Genetic Diversity Analysis of Some Ethiopian Specialty Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Accessions for Cup Quality Attributing Traits

knowledge of nature and extent of genetic variation and diversity available in the germplam or breeding materials helps breeder for planning sound breeding program. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate 47 coffee germplam accessions, which were collected from Gomma wereda of Jimma zone and two standard check varieties. The experiment  was conducted in simple lattice design with two replications during 2011/12 cropping season. Data on eight organoleptic traits were recorded and the analysis revealed that all organoleptic quality traits showed significant variation among the accessions at (P<0.05). High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation was observed for bitterness and astringency. Organoleptic traits such as flavor, overall standard, acidity and aromatic quality had high heritability. Bitterness and astringency showed moderate heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Similarly, flavor had high heritability and moderate genetic advance as percent of mean. Hence, bitterness, astringency and flavor can be improved through selection. Cluster analysis based on organoleptic traits grouped the accessions into three groups which make them also moderately divergent. Besides, inter-cluster distances were significantly different and crossing coffee accession from these divergent clusters will result in heterosis and recombinant in segregating generation. The principal component analysis showed the variation in first principal component, 63.7%, had been attributed to overall standard, flavor, acidity and aromatic quality. Hence, these traits should be given importance during hybridization and selection in the segregating population. In general , the present study indicated the presence of variability for organoleptic traits among the accessions. Therefore, the observed variability should be exploited in order to improve the quality of Gomma wereda coffee. However, since high quality variation between accessions is not a guarantee for a high genetic variation, biochemical studies need to be considered as complementary to organoleptic studies. Keywords: Genetic variability, principal component, organoleptic traits, genetic diversity, heritabilit

Evaluation of Avocado Root Rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands) Control Options in Southwest Ethiopia

Avocado root rot disease, which is caused by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, is one of the major avocado production constraints in southwest Ethiopia. Evaluation of root rot control options was carried out 20011-2012 on root rot infested field at Gera and green house at Jimma.  For field experiment at Gera Six treatments (compost, mulching, EM with compost, EM with mulch, stem injection with cannon chemical and untreated control) were tested in RCB design with three replications and three trees per plot. For laboratory experiment at jimma, six treatments namely, compost, mulching, EM with compost, EM with mulch, stem injection with cannon chemical and untreated control were tested in completely randomized design. The result indicated that there was no a significant difference among the treatments for field experiment but treatments showed highly significant differences for green house experiment. None of the treatments tested gave any significant remedial effect for trees already infected and showing avocado root rot symptoms over the course of this trial. Therefore, growers are highly advised to use preventive measures to control avocado root rot problem. Keywords:  Root rot, stem injection, compost, mulchin

Circadian Rhythm Disturbances in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Review

Circadian Rhythm Disturbances (CRDs) affect as many as a quarter of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients during some stage of their illness. Alterations in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and melatonin secretion are the major factors linked with the cause of CRDs. As a result, the normal physiology of sleep, the biological clock, and core body temperature are affected. This paper systematically discusses some of the causative factors, typical symptoms, and treatment options for CRDs in patients with AD. This paper also emphasizes the implementation of behavioral and environmental therapies before embarking on medications to treat CRDs. Pharmacotherapeutic options are summarized to provide symptomatic benefits for the patient and relieve stress on their families and professional care providers. As of today, there are few studies relative to CRDs in AD. Large randomized trials are warranted to evaluate the effects of treatments such as bright light therapy and engaging activities in the reduction of CRDs in AD patients

Sustainable Supply Chain Management Drivers and Barriers in the Ethiopian Manufacturing Sec-tor

The prime essence of this paper is to identify the drivers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) and determine the barriers to its implementation in the Ethiopian manufacturing sector. Studies related to SSCM mainly from 2010 onwards are reviewed, analysed and discussed using exploratory and meta-synthesis analyses. The findings indicate that there is an absence of a clear connection between SSCM practices and performance among the manufacturing industries in Ethiopia. This creates a hindrance for manufacturing firms in Ethiopia seeking to implement SSCM

Genetic Variability of Ethiopian Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Accessions Collected from East Wollega Zone for Bean Biochemical Constituents

xH}éT bb# ZRÃãc mµkL ÃlW yÆ×k@¸µL Wh#ìC YzT tlÃYnT yb# _‰T X È:MN bmrÈ b¥ÄqL l¥ššL kFt¾ yçn -q»¬ XNÄlW Y¬w”LÝÝ ngR GN bxg‰CN yz!H ›Ynt mr© bbqE h#n@¬ xlmñ„ b_QM §Y xlmêl# yb# _‰T btflgW dr© §lmDrs# XNd MKNÃT k¸ns#T CGéC mµkL bêÂnT Y-qúLÝÝ Slz!H YHNN CGR kGMT WS_ b¥SgÆT x‰T bB/@‰êE dr© ytlqq XNÄ!h#M 101 kMS‰Q wlU yb# xB”Y xµÆb!ãC ytsbsb# bDM„ 105 yb# ZRÃãCN bFÊÃcW WS_ y¸gß#TN yÆ×k@¸µL Wh#ìC tlÃYnT lmgMgM b¥lM YH Ñk‰ tµ£Ä*LÝÝ Ñk‰WM ytµÿdW båGmNTD Ä!²YN s!çN bXQÇ msrT yT‰Y¯ñl!N½ yKlÖéjn!K xs!DS ½ yµðN½ y-Q§§ PétEN½ y-Q§§ SB½ y-Q§§ ሚn@‰L/x> XNÄ!h#M yD‰Y ¥tR YzTN mr© bmWsD yTNt S‰ tkÂW•LÝÝ bŠ¶ÃNS TNt W-@T kD‰Y ¥tR YzT bStqR h#l#M Æ?¶ÃT bZRÃãC mµkL kFt¾ yçn tlÃYnT mñ„N l¥wQ tC§*LÝÝ yP¶NS­L ÷M±nNT TNt W-@T ymjm¶ÃW ÷M±nNT BÒ 47.9በመቶ y¸çnWN L†nT Ãúy s!çN  yè¬L KlÖéjn!K xs!DS X y-Q§§ ySB m-N bkFt¾ dr© mlÃÃT bZRÃãc mµkL l¬yW tlÃYnT yxNbúWN DRš ¥bRk¬cWN bGL{ xmLKaLÝÝ yK§StR TNt W-@T dGä b_Ât ytµtt 105 ZRÃãCN bSDST yK§StR b#DC bh#lT Bc¾ b#DñC kF§*cêLÝÝ YHM W-@T bZRÃãC mµµL L†nT mñ„N bt=¥¶ xrUGÈ*LÝÝ yjntEK ÄYvRjNS TNtÂM bxB²®c  b#DñC mµkL kFt¾ yçn RqT mñ„N k¥úytM b§Y yt-qs#TN Wh#ìC YzT b¥ÄqL ¥ššL y¸ÒL mçn#N xm§KaLÝÝ bx-”§Y bz!H _ÂT w-@T y¬yW yÆ×k@¸µL Wh#ìC YzT tlÃYnT wdðT yZRÃãcN yÆ×k@¸µL Wh#ìC YzT bmrÈ b¥ÄqL l¥ššL kFt¾ yçn XDL mñ„N xrUGÈ*LÝÝ ngR GN bz!H _ÂT y¬yWN W-@T ybl- l¥-ÂkR -QlL Ãl DMÄ» §Y  lmDrS Xnz!HN ZRÃãC btlÆ xµÆb!ãC mgMgM XNÄ!h#M ytlÃYnt$N S‰ bälÖk!†§R dr© mS‰T xSf§g! YçÂLÝÝ      Abstract Variability for coffee bean biochemical composition among the coffee accessions is vital for further quality improvement. However, lack of this information has been one of the major bottlenecks for any coffee quality improvement program. The current study was, therefore, conducted to evaluate the level of variability in green bean biochemical composition of coffee accessions collected from east Wollega coffee growing areas. Four standard checks and 101 Arabica coffee accessions were used for the study. The study was conducted using augmented design and data were collected on trigonelline, total chlorogenic acid, caffeine, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash and dry matter contents. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to see the variability of biochemical constituents among the accessions. Analysis of variance showed significant differences (P<0.05) among the accessions for all biochemical attributes except for bean dry matter content. The principal component analysis revealed that the first four principal components accounted for 96.9 % of the total variability. The first PC, with Eigenvalue greater than one, alone accounted for 47.9% of the total variation mainly due to the variation in total chlorogenic acid and crude fat content, suggesting that these traits are the major contributors for the observed variability. Besides, clustering grouped the accessions into six distinct clusters and two solitaries regardless of the collection sites indicating the existence of variability among the accessions. Genetic divergence analyses based on Mahalanobis statistics (D2) showed significant inter cluster distance, implying that there is a chance to improve these biochemical compounds through hybridization. In general, the observed variability for bean biochemical compounds indicating a great opportunity for genetic improvement of east Wollega coffee for biochemical contents through selection and hybridization. However, the variability observed in this study should be further confirmed by conducting the experiment in different locations as well as using molecular techniques.  &nbsp

Optimization based approach for land-use/ transportation policy making

Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Civil, no ramo de sistemas de transporte, apresentada ao Departamento de Engenharia Civil da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de CoimbraThis thesis explores the potentials of optimization for land-use/transportation policy-making purposes. Fundamentally, the research aimed to design an approach that generates efficient maps (solutions) to respond to specific land-use/transportation policy objectives. In this context, unlike simulation based land-use/transportation models which vastly employ trial and error, the purpose was to design an optimization approach which directly guarantees the efficiency of solutions. The mixed-integer optimization model upon which the approach is based has multiple objectives and is aimed at determining land use allocations and transportation infrastructure developments taking into account current form and future demographic changes at municipality level. The objectives of the optimization model are defined to address issues such as accessibility of population to jobs and services, suitability of land units to particular land-use types, compatibility of adjacent land-use types and utilization of existing infrastructure. The model makes special emphasis to the interactions between transportation and land-use. In addition to the development of the model, this thesis explores potential solution methods. Initially, the optimization model is solved using a branch and bound method. In general, the computational effort requirement for this method is high. For that reason, a heuristic method, genetic algorithm, is developed. The quality of algorithm parameters and that of solutions are assessed. The heuristic method provides optimum and near optimum solutions with much smaller computational efforts. The proposed approach was tested for hypothetical cities as well as for the municipality of Coimbra (Portugal). Results suggest that the approach can be of great practical utility as planning support tool in land-use/transportation policy-making processes, in the search for efficient solutions that also care for equity concerns in spatial development.Esta tese explora as possibilidades da otimização para ajudar no estabelecimento de planos integrados de usos de solos e transportes. Fundamentalmente, a investigação em que se apoia teve por propósito definir soluções (mapas) eficientes para responder a objetivos específicos em matéria de usos de solo e transportes. Ao contrário do que acontece com abordagens de simulação, cuja aplicação envolve processos de tentativa e erro, a otimização permite obter diretamente as referidas soluções para as hipóteses adotadas. A abordagem proposta tem por base um modelo otimização inteiro-misto que permite determinar a utilização a dar aos solos de uma cidade e as evoluções da respetiva rede de transportes que mais bem permitem responder as crescimento demográfico esperado tendo em conta três objetivos: a adequação dos usos do solo às características físicas dos terrenos; a compatibilidade do uso dado a cada parcela de terreno com o das parcelas adjacentes; e a acessibilidade agregada aos empregos e serviços disponíveis na cidade. Para resolver o modelo, que é do tipo inteiro linear, recorreu-se inicialmente ao método de branch-and-bound. No entanto, verificou-se que o esforço computacional correspondente seria muito elevado, tornando impossível a utilização do modelo em muitas situações reais. Assim, para estas situações, foi desenvolvido um algoritmo genético. O algoritmo e os respectivos parâmetros foram avaliados, concluindo-se que através da respectiva aplicação é possível encontrar soluções ótimas ou quase-ótimas com um esforço computacional muito mais reduzido. A abordagem desenvolvida foi testada em cidades hipotéticas e no município de Coimbra (Portugal). Os resultados obtidos sugerem claramente que ela pode ser de grande utilidade como instrumento de apoio em processos de planeamento de usos de solo e transportes, na procura de soluções eficientes que também tenham em conta preocupações de equidade no desenvolvimento do território.FCT - SFRH/BD/33742/200

Performance Evaluation of the Enset Decorticator Machine and comparison of the end product with manual decortication method

Enset is perennial herbaceous root crop and about twenty percent of Ethiopia’s population used Enset for human food, fiber, animal forage, construction materials, and medicines. Decortication of this crop was mostly by traditional methods. This traditional method is inefficient, unhygienic, gender based, less productive and time consuming. To alleviate this problem, the way aimed for developing engine driven Enset decorticator. Therefore the objective this study was to determine the performance of the constructed enset decorticated machine in Wolkite University. The decorticating machine consists of cylindrical shaped drum, blade, inclined plate, storage device, output holes and 6.5 horsepower diesel engine. The developed diesel engine motor driven decorticator was tested in the laboratory and field. In laboratory test machine checked its specification and operational test. The result revealed that, at drum speed 1200 rpm the machine had maximum decorticating efficiency, fiber cleaning efficiency and lower un-decorticated sheath which was 95.35%, 93.16% and 6.15% respectively. When compared with traditional methods, the end product of the manual decorticated kocho can ferment faster than machine decorticated due to high value of PH, which had mean result of 5.69 and 5.01 respectively. And the time required to finish single sheath machine consume less time than manual method of decortication which has mean value of 0.25 sec and 1.14 sec respectively Keywords: Decortication, Enset, Performance, spee

The attitudes of Tigre-speaking students in Eritrea towards studying Arabic and Tigrinya as second languages at school : a case study

Bibliography: leaves 87-91

Study on genotypic variability estimates and interrelation-ship of agronomic traits for selection of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) in Ethiopia

The study was carried out with the objective to estimate the genotypic variability and other yield related traits of taro in Ethiopia. A total of 100 accessions of taro were considered to this study. Analysis of variance was computed to contrast the variability within the collected accessions based on yield and other yield related traits. The results revealed significant differences among the accessions. Genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV %) was lower than phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV %) for all the traits studied. High genetic advance with heritability was observed in the following characters petiole length, number of active leaves/plant and average leaf length per plant. At genotypic level, merely tuber dry weight (r = -1.00) showed significant and strong negative correlations to tuber fresh weight. Therefore, it can be safely concluded that the variability with in taro accessions collected from southern and south-western parts of Ethiopia is low and the extent of its improvement is narrow