FIFTY SHADES OF STATE LEGISLATURES: THE IMPACT OF STATE LEGISLATIVE PROFESSIONALISM AND PARTISANSHIP ON POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

State legislatures are often forgotten or ignored when discussing politics, but their impact on state-level and local lawmaking as well as influencing the implementation of federal legislation over the last 300 or so years, has been tremendous. One of the reasons why state legislatures are overlooked is because of their variance in every single state in terms of size, what they’re called, makeup, structure, functionality, and most importantly professionalism. This paper examines what a state legislature is and how they vary by state, the impact of their professionalism on policy creation and implementation, and the different relationships at play between state legislatures and their corresponding executive branches, and their partners in federal government. Chapter 1 answers the following: How do state legislatures vary specifically in terms of their levels of professionalization? Although there are many elements of legislative professionalism, this chapter defines it as how full-time or part-time a specific legislative body is; meaning how much time does a lawmaker spend on the job. Chapter 2 answers the following question: How does legislative professionalism and political makeup of state executive branches impact how laws and policies are implemented at the state level? Studying the relationship between state legislatures and their corresponding governors, this chapter examines case studies of federal and state laws, specifically the Affordable Care Act and its implementation at the state level. This case study makes clear that less professionalized state legislatures are at a constitutional disadvantage and are unable to provide a “check” on their respective executive branch. Chapter 3 answers the following: Does the full-time career nature of state legislatures and political makeup of state governance, each alone and taken together, have an impact on how federal laws are implemented at the state level? Through healthcare outcomes, results show that states with more active, full-time, and professionalized legislatures have better outcomes and are also more prepared and more equipped to serve their constituencies. The research in this paper warrants a consideration for implementing nationwide standards for state legislative professionalism so that states can react with certainty and real lawmaking authority in the face of crisis

Mamekhaya: a pilot study combining a cognitive-behavioral intervention and mentor mothers with PMTCT services in South Africa

Nearly 30% of pregnant women in South Africa are estimated to be HIV seropositive, yet adherence to guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) is often low. A pilot study was developed to see whether PMTCT services provided by the South African Government could be enhanced by the Mamekhaya program, a combination of the mothers2mothers peer-mentoring program and a culturally adapted cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) from the USA. Pregnant women attending two maternity clinics offering PMTCT in Gugulethu and Vanguard Townships, Cape Town, South Africa, were invited to participate in the study. Women at the intervention site (Gugulethu) received the support of a mentor mother and also attended an eight-session Mamekhaya CBI. At the control site (Vanguard), women received standard services provided by midwives and counselors. Baseline assessments were completed by all participants at enrollment (n=160), and follow-ups were completed six months later by 44% of participants. Self-reports of adherence to PMTCT practices were high across both sites (90% or more engaging in the core practices). Women at the Mamekhaya site showed significantly greater improvement in establishing social support and reducing depression scores than women at the control site. Mamekhaya participants also showed trends for better attendance at follow-up medical visits, and greater improvements in positive coping. The greatest effect of the Mamekhaya program was to increase HIV knowledge scores, particularly with regard to understanding the meaning and importance of viral load and CD4 test results. Results from this pilot study show promise that augmenting basic PMTCT services with mentor mothers and a culturally adapted CBI can be effective in conveying information and in improving the emotional outlook and hopefulness of HIV-positive pregnant women in South Africa

Fermion scattering by a Schwarzschild black hole

We study the scattering of massive spin-half waves by a Schwarzschild black hole using analytical and numerical methods. We begin by extending a recent perturbation theory calculation to next order to obtain Born series for the differential cross section and Mott polarization, valid at small couplings. We continue by deriving an approximation for glory scattering of massive spinor particles by considering classical timelike geodesics and spin precession. Next, we formulate the Dirac equation on a black hole background, and outline a simple numerical method for finding partial wave series solutions. Finally, we present our numerical calculations of absorption and scattering cross sections and polarization, and compare with theoretical expectations.Comment: Minor changes, 1 figure added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. D. 36 pages, 13 figure

Spacetime Splitting, Admissible Coordinates and Causality

To confront relativity theory with observation, it is necessary to split spacetime into its temporal and spatial components. The (1+3) timelike threading approach involves restrictions on the gravitational potentials $(g_{\mu \nu})$, while the (3+1) spacelike slicing approach involves restrictions on $(g^{\mu \nu})$. These latter coordinate conditions protect chronology within any such coordinate patch. While the threading coordinate conditions can be naturally integrated into the structure of Lorentzian geometry and constitute the standard coordinate conditions in general relativity, this circumstance does not extend to the slicing coordinate conditions. We explore the influence of chronology violation on wave motion. In particular, we consider the propagation of radiation parallel to the rotation axis of stationary G\"odel-type universes characterized by parameters $\eta > 0$ and $\lambda > 0$ such that for $\eta 1$) chronology is protected (violated). We show that in the WKB approximation such waves can freely propagate only when chronology is protected.Comment: 25 pages, 3 figures; v2: minor typos corrected, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Rainbow scattering in the gravitational field of a compact object

We study the elastic scattering of a planar wave in the curved spacetime of a compact object such as a neutron star, via a heuristic model: a scalar field impinging upon a spherically symmetric uniform density star of radius R and mass M. For R<rc, there is a divergence in the deflection function at the light-ring radius rc ¼ 3GM=c2, which leads to spiral scattering (orbiting) and a backward glory; whereas for R>rc, there instead arises a stationary point in the deflection function which creates a caustic and rainbow scattering. As in nuclear rainbow scattering, there is an Airy-type oscillation on a Rutherford-like cross section, followed by a shadow zone. We show that, for R ∼ 3.5GM=c2, the rainbow angle lies close to 180°, and thus there arises enhanced backscattering and glory. We explore possible implications for gravitational wave astronomy and dark matter models

Electromagnetic wave scattering by Schwarzschild black holes

We analyze the scattering of a planar monochromatic electromagnetic wave incident upon a Schwarzschild black hole. We obtain accurate numerical results from the partial wave method for the electromagnetic scattering cross section, and show that they are in excellent agreement with analytical approximations. The scattering of electromagnetic waves is compared with the scattering of scalar, spinor and gravitational waves. We present a unified picture of the scattering of all massless fields for the first time.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Spin-2 Amplitudes in Black-Hole Evaporation

Quantum amplitudes for $s=2$ gravitational-wave perturbations of Einstein/scalar collapse to a black hole are treated by analogy with $s=1$ Maxwell perturbations. The spin-2 perturbations split into parts with odd and even parity. We use the Regge-Wheeler gauge; at a certain point we make a gauge transformation to an asymptotically-flat gauge, such that the metric perturbations have the expected falloff behaviour at large radii. By analogy with $s=1$, for $s=2$ natural 'coordinate' variables are given by the magnetic part $H_{ij} (i,j=1,2,3)$ of the Weyl tensor, which can be taken as boundary data on a final space-like hypersurface $\Sigma_F$. For simplicity, we take the data on the initial surface $\Sigma_I$ to be exactly spherically-symmetric. The (large) Lorentzian proper-time interval between $\Sigma_I$ and $\Sigma_F$, measured at spatial infinity, is denoted by $T$. We follow Feynman's $+i\epsilon$ prescription and rotate $T$ into the complex: $T\to{\mid}T{\mid} \exp(-i\theta)$, for $0<\theta\leq\pi/2$. The corresponding complexified {\it classical} boundary-value problem is expected to be well-posed. The Lorentzian quantum amplitude is recovered by taking the limit as $\theta\to 0_+$. For boundary data well below the Planck scale, and for a locally supersymmetric theory, this involves only the semi-classical amplitude $\exp(iS^{(2)}_{\rm class}$, where $S^{(2)}_{\rm class}$ denotes the second-variation classical action. The relations between the $s=1$ and $s=2$ natural boundary data, involving supersymmetry, are investigated using 2-component spinor language in terms of the Maxwell field strength $\phi_{AB}=\phi_{(AB)}$ and the Weyl spinor $\Psi_{ABCD}=\Psi_{(ABCD)}$

A probabilistic security risk assessment methodology for quantification of risk to the public

We describe a methodology for obtaining probabilistic risk estimates of deliberate unauthorized acts, integrating estimates of frequencies of serious plots, probabilities of avoiding detection and interdiction, probabilities of successful action, and consequences of the act. This methodology allows us to compare the risks of deliberate acts with those of accidents and to identify the most cost- effective risk reduction measures through cost-benefit analysis

Gravitational Couplings of Intrinsic Spin

The gravitational couplings of intrinsic spin are briefly reviewed. A consequence of the Dirac equation in the exterior gravitational field of a rotating mass is considered in detail, namely, the difference in the energy of a spin-1/2 particle polarized vertically up and down near the surface of a rotating body is $\hbar\Omega\sin\theta$. Here $\theta$ is the latitude and $\Omega = 2GJ/(c^2 R^3)$, where $J$ and $R$ are, respectively, the angular momentum and radius of the body. It seems that this relativistic quantum gravitational effect could be measurable in the foreseeable future.Comment: LaTeX file, no figures, 16 page

Grand Challenges: Improving HIV Treatment Outcomes by Integrating Interventions for Co-Morbid Mental Illness.

In the fourth article of a five-part series providing a global perspective on integrating mental health, Sylvia Kaaya and colleagues discuss the importance of integrating mental health interventions into HIV prevention and treatment platforms. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary