the study identified lack of information as the most important barrier to climate change adaptation. The other barriers include: lack of farm inputs, shortage of land, lack of money, lack of water and shortage of labor

CFD Simulation and Optimization of Very Low Head Axial Flow Turbine Runner

The main objective of this work is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, simulation and optimization of very low head axial flow turbine runner to be used to drive a centrifugal pump of turbine-driven pump. The ultimate goal of the optimization is to produce a power of 1kW at head less than 1m from flowing river to drive centrifugal pump using mechanical coupling (speed multiplier gear) directly. Flow rate, blade numbers, turbine rotational speed, inlet angle are parameters used in CFD modeling, simulation and design optimization of the turbine runner. The computed results show that power developed by a turbine runner increases with increasing flow rate. Pressure inside the turbine runner increases with flow rate but, runner efficiency increases for some flow rate and almost constant thereafter. Efficiency and power developed by a runner drops quickly if turbine speed increases due to higher pressure losses and conversion of pressure energy to kinetic energy inside the runner. Increasing blade number increases power developed but, efficiency does not increase always. Efficiency increases for some blade number and drops down due to the fact that change in direction of the relative flow vector at the runner exit, which decreases the net rotational momentum and increases the axial flow velocity

The Epidemiology of Sleep Quality, Sleep Patterns, Consumption of Caffeinated Beverages, and Khat Use among Ethiopian College Students

Objective:. To evaluate sleep habits, sleep patterns, and sleep quality among Ethiopian college students; and to examine associations of poor sleep quality with consumption of caffeinated beverages and other stimulants. Methods:. A total of 2,230 undergraduate students completed a self-administered comprehensive questionnaire which gathered information about sleep complaints, sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics,and theuse of caffeinated beverages and khat. We used multivariable logistic regression procedures to estimate odds ratios for the associations of poor sleep quality with sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Results:. Overall 52.7% of students were classified as having poor sleep quality (51.8% among males and 56.9% among females). In adjusted multivariate analyses, caffeine consumption (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.25–1.92), cigarette smoking (OR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.06–2.63), and khat use (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.09–2.71) were all associated with increased odds of long-sleep latency (>30 minutes). Cigarette smoking (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.11–2.73) and khat consumption (OR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.22–3.00) were also significantly associated with poor sleep efficiency (<85%), as well as with increased use of sleep medicine. Conclusion:. Findings from the present study demonstrate the high prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with stimulant use among college students. Preventive and educational programs for students should include modules that emphasize the importance of sleep and associated risk factors

Utilization of a novel digital measurement tool for quantitative assessment of upper extremity motor dexterity: a controlled pilot study.

BackgroundThe current methods of assessing motor function rely primarily on the clinician's judgment of the patient's physical examination and the patient's self-administered surveys. Recently, computerized handgrip tools have been designed as an objective method to quantify upper-extremity motor function. This pilot study explores the use of the MediSens handgrip as a potential clinical tool for objectively assessing the motor function of the hand.MethodsEleven patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) were followed for three months. Eighteen age-matched healthy participants were followed for two months. The neuromotor function and the patient-perceived motor function of these patients were assessed with the MediSens device and the Oswestry Disability Index respectively. The MediSens device utilized a target tracking test to investigate the neuromotor capacity of the participants. The mean absolute error (MAE) between the target curve and the curve tracing achieved by the participants was used as the assessment metric. The patients' adjusted MediSens MAE scores were then compared to the controls. The CSM patients were further classified as either "functional" or "nonfunctional" in order to validate the system's responsiveness. Finally, the correlation between the MediSens MAE score and the ODI score was investigated.ResultsThe control participants had lower MediSens MAE scores of 8.09%±1.60%, while the cervical spinal disorder patients had greater MediSens MAE scores of 11.24%±6.29%. Following surgery, the functional CSM patients had an average MediSens MAE score of 7.13%±1.60%, while the nonfunctional CSM patients had an average score of 12.41%±6.32%. The MediSens MAE and the ODI scores showed a statistically significant correlation (r=-0.341, p&lt;1.14×10⁻⁵). A Bland-Altman plot was then used to validate the agreement between the two scores. Furthermore, the percentage improvement of the the two scores after receiving the surgical intervention showed a significant correlation (r=-0.723, p&lt;0.04).ConclusionsThe MediSens handgrip device is capable of identifying patients with impaired motor function of the hand. The MediSens handgrip scores correlate with the ODI scores and may serve as an objective alternative for assessing motor function of the hand

TGF-β stimulates biglycan core protein synthesis but not glycosaminoglycan chain elongation via Akt phosphorylation in vascular smooth muscle

Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) can mediate proteoglycan synthesis via Smad and non-Smad signalling pathways in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). We investigated whether TGF-b-mediated proteoglycan synthesis is via PI3K/Akt. TGF-b induced a rapid phosphorylation of Akt that continued upto 4 h. Akt phosphorylation was blocked by Akt1/2 inhibitor SN30978; however, it did not block Smad2 phosphorylation at either the carboxy or linker regions indicating that TGF-bmediated Akt phosphorylation is independent of Smad2 signalling. The role of Akt in TGF-b-mediated proteoglycan synthesis was investigated. Treatment with SN30978 showed a concentration-dependent decrease in TGF-b-mediated [35S]- sulphate and [35S]-Met/Cys incorporation into secreted proteoglycans; however, SDS-PAGE showed no change in biglycan size. In TGF-b-treated cells, biglycan mRNA levels increased by 40-100% in 24 h and was significantly blocked by SN30978. Our findings demonstrate that Akt is a downstream signalling component of TGF-b-mediated biglycan core protein synthesis but not glycosaminoglycan chain hyper-elongation in VSM

Thrombin-mediated proteoglycan synthesis utilizes both protein-tyrosine kinase and serine/threonine kinase receptor transactivation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Background: GPCR transactivation of PTKRs and TGF-αRs mediates proteoglycan synthesis in human VSMC. Results: Transactivation of TGF-αRs is integrin-dependent, and inhibition of both transactivation pathways blocks proteoglycan synthesis. Conclusion: GPCR utilize transactivation pathways and not classical signaling in proteoglycan synthesis. Significance: GPCR transactivation of receptor kinase pathways may be broader and more significant than previously recognized