CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-P63WKM1TM1"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-P63WKM1TM1'); </script>  <script type="text/javascript" > (function(m,e,t,r,i,k,a){m[i]=m[i]||function(){(m[i].a=m[i].a||[]).push(arguments)}; m[i].l=1*new Date(); for (var j = 0; j < document.scripts.length; j++) {if (document.scripts[j].src === r) { return; }} k=e.createElement(t),a=e.getElementsByTagName(t)[0],k.async=1,k.src=r,a.parentNode.insertBefore(k,a)}) (window, document, "script", "https://mc.yandex.ru/metrika/tag.js", "ym"); ym(55165297, "init", { clickmap:false, trackLinks:true, accurateTrackBounce:true, webvisor:false }); </script> <noscript><div><img src="https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/55165297" style="position:absolute; left:-9999px;" alt="" /></div></noscript>    <title>Search results for: Maarten Hornikx</title> <meta name="description" content="Search results for: Maarten Hornikx"> <meta name="keywords" content="Maarten Hornikx"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/fontawesome/css/all.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/css/site.css?v=150220211555" rel="stylesheet"> </head> <body> <header> <div class="container"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="https://waset.org"> <img src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/images/wasetc.png" alt="Open Science Research Excellence" title="Open Science Research Excellence" /> </a> <button class="d-block d-lg-none navbar-toggler ml-auto" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarMenu" aria-controls="navbarMenu" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> <div class="w-100"> <div class="d-none d-lg-flex flex-row-reverse"> <form method="get" action="https://waset.org/search" class="form-inline my-2 my-lg-0"> <input class="form-control mr-sm-2" type="search" placeholder="Search Conferences" value="Maarten Hornikx" name="q" aria-label="Search"> <button class="btn btn-light my-2 my-sm-0" type="submit"><i class="fas fa-search"></i></button> </form> </div> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse mt-1" id="navbarMenu"> <ul class="navbar-nav ml-auto align-items-center" id="mainNavMenu"> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://waset.org/conferences" title="Conferences in 2024/2025/2026">Conferences</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://waset.org/disciplines" title="Disciplines">Disciplines</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://waset.org/committees" rel="nofollow">Committees</a> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarDropdownPublications" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> Publications </a> <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownPublications"> <a class="dropdown-item" href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts">Abstracts</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="https://publications.waset.org">Periodicals</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="https://publications.waset.org/archive">Archive</a> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="https://waset.org/page/support" title="Support">Support</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> <main> <div class="container mt-4"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9 mx-auto"> <form method="get" action="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search"> <div id="custom-search-input"> <div class="input-group"> <i class="fas fa-search"></i> <input type="text" class="search-query" name="q" placeholder="Author, Title, Abstract, Keywords" value="Maarten Hornikx"> <input type="submit" class="btn_search" value="Search"> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-3"> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Commenced</strong> in January 2007</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Frequency:</strong> Monthly</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Edition:</strong> International</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Paper Count:</strong> 7</div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mt-3 mb-3 text-center" style="font-size:1.6rem;">Search results for: Maarten Hornikx</h1> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">7</span> Design and Evaluation on Sierpinski-Triangle Acoustic Diffusers Based on Fractal Theory</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lingge%20Tan">Lingge Tan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hongpeng%20Xu"> Hongpeng Xu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jieun%20Yang"> Jieun Yang</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20Hornikx"> Maarten Hornikx</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Acoustic diffusers are important components in enhancing the quality of room acoustics. This paper provides a type of modular diffuser based on the Sierpinski Triangle of the plane and combines it with fractal theory to expand the effective frequency range. In numerical calculations and full-scale model experiments, the effect of fractal design elements on normal-incidence diffusion coefficients is examined. It is demonstrated the reasonable times of iteration of modules is three, and the coverage density is 58.4% in the design frequency from 125Hz to 4kHz. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=acoustic%20diffuser" title="acoustic diffuser">acoustic diffuser</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=fractal" title=" fractal"> fractal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sierpinski-triangle" title=" Sierpinski-triangle"> Sierpinski-triangle</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=diffusion%20coefficient" title=" diffusion coefficient"> diffusion coefficient</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/132869/design-and-evaluation-on-sierpinski-triangle-acoustic-diffusers-based-on-fractal-theory" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/132869.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">151</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">6</span> Accelerated Expansion of a Matter-Antimatter Universe and Gravity as an Electromagnetic Force</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20J.%20Van%20der%20Burgt">Maarten J. Van der Burgt</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> A universe containing matter and antimatter can only exist when matter and antimatter repel each other. Such a system, where like attracts like and like repels unlike, will always expand. Calculations made for such a symmetric universe demonstrate that the expansion is consistent with Hubble’s law, the observed increase in the expansion velocity with time, the initial high acceleration and the foam structure of the universe. Conversely, these observations can be considered as proof for a symmetrical universe and for antimatter possessing a negative gravitational mass. A second proof can be found by reinterpreting the behavior of relativistic moving charged particles. Attributing their behavior to a charge defect of √(1-v2/c2) instead of to a mass defect of 1/√(1-v2/c2) makes it plausible that gravitation is an electromagnetic force, as already suggested by Feynman. This would automatically imply that antimatter has a negative gravitational mass. These proofs underpin the untenability of the Weak Equivalence Principle which states that in a gravitational field all structure less point-like particles follow the same path. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=celestial%20mechanics" title="celestial mechanics">celestial mechanics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cosmology" title=" cosmology"> cosmology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=gravitation%20astrophysics" title=" gravitation astrophysics"> gravitation astrophysics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=origin%20of%20structure" title=" origin of structure"> origin of structure</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=miscellaneous%20%28matter%20and%20antimatter%29" title=" miscellaneous (matter and antimatter)"> miscellaneous (matter and antimatter)</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/57939/accelerated-expansion-of-a-matter-antimatter-universe-and-gravity-as-an-electromagnetic-force" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/57939.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">228</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">5</span> Study of Wake Dynamics for a Rim-Driven Thruster Based on Numerical Method</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bao%20Liu">Bao Liu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20Vanierschot"> Maarten Vanierschot</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Frank%20Buysschaert"> Frank Buysschaert</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The present work examines the wake dynamics of a rim-driven thruster (RDT) with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations were solved in the commercial solver ANSYS Fluent in combination with the SST k-ω turbulence model. The application of the moving reference frame (MRF) and sliding mesh (SM) approach to handling the rotational movement of the propeller were compared in the transient simulations. Validation and verification of the numerical model was performed to ensure numerical accuracy. Two representative scenarios were considered, i.e., the bollard condition (J=0) and a very light loading condition(J=0.7), respectively. From the results, it’s confirmed that compared to the SM method, the MRF method is not suitable for resolving the unsteady flow features as it only gives the general mean flow but smooths out lots of characteristic details in the flow field. By evaluating the simulation results with the SM technique, the instantaneous wake flow field under both conditions is presented and analyzed, most notably the helical vortex structure. It’s observed from the results that the tip vortices, blade shed vortices, and hub vortices are present in the wake flow field and convect downstream in a highly non-linear way. The shear layer vortices shedding from the duct displayed a strong interaction with the distorted tip vortices in an irregularmanner. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=computational%20fluid%20dynamics" title="computational fluid dynamics">computational fluid dynamics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rim-driven%20thruster" title=" rim-driven thruster"> rim-driven thruster</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sliding%20mesh" title=" sliding mesh"> sliding mesh</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=wake%20dynamics" title=" wake dynamics"> wake dynamics</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/142669/study-of-wake-dynamics-for-a-rim-driven-thruster-based-on-numerical-method" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/142669.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">259</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">4</span> Economic Evaluation of Varying Scenarios to Fulfill the Regional Electricity Demand in Pakistan</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Muhammad%20Shahid">Muhammad Shahid</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kafait%20Ullah"> Kafait Ullah</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kashif%20Imran"> Kashif Imran</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Arshad%20Mahmood"> Arshad Mahmood</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20Arentsen"> Maarten Arentsen</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Poor planning and governance in the power sector of Pakistan have generated several issues ranging from gradual reliance on thermal-based expensive energy mix, supply shortages, unrestricted demand, subsidization, inefficiencies at different levels of the value chain and resultantly, the circular debt. This situation in the power sector has also hampered the growth of allied economic sectors. This study uses the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) system for electricity modelling of Pakistan from the period of 2016 to 2040. The study has first time in Pakistan forecasted the electricity demand at the provincial level. At the supply side, five scenarios Business as Usual Scenario (BAUS), Coal Scenario (CS), Gas Scenario (GS), Nuclear Scenario (NS) and Renewable Scenario (RS) have been analyzed based on the techno-economic and environmental parameters. The study has also included environmental externality costs for evaluating the actual costs and benefits of different scenarios. Contrary to the expectations, RS has a lower output than even BAUS. The study has concluded that the generation from RS has five times lesser costs than BAUS, CS, and GS. NS can also be an alternative for the sustainable future of Pakistan. Generation from imported coal is not a good option, however, indigenous coal with clean coal technologies should be promoted. This paper proposes energy planners of the country to devise incentives for the utilization of indigenous energy resources including renewables on priority and then clean coal to reduce the energy crises of Pakistan. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=economic%20evaluation" title="economic evaluation">economic evaluation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=externality%20cost" title=" externality cost"> externality cost</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=penetration%20of%20renewable%20energy" title=" penetration of renewable energy"> penetration of renewable energy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=regional%20electricity%20supply-demand%20planning" title=" regional electricity supply-demand planning "> regional electricity supply-demand planning </a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/129549/economic-evaluation-of-varying-scenarios-to-fulfill-the-regional-electricity-demand-in-pakistan" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/129549.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">116</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">3</span> Genomic Characterisation of Equine Sarcoid-derived Bovine Papillomavirus Type 1 and 2 Using Nanopore-Based Sequencing</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lien%20Gysens">Lien Gysens</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bert%20Vanmechelen"> Bert Vanmechelen</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20Haspeslagh"> Maarten Haspeslagh</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Piet%20Maes"> Piet Maes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ann%20Martens"> Ann Martens</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 play a central role in the etiology of the most common neoplasm in horses, the equine sarcoid. The unknown mechanism behind the unique variety in a clinical presentation on the one hand and the host-dependent clinical outcome of BPV-1 infection, on the other hand, indicate the involvement of additional factors. Earlier studies have reported the potential functional significance of intratypic sequence variants, along with the existence of sarcoid-sourced BPV variants. Therefore, intratypic sequence variation seems to be an important emerging viral factor. This study aimed to give a broad insight in sarcoid-sourced BPV variation and explore its potential association with disease presentation. In order to do this, a nanopore sequencing approach was successfully optimized for screening a wide spectrum of clinical samples. Specimens of each tumour were initially screened for BPV-1/-2 by quantitative real-time PCR. A custom-designed primer set was used on BPV-positive samples to amplify the complete viral genome in two multiplex PCR reactions, resulting in a set of overlapping amplicons. For phylogenetic analysis, separate alignments were made of all available complete genome sequences for BPV-1/-2. The resulting alignments were used to infer Bayesian phylogenetic trees. We found substantial genetic variation among sarcoid-derived BPV-1, although this variation could not be linked to disease severity. Several of the BPV-1 genomes had multiple major deletions. Remarkably, the majority of the cluster within the region coding for late viral genes. Together with the extensiveness (up to 603 nucleotides) of the described deletions, this suggests an altered function of L1/L2 in disease pathogenesis. By generating a significant amount of complete-length BPV genomes, we succeeded in introducing next-generation sequencing into veterinary research focusing on the equine sarcoid, thus facilitating the first report of both nanopore-based sequencing of complete sarcoid-sourced BPV-1/-2 and the simultaneous nanopore sequencing of multiple complete genomes originating from a single clinical sample. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bovine%20papillomavirus" title="Bovine papillomavirus">Bovine papillomavirus</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=equine%20sarcoid" title=" equine sarcoid"> equine sarcoid</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=horse" title=" horse"> horse</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nanopore%20sequencing" title=" nanopore sequencing"> nanopore sequencing</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=phylogenetic%20analysis" title=" phylogenetic analysis"> phylogenetic analysis</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/145091/genomic-characterisation-of-equine-sarcoid-derived-bovine-papillomavirus-type-1-and-2-using-nanopore-based-sequencing" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/145091.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">178</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">2</span> Improved Signal-To-Noise Ratio by the 3D-Functionalization of Fully Zwitterionic Surface Coatings</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Esther%20Van%20Andel">Esther Van Andel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stefanie%20C.%20Lange"> Stefanie C. Lange</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20M.%20J.%20Smulders"> Maarten M. J. Smulders</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Han%20Zuilhof"> Han Zuilhof</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> False outcomes of diagnostic tests are a major concern in medical health care. To improve the reliability of surface-based diagnostic tests, it is of crucial importance to diminish background signals that arise from the non-specific binding of biomolecules, a process called fouling. The aim is to create surfaces that repel all biomolecules except the molecule of interest. This can be achieved by incorporating antifouling protein repellent coatings in between the sensor surface and it’s recognition elements (e.g. antibodies, sugars, aptamers). Zwitterionic polymer brushes are considered excellent antifouling materials, however, to be able to bind the molecule of interest, the polymer brushes have to be functionalized and so far this was only achieved at the expense of either antifouling or binding capacity. To overcome this limitation, we combined both features into one single monomer: a zwitterionic sulfobetaine, ensuring antifouling capabilities, equipped with a clickable azide moiety which allows for further functionalization. By copolymerizing this monomer together with a standard sulfobetaine, the number of azides (and with that the number of recognition elements) can be tuned depending on the application. First, the clickable azido-monomer was synthesized and characterized, followed by copolymerizing this monomer to yield functionalizable antifouling brushes. The brushes were fully characterized using surface characterization techniques like XPS, contact angle measurements, G-ATR-FTIR and XRR. As a proof of principle, the brushes were subsequently functionalized with biotin via strain-promoted alkyne azide click reactions, which yielded a fully zwitterionic biotin-containing 3D-functionalized coating. The sensing capacity was evaluated by reflectometry using avidin and fibrinogen containing protein solutions. The surfaces showed excellent antifouling properties as illustrated by the complete absence of non-specific fibrinogen binding, while at the same time clear responses were seen for the specific binding of avidin. A great increase in signal-to-noise ratio was observed, even when the amount of functional groups was lowered to 1%, compared to traditional modification of sulfobetaine brushes that rely on a 2D-approach in which only the top-layer can be functionalized. This study was performed on stoichiometric silicon nitride surfaces for future microring resonator based assays, however, this methodology can be transferred to other biosensor platforms which are currently being investigated. The approach presented herein enables a highly efficient strategy for selective binding with retained antifouling properties for improved signal-to-noise ratios in binding assays. The number of recognition units can be adjusted to a specific need, e.g. depending on the size of the analyte to be bound, widening the scope of these functionalizable surface coatings. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=antifouling" title="antifouling">antifouling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=signal-to-noise%20ratio" title=" signal-to-noise ratio"> signal-to-noise ratio</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=surface%20functionalization" title=" surface functionalization"> surface functionalization</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=zwitterionic%20polymer%20brushes" title=" zwitterionic polymer brushes"> zwitterionic polymer brushes</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62532/improved-signal-to-noise-ratio-by-the-3d-functionalization-of-fully-zwitterionic-surface-coatings" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/62532.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">306</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">1</span> The Impact of Improved Grain Storage Technology on Marketing Behaviour and Livelihoods of Maize Farmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Ethiopia</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Betelhem%20M.%20Negede">Betelhem M. Negede</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maarten%20Voors"> Maarten Voors</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hugo%20%20De%20Groote"> Hugo De Groote</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bart%20Minten"> Bart Minten</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Farmers in Ethiopia produce most of their own food during one agricultural season per year. Therefore, they need to use on-farm storage technologies to bridge the lean season and benefit from price arbitrage. Maize stored using traditional storage bags offer no protection from insects and molds, leading to high storage losses. In Ethiopia access to and use of modern storage technologies are still limited, restraining farmers to benefit from local maize price fluctuations. We used a randomized controlled trial among 871 maize farmers to evaluate the impacts of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags, also known as hermetic bags, on storage losses, and especially on behavioral changes with respect to consumption, marketing, and income among maize farmers in Ethiopia. This study builds upon the limited previous experimental research that has tried to understand farmers’ grain storage and post-harvest losses and identify mechanisms behind the persistence of these challenges. Our main hypothesis is that access to PICS bags allows farmers to increase production, storage and maize income. Also delay the length of maize storage, reduce maize post-harvest losses and improve their food security. Our results show that even though farmers received only three PICS bags that represent 10percent of their total maize stored, they delay their length of maize storage for sales by two weeks. However, we find no treatment effect on maize income, suggesting that the arbitrage of two weeks is too small. Also, we do not find any reduction in storage losses due to farmers’ reaction by selling early and by using cheap and readily available but potentially harmful storage chemicals. Looking at the heterogeneity treatment effects between the treatment variable and highland and lowland villages, we find a decrease in the percentage of maize stored by 4 percent in the highland villages. This confirms that location specific factors, such as agro-ecology and proximity to markets are important factors that influence whether and how much of the harvest a farmer stores. These findings highlight the benefits of hermetic storage bags, by allowing farmers to make inter-temporal arbitrage and by reducing potential health risks from storage chemicals. The main policy recommendation that emanates from our study is that postharvest losses reduction throughout the whole value chain is an important pathway to food and income security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, future storage loss interventions with hermetic storage technologies should take into account the agro-ecology of the study area and quantify storage losses beyond farmers self-reported losses, such as the count and weigh method. Finally, studies on hermetic storage technologies indicate positive impacts on post-harvest losses and in improving food security, but the adoption and use of these technologies is currently still low in SSA. Therefore, future works on the scaling up of hermetic bags, should consider reasons why farmers only use PICS bags to store grains for consumption, which is usually related to a safety-first approach or due to lack of incentives (higher price from maize not treated with chemicals), and no grain quality check. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=arbitrage" title="arbitrage">arbitrage</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=PICS%20hermetic%20bags" title=" PICS hermetic bags"> PICS hermetic bags</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=post-harvest%20storage%20loss" title=" post-harvest storage loss"> post-harvest storage loss</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=RCT" title=" RCT"> RCT</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/129250/the-impact-of-improved-grain-storage-technology-on-marketing-behaviour-and-livelihoods-of-maize-farmers-a-randomized-controlled-trial-in-ethiopia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/129250.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">136</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer> <div id="infolinks" class="pt-3 pb-2"> <div class="container"> <div style="background-color:#f5f5f5;" class="p-3"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> About <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support">About Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support#legal-information">Legal</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/WASET-16th-foundational-anniversary.pdf">WASET celebrates its 16th foundational anniversary</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Account <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile">My Account</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Explore <li><a href="https://waset.org/disciplines">Disciplines</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/conferences">Conferences</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/conference-programs">Conference Program</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/committees">Committees</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org">Publications</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Research <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts">Abstracts</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org">Periodicals</a></li> <li><a href="https://publications.waset.org/archive">Archive</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Open Science <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Science-Philosophy.pdf">Open Science Philosophy</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Science-Award.pdf">Open Science Award</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Open-Society-Open-Science-and-Open-Innovation.pdf">Open Innovation</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Postdoctoral-Fellowship-Award.pdf">Postdoctoral Fellowship Award</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://publications.waset.org/static/files/Scholarly-Research-Review.pdf">Scholarly Research Review</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> Support <li><a href="https://waset.org/page/support">Support</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile/messages/create">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://waset.org/profile/messages/create">Report Abuse</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container text-center"> <hr style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:.3rem;"> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" class="text-muted small">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a> <div id="copy" class="mt-2">© 2024 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology</div> </div> </footer> <a href="javascript:" id="return-to-top"><i class="fas fa-arrow-up"></i></a> <div class="modal" id="modal-template"> <div class="modal-dialog"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="row m-0 mt-1"> <div class="col-md-12"> <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"><span aria-hidden="true">×</span></button> </div> </div> <div class="modal-body"></div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/jquery-3.3.1.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/js/site.js?v=150220211556"></script> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function() { /*jQuery.get("https://publications.waset.org/xhr/user-menu", function (response) { jQuery('#mainNavMenu').append(response); });*/ jQuery.get({ url: "https://publications.waset.org/xhr/user-menu", cache: false }).then(function(response){ jQuery('#mainNavMenu').append(response); }); }); </script> </body> </html>