DOES PUBLIC R&D CROWD OUT PRIVATE R&D? A NOTE FROM TAIWAN, ROC

This paper tests the cointegration and causal relationship between aggregate public R&D and private R&D for Taiwan for the period 1979-2007 using a newly developed cointegration test proposed by Pesaran et al. (2001) and using a modified version of the Granger causality test due to Toda and Yamamoto (1995). The paper finds a long run cointegrating relationship between public and private R&D and a bi-directional causality where they complement each other. The Government of the ROC should continue to invest not only to stimulate private R&D but also to enable the country to compete more globally in technology-intensive products.Taiwan, Public and Private R&D, Bounds Test, Causality, Impulse Response

Interaction Effects of In-organic N- Fertilizer and Seed Rates on Yield and Quality Traits of Malt Barley Varieties in the Highland of Tigray, North Ethiopia.

A new brewery factory has been constructed in Tigray region. In response, farmers are concerned to produce and earn premium price from malt barley. Besides, quality prerequisites for malting barley are objectively strict and mostly controlled by the growers crop management practice. However, there is limited/no information on the fertilizer and seed rate requirement of the crop that can achieve high quality malt without compromising yield and profit. Therefore, this research was aimed to determine the appropriate levels of inorganic N-fertilizer and seed rate on the yield and quality of malt barley varieties in three districts of Southern Tigray, North of Ethiopia. Treatments include two malt barley varieties (V1=Bekoji-1 and V2=Bhatty), seven N- rates (N0=0, N1=23, N2=34, N3=46, N4= 57.5, N5= 69 and N6=80.5 Kg N ha-1) in the form of Urea and two levels of seed rates (SR1=100, SR2=150 kg ha-1). The design was split-split plot with three replications. Varieties were put as a main plot, seed rate as a sub plot and the N-rates as a sub sub-plot treatment. The analysis of the separate and combined over locations revealed significant differences on grain yield (GY) and malt quality traits due to the main effect of treatments and some interactions. The effect of variety and seed rate were non-significant in response to GY. Highest value of grain yield (GY), hectoliter weight, plumpness, thousand kernel weight and acceptable grain protein content (GP) for malt barley was recorded at N5. The treatment without N-fertilizer application showed the least performance in above ground biomass and grain yield and malt quality traits. From the interaction of factors acceptable GP and higher grain yields were obtained from combinations: V2xSR1xN5 (GP=11.22%) and V1xSR1xN5 (GP=12.50%) at Ofla and V2xSRIxN6 (GP=12.28%) and V2xSRIxN5 (GP=12.09%) at Enda-Mekoni and V1xSR1xN5 (GP=11.94%) and V2xSR1xN5 (GP=11.44%) at Emba-Alaje. V2 x SR1 x N5 was selected as best combination in all locations. Bekoji-1(V1) at higher N-rates (N5 & N6) and SR1 at Enda-Mekoni was beyond the maximum acceptable limit in grain protein content. Regarding the profitability of the package highest net benefit and MRR were obtained from the application of N5 fertilizer rate at SR1 for both varieties in all study areas. Therefore, under similar environmental conditions the combination of V2 x SR1 x N5 is the best agronomic package for both grain yield and acceptable malt quality at all locations. In addition combinations of V1xSR1 xN5 can also be recommended for Ofla and Emba-Alaje districts. Keywords: Grain Protein, grain yield, N-fertilizer, Profit, seed rate, variety

Cow Mastitis in Urban and Pri-urban Small Holder Dairy Farms in Ethiopia

The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of clinical and sub clinical mastitis and to identify the risk factor associated with mastitis in Tigrayn Ethiopia. Clinical examination, CMT and Questioner survey were used for data collection. The overall prevalence of clinical mastitis were 64 (19.5%) out of 382 cows randomly selected from 82 small holder dairy farms. From 264 tested lactating cows for CMT 101 (30.8%) was respond positive for sub clinical mastitis test. From the clinical mastitis positive cows 42 (65.61%) were from urban and 22 (34.38%) were from pri urban. Age and parity as a risk factor for mastitis revealed that, cows with an age range from 5-7 years old were 10 (15.6%) for clinical mastitis range from 8-10 were 16 (23.43%) and cows with an age of more than 10 years old 38 (59.43%) were positive for mastitis. The correlation between age and cow with positive clinical mastitis were 0.946 so this indicates that there is a strong correlation these, as age increases the incidence of mastitis will increase. In relation to parity with mastitis correlation is 0.949 which has highly positive correlation these, as parity increase the occurrence of mastitis is increase. So considering the significant economic losses that could be incurred by both clinical and subclinical mastitis, attention should be paid for further investigation of the cause of the disease. Keywords: California Mastitis Test, Mastitis, Prevalence, Risk Factor

Progression and management of Prediabetes by socioeconomic status and health care consumption. The Tromsø Study 2007-2016

Background: Socioeconomic status and healthcare consumption are considered predictors of diabetes development and quality of blood glucose management. However, studies on the association between socioeconomic status and healthcare consumption in people with prediabetes and these outcomes are scarce. Objective: To examine the relationship between the development of diabetes in people with prediabetes and socioeconomic status as well as healthcare consumption. Furthermore, blood glucose management in people with prediabetes is also examined as diabetic complications usually occur before the diagnosis of diabetes and can be prevented by screening and early management. Methods: I used a cohort study using data from two waves of the population-based Tromsø Study utilizing socioeconomic variables, anthropometric variables, healthcare consumption, exercise, and smoking information collected from the questionnaire, and HbA1c data collected from laboratory data along with demographic and information on personal and family history of diabetes. These variables are analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis, linear regression analysis, and mediation analysis. Main results: From the 2690 participants with prediabetes included in wave 6 of the Tromsø Study, 304 representing 11.3% of participants had developed diabetes at follow up 7-8 years later (wave 7 of the Tromsø Study). Those with an upper secondary level of education had 54% higher odds of a diagnosis of diabetes relative to those with four or more years of college/university level of education. While there was a 0.06-unit change in HbA1c levels in participants with the lowest levels of education compared to those with the highest. Furthermore, those with 5 or more GP visits over the 12 months prior to Tromsø 6 had 74% higher odds of getting diagnosed with diabetes than those with 1 visit. Conclusions: While the association of healthcare consumption on the progression of the disease in the study participants is not established, there is a socioeconomic association with the development of diabetes and glycemic management

Accuracy of physicians in diagnosing HIV and AIDS-related death in the adult population of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: The lack of cause of death information is the main challenge in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in countries where the majority of deaths occur at home. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of physician reviewers of verbal autopsies in diagnosing HIV and AIDS-related deaths in the adult population of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Methods: This study was done within the context of a burial surveillance system in Addis Ababa. Trained interviewers completed a standard verbal autopsy questionnaire and an independent panel of physicians reviewed the completed form to assign cause of death. Physicians’ review was compared to a reference standard constructed based on prospectively collected HIV-serostatus and patients’ hospital record. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to validate the physicians’ verbal autopsy diagnoses against reference standards. Results: Physicians accurately identified AIDS-related deaths with sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80 - 0.93) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.64 - 0.87), respectively. Generally, there was high level of agreement (Cohen’s Kappa Statistic (K > 0.6) between the first two physicians with some yearly variations. In 2008 and 2009 there was an almost perfect agreement (K > 0.80). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the agreement level between two independent physicians in diagnosing AIDS-related death is very high and thus using a single verbal autopsy coder is practical for programmatic purposes in countries where there is critical shortage of doctors

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Hadar Formation Afar, Ethiopia

The Pliocene Hadar Formation in the west central Afar sedimentary basin, Ethiopia, is noted for important discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis and what may be the world\u27s oldest artifacts. It consists of over 250 m of terrestrial sediments subdivided into four members, the Basal, Sidi Hakoma, Denen Dora and Kada Hadar, on the basis of laterally extensive interbedded tuffs and bentonites that have been radiometrically dated. Four complexly interfingering lithofacies associations (A, B, C, and D) have been identified that represent (1) alluvial fan, braided stream, and braid delta (A), (2) meandering stream and associated floodplain (B), (3) marginal and shallow lacustrine (C), and (4) delta plain with distributary channel, marsh and floodplain deposits (D), respectively. Lithofacies association B documents 11 fining upward cycles of major axial meandering stream systems draining the Ethiopian highlands and flowing northwards within the Ethiopian Rift toward the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden. This lithofacies is interrupted at least three times by lithofacies association C that records lacustrine conditions forming during a period of rapid basin subsidence resulting from downward displacement along major normal faults bounding the Ethiopian Rift. Lithofacies association A interfingers laterally with lithofacies associations B and C. It represents relatively short, transverse, braided streams, deposited primarily during periodic high discharge. These flowed from the Ethiopian Escarpment into the rift and formed alluvial fans along its margin and coarse braid deltas as they emptied into lakes or coarse tongues where they joined the axial meandering streams. Lithofacies association D overlies and interfingers with lithofacies association C and documents the lateral transition from fining upward fluvial cycles of meandering streams to deltas prograding into and filling the lakes;Recently, a major disconformity was recognized stratigraphically above the Bouroukie Tuff (BKT2) in the middle part of the Kada Hadar Member. Analysis of the sandstones of the Hadar Formation indicates that augite and magnetite are the dominant heavy minerals throughout the unit. However, an increase in augite occurs just above the unconformity. The heavy mineral assemblage is distinctly volcanic and was derived from the adjoining Western Ethiopian Escarpment. The increase in augite records the relative uplift of the escarpment and the unroofing of basaltic rocks. Petrographic studies of rock fragments also indicate that the sandstones below the unconformity contain a higher concentration of acidic volcanic rocks reflecting unroofing of the Oligocene volcanic rocks of the Western Ethiopian Escarpment. In contrast, above the unconformity, granule to pebble conglomerates of the upper part of the Kada Hadar Member are characterized by high concentrations of mafic volcanic rocks indicating their probable derivation from the pre-Oligocene basalts of the Western Ethiopian Escarpment;Most of the significant in situ discoveries of Australopithecus afarensis are from facies that represent the floodplain of a major north-flowing meandering stream in the Denen Dora and the lower portion of the Kada Hadar members. The Lucy skeleton was recovered from a thin sheet sandstone that extends laterally as wings from the ribbon-like Kada Hadar # 1 sandstone (KH-1). This sheet sandstone represents a crevasse splay deposit that spilled out across the floodplain from the KH-1 channel. The remains of the First Family were recovered from a siltstone that represents a floodplain associated with a subjacent distributary channel of the Denen Dora Member sandstone (DD-2). (Abstract shortened by UMI.

Causes of Abortion and Prevalence of Brucellosis in Small Ruminant in Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Tigray region, kola Tembien wereda, Begashika watershed area in 2010. The main objective of the study was to identify the cause of abortion in small ruminant and to determine the prevalence of brucellosis. Questioner survey and rose Bengal agglutination test of blood sample of sheep and goats were used for data collection. Result from the questionnaire survey revealed that, from 82 respondents 68 (82.9%) of them were complain abortion and 62 (75.6%) of them doesn’t consider abortion as a disease. From 471 sheep and goat found in the watershed 214 (45.4%) them were aborted during the study year. Late pregnant abortion was 51 (62.2%) and 65 (79.3%) abortion occur in young sheep and goat. From the suspected abortion causes, toxic plant and brucellosis were the main. Interviewee which doesn’t consider toxic plant as a cause of abortion were 39 (47.6%) only 3 (3.6%) suspect and believe toxic plant as a cause of abortion the rest respondents doesn’t have information whether it can cause abortion or not. Blood sample from 210 sheep and goat were taken for brucellosis screening test showed that, 72 (34.3%) of the blood sample found to be positive for brucellosis. In general the present study conclude that, abortion of small ruminant in the result in massive loss and provide a negative impact on the small ruminant production. So attention should be given on prevention and control of brucellosis and further investigation on abortion causing disease should be done. Keywords: Abortion, Brucellosis, Cause, Prevalence, Small ruminant

The Effects of Herbal Plants on Quality and Microbial Safety of Cow Milk Produced by Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Northern Ethiopia

Cow milk is a perishable commodity that spoils easily. Its low acidity and high nutrient content makes to be a medium for bacteria growth. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of five herbal plants (Olea europaea L, Vernonia amygdalina, Solanum schimperianum hochst, Acacia etbaica schweinf, Aoe elegans) on improving the quality and microbial safety of cow milk. Milk samples were collected and poured in to 6 calabash and 6 plastic containers each with 200 ml. Non-fumigated plastic and calabash containers were used as control group. Bacterial load was estimated using standard plate and coliform counts. Effects of herbal plants were assessed on the basis of selected organoleptic (odor and taste) and physical attributes (temperature and pH) parameters. The lowest standard plate (7.8x105) and coliform (4.5x105) bacterial count was obtained from milk samples fumigated by Vernonia amygdalina. The highest bacterial count was recorded from milk samples of non-fumigated containers. Vernonia amygdalina was identified as the best herbal plant in improving the quality of milk. Milk stored in plastic and calabash containers had an excellent taste and odour but did not significantly decreased bacterial load. There is a need to investigate the active ingredients contained in the herbal plants. Keywords: Calabash, Coliform count, Plastic, Fumigation, Standard plat coun

Estimation of Crop Water Requirement using CROPWAT Model for Maize, A Case Study of Raya Azebo District, Ethiopia

Water is the major limiting factor for crop production. A lot of water resources have been exploited for irrigation purpose. Irrigation systems essential to enhance crop productivity in order to meet future food demand and ensure food security. Unscientific and injudicious application of groundwater in this district resulted in depletion of the groundwater table. To achieve effective utilization of the groundwater resources, there is a need to estimate the crop water requirement for different crops at different management levels to accomplish effective irrigation management. Crop water requirements of maize crop in Raya Azebo districts was calculated using FAO Cropwat 8.0 a computer simulation model. The simulation study was conducted with the objectives of determining irrigation water requirement maize. The study was carried out to estimate the crop water requirement of maize by using the climatic data, crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) for each crop were determined using CROPWAT 8.0. The study shows that crop water requirement of maize with a growing period of 125 days to maturity requires 504.0 mm depth of water on off season and 457.8 mm on main season respectively. The result shows that in off season the crop water requirement of maize was needed more water than the main season, due to the climatic condition and in the main season the effective rainfall is more available than the off season. This study proved that the CROPWAT model is useful for calculating the crop irrigation needs for the proper management of water resources. Keywords: CROPWAT, Model, Crop water requirement, Maize, Eto DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/74-03 Publication date:March 31st 202