Assessment of feed resources, feeding practices and coping strategies to feed scarcity by smallholder urban dairy producers in Jimma town, Ethiopia

Smallholder dairy production is increasingly becoming popular in Jimma town. However, feed shortage is a major constraint to dairy production. The objectives of this study was to assess feed resources, feeding practices and farmers' perceived causes of feed shortage and coping strategies to feed scarcity in smallholder dairy producers in Jimma town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 54 randomly selected dairy farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and through direct observations. Twenty major feed types used by dairy farmers were identified and categorized into five classes: natural pasture grazing, green feeds, hay, concentrate (commercial mix and agro-industrial by-products) and non-conventional feed resources. Green feeds-fresh or succulent grasses and legumes (mean rank = 0.361), concentrate (0.256), hay (0.198), non-conventional feeds (0.115) and natural pasture grazing (0.070) were ranked as the main feed resources in that order of importance. Green feed (94.4 % of the respondents) was found to be the main basal diet of dairy cattle. Overall, wheat bran (85.2 % of the respondents), commercial concentrate (55.6 %), noug (Guizotia abyssinica) cake (20.4 %), cotton seed cake (7.4 %) and molasses (7.4 %) were the main concentrate supplements used (P > 0.05). Local brew waste (attela) (77.8 % of the respondents), bean and pea hulls (42.6 %) enset (Ensete ventricosum) leaf and pseudo-stem (37 %), sugarcane tops (33.3 %), banana leaf and stem/stover (16.7 %) and papaya stem (16.7 %) were the dominant non-conventional feed resources in the surveyed area (P > 0.05). About 79.6, 7.4, 1.9 and 11.1 % of the farmers used zero-, semi-zero-, and the combination of zero-and semi-zero-and free-grazing systems, respectively. Most farmers (90.7 %) offered concentrate supplements to milking cows. However, supplementation did not consider milk yield, physiological status and condition of cows. All the farmers (100 %) offered common salt to their cattle as mineral supplement. The majority (98.1 %) of the farmers experience feed shortage in the dry season. Land scarcity (55.6 % of the respondents) was reported as the most important cause of feed scarcity followed by a combination of land scarcity and poor feed availability (42.2 %). Increasing use of agro-industrial by-products and commercial concentrate mix (87 % of the respondents), increasing use of hay (74.1 %), increasing use of non-conventional feeds (50 %), purchasing green feeds (19.8 %) and reducing herd size (2.7 %) were the strategies adopted for coping with feed scarcity. From results of this study, it could be concluded that to ensure sustainable availability of dairy cattle feed in the surveyed area, technological, technical and institutional innovations would be vital

The structure of thin accretion discs around magnetised stars

Aims: We determine the steady-state of an axisymmetric thin accretion disc with an internal dynamo around a magnetised star. Methods: Starting from the vertically integrated equations of magnetohydrodynamics we derive a single ordinary differential equation for a thin accretion disc around a massive magnetic dipole and integrate this equation numerically from the outside inwards. Results: Our numerical solution shows that the torque between the star and the accretion disc is dominated by the contribution from the dynamo in the disc. The location of the inner edge of the accretion disc varies between $R_{\rm A}$ and $10R_{\rm A}$ depending mainly on the strength and direction of the magnetic field generated by the dynamo in the discComment: 9 pages, 10 figures. The paper is accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The Procedure for the Creation of New Regional States under the FDRE Constitution: Some Overlooked Issues

The Ethiopian Federation which was created by the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution had nine member states and one city administration. Apart from the creation of Dire Dawa as a city administration, no new state has been introduced in the Ethiopian federation since the adoption of the Constitution. However, several ethnic-based Zonal administrations in the country’s Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) region are now demanding to form their own regional states. Apparently, the demands are justified under Article 47(2) of the 1995 Ethiopian constitution which follows a purely ethnic-centered approach by giving “each nation, nationality and people” living in the nine States of the federation “the right to establish their own States at any time.” However, since this right has so far never been exercised in practice, the new demands are creating anxiety in some quarters and drawing a growing attention to the constitutional procedure for the creation of new states. This article aims to critically examine the relevant constitutional provisions dealing with the issue of creation of new states. Drawing insights from some other federations, we argue that the ethnic-centered approach taken under the FDRE Constitution for the creation of new states overlooks several important issues such as economic viability, administrative efficiency, equity, sustainable peace, and resilience of the federal system.Key terms: Creation of new states · Ethnic federalism · Self-determination · Nation, Nationality or People (NNP

Trade Liberalization and Poverty: A Macro-Micro Analysis in Ethiopia

Using a CGE model, this study analyses the impact of trade liberalization on poverty at the household level taking Ethiopia as a case. Two scenarios (complete tariff cut and uniform tariff scheme) suggest that further liberalization of trade has little short-run effect on the overall economy. However, the agriculture-based manufacturing sector (in particular, textile and leather) is likely to be strongly affected by further tariff reduction. Reductions in import prices of textiles and leather products increase imports of these goods implying that trade liberalization is likely to dampen domestic production of textile and leather products. Poverty shows a slight increase in both scenarios. At the national level, a complete tariff cut results in an increase in poverty by 2.8 percent, while a uniform tariff scheme raises poverty by 2.3 percent. Similarly, it is found that poverty gap and poverty severity indices show a slight increase. Comparing the effect of trade reform on different household groups, i.e. farm households, wage earner households and entrepreneur households, poverty in entrepreneur households increases by a higher percentage change (3.2 percent) in the complete tariff cut scenario. Poverty incidence increases by 1.7 and 1.5 percent for farm households and wage earners, respectively, under the complete tariff cut scenario. This comparison holds consistently when looking at the more realistic uniform tariff scheme. Entrepreneur households are at a disadvantage due to trade liberalization shown in the poverty gap and poverty severity indices. This is consistent with the theoretical argument that previously protected infant industries are highly affected by trade liberalization. --trade liberalization,poverty,CGE,import duties,macro-micro simulation

Bioactive Terpenoids from the Roots of Cyphostemmaniveum

Cyphostemmaniveum (Vitaceae) is a plant traditionally used against bacteria, woundand pest in Ethiopia. In view of its traditional use and absence of scientific report, the roots of Cyphostemmaniveum were successively extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol to furnish 1 g (0.33%), 5.1 g (1.7%) and 20g (6.7%), respectively. Silica gel column chromatography of the EtOAc extract led to the isolation of two compounds identified as β-sitosterol and compound 2, the later was isolated for the first time from the genus.The methanol, EtOAc extract and isolated compounds were assessed for their antibacterial activity against S. aureus, E. coil, P. mirabilis and K. pneumonia. Results showed that compound 2 displayed activity against all bacterial pathogens tested in this study while the methanol extract was found to be active only against S. aureus suggesting that compound 2 is responsible for the antibacterial activity of the roots of the plant.The antibacterial activity displayed by the extract and compound 2 substantiate the traditional use of this plant against bacteria.Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of the extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated using DPPH and the result revealed that MeOH extract displayed modest DPPH radical scavenging activity compared with ascorbic acid. Keywords: Cyphostemmaniveum, Antibacterial, Antioxidant, β-sitosterol, compound

The Application of Poly Acrylic Acid as a pH Sensitive Hydrogel in WGM Resonators

From the Washington University Office of Undergraduate Research Digest (WUURD), Vol. 13, 05-01-2018. Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Joy Zalis Kiefer, Director of Undergraduate Research and Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Lindsey Paunovich, Editor; Helen Human, Programs Manager and Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences Mentor(s): Lan Wan

Development Of A Real-Time Pcr Assay For Diagnosis Of Brucella Melitensis Infection In Sheep

In this study, a SYBR Green based real-time PCR assay using primers specific to IS711 of Brucella melitensis was developed and its diagnostic utility was evaluated by comparing it with conventional PCR method for detection of Brucella DNA from cultured bacteria and experimentally infected mice samples. The study was first undertaken with cultured bacteria, B. melitensis 16M as a reference and two B. melitensis Malysian isolates. Brucella abortus 544 and Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 were also used for cross reactivity testing. Three of the B. melitensis were successfully detected using both optimized SYBR Green I real-time and conventional PCR. No amplification products were produced with these primers from strains of B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 indicating that the primer sets are specific only for B. melitensis. The specificity of the PCR products amplified by the primers from Malysian strains of B. melitensis were confirmed by sequence analysis. The detection limit of the real-time PCR was compared with conventional PCR by preparing serially ten-fold dilutions of B.melitensis DNA. The real-time PCR was found to be 10-fold more sensitive than the conventional PCR, detecting up to 50 fg of genomic DNA. The viability of using conventional and real-time PCR assays together with culture methods as potential diagnostic tools for the detection of B. melitensis in experimentally infected mice was also assessed over an 8-week period of infection. It was evident from our result that regardless of duration of infection and sample type (liver, lymph node, blood, spleen and serum) the diagnostic yield (sensitivity) was 100%, 96.7% and 62.5% for real-time PCR, conventional PCR and culture methods respectively. This indicated that the sensitivity of the PCR assays was far higher than that of the culture method. The specificity of both conventional and real-time PCR was 100%. When serum was used as PCR template, B. melitensis specific amplicon was detected only until day 45 post inoculation (p.i) using conventional PCR unlike the real-time PCR method whereby positive results were detected through out the study period. In all samples with positive real-time PCR results, B. melitensis specific amplicons were distinguished by their characteristic melting temperature ranged between 86.4 oC to 87.4 oC in melting curve analysis. Analytical sensitivities of the different tissue types used in the study were also compared using threshold cycle (Ct) values of the real-time PCR. For this purpose, samples collected at day 30 p.i. were used and the most sensitive tissue sample amongst the tested samples was estimated from the standard curve obtained from cloned B. melitensis 16M. Accordingly, the most sensitive tissue was found to be serum (mean Ct=15.07) followed by lymph node (mean Ct=19.50), spleen (mean Ct= 24.2), liver (mean Ct=26.4) and whole blood (mean Ct=26.2). These results indicate that serum samples followed by lymph node are more sensitive for the real-time PCR assay than the other samples tested in this study. In conclusion, this present results suggest that the diagnostic yield of real-time PCR that uses serum samples was at least as sensitive as a similar PCR protocol that uses other tested tissue samples. The speed and technical simplicity of real-time PCR coupled with minimal risk of handling serum samples make it a useful alternative to blood / other tested tissue PCR for animals with suspected brucellosis and negative or doubtful serological test results. However, although the use of this real-time PCR assay as a supplemental diagnostic tool for detection and identification of Brucella organisms in clinical specimens could be recommended, the need for the assay to be validated with confirmed positive and negative clinical samples of its primary host animals, and verify its ability to differentiate the vaccinal strains from field strains, is desirable to achieve the utmost benefits from the SYBR Green I based real-time PCR assay