Hasil untuk "History of Africa"

Anthony Appiah

J. Wendel, R. Cronn

S. Weaver, N. Forrester

Revocatus Lawrence Kabanga, Vincent John Chambo, Rebecca Mokeha

COVID-19 has caused about 580 million cases and 6.4 million deaths worldwide by August 8th, 2022, including 8.7 million cases (173,063 deaths) in Africa. East Africa reported 1.39 million cases on July, 2022. Tanzania confirmed 37,865 cases and 841 deaths by 8th August 2022. Although billions of vaccine doses administered globally, just 17.6% of Tanzanians are fully vaccinated. Symptomatic pregnant women face a mortality risk that is 70% higher than in non-pregnant women.. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant women in the Mbeya region. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of MZRH. Three scores were calculated for participants' knowledge, attitude, and acceptance to COVID-19 vaccination. These scores were compared to many sample factors using binary logistic regression and the chi-square test. The study recruited 233 participants. Most participants (31.3%) relied on social media for Covid-19 vaccine information. Poor Covid-19 vaccine knowledge (71.2%), negative attitudes (76.8%), and low acceptance rate (38.6%) were observed. Multivariate analysis showed that greater acceptance was positively associated with having a chronic illness (AOR = 3.21, CI 1.448-7.123, P = 0.004), stronger vaccine attitudes (AOR = 1.26, CI 1.149-1.368, P = 0.015), better vaccine knowledge (AOR = 2.70, CI 2.587-2.810, P = 0.005), and prior vaccination history (AOR = 0.13, CI 0.068-0.183, P = 0.000). Conversely, preference for natural immunity (AOR = 0.42, CI 0.341-0.498, P = 0.018), and not yet being vaccinated (AOR = 0.67, CI 0.594-0.755, P = 0.000) were all linked to lower acceptance. Pregnant women exhibited low knowledge, attitude, and acceptance to COVID-19 vaccines. Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine causes pause. Education on COVID-19 vaccination is needed to enhance vaccine uptake among pregnant women. This group must comprehend COVID-19 immunization importance, safety, and efficacy.

Abraham Ename Minko

The Sahel region faces a complex nexus of political instability and terrorism, with the former often exacerbating the latter. This research delves into the extent to which political turmoil and coups d'état contribute to the proliferation and resilience of terrorist groups in the Sahel. Beginning with an analysis of the relationship between political instability and terrorist group proliferation, the study examines how periods of governance vacuum and instability create fertile ground for extremist ideologies to take root. Drawing on historical data and case studies from countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the research highlights how political upheavals provide terrorist groups with opportunities for recruitment, funding, and operational expansion. Moreover, the study explores the role of external powers, such as France, and the United States, and regional organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS, in shaping the security landscape of the Sahel. It scrutinizes the effectiveness of foreign interventions, aid, and development programs in addressing the underlying socio-economic grievances that fuel terrorism. Furthermore, the research critically analyzes the humanitarian consequences of displacement and refugee crises resulting from terrorist activities and state responses. It underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration and regional security architecture, examining initiatives like the G5 Sahel Joint Force and the Lake Chad Basin Commission Multinational Joint Task Force in countering terrorism. By shedding light on the intricate dynamics between political instability and terrorism in the Sahel, this study aims to inform more targeted and effective strategies for countering extremism and promoting stability in the region.

Adrián Muñoz

Shekoufeh Mohammadi Shirmahaleh. 2022. La leyenda de Sīāvaš: un recorrido mitológico, ritual y literario. Ciudad de México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 379 pp. ISBN 9786073071130

L. Werdelin, W. Sanders

Buster P. Mogonong, Jolene T. Fisher, David Furniss et al.

Rural landscapes in South Africa experience high conversion rates due to intense land use; however, the changes are site specific and depend on the socio-economic and political history of the area. Land cover change (LCC) was assessed in response to socio-economic and political factors in uThukela Municipal District, KwaZulu-Natal, using Landsat imagery from 1984 to 2014, while making comparisons to other studies in South Africa. Socio-economic/political data were used to gain insights into the observed LCC patterns. Land cover was classified using a random forest classifier, and accuracies ranging from 87% to 92% were achieved. Systematic and intensity analysis methods were used to describe patterns, rates, and transitions of LCC in Imbabazane (ILM) and Okhahlamba (OLM) local municipalities. The results showed a reduced rate of change intensity from 3.4% to 0.9% in ILM and from 3.1% to 1.1% in OLM between 1984 and 2014. Grassland was persistent, covering over 70% in both local municipalities between 1984 and 2014. Although persistent, grassland experienced respective losses of 3.7% and 14.3% in both observation periods in ILM and of 10.2% and 13.3% in OLM. During the analysis period, settlements and cropland gained actively in both local municipalities. The changes represent a degree of population, local authority, and people’s perception as influencers of land use and LCC. It is therefore argued that socio-economic and political changes can potentially influence land use and LCC; however, natural ecosystems can persist under those conditions, and this requires more research efforts. Significance: This study contributes towards a growing knowledge and understanding of land cover change studies in marginalised landscapes in South Africa. The findings enforce the notion that natural vegetation systems can be altered by human-induced land use such as expansion of settlement and commercial agricultural. We show that in recent times there has been a decline in the overall rate of land cover conversion, and a high persistence of grassland amid global change, although the quality of the vegetation needs further research. We argue that the changes observed in marginalised landscapes are potentially driven by socio-economic and political dynamics.

Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, Helena Osei-Egyir, Benjamin Dompreh Darkwa

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which occurred between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, displaced Africans and people of African descent into the New World. The trade affected and influenced several aspects of the world economy, boosting the economies of participating countries and creating what would become the African diaspora. While several elements of the trade have gained recognition in scholarship, ships, as the single most important medium of transportation for African slaves, have received little attention. We contribute to the discourse by placing ships at the center of discussion by highlighting the relevance and importance of this human and cargo carriage as a vehicle of slavery. We also paid attention to air transportation in the era of voluntary repatriation of people of African descent back to Africa for tourism, business and to pay homage to the motherland. We achieved these objectives through the use of written sources. These included books, journal articles and relevant sites and databases relating to the history of science, technology and slavery among others. The research highlights, among others, the following: the invention of ships has changed the course of world history. It has been the single most tremendous medium of transportation responsible for transporting millions of Africans into Europe and the New World creating the African Diaspora. The era of sailing and the cruise period have offered man the opportunity to navigate oceans and seas that were hitherto uncharted. It also ensured that trade relations between and among countries were solidified. Beginning in the XIV century when ships used rudders that ran on shallow waters, trade was organized on as small scale between countries. The fifteenth century became a significant date in the history of ship building as there was an improvement in sea faring and oceanic navigation. The double-ended ship gave way for full-rigged ships. An even greater milestone was achieved in the eighteenth century when the steam was invented. This period produced fast sailing ships which were less costly and it greatly influenced the triangular trade which had begun some two centuries earlier.

M. G. Llorente, E. Jones, A. Eriksson et al.

Baffour Badu-Apraku, Ana Luísa Garcia-Oliveira, César Daniel Petroli et al.

Abstract Background Assessment and effective utilization of genetic diversity in breeding programs is crucial for sustainable genetic improvement and rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives. During the past two decades, the commercialization of the early and extra-early maturing cultivars has contributed to rapid expansion of maize into different agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where maize has become an important component of the agricultural economy and played a vital role in food and nutritional security. The present study aimed at understanding the population structure and genetic variability among 439 early and extra-early maize inbred lines developed from three narrow-based and twenty-seven broad-based populations by the International Iinstitute of Tropical Agriculture Maize Improvement Program (IITA-MIP). These inbreds were genotyped using 9642 DArTseq-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed uniformly throughout the maize genome. Results About 40.8% SNP markers were found highly informative and exhibited polymorphic information content (PIC) greater than 0.25. The minor allele frequency and PIC ranged from 0.015 to 0.500 and 0.029 to 0.375, respectively. The STRUCTURE, neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) grouped the inbred lines into four major classes generally consistent with the selection history, ancestry and kernel colour of the inbreds but indicated a complex pattern of the genetic structure. The pattern of grouping of the lines based on the STRUCTURE analysis was in concordance with the results of the PCoA and suggested greater number of sub-populations (K = 10). Generally, the classification of the inbred lines into heterotic groups based on SNP markers was reasonably reliable and in agreement with defined heterotic groups of previously identified testers based on combining ability studies. Conclusions Complete understanding of potential heterotic groups would be difficult to portray by depending solely on molecular markers. Therefore, planned crosses involving representative testers from opposing heterotic groups would be required to refine the existing heterotic groups. It is anticipated that the present set of inbreds could contribute new beneficial alleles for population improvement, development of hybrids and lines with potential to strengthen future breeding programs. Results of this study would help breeders in formulating breeding strategies for genetic enhancement and sustainable maize production in SSA.

Dayanne da Silva Santos

“WHAT THE STATE NEEDS TO DO FOR US, QUILOMBOLAS, IN THIS PANDEMIA, IS TO STOP TRYING TO KILL US”: racism and highway / BR 135, Territory quilombola Santa Rosa dos Pretos (Itapecuru-Mirim/MA)   “LO QUE NECESITA HACER EL ESTADO POR NOSOTROS, QUILOMBOLAS, EN ESTA PANDEMIA, ES DEJAR DE TRATAR DE MATARNOS”: racismo y carretera / BR 135, Santa Rosa dos Pretos territorio quilombola (Itapecuru-Mirim/MA)    Resumo O contexto é o projeto de duplicação da rodovia/BR 135 em plena pandemia mundial sobre territórios quilombolas no estado do Maranhão desde 2017. “O que o estado precisa fazer por nós, quilombolas, nesta pandemia, é parar de tentar nos matar, como fazem agora com a possibilidade de retomada das obras de duplicação da BR 135”. Neste artigo, o foco são as narrativas, elas revelam como lideranças quilombolas estão lendo racismo, margens e produzindo resistências. Partimos da escuta etnográfica e de entrevistas não estruturadas de lideranças do território quilombola Santa Rosa dos Pretos, localizado no município de Itapecuru-Mirim/MA para mostrar que mesmo diante de um cenário de pandemia mundial provocada pela Covid 19, os projetos desenvolvimentistas seguem avançando. Assim, se morre pela não titulação, pelo Covid e pela rodovia.  A duplicação da rodovia 135 em plena pandemia mundial é a continuidade da colonialidade por outros meios. O covid 19 provoca a morte física, os empreendimentos a morte: física, psíquica e social. Palavras – chave: Violências, Desenvolvimento, Quilombos, Resistências.   Abstract The context is the project to duplicate the highway / BR 135 in the middle of a worldwide pandemic on quilombola territories in the state of Maranhão since 2017. “What the state needs to do for us, quilombolas, in this pandemic, is to stop trying to kill us, as they do now with the possibility of resuming the duplication works on BR 135 ”. In this article, the focus is on narratives, they reveal how quilombola leaders are reading racism, margins and producing resistance. We start from the ethnographic listening and unstructured interviews of leaders from the quilombola territory Santa Rosa dos Pretos, located in the municipality of Itapecuru-Mirim / MA to show that even in the face of a world pandemic scenario caused by Covid 19, development projects continue to advance. Thus, one dies for the lack of title, for Covid and for the highway. The duplication of Highway 135 in the midst of a global pandemic is the continuity of coloniality by other means. Covid 19 causes physical death, ventures to death: physical, psychic and social. Keywords: Violence, Development, Quilombos, Resistances.   Resumen El contexto es el proyecto de duplicar la carretera / BR 135 en medio de una pandemia mundial en territorios quilombolas en el estado de Maranhão desde 2017. “Lo que el estado necesita hacer por nosotros, quilombolas, en esta pandemia, es dejar de intentar para matarnos, como hacen ahora con la posibilidad de reanudar los trabajos de duplicación en la BR 135 ”. En este artículo, el enfoque está en las narrativas, revelan cómo los líderes quilombolas están leyendo el racismo, los márgenes y produciendo resistencia. Partimos de la escucha etnográfica y entrevistas no estructuradas de líderes del territorio quilombola Santa Rosa dos Pretos, ubicado en el municipio de Itapecuru-Mirim / MA para mostrar que aún ante un escenario de pandemia mundial provocado por Covid 19, los proyectos de desarrollo continúan. para avanzar. Así, se muere por la falta de título, por Covid y por la carretera. La duplicación de la carretera 135 en medio de una pandemia global es la continuidad de la colonialidad por otros medios. Covid 19 causa muerte física, aventura a la muerte: física, psíquica y social. Palabras clave: Violencia, Desarrollo, Quilombos, Resistencias.

Rachel S. Meyer, Jae Young Choi, M. Sanches et al.

S. Carpenter, P. Mellor, A. Fall et al.

Nico Nassenstein

The development of the Bantu languages Kinyarwanda and Kirundi is entangled within the colonial histories of Rwanda and Burundi, first under German and then Belgian rule. From the turn of the twentieth century on, missionaries compiled grammars and dictionaries of the two mutually intelligible languages, contributing to the development and instrumentalisation of two prestigious varieties out of a larger dialect continuum. In this contribution, I trace the missionary and colonial activities of corpus planning and textualisation and summarise how Kinyarwanda and Kirundi turned into official languages with distinct linguistic boundaries. The central research question is how speakers of Kinyarwanda and Kirundi thereafter came to be identified as “Rwandans” or as “Burundians,” with each language indexing a specific national categorisation. Tentatively, I contrast these developments with contemporary fluid practices in multilingual neighbourhoods.

Minas Ouchaklian

Abulgasim Ahbara, Abulgasim Ahbara, Hussain Bahbahani et al.

Variations in body weight and in the distribution of body fat are associated with feed availability, thermoregulation, and energy reserve. Ethiopia is characterized by distinct agro-ecological and human ethnic farmer diversity of ancient origin, which have impacted on the variation of its indigenous livestock. Here, we investigate autosomal genome-wide profiles of 11 Ethiopian indigenous sheep populations using the Illumina Ovine 50 K SNP BeadChip assay. Sheep from the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, China, and western, northern and southern Africa were included to address globally, the genetic variation and history of Ethiopian populations. Population relationship and structure analysis separated Ethiopian indigenous fat-tail sheep from their North African and Middle Eastern counterparts. It indicates two main genetic backgrounds and supports two distinct genetic histories for African fat-tail sheep. Within Ethiopian sheep, our results show that the short fat-tail sheep do not represent a monophyletic group. Four genetic backgrounds are present in Ethiopian indigenous sheep but at different proportions among the fat-rump and the long fat-tail sheep from western and southern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian fat-rump sheep share a genetic background with Sudanese thin-tail sheep. Genome-wide selection signature analysis identified eight putative candidate regions spanning genes influencing growth traits and fat deposition (NPR2, HINT2, SPAG8, INSR), development of limbs and skeleton, and tail formation (ALX4, HOXB13, BMP4), embryonic development of tendons, bones and cartilages (EYA2, SULF2), regulation of body temperature (TRPM8), body weight and height variation (DIS3L2), control of lipogenesis and intracellular transport of long-chain fatty acids (FABP3), the occurrence and morphology of horns (RXFP2), and response to heat stress (DNAJC18). Our findings suggest that Ethiopian fat-tail sheep represent a uniquely admixed but distinct genepool that presents an important resource for understanding the genetic control of skeletal growth, fat metabolism and associated physiological processes.

Priya Moorjani, N. Patterson, J. Hirschhorn et al.

Previous genetic studies have suggested a history of sub-Saharan African gene flow into some West Eurasian populations after the initial dispersal out of Africa that occurred at least 45,000 years ago. However, there has been no accurate characterization of the proportion of mixture, or of its date. We analyze genome-wide polymorphism data from about 40 West Eurasian groups to show that almost all Southern Europeans have inherited 1%–3% African ancestry with an average mixture date of around 55 generations ago, consistent with North African gene flow at the end of the Roman Empire and subsequent Arab migrations. Levantine groups harbor 4%–15% African ancestry with an average mixture date of about 32 generations ago, consistent with close political, economic, and cultural links with Egypt in the late middle ages. We also detect 3%–5% sub-Saharan African ancestry in all eight of the diverse Jewish populations that we analyzed. For the Jewish admixture, we obtain an average estimated date of about 72 generations. This may reflect descent of these groups from a common ancestral population that already had some African ancestry prior to the Jewish Diasporas.

Montserrat Emperador Badimon

A. Coombes