Globalization, Food Safety and Agricultural Health Standards: Implications for Trade and Public Health

Paper presented at the 6th Annual Scientific Conference of the Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Hotel Agrabad, Chittagong, 4-6 March 2008.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy, International Relations/Trade,

Model predictive control for current balancing in a four-phase buck converter

Multiphase buck topology offers smaller ripple current and lower component ratings. This, however, compromises unbalanced output current between each phase of an inductor which leads to over-current and inductor saturation issues. Often when discussing the linear control schemes, it involves the use of superposition theorem to understand the system’s response. However, the limitation of superposition theorem in this application is that it assumes the circuit to be completely linear. For components with nonlinear behaviour such as power switches and diodes, the analytical results may not be accurate resulting to unexpected behaviour as the algorithm is implemented on a real system. Hence, the use of a more advanced control scheme is necessary to improve a system with a non-linear characteristic. This paper proposes a current limit control (CLC) consists of MPC for inner loop control and PID for outer loop control for phase current balancing in a four-phase buck converter. The controller is designed to achieve balanced current for each phase with acceptable response time. The proposed system is designed using MATLAB/Simulink simulation software and verified by a laboratory prototype with a TMS320F28335 as the main controller. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the system performance

Consumer preferences and demand for livestock products in urban Bangladesh

Also available in the ILRI Repository on Livestock Research at http://hdl.handle.net/10568/3009demand, quality, safety, livestock products, Bangladesh, Consumer/Household Economics, Livestock Production/Industries,

Livestock ownership, commercial off-take rates and their determinants in Ethiopia

This study is conducted to assess the commercial off-take rates for cattle and shoats in the highland and pastoral areas of Ethiopia in order to complement the limited empirical information related to the off-take rates. The specific objectives are: (a) estimate off-take rates for cattle and shoats in mixed crop-livestock systems in the predominantly highland regions and in the pastoral systems in the lowlands, (b) estimate extent and nature of market participation by households and identify factors affecting the nature and extent of market participation for live animals in mixed crop-livestock systems, and (c) quantify the extent of demand for cattle and shoats for domestic consumption to assess how much of the aggregate commercial off-take is absorbed by domestic consumption and the balance left for live animal and meat export. The remaining sections of this paper are organized as follows. Section Two discusses the conceptual framework and empirical model for this study. The data sources and descriptions are given in Section Three. In Section Four the results and discussions of the descriptive and econometric analyses are presented. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are made in Section Five

Improvement of speed response in four-phase DC–DC converter switching using two shunt voltage-source

This study proposes a technique that is able to improve the speed response of a four-phase DC–DC converter switching. The basic concept of the proposed technique is the inclusion of two shunt-connected voltage sources in series to the converter system. Using a higher input voltage to drive the load, a higher current per microsecond output system will be obtained and reverts to its nominal input upon obtaining desired references. Thus, the transient response observed when using this proposed technique is found to be much faster when compared to the conventional converter. Moreover, this technique is easily implemented as it requires only an additional voltage source, power switch, and power diode. The integrated model of the two shunt voltage-source in a four-phase DC–DC converter was simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and validated against the experimental results of a laboratory prototype, 600 W four-phase DC–DC converter. The novelty of this proposed technique is its ability to provide faster operations for critical loads applications, lower output capacitor and lower operating frequency

Livestock ownership, commercial off-take rates and their determinants in Ethiopia

Also available in the ILRI Repository on Livestock Research at http://hdl.handle.net/10568/237Livestock Production/Industries,

Scavenging Poultry for Poverty Alleviation: A review of experiences with a focus on Bangladesh

Report prepared for International Livestock Research Institute.Food Security and Poverty, Livestock Production/Industries,

Trader Behaviour and Performance in Live Animal Marketing in Rural Ethiopian Markets

In this paper, performance of a sample of 131 livestock traders in 38 rural Ethiopian highland markets was analysed in terms of their costs and margins, how these were influenced by their assets and trading practices, and the implications of the findings for policy were outlined. The paper is divided into three main sections: description of the profiles of traders, their assets, trading behaviour and practices; estimates of costs and margins for a set of recent transactions; and econometric analysis of the factors explaining differences in performance with a particular focus on transaction costs. Most traders used own capital as access to credit, especially formal credit, was limited. The livestock market was characterised by non-standardised products and lack of information in the public domain about supply, demand and prices. Consequently, livestock trading was largely a personalised business though brokers and regular buyers and sellers, a form of social capital, were sometimes used for gathering information, searching buyers/sellers, price negotiation, contract enforcement. Business relationships with these intermediaries were principally based on trust, without strong ethnic, religious or family ties. Although most transactions were conducted in physical presence of parties, contract violations were common, which were settled mainly through informal means as formal legal systems were either absent or time consuming. Estimated costs and margins of case transactions showed low returns, and losses in some cases. Market levies, transport, travel, and feeds were major items of variable cost, with some variation between cattle and shoats. Multiple regression analysis showed that traders' financial and human capital and trading practices like use of brokers and regular suppliers and customers had varying effects on margins and costs of cattle and shoat trade. Unstable price, multiple taxes, non-transparent tax system, limited access to credit and weak demand for the quality of the products traded were perceived by traders as major problems of marketing. All the problems were amenable to public policy for improving the market environment and marketing efficiency.Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, D4, L1, O1, Q13,

CONGENITAL CONJOINT TRIPLET KITTENS (TRIPLOPAGUS): A CASE REPORT

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