Immigration Background and the Intergenerational Correlation in Education

This paper analyzes the degree of intergenerational education mobility among immigrant and native-born youth in Australia. We find that young Australians from non-English-speaking background (NESB) immigrant families have an educational advantage over their English-speaking background (ESB) immigrant and Australian-born peers. Moreover, while highly-educated Australian-born mothers and fathers transfer separate and roughly equal educational advantages to their children, outcomes for ESB (NESB) youth are most closely linked to the educational attainment of their fathers (mothers). On balance, intergenerational mobility in families with two highly-educated parents appears to be much the same for Australian-born and ESB families and is somewhat greater for NESB families. Finally, the greater importance that NESB mothers attribute to education appears to mitigate the educational penalty associated with socio-economic disadvantage.education, immigration, intergenerational

Quantum Safety Metrics Framework for Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Operators

Commercial unmanned aircraft systems continue to increase in applications and diversity; however, mishaps and accidents erode safety, investment return, and efficiency. Most unmanned aircraft accidents are preceded by leading indicators; the ability to forecast and quantify these may provide increased safety and profitability. This mixed-method research study used a non-experimental parallel convergence approach with multiple instruments, multiple-case study n = 22, and one exemplar case design to develop a quantum safety metric program. This study used a combination of previously validated methods as development instruments, including; the HFACS, STAMP, \u27Sierra Scale,\u27 and Accident Prevention Effort equations. The study extended the Accident Prevention Effort and Sierra Scale equation to determine quantum safety metrics at the time of an accident, and enable benchmark accident prevention values. This new quantum safety metrics program for small commercial unmanned aircraft operators may be replicated and applied to specific types of operating environments, for predictive and optimal safety performance

Comparison of a new multiplex real-time PCR with the Kato Katz thick smear and copro-antigen ELISA for the detection and differentiation of Taenia spp. in human stools

Background : Taenia solium, the cause of neurocysticercosis (NCC), has significant socioeconomic impacts on communities in developing countries. This disease, along with taeniasis is estimated to infect 2.5 to 5 million people globally. Control of T. solium NCC necessitates accurate diagnosis and treatment of T. solium taeniasis carriers. In areas where all three species of Taenia tapeworms (T. solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica) occur sympatrically, conventional microscope-and copro-antigen based diagnostic methods are unable to distinguish between these three Taenia species. Molecular diagnostic tools have been developed to overcome this limitation; however, conventional PCR-based techniques remain unsuitable for large-scale deployment in community-based surveys. Moreover, a real-time PCR (qPCR) for the discrimination of all three species of Taenia in human stool does not exist. This study describes the development and validation of a new triplex Taq-Man probe-based qPCR for the detection and discrimination of all three Taenia human tapeworms in human stools collected from communities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The diagnostic characteristics of the test are compared with conventional Kato Katz (KK) thick smear and copro-antigen ELISA (cAgELISA) method utilizing fecal samples from a community based cross-sectional study. Using this new multiplex real-time PCR we provide an estimate of the true prevalence of taeniasis in the source population for the community based cross-sectional study. Methodology/Principal findings : Primers and TaqMan probes for the specific amplification of T. solium, T. saginata and T. asiatica were designed and successfully optimized to target the internal transcribed spacer I (ITS-1) gene of T. solium and the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COX-1) gene of T. saginata and T. asiatica. The newly designed triplex qPCR (T3qPCR) was compared to KK and cAgELISA for the detection of Taenia eggs in stool samples collected from 342 individuals in Dak Lak province, Central Highlands of Vietnam. The overall apparent prevalence of taeniasis in Dak Lak province was 6.72% (95% confidence interval (CI) [3.94-9.50]) in which T. solium accounted for 1.17% (95% CI [0.37-3.17]), according to the T3qPCR. There was sympatric presence of T. solium, T. saginata and T. asiatica. The T3qPCR proved superior to KK and cAgELISA for the detection and differentiation of Taenia species in human feces. Diagnostic sensitivities of 0.94 (95% credible interval (CrI) [0.88-0.98]), 0.82 (95% CrI [0.58-0.95]) and 0.52 (95% CrI [0.07-0.94]), and diagnostic specificities of 0.98 (95% CrI [0.94-1.00]), 0.91 (95% CrI [0.85-0.96]) and 0.99 (95% CrI [0.96-1.00]) were estimated for the diagnosis of taeniasis for the T3qPCR, cAgELISA and KK thick smear in this study, respectively. Conclusions : T3qPCR is not only superior to the KK thick smear and cAgELISA in terms of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, but it also has the advantage of discriminating between species of Taenia eggs in stools. Application of this newly developed T3qPCR has identified the existence of all three human Taenia tapeworms in Dak Lak province and proves for the first time, the existence of T. asiatica in the Central Highlands and the south of Vietnam

Eigenvalue analysis for plain-woven fabric structure using shell element and one smoothing cell in the smoothed finite element method

An efficient four-node quadrilateral (Q4) shell element based on the first-order shear deformation theory of plate (FSDT) and the strain smoothing technique in finite elements (referred as SFEM) was proposed for eigenvalue analysis of plain-woven fabric structure. A one smoothing domain (or cell) integration scheme in SFEM was proposed to evaluate the nodal train fields of Q4 shell elements. The numerical result of eigenvalue analysis, which was in the case of free vibration analysis, approximated to that one implemented in the finite element method (FEM) but gave a higher efficiency in computation in terms of central processing unit (CPU) time and numerical implementation.The authors wish to express their acknowledgment to FCT funding from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project “PEST UID/CTM/00264; POCI-01-0145-FEDER 007136

Buckling analysis of plain-woven fabric structure using shell element and a one cell-based integration scheme in smoothed finite element method

A one smoothing cell integration scheme in the strain smoothing technique in finite elements (referred as SFEM) was proposed to evaluate the nodal train fields of a four-node quadrilateral (Q4) shell element, which is based on the first-order shear deformation theory of plate (FSDT). A mixed interpolation of tensorial components (MITC) approaches for Q4 transverse shear strains also applied to eliminate a shear locking phenomenon that may occur when the thin plate/shell elements are geometrically distorted in curved geometries of fabric sheet. The numerical eigenvalues of buckling analysis of a plain-woven fabric sample, of which physical and mechanical parameters extracted from Kawabata evaluation system for fabrics (KES-FB), obtained a higher efficiency in numerical computation and approximated to Q4 shell element implemented in the finite element method (FEM).The authors wish to express their acknowledgment to FCT funding from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project “PEST UID/CTM/00264; POCI-01-0145-FEDER 007136”

How cheap can hygienic latrines be?

A construction and operation costing of 12 types of hygienic latrines widely used in rural areas of Vietnam and presented in the Hygienic latrine Manual of the Ministry of Health, using traditional construction materials has been conducted. The cost of latrines using traditional construction materials is ranging from USD37.5 (VIP) to USD194.4 (Septic tank constructed by brick for treatment of black and grey wastewater from sitting bowl toilet). Annually averted O&M costs of Vietnamese latrines range from USD1.86 (VIP) to USD 4.58 (wet latrine with septic tank) per capita per year. Costs of hygienic latrines can be further reduced, applying solutions such as using local materials for construction, reducing the tank volume by using the water-saving flushing devices or applying more frequent tank emptying services and mass production of latrine components. The less a hygienic latrine costs, the more chance for poor people in different places can get access to improved sanitation