COMMODITY POLICY COMPATIBILITY WITH FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade,

MODELING CATASTROPHIC WEATHER EVENTS AND THE RISKS OF ANIMAL WASTE SPILLS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF NORTH CAROLINA

This paper considers probabilistic models of hurricane-induced animal waste lagoon failures in North Carolina. A substantial number of waste lagoons exist in areas prone to hurricane damages. We evaluate expected losses which represent actuarially-fair insurance premium rates for a plan that would indemnify producers against damages from lagoon failures. Our results imply annual premiums ranging from under $100 per year to over$2,062 per year. An interesting result is that those areas with the highest levels of expected loss are also those areas with the greatest concentration of waste lagoons.Environmental Economics and Policy, Livestock Production/Industries,

Is Survival the Only or Even the Right Outcome for Evaluating Treatments for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest? A Proposed Test Based on Both an Intermediate and Ultimate Outcome.

It is generally agreed that the goal of resuscitation is survival with neurological and physiological status similar to that preceding the cardiac arrest. Previously I have argued that the lack of improvement in outcome from resuscitation over the past 3 to 4 decades, as compared to the substantial progress made in treatment of ischemic heart disease, is a consequence of the absence of randomized clinical trials of new interventions and the use of intermediate endpoints such as return of spontaneous circulation or admittance to hospital. Proponents of these intermediate endpoints have argued that those involved in the resuscitation have no control over what care is undertaken in the hospital and hence hospital mortality only adds noise, at best, thus making survival a less sensitive and less relevant endpoint for evaluation of resuscitation interventions. Recent reports of improvement in hospital survival have caused me to consider that their argument may have more validity than I had supposed. In this note I propose a test that gives weight both to the intermediate endpoint and survival. The test is responsive to the primary goal of testing survival with limited loss of power compared to a test based only on the intermediate endpoint. The test is illustrated with several examples

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSACTIONS COSTS, AND MARKETED SURPLUS IN KENYA

We develop a conceptual framework for quantifying fixed transactions costs facing semisubsistence households. Using household survey data from a sample of 324 Kenyan maize farmers, we generate estimates of household supply and demand schedules, as well as the price bands that they face. Our econometric results indicate that on average the ad valorem tax equivalent of the fixed transactions costs facing the households in our sample is 28%. Additional analysis indicates that both remoteness and infrastructure quality have significant impacts on the size of the transactions costs facing farm households. To the best of our knowledge, ours are the first empirical estimates of the magnitude of transactions costs.Marketing,

Effect of salts on the setting time of silicic acid gels

It has been stated by Prasad and Hattiangadi (1) that the process of setting of mixtures of solutions of sodium silicate and acetic acid consists of three stages: (a) The formation of silicic acid by the interaction of the acid with sodium silicate (b) The formation of the colloidal solution of silicic acid (c) The coagulation of the colloidal solution by the electrolytes liberated in the first reaction The present investigation was undertaken with a view to examine the effect produced on the time of setting of the silicic acid gels by the addition of extra quantities of electrolytes to the gel-forming mixtures. As the pH of the gel-forming mixture has a marked effect on the time of setting any change in pH of the mixture due to the addition of the electrolyte was carefully noted

Parental involvement in middle school mathematics

This study evaluated the impact of the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) program developed by the National Network of Partnership Schools. Data collection methods included session pre-and post-assessments of parents, structured parent journal questions, a parent focus group, and researcher field notes. A purposeful sample of parents was selected from 105 students enrolled in pre-algebra at a lower-class primarily Hispanic middle school in Southern California. All of these parents--27 parents of 23 of these low-achieving students--were invited and agreed to participate after an initial recruitment and orientation meeting. Meetings days and time were selected based upon teacher and parent availability. The findings from parents\u27 reports after the 10 TIPS sessions indicated that having the parent participate in these structured workshops with their child was beneficial for several reasons: (a) changed their cultural norm of limited communication with their child\u27s teacher, (b) increased support for their child\u27s progress and how to respond to their child at home with homework, (c) increased interaction and communication with their child about school and homework, and (d) increased understanding of what their child was learning. Ninety-two percent indicated that they were more knowledgeable and confident on how to support their child with homework and that their degree of involvement changed after the workshops. Instead of using only the student agenda as their ways to communicate with the school, they reported that they attended teacher conferences and called the teacher. Ninety-two percent used other resources, 72% of the parents sat next to their child while doing homework and 60% read to their child even if it was difficult for them to understand English. However, 92% also wanted additional work regarding homework and how to be more active in their child\u27s education. Initially, the researcher prepared and then parents volunteered meals, accepting responsibility for the program. Across the sessions, parents bonded as a group, changed their participation in school homework, and reported that the TIPS program provided communication tools that empowered them to step out of their own traditional cultural role and norm to advocate for their child\u27s education