Price and tax policy for semi-subsistence agriculture in Ethiopia

In the case of semi-subsistence agriculture where wage employment is not available, the role played by prices and taxes in determining production and consumption decisions is not clearly established by economic theories of household choice. This study demonstrates that where choices in production, consumption, and leisure can be made independently, farmers will decide what to grow on the basis of their preferences for marketed goods. The paper also points out that the choice will be affected by the level and type of taxation imposed. The paper shows the impact of four taxes -- agricultural revenue, land, production and marketed goods consumption -- on crop production and tax revenues. This paper also reports on a model of production in Ethiopia. The results of this study give strong evidence of the role of producer and consumer prices in semi-subsistence agriculture. In addition, the results show the importance of production capacity, household and climatic factors in agricultural development.Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Consumption

Design and manufacture of a proof-of-concept resorption heat pump using ammonia-salt chemisorption reactions

Using the Large Temperature Jump (LTJ) experimental technique, alongside a review of the literature, sodium bromide (NaBr) and manganese chloride (MnCl2) have been identified as a suitable working pair with ammonia refrigerant for a proof-of-concept resorption heat pump system. LTJ tests using a tube-side and shell-side unit cell reactor (sorption heat exchanger), show that the experimentally obtained equilibrium lines for adsorption and desorption of sodium bromide are: ΔHADS = 30,102.5 J/mol; ΔSADS = 207.7 J/(mol·K); ΔHDES = 30,216.4 J/mol; and ΔSDES = 206.8 J/(mol·K). Using a semi-empirical model, the NaBr composite salt (salt impregnated in expanded natural graphite (ENG)) has been characterised for use as a low temperature salt in a resorption heat pump, with manganese chloride as the high-temperature salt. The model constants, A and n, for adsorption are 1 and 3, and for desorption are 5 and 4 respectively for NaBr. Manganese chloride data has been previously reported (Hinmers et al., 2022). With an appreciation of the reaction dynamics and behaviour of the NaBr and MnCl2 composite salts, a proof-of-concept resorption system has been designed and manufactured. The reactor design, alongside the overall experimental rig design (including data acquisition system) is reported. Initial filling and flushing tests show the success of the data acquisition and control system, and thus the overall suitability of the proof of-concept system for investigations into the coupled nature of ammonia salt reactions for a resorption heat pump application

IMECE2003-41572 Design and Fabrication of Microtacks for Retinal Implant Applications

ABSTRACT To adhere an artificial retinal implant onto the epiretinal surface of the eye, our group has designed retinal microtacks. The microtacks were fabricated using two different micromachining techniques: 1) deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and 2) ultrahigh precision micromilling. The DRIE process consisted of machining a double-sided polished three-inch silicon wafer using ICP with the Bosch process. For the ultra-high precision micromilling technique, titanium foil was bonded to a silicon wafer and precision machined with a 150-µm end-mill using PMAC code interfaced to a machine motion controller. Due to fabrication limitations, the tip of the DRIE fabricated Si tack was chisel-shaped, whereas versatility of the micromilling technique allowed a partially conical, tapered tip to be added to the Ti tack, which created a sharper point. For the Si tacks, the average overall length and width were measured to be within 7% and 2%, respectively, of the design while the Ti tacks were found to be within 1% and 6%, respectively. Additionally, the grip width, stop thickness, and the tip taper angle of the Ti tacks were within 3%, 9%, and 4%, respectively, of the design

Collision Mortality Has No Discernible Effect on Population Trends of North American Birds

Avian biodiversity is threatened by numerous anthropogenic factors and migratory species are especially at risk. Migrating birds frequently collide with manmade structures and such losses are believed to represent the majority of anthropogenic mortality for North American birds. However, estimates of total collision mortality range across several orders of magnitude and effects on population dynamics remain unknown. Herein, we develop a novel method to assess relative vulnerability to anthropogenic threats, which we demonstrate using 243,103 collision records from 188 species of eastern North American landbirds. After correcting mortality estimates for variation attributable to population size and geographic overlap with potential collision structures, we found that per capita vulnerability to collision with buildings and towers varied over more than four orders of magnitude among species. Species that migrate long distances or at night were much more likely to be killed by collisions than year-round residents or diurnal migrants. However, there was no correlation between relative collision mortality and long-term population trends for these same species. Thus, although millions of North American birds are killed annually by collisions with manmade structures, this source of mortality has no discernible effect on populations

Aged PROP1 Deficient Dwarf Mice Maintain ACTH Production

Humans with PROP1 mutations have multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD) that typically advance from growth insufficiency diagnosed in infancy to include more severe growth hormone (GH) deficiency and progressive reduction in other anterior pituitary hormones, eventually including adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency and hypocortisolism. Congenital deficiencies of GH, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormone have been reported in the Prop1null (Prop1-/-) and the Ames dwarf (Prop1df/df) mouse models, but corticotroph and pituitary adrenal axis function have not been thoroughly investigated. Here we report that the C57BL6 background sensitizes mutants to a wasting phenotype that causes approximately one third to die precipitously between weaning and adulthood, while remaining homozygotes live with no signs of illness. The wasting phenotype is associated with severe hypoglycemia. Circulating ACTH and corticosterone levels are elevated in juvenile and aged Prop1 mutants, indicating activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis. Despite this, young adult Prop1 deficient mice are capable of responding to restraint stress with further elevation of ACTH and corticosterone. Low blood glucose, an expected side effect of GH deficiency, is likely responsible for the elevated corticosterone level. These studies suggest that the mouse model differs from the human patients who display progressive hormone loss and hypocortisolism

CD14 Deficiency Impacts Glucose Homeostasis in Mice through Altered Adrenal Tone

The toll-like receptors comprise one of the most conserved components of the innate immune system, signaling the presence of molecules of microbial origin. It has been proposed that signaling through TLR4, which requires CD14 to recognize bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), may generate low-grade inflammation and thereby affect insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. To examine the long-term influence of partial innate immune signaling disruption on glucose homeostasis, we analyzed knockout mice deficient in CD14 backcrossed into the diabetes-prone C57BL6 background at 6 or 12 months of age. CD14-ko mice, fed either normal or high-fat diets, displayed significant glucose intolerance compared to wild type controls. They also displayed elevated norepinephrine urinary excretion and increased adrenal medullary volume, as well as an enhanced norepinephrine secretory response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These results point out a previously unappreciated crosstalk between innate immune- and sympathoadrenal- systems, which exerts a major long-term effect on glucose homeostasis

An Estimate of Avian Mortality at Communication Towers in the United States and Canada

Avian mortality at communication towers in the continental United States and Canada is an issue of pressing conservation concern. Previous estimates of this mortality have been based on limited data and have not included Canada. We compiled a database of communication towers in the continental United States and Canada and estimated avian mortality by tower with a regression relating avian mortality to tower height. This equation was derived from 38 tower studies for which mortality data were available and corrected for sampling effort, search efficiency, and scavenging where appropriate. Although most studies document mortality at guyed towers with steady-burning lights, we accounted for lower mortality at towers without guy wires or steady-burning lights by adjusting estimates based on published studies. The resulting estimate of mortality at towers is 6.8 million birds per year in the United States and Canada. Bootstrapped subsampling indicated that the regression was robust to the choice of studies included and a comparison of multiple regression models showed that incorporating sampling, scavenging, and search efficiency adjustments improved model fit. Estimating total avian mortality is only a first step in developing an assessment of the biological significance of mortality at communication towers for individual species or groups of species. Nevertheless, our estimate can be used to evaluate this source of mortality, develop subsequent per-species mortality estimates, and motivate policy action