Amadou Diallo

Project management in the international development industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the empirical relationship between project management (PM) efforts (the extent to which national project coordinators (NPCs) – the project managers in the aid industry sector – make use of available PM tools), project success, and success criteria.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by way of questionnaires delivered by mail to 600 recipients in 26 different countries in Africa.Findings – The research results suggest that project success is insensitive to the level of project planning efforts but a significant correlation does exist between the use of monitoring and evaluation tools and project “profile,” a success criterion which is an early pointer of project long‐term impact.Research limitations/implications – This paper contributes to PM research by exploring the relationship between the use of PM tools and project success in the non‐traditional PM – although project oriented – aid industry sector. The paper highlights self‐perceptions of...

Identification of genes and pathways associated with aluminum stress and tolerance using transcriptome profiling of wheat near-isogenic lines

BackgroundAluminum is considered the most limiting factor for plant productivity in acidic soils, which cover large areas of the worlds potential arable lands. The inhibition of root growth is recognized as the primary effect of Al toxicity. To identify genes associated with Al stress and tolerance, transcriptome analyses of four different wheat lines (2 Al-tolerant and 2 Al sensitive) that differ in their response to Al were performed.ResultsMicroarray expression profiling revealed that 83 candidate genes are associated with Al stress and 25 are associated with tolerance. The stress-associated genes include important enzymes such as pyruvate dehydrogenase, alternative oxidase, and galactonolactone oxidase, ABC transporter and ascorbate oxido-reducatase. The Al tolerance-associated genes include the ALMT-1 malate transporter, glutathione S-transferase, germin/oxalate oxidase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, cysteine-rich proteins, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, cellulose synthase, zinc finger transcription factor, disease resistance response protein and F-box containing domain protein.ConclusionIn this survey, we identified stress- and tolerance-associated genes that may be involved in the detoxification of Al and reactive oxygen species. Alternative pathways could help maintain the supply of important metabolites (H2O2, ascorbate, NADH, and phosphate) needed for Al tolerance and root growth. The Al tolerance-associated genes may be key factors that regulate these pathways.

Expression of vernalization responsive genes in wheat is associated with histone H3 trimethylation

The transition to flowering in winter wheat requires prolonged exposure to low temperature, a process called vernalization. This process is regulated by a genetic pathway that involves at least three genes, Triticum aestivumVERNALIZATION 1 (TaVRN1), Triticum aestivumVERNALIZATION 2 (TaVRN2) and Triticum aestivumFLOWERING LOCUS T-like 1 (TaFT1). These genes regulate flowering by integrating environmental and developmental cues. To determine whether the expression of these genes is associated with the chromatin methylation state during vernalization in wheat, the level of two markers of histone modifications, the activator histone H3 trimethylation of lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and the repressor histone H3 trimethylation of lysine 27 (H3K27me3) were measured at the promoter regions of these three genes. Bioinformatics analysis of these promoters demonstrates the presence of conserved cis-acting elements in the promoters of the three vernalization genes, TaVRN1, TaVRN2 and TaFT1. These elements are targeted by common transcription factors in the vernalization responsive cereals. These promoters also contain the functional “units” PRE/TRE targeted by Polycomb and Trithorax proteins that maintain repressed or active transcription states of developmentally regulated genes. These proteins are known to be associated with the regulation of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3. Expression studies indicate that TaVRN1 and TaFT1 are up-regulated by vernalization in winter wheat. This up-regulation is associated with increased level of the activator H3K4me3 with no change in the level of the repressor H3K27me3 at the promoter region. This study shows that the flowering transition induced by vernalization in winter wheat is associated with histone methylation at the promoter level of TaVRN1 and TaFT1 while the role of these markers is less evident in TaVRN2 repression. This may represent part of the cellular memory of vernalization in wheat.

Transcriptome analysis of an mvp mutant reveals important changes in global gene expression and a role for methyl jasmonate in vernalization and flowering in wheat.

Summary Molecular and physiological analyses of a wheat mvp mutant, and winter and spring wheats suggest that methyl jasmonate is involved in modulating vernalization and floral transition in wheat.

Heterologous Expression of Wheat VERNALIZATION 2 (TaVRN2) Gene in Arabidopsis Delays Flowering and Enhances Freezing Tolerance

The vernalization gene 2 (VRN2), is a major flowering repressor in temperate cereals that is regulated by low temperature and photoperiod. Here we show that the gene from Triticum aestivum (TaVRN2) is also regulated by salt, heat shock, dehydration, wounding and abscissic acid. Promoter analysis indicates that TaVRN2 regulatory region possesses all the specific responsive elements to these stresses. This suggests pleiotropic effects of TaVRN2 in wheat development and adaptability to the environment. To test if TaVRN2 can act as a flowering repressor in species different from the temperate cereals, the gene was ectopically expressed in the model plant Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants showed no alteration in morphology, but their flowering time was significantly delayed compared to controls plants, indicating that TaVRN2, although having no ortholog in Brassicaceae, can act as a flowering repressor in these species. To identify the possible mechanism by which TaVRN2 gene delays flowering in Arabidopsis, the expression level of several genes involved in flowering time regulation was determined. The analysis indicates that the late flowering of the 35S::TaVRN2 plants was associated with a complex pattern of expression of the major flowering control genes, FCA, FLC, FT, FVE and SOC1. This suggests that heterologous expression of TaVRN2 in Arabidopsis can delay flowering by modulating several floral inductive pathways. Furthermore, transgenic plants showed higher freezing tolerance, likely due to the accumulation of CBF2, CBF3 and the COR genes. Overall, our data suggests that TaVRN2 gene could modulate a common regulator of the two interacting pathways that regulate flowering time and the induction of cold tolerance. The results also demonstrate that TaVRN2 could be used to manipulate flowering time and improve cold tolerance in other species.

Explaining the Factors Influencing Cellular Phones Use in Guinea

Technical and financial factors and the deregulation of the telecommunication field are often used to explain both the use of the cellular phones and the satisfaction of end‐users in developing countries. Little attention, however, has been paid to factors such as perceptions, motivations, and social variables which directly influence the decision of an individual to adopt and use a cellular phone. This study aims at better understanding the effect of these factors on the utilization of cellular phones. A questionnaire survey was conducted among cellular phones users in Guinea. Results obtained from a sample of 463 respondents show that familiarity, social influence, and the needs for mobility required by the task are key determinants of cellular phones’ use.

The empirical relationship between success factors and dimensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a PhD thesis that examined the empirical relationship between a specific set of critical success factors (CSFs), project success, and success dimensions (criteria) from the perspectives of World Bank project supervisors (task managers or task team leaders) and project managers (the national project coordinators). Also, the PhD thesis authors journey and motivation are explained.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by web questionnaires addressed to 1,421 World Bank task team leaders and paper‐based questionnaires delivered to 600 national project coordinators in 26 different countries in Africa. Principal component and confirmatory factor analyses, multiple correlation and regression analyses, as well as structural equation models were used for data analysis in this study.Findings – First, research findings highlight a specific set of World Bank project CSFs (monitoring, coordination, design, training) and the existence of a second‐order la...

Coûts et niveaux de consommation différenciés de l'eau des ménages dans les villes africaines: Le cas de Conakry

Abstract Differentiated Domestic Water Rates and Consumption in African Cities: The Case of Conakry. During the 1980s, several African states privatized the management of the potable water supply in cities, a reform aimed at increasing access to water by extending the water network and at making the service profitable by introducing the user-pay principle. Results of a survey conducted in Conakry, Guinea, highlight three main findings: a diversification of the modes of water supply despite an extension of the network; a differentiation of the monetary and non monetary costs of access to water based on household income, mode of provisioning and location; and a variation in levels of water consumption based on these same factors.