84 research outputs found
A Critique of the Application of Liberal Peace Theory in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Cases From African Experience
No full textMichael Doyle (1983) pioneers contemporary liberal peace theory. He argued that no liberal democracy has ever gone to war with another liberal democracy. After nearly a decade, the victorious Western camp undisputedly declared the ontological and epistemological premises of liberal peace as a universalizing rationality of pacific order and a panacea for post-conflict societies. In the following years, peacebuilding interventions were launched under the auspice of the UN and other agencies in war torn countries with excessive liberal enthusiasm. However, conflicts in Africa have proved unwaveringly resistant to Western attempts to easily institute liberal peace. As Collier et al. (2003) noted, almost half of all post-conflict states relapsed to armed violence within the first decade of relative peace. This has generated a considerable debate and disagreement in the realm of scholarship and policy (Newman,Paris & Richmond, 2009). Responding to this debate, in this paper, I draw on data from World Bank, United Nations Development Program, Freedom House, and pertinent empirical research works to critically appraise the application of liberal peace theory in the context of post-conflict societies in Africa. It was found out that liberal peacebuilding instigated more damages to the ill-equipped post-conflict states. In conclusion, liberal peace is “acultural” and insensitive towards recipient of the peacebuilding and ultimately aimed at creating chronically dependent states
Anatomies of Protest and the Trajectories of the Actors at Play
No full textUIDB/04627/2020
UIDP/04627/2020This study analyses the dynamics of mass protests in Ethiopia between 2015 and 2018 through the lenses of the political opportunity structure theory. It focuses on youth movements - Qeerroo in Oromia and Fano in Amhara - which despite their distinct trajectories and geographic origins came together at a key juncture to support both common (e.g. democracy, human rights) and competing aims (fuelled by ethnic grievances). Building on qualitative material collected during field work (semi-structured interviews, newspapers, and reports), this chapter shows how protesters took advantage of three opportunities arising in the political context, to engage in effective collective action: The leadership vacuum and intra-party fighting that followed the death of Meles Zenawi, the alliance between Qeerroo and Fano groups, and the access to internet and digital activism. However, the brutal state repression, ultimately explains the (limited) outcome of the protests. Indeed, while the protests started by triggering a transformation in politics, the initial reformist momentum eventually derailed as a new spiral of violence escalated, and past authoritarian practices gained ground. This study contributes to wider debates on the emergence and impact of protest in post-conflict authoritarian settings.publishersversionpublishe
Mosquito odour-baited mass trapping reduced malaria transmission intensity: a result from a controlled before-and-after intervention study
No full textBackground Conventional vector control strategies have significantly reduced the malaria burden. The sustainability of these methods is currently challenged. Odour-based traps are emerging technologies that can complement the existing tools. Implementation of odour-based traps for mass trapping is limited due to the restricted range of vectors caught with available carbon dioxide-dependent lures, and the lack of comprehensive field studies. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of odour-mediated mass trapping targeting outdoor vectors, using a synthetic cattle urine lure that attracts a wide range of vector species in a variety of physiological states, on malaria prevalence and entomological parameters to determine malaria transmission intensities. Methods A controlled before-and-after study was conducted in two rural communities in southern Ethiopia. Baseline monthly entomological and seasonal cross-sectional malaria prevalence surveys were conducted in both communities for a year. Then, mass trapping of mosquitoes was conducted in one of the villages, while the monthly entomological surveillance and seasonal malaria prevalence surveys continued in both villages. Generalised linear mixed models were constructed and tested to determine which factors were significantly affected by the intervention. Results Mass trapping contributed to the reduction of the population of the principal malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, and the associated entomological indicators, the human bite rate (HBR) and the entomological inoculation rate (EIR), in the intervention village compared to the control village. The intervention village had an average HBR by An. arabiensis of 3.0 (95% CI 1.4-4.6) during the peak malaria transmission season, compared to 10.5 (95% CI - 0.5-21.5; P < 0.0001) in the control village. The intervention village (mean 0.02, 95% CI - 0.05-0.4.8) had a daily EIR eight times lower than the control village (mean 0.17, 95% CI), which likely contributed to the reduced malaria prevalence in the intervention community following its introduction by ca. 60% (95% CI 55-63). Conclusions The combined use of odour-based mass trapping and conventional control strategies coincided with a reduction of human-vector contact and malaria prevalence, providing support for odour-baited technologies as a viable option for next-generation vector control tools. Further cluster-randomised control studies are recommended in different eco-epidemiological settings with varying malaria transmission intensities
Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte-induced volatiles enhance attraction of Anopheles mosquitoes in the field
No full textBackgroundPlasmodium parasites manipulate the interaction between their mosquito and human hosts. Patients infected with gametocytes attract anopheline mosquitoes differentially compared to healthy individuals, an effect associated with an increased release of attractive volatile cues. This odour-driven manipulation is partly mediated by the gametocyte-specific metabolite, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), which induces increased release of select aldehydes and terpenes from red blood cells and results in the enhanced attraction of host-seeking mosquitoes, which are vectors of malaria. This study investigates the effect of the HMBPP-induced volatiles on the attraction of wild Anopheles mosquitoes to humans under field conditions.MethodsThe efficacy of the HMBPP-induced odour blend to attract Anopheles was evaluated in a 4x6 Latin rectangular study design indoors using baited Suna traps. Furthermore, to assess the efficacy of the HMBPP-induced odour blend in (1) augmenting the attractiveness of human odour, and (2) attracting Anopheles mosquitoes in the absence of human odour, a two-choice assay using host decoy traps (HDTs) was used and evaluated using binomial generalized regression.ResultsTraps baited with the HMBPP-induced odour blend attracted and caught both Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles pharoensis females in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of background human odour, up to 2.5 times that of an unbaited trap. Given a choice between human odour and human odour laden with the HMBPP-induced odour blend, mosquitoes differentially preferred traps augmented with the HMBPP-induced odour blend, which caught twice as many female An. arabiensis. Traps baited with the HMBPP-induced odour blend but lacking the background of human odour were not effective in attracting and catching mosquitoes.ConclusionThe findings of the present study revealed that the HMBPP-induced odour blend, when augmented with human body odour, is attractive to anopheline mosquitoes and could be used as a complementary vector control tool along with existing strategies
Antidiabetic Effect of Fenugreek Seed Powder Solution (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on Hyperlipidemia in Diabetic Patients
No full textBackground. Many drugs are commercially available for use in the management of diabetes. However, their side effects and high costs underscore the need for herbal alternative drugs. Trigonella foenum-graecum is one of the medicinal plants which are important in the management of diabetes mellitus. This study investigated the effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder solution on the lipid profile of newly diagnosed type II diabetic patients. Methods. A total of N=114 newly diagnosed type II diabetic patients without any significant diabetes complication were selected. They were grouped into two groups: the treatment group (n=57) consumed 25 g Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder solution orally twice a day for one month and the second group is the control (n=57) which receives metformin. Blood sample was collected from each participant by a medical technologist/technician before and after the study. Lipid profile was analyzed by using Mindray BS 200E fully automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Result. By the end of the intervention period, the treatment group showed significantly lower total cholesterol level by 13.6% as compared with the baseline level (219.1±35.51 vs. 189.29±29.06, P<0.001) and the control group (189.29±29.06 vs. 208.2±40.2, P<0.001); triglyceride level also reduced by 23.53% compared with the baseline level (256.1±15.4 vs. 195.8±82.95, P<0.001) and compared with the control group (195.8±82.95 vs. 244.1±96.9, P<0.05); and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level also reduced by 23.4% as compared to the baseline level (137.9±26.9 vs. 105.6±24.2, P<0.001) and the control group (between groups) (105.6±24.2 vs. 144.1±23.3, P<0.001), but the treatment group showed significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level by 21.7% as compared to the baseline level, within group (37.8±1.51 vs. 48.3±11.9, P<0.001), and the control group, between groups (48.3±11.9 vs. 36.01±9.5, P<0.001). However, lipid profile levels in the control group were not significantly changed. Conclusion. The present study showed that the administration of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder solution had pronounced effects in improving lipid metabolism in type II diabetic patients with no adverse effects. Therefore, Trigonella foenum-graecum seed may provide new alternatives for the clinical management of type II diabetes
QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF EXTRACTION CONDITIONS FOR EMBELIN IN EMBELIA SCHIMPERI BY UV-VIS SPECTROMETRY
No full textEmbelin is a unique chemical compound found in nature, composed of quinone moiety resembling Coq10 (Ubiquinones), having ketone and hydroxy groups with an aliphatic chain. An Optimum solvent for extracting Embelin from Embelia schimperi and its simultaneous determination of the content of Embelin in the extract has been performed using UV-VIS spectrometry. The identification of Embelin spot obtained from hot ethyl acetate extract of the seed is confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy (NMR). A plot of peak absorbance versus concentration of Embelin was found to be linear over the range of 3-12 μg/ml. The limit of detection was 0.11μg/ml and the limit of quantitation was 0.37 μg/ml. Extraction conditions were also optimized for the best possible extraction of Embelin from the fruits of Embelia schimperi in different solvent polarity like n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride, diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, propanol and ethanol. The determination of Embelin in various solvent extract exhibited a mean content of 0.66-5.79 % w/w. Carbon tetrachloride and ethyl acetate was found to be best for the highest possible recovery of the analyte, Embelin. The developed UV method was validated in terms of precision, accuracy, stability, LOD and LOQ Keywords: Embelia schimperi, Embelin, spectrometry, extractio
Mosquito odour-baited mass trapping reduced malaria transmission intensity: a result from a controlled before-and-after intervention study
No full textBackground
Conventional vector control strategies have significantly reduced the malaria burden. The sustainability of these methods is currently challenged. Odour-based traps are emerging technologies that can complement the existing tools. Implementation of odour-based traps for mass trapping is limited due to the restricted range of vectors caught with available carbon dioxide-dependent lures, and the lack of comprehensive field studies. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of odour-mediated mass trapping targeting outdoor vectors, using a synthetic cattle urine lure that attracts a wide range of vector species in a variety of physiological states, on malaria prevalence and entomological parameters to determine malaria transmission intensities.
Methods
A controlled before-and-after study was conducted in two rural communities in southern Ethiopia. Baseline monthly entomological and seasonal cross-sectional malaria prevalence surveys were conducted in both communities for a year. Then, mass trapping of mosquitoes was conducted in one of the villages, while the monthly entomological surveillance and seasonal malaria prevalence surveys continued in both villages. Generalised linear mixed models were constructed and tested to determine which factors were significantly affected by the intervention.
Results
Mass trapping contributed to the reduction of the population of the principal malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, and the associated entomological indicators, the human bite rate (HBR) and the entomological inoculation rate (EIR), in the intervention village compared to the control village. The intervention village had an average HBR by An. arabiensis of 3.0 (95% CI 1.4–4.6) during the peak malaria transmission season, compared to 10.5 (95% CI − 0.5–21.5; P < 0.0001) in the control village. The intervention village (mean 0.02, 95% CI − 0.05–0.4.8) had a daily EIR eight times lower than the control village (mean 0.17, 95% CI), which likely contributed to the reduced malaria prevalence in the intervention community following its introduction by ca. 60% (95% CI 55–63).
Conclusions
The combined use of odour-based mass trapping and conventional control strategies coincided with a reduction of human-vector contact and malaria prevalence, providing support for odour-baited technologies as a viable option for next-generation vector control tools. Further cluster-randomised control studies are recommended in different eco-epidemiological settings with varying malaria transmission intensities
Shady business: understanding the spatial ecology of exophilic Anopheles mosquitoes
No full textBackground:
Understanding the ecology of exophilic anophelines is a key step toward developing outdoor control strategies to complement existing indoor control tools against malaria vectors. This study was conducted to assess the movement pattern of exophilic Anopheles mosquitoes between blood meal sources and resting habitats, and the landscape factors dictating their resting habitat choice.
Results:
Resting clay pots were placed at 5 m, 25 m, 50 m, 75 m and 100 m away from isolated focal houses, radiating from them in four directions. The locations of the clay pots represent heterogeneous land cover types at a relatively fine spatial scale in the landscape. The effect of the landscape characters on the number of both female and male anophelines caught was modelled using zero-inflated negative binomial regression with a log link function. A total of 420 Anopheles mosquitoes (353 females and 67 males) belonging to three species; Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles pharoensis, and Anopheles tenebrosus were caught in the resting clay pots, with An. arabiensis being the dominant species. Canopy cover, distance from the house, and land cover type were the significant landscape characters influencing the aggregation of resting mosquitoes. Both the count and binary models showed that canopy cover was the strongest predictor variable on the counts and the presence of Anopheles mosquitoes in the clay pots. Female Anopheles were most frequently found resting in the pots placed in banana plantations, and at sampling points that were at the greater distances (75 m and 100 m) from the focal house.
Conclusions:
This study showed that exophilic Anopheles mosquitoes tend to rest in shaded areas some distance away from human habitation. These findings are important when targeting mosquitoes outdoors, complementing the existing effort being made to control malaria vectors indoors
Circulating osteoprotegerin is correlated with lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, adiponectin and sex steroids in an ageing male population
No full textObjective: The relationship between osteoprotegerin (OPG) and lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, adipocytokines and sex steroids has been poorly studied and subject to controversy. The purpose of this study was to look at the correlates of OPG in an elderly male population. Design: One hundred and fifty-one nondiabetic, elderly Lebanese men (age range 50-83) were recruited in this cross-sectional study based on voluntary enrolment. Measurements: In all the subjects, serum OPG levels were measured and related to clinical parameters (age, waist, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure), as well as to metabolic and hormonal parameters. The following fasting laboratory measurements were performed: plasma glucose and insulin levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, adiponectin, leptin, as well as sex steroids (testosterone, SHBG, free androgen index, ooestradiol, DHEAS), GH and IGF-1. QUICKI index was calculated as a measure of insulin sensitivity. Results: OPG levels were significantly correlated with age (r = 0.28, P 0.0001) but not with BMI, waist, systolic or diastolic blood pressure. There was a trend towards higher OPG levels in subjects without, compared to subjects with the metabolic syndrome (3.58 ± 1.28 vs. 3.26 ± 1.04 pmol-l, P = 0.09). OPG was negatively correlated with fasting glucose and triglyceride levels (r = -0.18, P = 0.031 and r = -0.19, P = 0.02, respectively) and positively correlated with the QUICKI index (r = 0.17, P = 0.033), HDL cholesterol (r = 0.21, P = 0.009) and adiponectin levels (r = 0.27, P = 0.001). No significant correlations were reported with total or LDL cholesterol levels and with leptin levels. After adjustment for age, OPG is still correlated with triglycerides (r = -0.19, P = 0.02), glucose (r = -0.21, P = 0.011) and adiponectin (r = 0.19, P = 0.02). Finally, OPG was positively associated with SHBG (r = 0.31, P 0.001) and negatively associated with free androgen index (r =-0.346, P 0.001); both correlations persisted after adjustment for age (r = 0.21, P = 0.009 and r = -0.23, P = 0.005, respectively). No significant correlation was found between OPG and oestradiol levels while a weak negative correlation was demonstrated with DHEAS (r = -0.18, P = 0.025). Also, no significant correlation was found between OPG and GH or IGF-1 values. In a multiple regression analysis with a stepwise model, the main determinants of OPG were free androgen index and adiponectin (P 0.0001 and P = 0.015, respectively). Conclusion: Our results show that circulating OPG levels are favourably associated with some components of the metabolic syndrome. Also, for the first time, an association between OPG and adiponectin is described. 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Awol A: Traditional medicinal plants used by people in Libo-Kemkem district
No full textAbstract: The present study was conducted between June 2010 and September 2010, to document medicinal plant species traditionally used by peoples in Libo-kemekem district, South Gondar, Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, focused group discussion and field observations. A total of 52 medically important plants belonging to 45 families and 47 genera were identified in the district. Majorities (47.37%) were collected from wild. Most of the plants (94.23%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (40.38%), followed by fruits (23.08%) and roots (17.31%). Local people depend on both dry and fresh remedies. The administration routes were oral (57.69%), dermal (25.00%), nasal (11.54 %) and anal (5.77%). The preference ranking showed that Lantana camara was the most important species in treating diarrhea followed by Vernonia amygdalin indicating high utility value of the species in the community. The results revealed existence of diverse medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge in the study area. Therefore, documenting medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area
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