Critically Assessing Forms of Resistance in Music Education

In their classrooms, music educators draw upon critical pedagogy (as described by Freire, Giroux, and hooks) for the express purpose of cultivating a climate for conscientização. Conscientização, according to Paulo Freire (2006), “refers to learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality” (p. 35). This consciousness raising is a journey teachers pursue with students, together interrogating injustices in communities and the world in order to transform the conditions that inform them. Learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions often leads to multiple forms of resistance in and out of music classrooms. This chapter explores the following question: What do critical forms of assessment look like in music classrooms that use critical pedagogy and embrace resistance to foster conscientization

Multilateral Trade and Agricultural Policy Reforms in Sugar Markets

We analyze the removal of current market interventions in world sugar markets using a partial-equilibrium international sugar model calibrated on 2002 market data and current policies. We analyze the impact of trade liberalization and the removal of production subsidies and consumption distortions. The removal of trade distortions alone induces a 27 percent price increase by the end of the decade relative to the baseline level for sugar. The removal of all trade and production distortions induces a 48 percent price increase by the end of the outlook period. Aggregate trade expands moderately, but location of production and trade patterns are substantially affected. Protectionist countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (the European Union, Japan, and, to a lesser extent, Mexico and the United States) experience an import expansion or export reduction and significant contraction in production in unfettered markets. World beet production decreases by 21 percent by the end of the decade, whereas world cane production increases by 8 percent. Brazil, Australia, Cuba, Indonesia, and Turkey expand production when all distortions are removed. Aggregate world sugar production and use decrease by 2 percent. We discuss the significance of these results in the context of the mounting pressures to reform U.S. and E.U. sugar policies and increase market access in OECD countries.Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade,

Changing the U.S. Sugar Program into a Standard Crop Program: Consequences Under NAFTA and Doha

We analyze the impact of continuing the existing US sugar program, replacing it with a standard program, and implementing the standard program with multilateral trade liberalization. Under NAFTA, duty-free sugar imports from Mexico could undermine the program's ability to operate on a "no-cost" basis to US taxpayers as large public stocks of sugar could accumulate. The replacement of the current sugar program by one similar to other major US crop programs would solve the problem of potential stock accumulation, accommodate further trade liberalization under a new WTO and future bilateral trade agreements, but would induce significant fiscal outlays. Our analysis of recent WTO proposals suggests that a WTO agreement is unlikely to impose significant adjustment pressures on the US sugar market beyond those created by NAFTA. The adoption of a standard program would make it easier for the US to meet its commitments under a new WTO agreement in terms of reductions in trade-distorting amber-box support. Moving to a standard program would increase the costs of the program for taxpayers but would lower costs for sugar users. Given reasonable assumptions about program parameters, the principal program cost would likely be through direct payments rather than through countercyclical or loan-deficiency payments.

Intersectional Discrimination Is Associated with Housing Instability among Trans Women Living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Trans women face numerous structural barriers to health due to discrimination. Housing instability is an important structural determinant of poor health outcomes among trans women. The purpose of this study was to determine if experiences of intersectional anti-trans and racial discrimination are associated with poor housing outcomes among trans women in the San Francisco Bay Area. A secondary analysis of baseline data from the Trans *National study (n = 629) at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (2016-2018) was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between discrimination as an ordered categorical variable (zero, one to two, or three or more experiences) and housing status adjusting for age, years lived in the Bay Area, and gender identity. We found that the odds of housing instability increased by 1.25 for every categorical unit increase (1-2, or 3+) in reported experiences of intersectional (both anti-trans and racial) discrimination for trans women (95% CI = 1.01-1.54, p-value < 0.05). Intersectional anti-trans and racial discrimination is associated with increased housing instability among trans women, giving some insight that policies and programs are needed to identify and address racism and anti-trans stigma towards trans women. Efforts to address intersectional discrimination may positively impact housing stability, with potential for ancillary effects on increasing the health and wellness of trans women who face multiple disparities

The Impact of the U.S. Sugar Program Redux

We analyze the various welfare costs, transfers, trade, and employment consequences of the current U.S. sugar program for U.S. consumers, other sugar users, sugar refiners, cane and beet growing and processing industries, other associated agricultural sectors, and world markets. The removal of the sugar program would increase U.S. consumers’ welfare by $2.9 to$3.5 billion each year and generate a modest job creation of 17,000 to 20,000 new jobs in food manufacturing and related industries. Imports of sugar containing products would fall dramatically, especially confectioneries substituting for domestic inputs under the sugar program. Sugar imports would rise substantially to 5 to 6 million short tons raw sugar equivalent. World price increases would be minor, equivalent to about 1 cent per pound

Effects of sucrose and vegetable oil on properties of native cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) starch-based edible films

Biopolymer films and coatings from polysaccharides, proteins and lipids, formulated either with one or more components have the potential to control mass transfer and thus extend food shelf life. Due to the increase in the price of starches from traditional sources (such as corn), native or modified cassava starch has been recently considered as an economic alternative for the food industry. In this study, the effects of sucrose and vegetable oil as natural, cheaper and available plasticizer and moisture barrier material, on optical, mechanical and water barrier properties of cassava starch-based films were analyzed. Visual appearance and the polarized light microscopy data revealed that oil made the film opaque, and larger oil droplets were formed as sucrose content increased. The modification of the starch network, when sucrose was used at higher concentrations (15-20%), in combination with oil, weakened mechanical and water barrier properties. The behaviour of sucrose added to aqueous starch solution, in combination with oil, favored a development of larger droplets observed by polar microscopy, and which made the film matrix discontinuous and irregular. The heterogeneity of the film structure made the composite films fragile and facilitated water vapor diffusion. However, the film formulations containing low sucrose concentration (≤ 10 %) and an oil content of 10%, significantly reduced water vapor permeability, in comparison to film without oil. The formulations of composite film with low content of sucrose (≤ 10 %) showed smaller lipidic droplets and a structure more homogeneous by polar microscopy. Film thickness increased with total solid content in film matrix, and this effect was significantly pronounced as higher sucrose content (15-20%) was present with added vegetable oil. In addition to the linking with total solid content, this study revealed that, the thickness of films depends on reordering of molecular chains to form a more compact matrix in composite starch films, and this results in further increase film thickness. The composite films, thicker than the film control, were less cohesive due to less affinity between matrix components, and this resulted in anti-plastifiant behaviour of sucrose. Thus, sucrose used at higher levels, in combination with oil, induced negative effects on mechanical and water barrier properties of polysaccharide film. This study revealed the impact of the nature of molecular interactions on the structural characteristics and functional properties of composite matrix.Keywords: cassava, biofilm, starch, sucrose, lipi

Frequency comb vernier spectroscopy in the near infrared

We perform femtosecond frequency comb vernier spectroscopy in the near infrared with a femtosecond Er doped fiber laser, a scanning high-finesse cavity and an InGaAs camera. By utilizing the properties of a frequency comb and a scanning high-finesse cavity such spectroscopy provides broad spectral bandwidth, high spectral resolution, and high detection sensitivity on a short time scale. We achieved an absorption sensitivity of ~8E-8 cm-1Hz-1/2 corresponding to a detection limit of ~70 ppbv for acetylene, with a resolution of ~1.1 GHz in single images taken in 0.5 seconds and covering a frequency range of ~5 THz. These measurements have broad applications for sensing other greenhouse gases in this fingerprint near IR region with a simple apparatus.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Land Allocation Effects of the Global Ethanol Surge: Predictions from the International FAPRI Model

We quantify the emergence of biofuel markets and its impact on U.S. and world agriculture for the coming decade using the multi-market multi-commodity international FAPRI model. The model incorporates the tradeoffs between biofuel, feed, and food production and consumption and international feedback effects of the emergence through world commodity prices and trade. We examine land allocation by type of crop, and pasture use for countries growing feedstock for ethanol (corn, sorghum, wheat, sugarcane, and other grains) and major crops competing with feedstock for land resources such as oilseeds. We shock the model with exogenous changes in ethanol demand, first in the United States, then in Brazil, China, EU, and India, and compute shock multipliers for land allocation decisions for crops and countries of interest. The multipliers show at the margin how sensitive land allocation is to the growing demand for ethanol. Land moves away from major crops and pasture competing for resources with feedstock crops. Because of the high U.S. tariff on ethanol, higher U.S. demand for ethanol translates into a U.S. ethanol production expansion. The latter has global effects on land allocation as higher coarse grains prices transmit worldwide. Changes in U.S. coarse grain prices also affect U.S. wheat and oilseeds prices, which are all transmitted to world markets. In contrast, expansion in Brazil ethanol use and production chiefly affects land used for sugarcane production in Brazil and to a lesser extent in other sugar-producing countries, but with small impact on other land uses in most countries. Keywords: Acreage, area, biofuel, corn, crops, ethanol, FAPRI model, feedstock, land, sugar, sugarcane. JEL Code: Q42 Q17 Q15ethanol; acreage; area; biofuel; corn; crops; FAPRI model; feedstock; land; sugar; sugarcane