Felony Disenfranchisement Rates for Women

The United States stands alone on the global stage in terms of the scope and restrictiveness of its felony disenfranchisement laws. In 48 states and the District of Columbia, persons who are incarcerated for a felony offense are not eligible to vote while in prison. In 35 of these states, persons on probation and/or parole for a felony conviction are also ineligible to vote, and in 10 of these states a felony conviction can result in the loss of voting rights for life. As of yearend 2004, nearly 5.3 million Americans were unable to vote as a result of a current or prior felony conviction. African Americans, who are disproportionately represented at each stage of the criminal justice system, from arrest and conviction through sentencing and incarceration, have acutely experienced the impact of this policy. This results in a dilution of the political voice of many communities of color and further alienates neighborhoods with high-density incarceration and correctional supervision, thereby exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.Because the majority of persons under correctional supervision are male -- 93% of persons in prison, 77% of persons on probation, and 88% of persons on parole -- much of the attention given to felony disenfranchisement policy has focused upon its impact on males. While the effect of this policy among African American males has been widely documented -- in some states one in four black males is denied the right to vote due to a felony conviction -- less is known about the impact on women, particularly women of color. In an effort to provide a greater understanding of the wide-ranging impact of felony disenfranchisement policy, this briefing paper analyzes existing data to construct estimates of felony disenfranchisement rates for women

Branching ratios and CP asymmetries in charmless nonleptonic B decays to radially excited mesons

Nonleptonic two body B decays including radially excited $\pi(1300)$ or $\rho(1450)$ mesons in the final state are studied using the framework of generalized naive factorization approach. Branching ratios and CP asymmetries of $B\to P\pi(1300)$, $B\to V\pi(1300)$, $B\to P\rho(1450)$ and $B\to V\rho(1450)$ decays are calculated, where P and V stand for pseudoscalar and vector charmless mesons. Form factors for $B\to \pi(1300)$ and $B\to \rho(1450)$ transitions are estimated in the improved version of the Isgur-Scora-Grinstein-Wise quark model. In some processes, CP asymmetries of more than 10% and branching ratios of $10^{-5}$ order are found, which could be reached in experiments.Comment: 18 pages, 11 table

NGC 1300 Dynamics: II. The response models

We study the stellar response in a spectrum of potentials describing the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300. These potentials have been presented in a previous paper and correspond to three different assumptions as regards the geometry of the galaxy. For each potential we consider a wide range of $\Omega_p$ pattern speed values. Our goal is to discover the geometries and the $\Omega_p$ supporting specific morphological features of NGC 1300. For this purpose we use the method of response models. In order to compare the images of NGC 1300 with the density maps of our models, we define a new index which is a generalization of the Hausdorff distance. This index helps us to find out quantitatively which cases reproduce specific features of NGC 1300 in an objective way. Furthermore, we construct alternative models following a Schwarzschild type technique. By this method we vary the weights of the various energy levels, and thus the orbital contribution of each energy, in order to minimize the differences between the response density and that deduced from the surface density of the galaxy, under certain assumptions. We find that the models corresponding to $\Omega_p\approx16$\ksk and $\Omega_p\approx22$\ksk are able to reproduce efficiently certain morphological features of NGC 1300, with each one having its advantages and drawbacks.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

D^+_s -> pi^+ pi^+ pi^- decay: the 1^3P_0 s anti-s component in scalar-isoscalar mesons

On the basis of data on the decay D^+_s -> pi^+ pi^+ pi^-, which goes dominantly via the transition D_s -> pi^+ s anti-s, we evaluate the 1^3P_0 s anti-s components in the scalar-isoscalar resonances f0(980), f0(1300), f0(1500) and broad state f0(1200-1600)$. The data point to a large s anti-s component in the f0(980): 40% < s anti-s < 70%. Nearly 30% of the 1^3P_0 s anti-s component flows to the mass region 1300-1500 MeV being shared by f0(1300), f0(1500) and broad state f0(1200-1600): the interference of these states results in a peak near 1400 MeV with the width around 200 MeV.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, epsfi

The Effects of a First Year Engineering Class Using the SCALE-Up Method on Student Retention and Subsequent Student Pass Rates

Due to the increased demand for engineers, the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) created a new, first year engineering class using the Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies (SCALE-Up) method to specifically address engineering student retention by encouraging student persistence and success throughout their academic career. Since UTA enjoys a very diverse student population with varying learning styles, socio-economic backgrounds, and prior knowledge and preparation, the SCALE-Up method was chosen due to its reliance on problem-based, active learning strategies, peer instruction through teamwork, and peer leaders within the classroom. After two and a half years of implementation of this class, known as ENGR 1300 – Engineering Problem Solving, this paper will explore the first year and second year engineering retention rates. This comparison will show that engineering retention rates have increased since ENGR 1300 was implemented. Further, this paper will show this increase occurs across multiple student type groups, provided that the student take ENGR 1300 in their first semester. Finally, to assess the positive effects of the new class, this paper will show that the pass rates of three subsequent mechanical engineering classes, Statics, Dynamics, and Strength of Materials, increased after ENGR 1300 was implemented.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Spartan Daily November 2, 2009

Volume 133, Issue 33https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/1300/thumbnail.jp

NGC 1300 Dynamics: III. Orbital analysis

We present the orbital analysis of four response models, that succeed in reproducing morphological features of NGC 1300. Two of them assume a planar (2D) geometry with $\Omega_p$=22 and 16 \ksk respectively. The two others assume a cylindrical (thick) disc and rotate with the same pattern speeds as the 2D models. These response models reproduce most successfully main morphological features of NGC 1300 among a large number of models, as became evident in a previous study. Our main result is the discovery of three new dynamical mechanisms that can support structures in a barred-spiral grand design system. These mechanisms are presented in characteristic cases, where these dynamical phenomena take place. They refer firstly to the support of a strong bar, of ansae type, almost solely by chaotic orbits, then to the support of spirals by chaotic orbits that for a certain number of pat tern revolutions follow an n:1 (n=7,8) morphology, and finally to the support of spiral arms by a combination of orbits trapped around L$_{4,5}$ and sticky chaotic orbits with the same Jacobi constant. We have encountered these dynamical phenomena in a large fraction of the cases we studied as we varied the parameters of our general models, without forcing in some way their appearance. This suggests that they could be responsible for the observed morphologies of many barred-spiral galaxies. Comparing our response models among themselves we find that the NGC 130 0 morphology is best described by a thick disc model for the bar region and a 2D disc model for the spirals, with both components rotating with the same pattern speed $\Omega_p$=16 \ksk !. In such a case, the whole structure is included inside the corotation of the system. The bar is supported mainly by regular orbits, while the spirals are supported by chaotic orbits.Comment: 18 pages, 32 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Medieval property investors, ca. 1300-1500

This paper utilises a dataset of freehold land and property transactions from medieval England to highlight the growing commercialisation of the economy. By drawing on the legal records we are able to demonstrate that the medieval real estate market provided the opportunity for investors to profit. Careful analysis of the data provides evidence of group purchases, multiple transactions and investors buying outside of their own locality. The identification of these ‘investors’ and their buying behaviours, set within the context of the English medieval economy, contributes to the early commercialisation debate

Investigation of the bandwidth of multimode optical fibers used with 1550-nm LED and laser sources

Multimode optical fibers are not intended to be used with 1550-nm sources; however, it is desirable to utilize 1300/1550-nm wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) on some multimode fibers at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). No information from fiber vendors nor from the literature is available to support this use. Preliminary studies at KSC have suggested that these fibers might be usable at 1550-nm if the fibers possessed enough bandwidth when sourced by LEDs. Detailed bandwidth studies were made on 12 multimode fibers using 1300- and 1550-nm lasers and LEDs. The results showed that the modal bandwidth at 1550-nm was about 50 percent of the 1300-nm value and that the chromatic dispersion could be predicted by extrapolating the vendor's specifications for wavelengths outside the 1550-nm region. Utilizing these data, predictions of the fiber's optical bandwidth were accurately made. Problems with launch conditions and possible differential attenuation at connectors was noted at 1300-nm but was less significant at 1550-nm. It appears that the multimode fibers studied will offer adequate performance in the 1550-nm region for a number of current KSC needs. Studies of additional fibers are encouraged to gain more confidence and better understanding of the 1550-nm bandwidth of KSC's multimode optical fibers before committing to 1300/1550-nm WDM

Dust emission in the Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud core

A model is presented for the dust emission from the Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud core which reproduces the observed spectrum between 30 and 1300 micron, as well as the distribution of the emission at 1300 micron. The model is based on the assumption that Sgr B2(N) continuum source is located behind the dust cloud associated with Sgr B2(M) continuum source. The fact that Sgr B2(N) is stronger at 1300 micron can be attributed to a local column density maximum at the position of this source. Absence of a 53 micron emission peak at the position of Sgr B2(N) suggests that the luminosity of the north source is lower than that of the middle source