Fuel subsidies versus market power : is there a countervailing second-best optimum?

Fuel subsidies distort end-use prices below cost, resulting in overconsumption and huge environmental cost. On the other hand, the mark-up over cost due to the exercise of market power results in the social loss of consumer surplus. We open a new line of inquiry into the potential for a market-based solution from these two countervailing forces: can the two offsetting distortions conceivably achieve a second- best optimum? Relying on dynamic panel techniques and gasoline market data for 68 developing countries, we uncover an excessive second-best subsidy offset to market power mark-up on the order of 4.5. Our results indicate that the potential for policy failure strongly exceeds the potential for market failure in our model, and gasoline prices across our sample may not be aligned with vigorous anti-climate change policy

Composition of Arkansas Grapes During Maturation

Changes in organic acid and glucose content during maturation and ripening of grapes grown in Arkansas in 1973 are shown for four French hybrid varieties, S5279, S10878, SV23- 657, and S13053, and for four rotundifolia varieties, Scuppernong, Tarheel, Fry, and Magoon. In all varieties the concentrations of malates and tartrates were highest in the early stages of berry growth after veraison. During ripening the titratable acidity decreased and Balling and pH measurements increased. Although varieties reached maturity on different dates, changes in parameters followed similar curves typical for grapes of the species but occurring over a short period (Johnson and Nagel 1976, Winkler 1970). Rotundifolia varieties showed unacceptable Balling-acid ratios as well as irregular maturation progress in the study period

Looking Beyond a Rare Presentation of Betel Nut Use in a North American Patient- an Opportunity for Lessons and Intervention in Global Health and Gender Equity

Betel nut is estimated to be the fourth most common psychoactive substance used globally behind caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine with 600 million global users. Betel nut use has a strong association with oral cancer and many other systemic effects including oral submucosal fibrosis. Although North American use is rare, its enduring effects may surface long after use posing a diagnostic challenge to practitioners caring for an increasingly global diaspora. Herein, we present a patient with severe trismus due to advanced oral submucosal fibrosis who was unexpectedly found to be importing and using Betel nut for over thirty years after immigrating. The prevalence of use in North America is unknown due to a paucity of current epidemiologic data. Betel nut side effects include a strong association with oral squamous cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis, and cardiovascular disease, among others. However, there remains widespread lack of attributable risk awareness and entrenched social norms that permit betel nut use in early childhood in endemic areas. Importantly, women often bear a higher proportion of betel nut-related disease not only due to limited means of healthcare access but also due to cultural norms that often discourage women from smoking tobacco and instead encourage betel nut use. Here, standard tobacco and cancer screening had the potential to overlook a silent but significant driver of poor health. This case demonstrates a need for awareness of betel nut availability and its effects in the North American context. Moreover, it underscores the judicious care warranted for migrant patients who may have a history of exposure to betel nut and other imported cultural habits of clinical importance; these considerations are relevant to the individualized provision of culturally informed, gender equitable care

Influence Of Environmental Conditions On Performance And Heart Rate Responses To The 30-15 Incremental Fitness Test In Rugby Union Athletes

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in performance and heart rate responses between a high heat outdoor condition (34.0°C, 64.1% humidity) and a temperate indoor condition (22.0°C, 50.0% humidity) during the 30-15 intermittent fitness test (30-15IFT). Eight highly trained Rugby Union players (28.1 +/- 1.5 years, 181.4 +/- 8.8 cm, 88.4 +/- 13.3kg) completed the 30-15IFT in two different temperature conditions. Dependant variables recorded and analysed included; final running speed of the 30-15IFT, heart rate (HR) at rest (HR rest), maximum HR (Max HR), HR recovery (HRR), average HR (HR ave) and sub-maximal HR corresponding to 25%, 50% and 75% of final test speed (HR 25%, HR 50% and HR 75%) and HR at 13 km[middle dot]h-1 (HR 13 km[middle dot]h-1). Greater running speeds were achieved when the test was conducted indoors (19.4 +/- 0.7 km[middle dot]h-1 vs. 18.6 +/- 0.6 km·h-1, p = 0.002, d = 1.67). HR ave and HR 13 km·h-1 were greater when the test was conducted outdoors (p 0.85). Large effect sizes were observed for the greater HR at submaximal intensities (d > 0.90). The results of this study highlight the influence of temperature on 30-15IFT performance and cardiac responses. It is recommended that prescription of training based on 30-15IFT results reflects the temperature that the training will be performed in and that practitioners acknowledge that a meaningful change in assessment results can be the result of seasonal temperature change rather than training induced change

Professional teaching standards and inclusion in teacher education: Insights from a hearing-impaired health and physical education pre-service teacher’s professional experience

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) is a critical arena for advancing inclusion in Health and Physical Education (HPE). This paper reports research that is engaging with the diversity of the HPE profession and practitioners. It centres on a unique case study that critically explored the school-based professional experience of an Australian secondary HPE Pre-service Teacher (PsT) who has a hearing impairment. Specifically, to enable PST success in HPE professional experiences as defined by the professional standards for teachers in Australia and to which, PSTs’ must evidence to graduate and attain teacher registration. Drawing on documentary and interview data the paper focuses on tensions identified between the bureaucratic environment of ITE and the legislation of ‘reasonable adjustments’ for students with additional needs. Discussion highlights the expertise that PsTs with additional needs can bring to inform institutional and sector-wide work to advance equity and inclusion in ITE. Our research shows that graduate employability of peoples with additional needs in HPE teacher education relies on the inclusive interpretation and application of the professional standards for teachers. We advocate further research to increase knowledge(s) supporting (i) the representation of people with additional needs in HPE teaching and (ii) inclusive practice in HPE ITE courses

STATURE AND LOAD AFFECT THE WALK TO RUN TRANSITION SPEED

Military personnel are often required to march “in-step” while carrying heavy loads. For example, the two speeds required to complete the role fitness test for the British Army are close to the preferred walking speed and preferred walk-to-run transition speed (PTS) for healthy adults when unloaded. PTS depends on anthropometry, including stature. Walking at speeds markedly different to PTS has been associated with increased metabolic cost and increased joint loading. There is also limited research into how this PTS is affected by load carriage. To minimise the risk of injury, there is a need to understand how load carriage affects PTS. This study found PTS for male and female personnel decreased with increased load carried, and that female personnel tended to transition from walking to running earlier than male personnel. The relationship between PTS and stature became more positive as load increased, irrespective of sex. Due to the association between deviating from preferred walking gait and increases in joint loading, these findings may have implications for the risk of injury in military personnel who are required to march “in-step”

Non-Abelian (p,q) Strings in the Warped Deformed Conifold

We calculate the tension of $(p,q)$-strings in the warped deformed conifold using the non-Abelian DBI action. In the large flux limit, we find exact agreement with the recent expression obtained by Firouzjahi, Leblond and Henry-Tye up to and including order $1/M^2$ terms if $q$ is also taken to be large. Furthermore using the finite $q$ prescription for the symmetrised trace operation we anticipate the most general expression for the tension valid for any $(p,q)$. We find that even in this instance, corrections to the tension scale as $1/M^2$ which is not consistent with simple Casimir scaling.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, 1 figure; Added a discussion of the case when the warp factor parameter $b\neq 1$ and typos correcte