Anti-melanocortin-4 receptor autoantibodies in obesity

Background: The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is part of an important pathway regulating energy balance. Here we report the existence of autoantibodies (autoAbs) against the MC4R in sera of obese patients. Methods: The autoAbs were detected after screening of 216 patients' sera by using direct and inhibition ELISA with an N-terminal sequence of the MC4R. Binding to the native MC4R was evaluated by flow cytometry and pharmacological effects by measuring adenylyl cyclase activity. Results: Positive results in all tests were obtained in patients with overweight or obesity (prevalence: 3.6%) but not in normal weight patients. The selective binding properties of anti-MC4R autoAbs were confirmed by surface plasmon resonance and by immunoprecipitation with the native MC4R. Finally it was demonstrated that these autoAbs increased food intake in rats after passive transfer via intracerebroventricular injection. Conclusion: These observations suggest that inhibitory anti-MC4R autoAbs might contribute to the development of obesity in a small subpopulation of patients

Prevalence and associated factors of metabolic syndrome and its individual components among adolescents

Metabolic syndrome is a growing health problem that affects the whole population including adolescents due to change in lifestyles. It is strongly associated with different lifestyle behavioral factors. The objective of the study was to investigate the magnitude and associated factors of metabolic syndrome in adolescents. School based cross-sectional study design was used. The sample size for this study was 844 and 8 high schools were randomly selected from Addis Ababa city Administration. Simple random sampling technique was used to select each participant. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24 and descriptive summary statistics produced to present the findings. In this study among the components of metabolic syndrome, the highest prevalence was observed in high level of fasting blood glucose level 57.8%, followed by high waist circumference 32.2%. The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome from the total study participants was 12.4%. Smoking, alcohol intake, performing vigorous or modern physical activity, body mass index and time spent for sedentary activities were factors which had significant association with individual metabolic abnormalities. In conclusions the magnitude of metabolic syndrome is common problem of adolescents in the study area

Current and Contemporary Developments in Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now recognized as a global health problem. It is most usually caused by smoking cigarettes, although it can also be caused by a variety of environmental toxins, noxious gases, fumes, and dust. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective intervention for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is recommended by clinical guidelines. It is an important part of the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic respiratory disorders. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a recent approach in respiratory medicine that is defined as an “individually customized and designed, interdisciplinary program of care” for patients with persistent respiratory failure. Patient selection and assessment, psychological support, self-management education, nutritional support, and exercise training (including inspiratory muscle training (IMT) are all important components of pulmonary rehabilitation

Anatomical variations of superficial veins pattern in Cubital fossa among north west Ethiopians

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Work - Related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease characterized by airflow obstruction and increasing breathlessness. COPD is increasing worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. The most important risk factor of developing COPD is cigarette smoking; however, occupational exposures such as vapors, gases, dusts and fumes present an important risk factor for the development of the disease, by itself and through interaction with other risk factors. The dusts from coal, stone quarries, wood, cereals and agricultural work, animal stables, textiles, and paper production that can arise in occupational environments have been regulated by the International Labor Organization and considered possible as contributors to COPD. A better understanding of these causes paves the way for effective interventions to reduce the future incidence of this unpleasant condition. Breathlessness and occupational exposures to vapors, gases, dusts and fumes were identified as the main modifiable factors associated with unemployment and poor work productivity in COPD patients

Interactive Image Data Labeling Using Self-Organizing Maps in an Augmented Reality Scenario

Bekel H, Heidemann G, Ritter H. Interactive Image Data Labeling Using Self-Organizing Maps in an Augmented Reality Scenario. Neural Networks. 2005;18(2005 Special Iss.):566-574.We present an approach for the convenient labeling of image patches gathered from an unrestricted environment. The system is employed for a mobile Augmented Reality (AR) gear: While the user walks around with the head-mounted AR-gear, context-free modules for focus-of-attention permanently sample the most “interesting” image patches. After this acquisition phase, a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is trained on the complete set of patches, using combinations of MPEG-7 features as a data representation. The SOM allows visualization of the sampled patches and an easy manual sorting into categories. With very little effort, the user can compose a training set for a classifier, thus, unknown objects can be made known to the system. We evaluate the system for COIL-imagery and demonstrate that a user can reach satisfying categorization within few steps, even for image data sampled from walking in an office environment

TRUNCATULIX – a data warehouse for the legume community

Henckel K, Runte KJ, Bekel T, et al. TRUNCATULIX - a data warehouse for the legume community. BMC Plant Biology. 2009;9(1):19

A History of Addis Ababa University’s Faculty of Education from Inception to 1974

This paper attempts at reconstructing the history of the Faculty of Education of Addis Ababa University until 1974. It records the development of the faculty since its inception in careful detail, with due attention to major events, organizational adjustments, and educational reforms that marked its path. The analysis explores how the Faculty of Education adapted to Ethiopia’s changing social and political landscape, illustrating its crucial role in influencing the nation’s educational system. Key contributions of the faculty to teacher training, curriculum development, and educational policy form a core component of this study. It also reviews the various phases of development, challenges faced in the initial years, strategies adopted to overcome them, and how these moves impacted the greater schema of education. It develops a comprehensive account of how internal and external challenges were responded to by the faculty through the examination of archival documents and primary sources, and how such reactions shaped its evolving role. The narrative also highlights the interplay between the Faculty’s development and broader historical trends, such as political shifts, educational reforms, and societal changes. This contextualization underscores how the Faculty’s efforts were intertwined with national developments and global educational movements. The study not only offers a detailed historical account but also provides valuable insights into the institution’s successes and struggles, offering a foundation for understanding its subsequent evolution. This comprehensive exploration aims to contribute to a deeper appreciation of the Faculty of Education’s formative years and its lasting impact on Ethiopia’s educational landscape

Transcriptome sequencing and comparative transcriptome analysis of the scleroglucan producer Sclerotium rolfsii

Schmid J, Müller-Hagen D, Bekel T, et al. Transcriptome sequencing and comparative transcriptome analysis of the scleroglucan producer Sclerotium rolfsii. BMC Genomics. 2010;11(1): 329.Background The plant pathogenic basidiomycete Sclerotium rolfsii produces the industrially exploited exopolysaccharide scleroglucan, a polymer that consists of (1 -> 3)-[beta]-linked glucose with a (1 -> 6)-(beta)-glycosyl branch on every third unit. Although the physicochemical properties of scleroglucan are well understood, almost nothing is known about the genetics of scleroglucan biosynthesis. Similarly, the biosynthetic pathway of oxalate, the main by-product during scleroglucan production, has not been elucidated yet. In order to provide a basis for genetic and metabolic engineering approaches, we studied scleroglucan and oxalate biosynthesis in S. rolfsii using different transcriptomic approaches. Results Two S. rolfsii transcriptomes obtained from scleroglucan-producing and scleroglucan-nonproducing conditions were pooled and sequenced using the 454 pyrosequencing technique yielding ~350,000 reads. These could be assembled into 21,937 contigs and 171,833 singletons, for which 6,951 had significant matches in public protein data bases. Sequence data were used to obtain first insights into the genomics of scleroglucan and oxalate production and to predict putative proteins involved in the synthesis of both metabolites. Using comparative transcriptomics, namely Agilent microarray hybridization and suppression subtractive hybridization, we identified ~800 unigenes which are differently expressed under scleroglucan-producing and non-producing conditions. From these, candidate genes were identified which could represent potential leads for targeted modification of the S. rolfsii metabolism for increased scleroglucan yields. Conclusions The results presented in this paper provide for the first time genomic and transcriptomic data about S. rolfsii and demonstrate the power and usefulness of combined transcriptome sequencing and comparative microarray analysis. The data obtained allowed us to predict the biosynthetic pathways of scleroglucan and oxalate synthesis and to identify important genes putatively involved in determining scleroglucan yields. Moreover, our data establish the first sequence database for S. rolfsii, which allows research into other biological processes of S. rolfsii, such as host-pathogen interaction