Merging Educational Finance Reform and Desegregation Goals

Educational finance reforms and desegregation have both sought to address inequities in educational opportunities for minorities and low income families. The recent methods of addressing desegregation issues have tended to focus on attaining racial balance rather than educational quality, however. This paper explores how desegregation goals can be merged with educational finance reform to more systematically address educational quality in schools serving low income and minority populations. By moving toward centralized control over school financing, the inequity of school outcomes that are based on unequal school resources can be reduced. In addition, state determined expenditures when combined with desegregation monies, would meet the original intention of desegregation funds by clearly providing add-on monies for additional services for minority children, while at the same time, creating a better monitoring mechanism

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from Ontario chickens

In Canada, there is a lack of data regarding broad-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli in chickens. This thesis aimed to identify and characterize broad-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli in chickens coming from small and large-scale flocks. Chickens coming from small-scale flocks are not included as part of the Canadian national antimicrobial resistance surveillance program. We performed our study on this understudied bird population to identify broad spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli. Following PCR and DNA sequencing in order to identify resistance genes, isolates were further characterized by PFGE to determine their relatedness. A subset of samples was subjected to MLST to determine if human resistance pandemic clones (E. coli ST131) were present in this chicken population. CTX-M-1 and CMY-2 were identified as predominant ESBL and AmpC β-lactamase genes. The population was genetically heterogeneous, only 32 out of 226 isolates formed clusters. None of the isolates were tested by MLST were ST131. We also conducted a comparative study of archived samples from chickens raised in large-scale flocks; stored samples were screened for 3rd generation cephalosporin resistance using CHROMagar ESBL (selective media). The results of this testing were compared to the findings of CIPARS to determine the value of including selective media in resistance surveillance programs. Following antimicrobial susceptibility testing by microbroth dilution, isolates resistant to 3GC were screened for ESBL and AmpC producing genes using PCR. The majority of the isolates were multi-drug resistance. Like chickens from small-scale flocks, CTX-M-1 and CMY-2 were found to be the predominant broad-spectrum β-lactamases

Whether crop diversification is energy efficient: An empirical analysis from Bangladesh

This study examines whether crop diversification provides economy in energy use and improves technical energy efficiency using a large survey data of 2,075 farms from 20 sub-districts of 17 districts in Bangladesh by applying a stochastic input-distance function approach. The results reveal that cereal production significantly increases energy use by 0.14% for every one percent increase` in output. Renewable source of energy constitutes 59.6% of total inputs and labour energy alone constitutes 39%. Significant output complementarity exists between cereal and oilseed enterprises but competition exist between jute with pulse and/or oilseed enterprises. The mean technical energy efficiency is estimated at 68% implying that energy output can be increased by 32% by eliminating inefficiency. Diversification amongst enterprises is associated with energy inefficiency, implying that specialization into cereals improves efficiency. Large farms are inefficient whereas large family size improves efficiency. The key policy implication is that diversification of crop enterprises must maintain cereal (i.e., rice/wheat/maize) as the main base and then add non-cereal crops (e.g., oilseeds) in order to improve energy economy. Also, diversification within cereals from rice monoculture to wheat and/or maize will significantly improve technical energy efficiency

Determinants of crop diversity in the regions of Bangladesh (1990-2008)

The paper measures the level of crop diversity and identifies factors influencing diversification using a panel data of 17 regions of Bangladesh covering a 19 year period (1990-2008). Results revealed the trends that agricultural areas allocated to high-yielding variety rice, spices and vegetables has increased, while areas cultivating traditional rice, minor cereals, oilseeds, pulses, jute and sugarcane has declined at variable rates across regions with significant differences. The level of crop diversity is also significantly different across regions and has decreased in 2008 from its 1990 level in most regions except Faridpur, Khulna and Sylhet. Among the determinants, an increase in the relative prices of vegetables and urea fertilizer, extension expenditure, labour stock per farm, average farm size, irrigation and a reduction in livestock per farm significantly increase crop diversity. Price policies to improve vegetable prices and investment in irrigation infrastructure and extension services are suggested to promote crop diversity in Bangladesh

Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh: the nature of cooperation and conflicts

There are altogether 411 haors comprising an area of about 8000 square kilometer, covering 25% of entire region dispersed in the districts of Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Hobigonj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj. Sunamganj district is particularly known as a district of haors and baors where a large number of people depend on fishing for their livelihood. Some people are basically fishermen and fish all the year round. Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) project has been initiated in this area to develop fishery sector as well as for the development of the inland fishermen of haor area. Healthy cooperation among the beneficiaries of the project is very much present and some NGOs are found working actively there to help the fishermen for the sound implementation of the project. But the influentials of different villages around create troubles and conflicts intentionally in the project area because of which fishermen cannot fish smoothly and the implementation of the project is getting hampered. Therefore, a kind of consensus needs to be reached among the inhabitants of the haor area and a powerful association of the fishermen should be established so that fishing may be undertaken in the beel without having any troubles and conflicts. In this article the conflicts and cooperation that are in existence in the implementation process of CBFM project in the haor areas of Sunamgonj district have been discussed. Some suggestions have been offered in the paper to overcome the existing conflicts impeding the smooth implementation of CBFM project in the fishery sector of haor area under Sunamganj district

Impact of urea price change on the economic optimum level of N fertilizer use in HYV rice and its yield in Bangladesh

The study estimates the impact of change in urea price on the economic optimum level of N fertilizer use in HYV rice and its yield in Bangladesh using a large set of experimental data of BRRI from 15 regions covering an 11 year period (2001–2011). Results revealed that the level of N fertilizer used in experiments to increase HYV rice yield was far lower than the economic optimum level in Aman and Boro seasons but higher in Aus season. The discrepancy was highest for HYV Boro rice closely followed by HYV Aman rice. Simulation exercise revealed that an increase in real price of urea by 50% will exert a 4% reduction in optimum dose of N fertilizer in HYV Aman rice and reduce yield by 101.2 kg/ha which is substantial. The corresponding effect on HYV Boro rice is relatively lower and negligible for HYV Aus rice. The result highlights the dilemma and the detrimental effect of urea price increase on the yield of HYV Aman rice which is the main source of food grain supply for the nation. Therefore, price policy should be geared towards controlling relative price of urea which can be met by a combination of subsidizing urea price and/or improving rice price

Shock and awe : the U.S. led invasion and the struggle of Iraq’s non-Muslim minorities

This paper examines the transformations that took place in the discourse of Iraq’s non-Muslim minorities after the U.S. led invasion in 2003. By looking at the first three years of the invasion, this research captures the emergence of sectarian identities among Iraq’s Mandaeans and Christians. Relying on never-before examined evidence, this paper argues that the invasion caused these minorities to adopt clear sectarian tendencies as a reaction to a political environment that was becoming less secular every day. While all members of these two groups did not share similar political views, most of them started expressing themselves politically based on sectarian grounds.Middle Eastern Studie