A note on race, ethnicity and nativity differentials in remarriage in the United States

The objectives of this study are to produce up-to-date estimates of race/ethnic/nativity differentials for remarriage and repartnership among women in the United States and to see if these differences are due to across-group differences in demographic characteristics. First, we produce lifetable estimates of remarriage and repartnering for white, black, U.S. born Latina and foreign born Latina women. Next, we estimate race/ethnic/nativity differentials for remarriage and repartnership using event-history analysis with and without controls for demographic characteristics. The results suggest a continued overall decline in remarriage rates, while many women repartner by cohabitating. Whites are more likely than blacks or Latinas to remarry and they are also more likely to repartner. Race/ethnic/nativity differentials remain even after accounting for variations in demographic characteristics. This suggests that race/ethnic/nativity differentials in remarriage and repartnering rates, rather than ameliorating disadvantages associated with divorce, reinforce these differentials.cohabitation, divorce, ethnicity, nativity, remarriage

Black Lives Matter as a Claim of Fundamental Law

In this Article, I argue that we should understand #BlackLivesMatter as a claim on the Constitution—a very special kind of constitutional claim, on the Constitution as fundamental law. It is a paradigmatic contemporary example of this category of constitutional law for citizens, one that reaches back past the roots of the American Revolution and underlies the logic of popular sovereignty at the core of our system. Section I develops a conceptual sketch of fundamental law and its features. Section II then turns to the content of “Black Lives Matter” as a constitutional principle and traces its position in the arc of Black constitutional thought, from the emancipatory protestantism of Frederick Douglass to the provocations of Judge Bruce Wright and beyond. Section III explains why this principle matches the features of fundamental law and why it matters—developing the idea of the “constitutional bases of respect” and exploring the consequences of “Black Lives Matter” as a mediating principle in several areas of constitutional doctrine

Paper Session II-B - The Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) Network and Pathfinder Missions

The objective of the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) Network mission is to establish a global network of small science stations on the surface of Mars to operate concurrently over a minimum of one martian year. MESUR Network is viewed as an evolutionary and affordable step in the scientific characterization of the martian environment following Viking and Mars Observer and preceding sample return and human exploration missions. The full network is envisioned to consist of 10 - 20 landers providing pole-to-pole coverage of the planet. The broad science objectives of the MESUR Network mission are to characterize the martian environment in terms of atmospheric structure, internal structure, global atmospheric circulation, surface chemistry, and surface morphology. The strawman science payload for the Network mission includes an atmospheric structure package (pressure, temperature, and acceleration measurements during descent), cameras for descent and surface imaging, 3-axis seismometer, meteorology package (surface pressure, temperature, and wind velocity), Alpha/Proton/X-Ray Spectrometer, Thermal Analyzer/Evolved Gas Analyzer, radio science experiments, and others. The MESUR Network project start is targeted for FY 1996 with the first launch anticipated in 1999. A precursor to the MESUR Network mission, designated MESUR Pathfinder, is targeted for an FY 1994 project start. The objective of the Pathfinder mission is to conduct the engineering demonstrations required prior to the full commitment of funds to develop and proceed with the MESUR Network mission. The primary engineering test performed by Pathfinder will be of an entry, descent, and landing approach which employs an aeroshell, parachute, air bags, and a lander petal system; but no propulsion. This passive entry, descent, and landing system is required to decelerate the vehicle from high entry velocity, achieve a semi-hard landing on the martian surface, and establish an upright configuration for the surface operational phase of the mission

Paper Session III-B - The 1998 Mars Surveyor Lander and Orbiter Project

The Mars Surveyor Program has been developed as an aggressive, but tightly cost-constrained, program to explore Mars over the decade from 1997 through 2006. Small orbiters and landers built by industry will be launched at 26 months intervals dictated by the relative motion of Earth and Mars in their orbits around the sun. These multiple launches of small spacecraft will provide significant science return in a program that is not reliant on the success of any single component or mission. The Mars Surveyor Program for the 1998 Earth-Mars transfer opportunity consists of a lander and an orbiter mission both managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA within the 1998 Mars Surveyor Lander and Orbiter Project organization. The general science theme for the 1998 Surveyor missions is “Volatiles and Climate History.” The orbiter and lander spacecraft will be launched in December 1998 and January 1999 respectively, on separate Med-Lite launch vehicles (Delta 7425 configuration) procured by NASA from McDonnell Douglas. A single system development contract for both the lander and orbite

Exponential sum approximations for t−βt^{-\beta}

Given $\beta>0$ and $\delta>0$, the function $t^{-\beta}$ may be approximated for $t$ in a compact interval $[\delta,T]$ by a sum of terms of the form $we^{-at}$, with parameters $w>0$ and $a>0$. One such an approximation, studied by Beylkin and Monz\'on, is obtained by applying the trapezoidal rule to an integral representation of $t^{-\beta}$, after which Prony's method is applied to reduce the number of terms in the sum with essentially no loss of accuracy. We review this method, and then describe a similar approach based on an alternative integral representation. The main difference is that the new approach achieves much better results before the application of Prony's method; after applying Prony's method the performance of both is much the same.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures. I have completely rewritten this paper because after uploading the previous version I realised that there is a much better approach. Note the change to the title. Have included minor corrections following revie

Accuracy of momentary time sampling : a comparison of varying interval lengths using SOFIT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has made the promotion of regular physical activity a national health objective, and experts believe that physical education can play a significant role in the promotion of physical activity. Feasible measurement tools to assess physical activity behavior, by physical educators, are lacking. One validated instrument is the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT; McKenzie, Sallis & Nader, 1991). SOFIT's physical activity data are collected using momentary time sampling (MTS) with a 20-second interval length and provide estimates of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA). Whether variations in interval lengths would adversely affect the accuracy of the MVPA data has not been investigated. From a clinical perspective, if physical education teachers are to utilize MTS procedures for on-going assessment they will require longer time intervals to collect accurate MVPA data. Therefore, this project sought to determine the accuracy of MVPA levels collected through varying observation tactics (i.e., 20s, 60s, 90s, 120s, 180s, and random) relative to those collected through duration recording (DR). Video records of 30 randomly selected elementary school physical education classes were utilized for this study. Utilizing modified physical activity codes from SOFIT, the researchers collected MTS data regarding students' MVPA at varying interval lengths (i.e., 20s, 60, 90s, 120s, 180s, and random). Three statistical techniques, Pearson-product moment (PPM) correlation coefficients, Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM ANOVA), and Average Error (AE), were utilized to demonstrate concurrent validity of the varying interval lengths. Results demonstrated moderate-low to high correlations between the 20s, 60s, 90s, and random interval lengths and the DR tactic during the total class. The RM ANOVA indicated similarity between all the varying interval lengths and the DR tactic for total class observation. The MTS procedure that created the least amount of AE across classes was the 20s variable followed by the 60s, random, and 90s variables. These findings build empirical evidence for the use of a 60s, random, and 90s MTS procedure for the purpose of MVPA assessment by physical educators

A Comprehensive Economic Stimulus for our Failing Economy

This paper presents a comprehensive plan to fix the ailing American economy, through a five-step approach. First, the Federal Reserve must continue to broaden the scope of monetary policy, by purchasing and selling long-term securities. Manipulating expectations through FOMC statements is another tool at the Federal Reserve’s disposal. Secondly, the government must enact fiscal stimulus to stabilize the economy in the short and medium runs, through investment in infrastructure projects, green technology, fusion technology, and science education. Additionally, the new fiscal policy must tackle the mortgage meltdown, which is weighing down the entire economy. Third, the regulatory system must be changed to reduce the likelihood of another financial collapse, starting with the nationalization of the ratings agencies. Ratings should be updated faster, with a numeric grading system rather than the pre-existing letter grades. Fourth, our globalized economy insures that a coordinated globalized response is necessary to recover. Global cooperation to reduce inflation and avoid protectionist policies is vital. Finally, the American bailout policy must be made clear, only giving bailouts to companies that are sound but financially strapped and those that are too big to fail

Early medical abortion in Cairns, Queensland: July 2006 - April 2007

* Mifepristone (RU486), which is used for early medical abortion, can only be obtained in Australia under the Authorised Prescriber legislation (Section 19[5] of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 [Cwlth]); two of the authors have permission to obtain, prescribe and administer this drug in Cairns, Queensland. * From July 2006 to April 2007, 10 women who fulfilled the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) criteria of “life-threatening or otherwise serious” indications underwent medical abortion with mifepristone/misoprostol, and 12 women conforming with abortion requirements of Queensland law, but not TGA legislation for mifepristone administration, had medical abortions with the less preferable methotrexate/misoprostol combination. * Although it is now more than a year since the cross-party vote in federal Parliament in February 2006 confirmed wide support for the right of Australian women to a medical abortion, we believe we are at present the only medical practitioners in Australia with permission to use mifepristone. * Obtaining Authorised Prescriber status from the TGA is of necessity a complex and protracted process, involving ethics committee approval and auditing, and regular reporting to the TGA. * Because of the current restrictions, we believe that women seeking medical abortion in Australia face barriers not experienced by women in other comparable countries, and that drug manufacturing and distributing companies may be discouraged from seeking to market mifepristone in Australia

An assessment of the torrefaction of North American pine and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions

Bioenergy is increasingly being used to meet EU objectives for renewable energy generation and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Problems with using biomass however include high moisture contents, lower calorific value and poor grindability when compared to fossil fuels. Torrefaction is a pre-treatment process that aims to address these issues. In this paper four torrefaction treatments of pine were performed and a mass-energy balance calculated. Using experimental data, a pellet production supply chain incorporating torrefaction was modelled and compared to an existing wood pellet system to determine life-cycle GHG emissions. Two utility fuels, wood chips and natural gas, were considered to provide process heat in addition to volatile gases released during torrefaction (torgas). Experimental results show that torrefaction reduces the moisture content and increases the calorific value of the fuels. Increasing torrefaction temperature and residence time results in lower mass and energy yields. GHG emissions reduce with increasing torrefaction severity. Emissions from drying &amp; torrefaction and shipping are the highest GHG contributors to the supply chain. All 4 torrefaction conditions assessed outperformed traditional wood pellet supply chain emissions but more land is required which increases with temperature and residence time. Sensitivity analysis results show that emissions increase significantly where natural gas is used for utility fuel and no torgas is utilised.</p