In the age of imperialism the British Empire imposed multiple projects of water management,like the Aswan Dam, on its colonies. These projects had to bring economic benefits to the colonies and coloniser while British politicians and engineers saw these projects also as an instrument to modernise and civilise the local people. This study explores the motivations behind the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt within the public discourse. Previous research has primarily relied on several political documents and technical reports about the Aswan Dam and has thus focused on the political and economic motivations behind the construction of the dam. Through economic and political perspectives these studies have characterised the dam as an economic project not only for the beneficence of Egypt, but also for the British Empire. This study, however, investigates newspaper articles from The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail between 1894−1902 from the planning to the completion of the dam. This is carried out through a discourse analysis to explore how the Aswan Dam was justified towards the public to add a new social-cultural perspective. Findings indicate that newspapers represented the dam within different social imaginaries as an achievement of British engineers, the British monarchy and the British Empire. The Aswan Dam was thus not only justified through economic purposes. The dam was rather represented in the newspapers as a way of bringing back the glory of Egypt and as “England’s greatest enterprise” that would make the British Empire surpass the great empires from the past.

Des modèles épidémiologiques capables de représenter des situations naturelles peuvent en principe permettre de caractériser et quantifier les risques d'épidémies ainsi que d'optimiser les moyens de les contrôler. On présente d'abord quelques modèles épidémiologiques d'usage courant et évalue leur capacité à représenter correctement une situation biologique. L'emphase est placée sur l'importance des délais ainsi que sur l'impact des conditions environnantes. On montre que des modèles basés sur l'équation de diffusion répondent particulièrement bien à ces critères et mènent à une formulation générale, directe et élégante. Sous certaines hypothèses, ces systèmes peuvent être partiellement solutionnés analytiquement, réduisant substantiellement les traitements numériques et permettant une meilleure compréhension de structures sous-jacentes. On compare ensuite certains de ces modèles dans le contexte particulier du virus du Nil Occidental et élabore une approche spécifique et réaliste afin de fournir des outils supplémentaires au processus décisionnel de prévention de cette maladie. / Epidemiological models capable of representing naturally occurring situations may in principle permit the characterization of the risks of epidemies as well as the optimization of means for controlling them. First, we present some typical epidemiological models currently in use and evaluate their ability to correctly describe a biological situation. Emphasis is placed on the possibility of the treatment of delays and on the inclusion of the effects of environmental conditions. We show that models based on a diffusion-type equation are particularly well suited to satisfy these conditions and lead to a general, direct and elegant formulation. Under not too restrictive hypotheses, the corresponding models can in part be treated analytically, reducing substantially the computational efforts, and allowing for a better understanding of the associated underlying structures. We then compare some of the models for the application to the West Nile virus and develop a specific and realistic approach to provide additional tools for the decision process in matters of prevention and propagation of the disease.

Piscine francisellosis in an infectious emerging bacterial disease that affects several marine and fresh water fish species worldwide, including farmed salmon, wild and farmed cod, farmed tilapia and several ornamental species, for which no commercial treatment or vaccine exists. During 2011 and the first semester of 2012, chronic episodes of moderate to high levels of mortality with nonspecific clinical signs, and widespread multifocal white nodules as the most consistent gross pathological lesion were experienced by farmed tilapia fingerlings at two different locations in Northern Europe. In this study such outbreaks of granulomatous disease were diagnosed as francisellosis with a genus-specific PCR, and 10 new isolates of the bacterium including the one named STIR-GUS-F2f7, were recovered on a new selective “cysteine blood-tilapia” agar and cysteine heart agar with bovine haemoglobin. Ultrastructural observations of the pathogen in Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) tissues suggested the secretion of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) by the bacterial cells during infection in these fish. This represented the first documented report of isolation of pathogenic Francisella strains from tilapia in Europe. The phenotypic characterisation indicated that isolates recovered were able to metabolise dextrin, N-acetyl-D glucosamine, D-fructose, α-D-glucose, D-mannose, methyl pyruvate, acetic acid, α-keto butyric acid, L-alaninamide, L-alanine, L-alanylglycine, L-asparagine, L-glutamic acid, L-proline, L-serine, L-threonine, inosine, uridine, glycerol, D L-α-glycerol phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate. The predominant structural fatty acids of the isolates were 24:1 (20.3%), 18:1n-9 (16.9%), 24:0 (13.1%) 14:0 (10.9%), 22:0 (7.8%), 16:0 (7.6%) and 18:0 (5.5%). Anti-microbial resistance analyses indicated that STIR-GUS-F2f7 was susceptible to neomycin, novobiocin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, imipenem, gatifloxacin, meropenem, tobramycin, nitrofurantoin, and levofloxacin using the quantitative broth micro-dilution method, while the qualitative disc diffusion method indicated susceptibility to enrofloxacin, kanamycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, florfenicol, oxolinic acid and streptomycin. The use of the following housekeeping genes: mdh, dnaA, mutS, 16SrRNA-ITS-23SrRNA, prfB putA rpoA, rpoB and tpiA indicated 100% similarity with other isolates belonging to the subspecies F. noatunensis orientalis (Fno). Koch’s postulates were successfully fulfilled by establishing an intraperitoneal injection (IP) challenge model with STIR-GUS-F2f7 in Nile tilapia. Moreover, the challenge model was used to investigate the susceptibility of 3 genetic groups of tilapia to STIR-GUS-F2f7. The lowest amount of bacteria required to cause mortality was 12 CFU/ml and this was seen as early as only 24 hours post infection in the red Nile tilapia and in the wild type after 26 days, no mortalities were seen in the species O. mossambicus with this dose. The mortality in red O. niloticus was significantly higher than that of the other two tilapia groups when 12 and 120 CFU/fish were injected. It was also observed that when a dose of 1200 CFU/ml was used, the mortality in O. niloticus wild type was significantly lower than that of the other two tilapia groups and no differences were seen among the 3 groups when the highest dose (1.2 x105 CFU/fish) was used. The median lethal dose (LD50) of O. niloticus wild type was the most stable during the experiment (values around 104 CFU/ml) and the highest of the three groups after day 25 post infection. At the end of the experiment (day 45) the LD50 was 30 CFU/ml in the red Nile tilapia, 2.3x104 CFU/ml for the wild type and 3.3x102 CFU/ml for O. mossambicus. This pattern, where the LD50 of the red tilapia was lower than that of the other two groups, was observed during the whole experiment. The outcomes of these experiments suggested that the red Nile tilapia family appeared to be the most susceptible while the wild type Nile tilapia family the most resistant. The complete genome of STIR-GUS-F2f7 was sequenced using next generation sequencing (NGS) Illumina Hi-Seq platform™, and the annotation of the assembled genome predicted 1970 protein coding sequences and 63 non-coding rRNA sequences distributed in 328 sub-systems. The taxonomy of the species Francisella noatunensis was revised using genomic-derived parameters form STIR-GUS-F2f7 and other strains in combination with a polyphasic approach that included ecologic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses. The results indicated that STIR-GUS-F2f7 and all the other strains from warm water fish represent a new bacterial species for which the name Francisella orientalis was assigned. Moreover the description of F. noatunensis was emended and the creation of a new subspecies within this taxon i.e. Francisella noatunensis subsp. chilense was proposed. The results of this study led to the development of a highly efficacious vaccine to protect tilapia against francisellosis.

Cette thèse vise à restituer l'histoire de la mousson africaine au cours du Quaternaire, et à en déterminer ses influences sur les variations des apports sédimentaires du Nil et des déserts d’Afrique du nord. Deux sites de la Méditerranée orientale ont alors été étudiés (la carotte MD90-964 dans la partie orientale du bassin Levantin et le Site ODP 964 dans la Mer ionienne). Sur la base des analyses de la minéralogie des argiles, de la granulomètrie, de la teneur en carbonate et Corg couplées à des analyses semi-quantitatives d’éléments majeurs et traces à très haute résolution temporelle par XRF Core Scanner, nous avons restitué l’histoire des apports sédimentaires du Nil, des changements de précipitation en l’Afrique du Nord, et des variations des paleo-crues du Nil au cours des 1,75 derniers millions d'années. Le premier enregistrement de Delta(18)O du foraminifère planctonique G. ruber (carotte MD90-964) de l’ensemble du Quaternaire a été obtenu à très haute résolution temporelle pour la Méditerranée orientale. Le site ODP 964 a permis de restituer la dynamique des apports de poussière saharienne à la mer ionienne durant les 1,5 derniers millions d'années. Les résultats indiquent que les changements dans les apports de sédiments transportés par le Nil et par les vents depuis les domaines sahariens sont fortement influencés par les variations de la mousson africaine. Les alternances glaciaires/interglaciaires et les variations climatiques de la transition climatique mi-Pléistocène (MPT), dans une moindre mesure, influencent également / This thesis is devoted to reconstruct the Quaternary history of African monsoon and its influences on suspended loads of the Nile River and dust production in Sahara. The materials used in this study come from two sites (MD90-964 in the eastern Levantine Basin and ODP Site 964 in the Ionian Sea) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Based on clay mineralogy, grain sizes, carbonate and Corg contents, and XRF core scanning analyses of Core MD90-964, we have reconstructed history of the Nile suspended discharges, precipitation in North Africa, and Nile paleoflood events during the last 1.75 Ma. On the basis of the planktonic foraminiferal Delta(18)O record of Core MD90-964, we have established for the first time in the eastern Mediterranean Sea a high-resolution planktonic foraminiferal (G. ruber) Delta(18)O record that penetrates the Quaternary period. The ODP Site 964 allows us to establish the variations of Saharan dust inputs to the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the last 1.5 Ma. Our results indicate that both fluvial sediments from the Nile and Saharan eolian dust inputs to the eastern Mediterranean Sea are greatly influenced by the variability of African monsoon. The glacial/interglacial cycles and other orbital-scale climatic events, such as the “Mid-Pleistocene Transition”, can also affect climate changes in North Africa to a minor extent.

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is one of the most important farmed fish globally. One of the most serious bacterial diseases constraining global tilapia production is Francisellosis caused by Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno). Although outbreaks of Fno are increasing worldwide, there are no licenced commercial vaccines to prevent the disease for use on tilapia farms. Thus, the current treatment of choice is the use of antibiotics combined with increasing water temperature up to 30°C. Studies investigating the diversity of circulating Fno isolates and the immune response of tilapia elicited by vaccination against piscine francisellosis are lacking. In addition, the current conventional and molecular tools used for detection of Fno have many drawbacks, making detection of Fno a challenging process. In this study, five clinical isolates of Fno from diverse geographical locations (UK, Costa Rica, Mexico, Japan and Austria), previously characterised by morphology, genotype, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence, were used in a proteomic study. The whole proteomic cell profile of the five isolates were homogenous by one-dimension sodium dodecyl polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-SDS-PAGE), while minor differences in the intensity of 15 proteins between the strains were observed by two-dimension SDS-PAGE (2DE), including some important virulence related proteins. The UK isolate was the most significantly different isolate when compared to the other Fno isolates in the current study. The Fno UK isolate had significantly higher abundance of 10/15 of the significantly expressed proteins including four of the essential pathogenicity and virulence related proteins (IglC, GroEL, DnaK, ClpB) compared to the other used Fno isolates. The antigenic profiles of the five Fno isolates were studied by 1D western blotting using tilapia hyper immune sera which recognised an immunodominant band of a molecular weight of ~ 17-28 kDa in all tested Fno isolates. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI/MS/MS) identified 47 proteins in this antigenic band. Some of the identified proteins are associated with Fno pathogenicity. 2D western blot analysis of the vaccine isolate (Fno UK) revealed differential antigen recognition between sera from vaccinated and non-vaccinated fish following experimental challenge (26 antigenic spots recognised by sera from vaccinated fish; 31 antigenic spots recognised by sera from vaccinated and challenged fish and 30 antigenic spots recognised by non-vaccinated and challenged fish). The identity of these proteins was determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and some of them are known Francisella virulence related proteins. Bioinformatics analyses revealed diverse categories of proteins with high biological functions, however the vast majority of these proteins are involved in energy production and metabolic pathways of the bacteria. This detailed analysis will facilitate the development of cross-strain protective subunit Fno vaccines and antigen-targeted Fno diagnostics. The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of the same five Fno isolates were extracted using the ionic detergent sarkosyl. The OMP fraction of the different isolates were separated via 1D-SDS PAGE and the digested peptides of the UK isolate were analysed by LC/ESI/MS/MS. High degree of similarity was observed in the OMP profile of the five Fno isolates with an abundant protein band at 17-28 kDa, which was found to be antigenic by 1D western blot using convalescent tilapia sera. LC/ESI/MS/MS analysis of the OMPs of the Fno UK isolate identified 239 proteins, including 44 proteins in the antigenic band (17-28 kDa). Comparison between the proteins identified in the immunogenic band of whole cell lysate and OMP fraction of the Fno UK isolate showed 30 common proteins between the two preparations, 17 proteins were identified only in the whole cell extract and 14 were identified only in OMP fraction. Outer membrane proteins (e.g. Omp-A), virulence related proteins such (e.g. IglC) and other stress related proteins (e.g. AhpC/TSA family peroxiredoxin) were more abundant in the OMP fraction than the whole cell lysate. In silico analysis enabled prediction of the function and location of the OMPs identified by Mass-spectrometry. The findings of this study provide preliminary data on bacterial surface proteins that exist in direct contact with the host immune defence during infection and offering an insight into their potential role as novel targets for Fno diagnostics and vaccine development. The efficacy of an injectable whole cell oil-adjuvanted vaccine was evaluated against challenge with heterologous Fno isolates in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Three duplicate groups of 130 healthy Nile tilapia (~15 g) were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with the vaccine, adjuvant-alone or PBS followed by an i.p. challenge with three Fno isolates from geographically distinct locations. The vaccine provided significant protection to all immunised tilapia groups with a significantly higher relative percent survival (RPS) of 82.3% against homologous challenge, compared to 69.8% and 65.9% after heterologous challenge. Protection correlated with significantly elevated specific antibody responses and western blot analysis demonstrated cross-isolate antigenicity with sera from fish post-vaccination and post-challenge. Moreover, a significantly lower bacterial burden was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in conjunction with significantly greater expression of IgM, IL-1β, TNF-a and MHCII 72 hours post-vaccination (hpv) in spleen samples from vaccinated tilapia compared to those of adjuvant-alone and control fish. The latter results suggested stimulation of protective immune responses following vaccination. In addition, a whole cell formalin killed autogenous immersion vaccine against Fno was developed using the same isolate used for the injectable vaccine. Duplicate tanks of 35 tilapia fry were immersed in the vaccine or in sterile Modified Muller Hinton broth (MMHB) diluted in tank water (1:10 dilution) for 30 s and at 30 days post-vaccination (dpv), all fish groups were immersion challenged with the homologous Fno isolate and monitored for 21 days. A moderate RPS of 43.7% was provided by the vaccine. Serum IgM levels were below the threshold in 30 % of the vaccinated fry 30 dpv. Also, the IgM levels of the vaccinated fry were not significantly different from control fry 21 days-post challenge. A recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay was developed and validated for rapid detection of Fno. The RPA reaction was performed at a constant temperature of 42°C for 20 min. The RPA assay was performed using a quantitative plasmid standard containing a unique Fno gene sequence. Validation of the assay was performed not only by using DNA from Fno, closely related Francisella species and other common bacterial pathogens in fish farms, but also by screening 78 Nile tilapia and 5 water samples collected from UK and Thailand. All results were compared with those obtained by previously established real-time qPCR. The developed RPA showed high specificity in detection of Fno with no cross-detection of either the closely related Francisella spp. or the other species of bacteria tested. The Fno-RPA performance was highly comparable to the published qPCR with detection limits at 15 and 11 DNA molecules detected, respectively. The Fno-RPA was rapid, giving results in approximately 6 min in contrast to the qPCR that required approximately 90 min to reach the same detection limits. Moreover, the RPA was more tolerant to reaction inhibitors than qPCR when tested with field samples. The fast reaction, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, sensitivity and specificity make the RPA an attractive diagnostic tool that will contribute to control the infection through prompt on-site detection of Fno. The overall results of this study indicated that Fno isolates from different origins share a high degree of homology in their proteomic and antigenic profile. Proteomic characterisation data of Fno isolates has contributed to understanding the diversity of Fno isolates and assisted in identifying suitable candidates for developing an effective Fno vaccine. / Moreover, this study has proven the efficacy of a cross protective Fno injection vaccine in tilapia fingerlings, with further optimisation needed for immersion vaccination of fry, and given insights into the immune response of tilapia to vaccination against francisellosis. In addition, it provided a rapid, sensitive, specific and robust molecular tool for detection of Fno that can assist surveillance and control of piscine francisellosis on tilapia farms.

One of the major problems facing aquaculture in Ghana is the non-availability of quality and affordable fish feeds. The present study investigated the nutritional suitability and cost-effectiveness of some Ghanaian oilseed by-products, soybean meal (Glycine spp), cottonseed meal (Gossypium spp), groundnut cake (Arachis hypogaea L.) and groundnut husk, as alternative protein sources to fishmeal (FM) in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.). The oilseed meals were used individually, as mixtures, as mixtures enriched with methionine and mixtures detoxified by heat processing (autoclaving) and/or addition of supplements (viz. phytase and ferrous sulphate) intended to reduce levels of the most important antinutritional factors (ANFs). Diets, containing the oilseed meals at inclusion levels from 25% to 75% dietary protein, were formulated to be isonitrogenous (320 g.kg-1), isolipidic (100 g.kg-1) and isoenergetic (18 KJ.g-1) and fed to juvenile Nile tilapia at 4-10% of their body weight for a period of eight weeks. Proximate analysis showed that soybean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM), groundnut cake (GNC) and groundnut husk (GNH) had 500.3, 441.4, 430.5 and 205.6 g.kg-1 crude protein, 38.2, 89.5, 12.8 and 89.2 g.kg-1 crude fibre and 20.19, 19.61, 23.17 and 22.18 kJ.g-1 gross energy respectively. Generally the oilseed meals had good essential amino acid (EAA) profiles with the exception of GNH. The EAA profile of SBM compared very well with FM but methionine and threonine were low (0.73 and 1.50 % of protein respectively) and the same was true for CSM and GNC with even lower levels. Analyzed ANFs in SBM, CSM, GNC and GNH were 17.54, 31.64, 14.86 and 3.99 g.kg-1 phytic acid, 14.09, 1.24 and 2.34 g.kg-1 trypsin inhibitors and 5.80, 6.50, 8.01 and 10.08 g.kg-1 saponin respectively and in CSM 5.6 g.kg-1 gossypol. Nutrient digestibility of these oilseed proteins suggested that Nile tilapia may be able to utilize SBM, CSM and GNC efficiently as dietary protein sources due to high apparent protein digestibility of 94.50%, 84.93% and 90.01% respectively. However, GNH may not be suitable because of very low apparent protein digestibility (27.67%). These protein sources when used individually were shown to cause depressed growth and feed efficiency when substituting more than 50% of the FM protein in diets. This may be attributed to high levels of ANFs, high fibre content and poor EAA profile. However, the use of mixtures of these meals was found to be marginally more effective than that of single sources. This may have been as a result of lower levels of ANFs and improvement in essential amino acid profile due to mixing. Supplementing the mixtures with methionine led to improvement in feed utilization but without significantly improving the nutritive value compared with FM. Heat processing was effective in reducing heat labile trypsin inhibitors in SBM, CSM and GNC by almost 80%, but not phytic acid and saponins, which remained virtually unaffected. Use of meals detoxified by heat processing with/without supplements at 50% inclusion improved growth and feed utilization compared to the unprocessed meals and performance was generally not significantly different from FM. Cost effectiveness analysis revealed that diets containing single feedstuffs or mixtures, particularly those containing equal proportions of oilseed meals and higher proportion of CSM replacing between 50% - 75% FM protein, were more profitable than FM diet. Similarly, the use of heat processed meals at 50% replacement of FM protein yielded greater profit than all other diets including the FM diet. However, essential amino acid supplementation of the meals was less profitable compared to the control. Generally, fish fed diets with oilseed meals would take longer to attain harvest size compared with FM and this could lead to an increase in production costs or a decrease in the number of production cycles which could be achieved within a year. It can be concluded that there is nutritional and economic justification for using SBM, CSM and GNC as partial replacement for FM in diets of Nile tilapia. Based on growth performance, nutrient utilization and economic benefits the diet with heat processed oilseed meal mixtures (containing equal proportions of 16.67% each) at 50% inclusion has the best prospects for replacing FM protein in diets of O. niloticus.

Les maladies émergentes à transmission vectorielle sont une préoccupation croissante et particulièrement lorsqu’elles affectent les chevaux, une population spécifiquement à risque vis-à-vis de la propagation de maladies. En effet, les chevaux voyagent fréquemment et, malgré l’impact sanitaire et économique des maladies équines, les règlementations sanitaires et les principes de biosécurité et de traçabilité censés assurer la sécurité des mouvements d'équidés ne sont pas toujours en place. Notre travail propose d'améliorer la surveillance des maladies à transmission vectorielle chez les chevaux en utilisant différentes méthodes pour estimer la probabilité d'émergence d'une maladie. Tout d'abord, nous avons développé un modèle quantitatif et spatio-temporel combinant différentes probabilités pour estimer les risques d'introduction de la peste équine et de l’encéphalose équine. Ces combinaisons permettent d’obtenir une image plus détaillée du risque posé par ces agents pathogènes. Nous avons ensuite évalué des systèmes de surveillance syndromique par deux approches méthodologiques: l'approche classique avec un seuil d'alarme basé sur un multiple de l'erreur standard de prédiction, et l'approche bayésienne basée sur le rapport de vraisemblance. Nous avons travaillé ici principalement sur la détection précoce du virus West Nile en utilisant les symptômes nerveux des chevaux. Les deux approches ont fourni des résultats prometteurs, mais l’approche bayésienne était particulièrement intéressante pour obtenir un résultat quantitatif et pour combiner différentes informations épidémiologiques. Pour finir, l'approche bayésienne a été utilisée pour combiner quantitativement différentes sources d'estimation du risque : surveillance syndromique multivariée, et combinaison de la surveillance syndromique avec les résultats d’analyses de risques. Ces combinaisons ont données des résultats prometteurs. Ce travail, basé sur des estimations de risque, contribue à améliorer la surveillance des maladies à transmission vectorielle chez les chevaux et facilite la prise de décision. Les principales perspectives de ce travail sont d'améliorer la collecte et le partage de données, de mettre en oeuvre une évaluation complète des performances des systèmes de surveillance multivariés, et de favoriser l'adoption de ce genre d’approche par les décideurs en utilisant une interface conviviale et en mettant en place un transfert de connaissance. / Emerging vector-borne diseases are a growing concern, especially for horse populations, which are at particular risk for disease spread. In general, horses travel widely and frequently and, despite the health and economic impacts of equine diseases, effective health regulations and biosecurity systems to ensure safe equine movements are not always in place. The present work proposes to improve the surveillance of vector-borne diseases in horses through the use of different approaches that assess the probability of occurrence of a newly introduced epidemic. First, we developed a spatiotemporal quantitative model which combined various probabilities in order to estimate the risk of introduction of African horse sickness and equine encephalosis. Such combinations of risk provided more a detailed picture of the true risk posed by these pathogens. Second, we assessed syndromic surveillance systems using two approaches: a classical approach with the alarm threshold based on the standard error of prediction, and a Bayesian approach based on a likelihood ratio. We focused particularly on the early detection of West Nile virus using reports of nervous symptoms in horses. Both approaches provided interesting results but Bayes’ rule was especially useful as it provided a quantitative output and was able to combine different epidemiological information. Finally, a Bayesian approach was also used to quantitatively combine various sources of risk estimation in a multivariate syndromic surveillance system, as well as a combination of quantitative risk assessment with syndromic surveillance (applied to West Nile virus and equine encephalosis, respectively). Combining evidence provided promising results. This work, based on risk estimations, strengthens the surveillance of VBDs in horses and can support public health decision making. It also, however, highlights the need to improve data collection and data sharing, to implement full performance assessments of complex surveillance systems, and to use effective communication and training to promote the adoption of these approaches.

Frequent climatic shocks have presented challenges for rainfed agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate water management practices are among the solutions to the challenges. The role of water harvesting in achieving sustainable agricultural intensification and specified resilience was explored. Suitable areas for water harvesting in the Upper Blue Nile basin were identified. The usefulness of the Curve Number method for surface runoff estimation was evaluated, and was found to perform satisfactorily. The impact of climate change in the Lake Tana sub-basin was studied. A decision support system was developed for locating and sizing of water harvesting ponds in the SWAT model. Methodological developments enabled analysis of the implications of water harvesting intensification in a meso-scale watershed in the Lake Tana sub-basin. Results suggest that water harvesting can increase agricultural productivity, sustain ecosystems and build specified resilience, and thereby contribute to sustainable agricultural intensification. There is considerable potential for water harvesting in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. Rainfall may increase in the Lake Tana sub-basin due to climate change. Supplementary irrigation from water harvesting ponds and better nutrient application increased staple crop production by up to three-fold. Moreover, a substantial amount of cash crop was produced using dry seasonal irrigation. Water harvesting altered the streamflow regime, and reduced sediment loss from the watershed.       Water harvesting can play an important role in food security. It showed potential to buffer climatic variability. In the watershed studied, water harvesting will not compromise the environmental water requirements. Instead, increased low flows, and reduced flooding and sediment loss may benefit the social-ecological systems. The adverse effects of disturbance of the natural flow variability and sediment influx to certain riverine ecosystems warrant detailed investigation. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 5: Epub ahead of print. Paper 6: Manuscript.</p> / Water resources management and social-ecological resilience

Keimzellen entwickeln sich aus den sogenannten Urkeimzellen, die auch als primordiale Keimzellen (PGC) bezeichnet werden. PGC entwickeln sich während der Embryonalentwicklung und wandern dann in die Gonadenanlagen, wo sie sich vermehren und bei getrenntgeschlechtlichen Arten in Spermien in Männchen und Oozyten bei Weibchen differenzieren. Während der Geschlechtsdifferenzierung sind die Gonaden anfällig für den Einfluss externer Faktoren, wie z. B. der Wassertemperatur. Eine Erhöhung der Wassertemperatur von 28°C auf 36°C während der kritischen Phase der Geschlechtsdifferenzierung, vom 10. bis zum 20. Tag nach der Befruchtung kann zu einer Vermännlichung genetisch-weiblicher Tilapien führen. In der ersten Studie führte eine entsprechende Temperaturbehandlung bei genetisch weiblichen Tilapien zu einem Anteil funktioneller Männchen von 37%. Makromorphologisch konnten die Gonaden 90 Tage alter Weibchen aus Kontroll- und Behandlungsgruppen als unreife Ovarien klassifiziert werden. Erste Reifungsprozesse bis hin zur Oogenese begannen 120 Tage nach der Befruchtung. Die Oogenese konnte mikro-morphologisch weiterhin in folgende Stadien eingeteilt werden: Chromatin Nukleolus, Peri-Nukleolus, kortikale Alveolus, Vitellogenese und reife Eizelle. Oozyten in den Phasen des Chromatin Nukleolus und des Peri-Nukleolus, welche auch die primäre Wachstumsphase darstellen, wurden bei weiblichen Fischen aller Altersgruppen festgestellt. Während weiter fortgeschrittenen Oozytenstadien erst ab einem Alter von 120 Tagen festgestellt werden konnten. Oozyten in der Phase des kortikalen Alveolus wurden demnach frühestens am 120. Lebenstag gefunden. In der Vitellogenese befindliche Oozyten traten erst nach 150 Tagen auf. Reife Eizellen wurden ab einem Alter von 180 dpf festgestellt. Es konnten keine signifikanten Unterschiede in der Eizellentwicklungsstadien zwischen Kontroll- und Behandlungstieren festgestellt werden. Das Ziel der zweiten Studie war die Identifikation von Keimbahn-Stammzellen bei Tilapien, die während der Geschlechtsdifferenzierung verschiedenen Aufzuchttemperaturen ausgesetzt waren. Die Identifizierung der Keimbahn-Stammzellen erfolgte anhand von Immunohistochemie mittels Vasa und PCNA (Proliferierendes Cell Nuclear Antigen) Antikörperfärbung. Es wurden zunächst histologische Schnitte von in Paraffin eingebettetem Ovargewebe hergestellt. Keimbahn-Stammzellen wurden im Keimepithel der Ovarien identifiziert, wobei diese in einzelner, isolierter oder in Clusterform vorlagen. Keimbahn-Stammzellen wurden sowohl bei weiblichen Tieren aus Kontroll- als auch Behandlungsgruppen identifiziert. Zusammenfassend, konnten erstmalig Keimbahn-Stammzellen und ihre Lage in den Gonaden genetisch weiblicher Tilapien, aus Kontroll- und Behandlungsgruppen, mittels Vasa und PCNA Antikörperfärbung charakterisiert werden.

The countries of the Nile Basin are on a collision course that could result in disastrous military action to determine control of the region’s main water source. In the wake of the Arab Spring, the Egyptian government has lost much of the regional clout that allowed it to maintain it’s ‘lion’s share’ of the Nile as outlined by the 1959 agreement. Population and economic growth in upstream countries, specifically Ethiopia, have resulted in intensified calls for a more equitable water-sharing agreement. Just weeks after Mubarak stepped down, Ethiopia unveiled plans to build the Grand Renaissance Dam. The GRD will significantly reduce the water that reaches Egypt’s borders but will significantly increase Ethiopia’s hydroelectric power and irrigation potential. Egypt’s population and agriculture sector rely heavily on the maintenance of this status quo; the country also faces the mounting effects of climate change, rising food prices and immense population growth. In order to avoid a severe water crisis, Egypt must be proactive and look to improve efficiency within its own borders. This paper will examine the inadequacies of Egypt’s agricultural and irrigation sectors. It will then use examples from Mexico’s successful irrigation reform and advocate a shift of control to local Water User Associations. Other domestic and basin-wide efforts to increase water-use efficiency will also be examined.