On the signature of z∼0.6z\sim 0.6 superclusters and voids in the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect

Through a large ensemble of Gaussian realisations and a suite of large-volume N-body simulations, we show that in a standard LCDM scenario, supervoids and superclusters in the redshift range $z\in[0.4,0.7]$ should leave a {\em small} signature on the ISW effect of the order $\sim 2 \mu$K. We perform aperture photometry on WMAP data, centred on such superstructures identified from SDSS LRGs, and find amplitudes at the level of 8 -- 11$\mu$K -- thus confirming the earlier work of Granett et al 2008. If we focus on apertures of the size \sim3.6\degr, then our realisations indicate that LCDM is discrepant at the level of $\sim4 \sigma$. If we combine all aperture scales considered, ranging from 1\degr--20\degr, then the discrepancy becomes $\sim2\sigma$, and it further lowers to $\sim 0.6 \sigma$ if only 30 superstructures are considered in the analysis (being compatible with no ISW signatures at $1.3\sigma$ in this case). Full-sky ISW maps generated from our N-body simulations show that this discrepancy cannot be alleviated by appealing to Rees-Sciama mechanisms, since their impact on the scales probed by our filters is negligible. We perform a series of tests on the WMAP data for systematics. We check for foreground contaminants and show that the signal does not display the correct dependence on the aperture size expected for a residual foreground tracing the density field. The signal also proves robust against rotation tests of the CMB maps, and seems to be spatially associated to the angular positions of the supervoids and superclusters. We explore whether the signal can be explained by the presence of primordial non-Gaussianities of the local type. We show that for models with \FNL=\pm100, whilst there is a change in the pattern of temperature anisotropies, all amplitude shifts are well below $<1\mu$K.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, matches accepted version in MNRA

Management of oil windfalls in Mexico : historical experience and policy options for the future

The macroeconomic impact of commodity windfalls has provided fertile ground for research since the 1970s. Particularly affected are developing countries that rely heavily on commodity exports. in the case of oil windfalls, cross-country experience is vast: Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, and Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela have all been buffered by such windfalls. The authors investigate Mexico's experience. They provide an overview of oil's impact on the Mexican economy and of the management of oil rents engineered by the government from the 1970s to date. A third of government revenues come from the hydrocarbon sector--especially oil exports. The reliance of public finance on a single commodity means that shocks threaten the economy's fiscal balance and stability. Policy options for protecting the economy from volatility in oil revenues without eliminating the benefits from rising prices include a stabilization fund and hedging strategies on international markets, which the authors discuss. The stabilization fund smoooths consumption and reduces the costs associated volatile spending. The fund and hedging strategies can complement each other--the fund working as the main recipient of revenues, and the hedging strategies managing short-lived movements in prices. This joint strategy would also reduce the size of the fund and the probability of its going bankrupt.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Financial Intermediation,Labor Policies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Energy Demand,Oil Refining&Gas Industry,Energy and Environment

College Latino Students: Cultural Integration, Retention, and Successful Completion

The purpose of this study was to examine and gain a deeper understanding of Latino College students\u27 sub-cultures and how their cultural integration can affect their retention and completion of a baccalaureate degree. Also, this study sought to understand the cultural factors that influenced student retention. The participants were given a survey to complete for demographic information, and then were interviewed to capture each of their stories and experiences. Twenty participants were involved in the study. All of the participants were self-identified as Latinos and came from several different, four-year, residential universities. There were nine men and eleven women. Of the twenty participants, five were self-identified as Cuban,five were Mexican,five were Puerto Rican, and five were South American. Coding was used to analyze the data. After the coding was completed,the researcher isolated recurring themes, grouping and categorizing responses to discover commonalities and differences of certain phenomena in the participants\u27 words. As a result of the analysis, several themes were developed. These themes included: Latino perceptions of cultural differences among subgroups, factors influencing college attainment,and barriers related to educational attainment. Additionally,the responses from the participants tended to support the Nontraditional Student Attrition model on retention, the Bicultural Orientation Model on cultural awareness, and the Ethnic Identity Development model. The participants identified general areas on how Latinos could become successful in higher education as well as what educational institutions could do to enhance the Latino attainment of a college education. Additionally, the findings in this research indicated that there is no simple answer to retention for Latino students. The factors related to cultural integration, retention, and successful completion are complex. There are more questions that need to be answered to fully understand the issues related to Latino students and their success in our educational system

STEM Education: The IMSA Way

IMSA Philosophy: “If we do what we know and feel is right, it is bound to happen that among our graduates there will be numbered scientists, engineers and those who go on to earn degrees in law and letters. There are likely to be those few who create new intellectual worlds, cure a dreaded human ailment or in some other way significantly influence life on our planet. Our philosophy will be to treat our charges as of each one is capable of this extraordinary achievement.” Dr. Leon Lederma

Best practices utilized by school counselors in increasing Latino male college readiness

This study sought to identify best practices incorporated by secondary school counselors in California high schools that promote, support, and increase college-going identity and foster a supportive college-going environment for Latino male students. The researcher used a phenomenological qualitative study to capture the best practices and strategies academic counselors utilize to overcome the challenges of increasing Latino male academic achievement and college readiness. The findings of this study suggest that practices such as building supportive and caring environments, developing a college-going culture, increasing college readiness opportunities for Latino males, and targeted support increase college readiness among Latino males. Recommendations from participants also indicate a desire to develop support systems for students and increased professional development for school counselors

Archival Body/Archival Space: Queer Remains of the Chicano Art Movement, Los Angeles, 1969-2009

This dissertation proposes an interdisciplinary queer archive methodology I term "archival body/archival space," which recovers, interprets, and assesses the alternative archives and preservation practices of homosexual men in the Chicano Art Movement, the cultural arm of the Mexican American civil rights struggle in the U.S. Without access to systemic modes of preservation, these men generated other archival practices to resist their erasure, omission, and obscurity. The study conducts a series of archive excavations mining "archival bodies" of homosexual artists from buried and unseen "archival spaces," such as: domestic interiors, home furnishings, barrio neighborhoods, and museum installations. This allows us to reconstruct the artist archive and, thus, challenge how we see, know, and comprehend "Chicano art" as an aesthetic and cultural category. As such, I evidence the critical role of sexual difference within this visual vocabulary and illuminate networks of homosexual Chicano artists taking place in gay bars, alternative art spaces, salons, and barrios throughout East Los Angeles. My queer archive study model consists of five interpretative strategies: sexual agency of Chicano art, queer archival afterlife, containers of desire, archival chiaroscuro, and archive elicitation. I posit that by speaking through these artifact formations, the "archival body" performs the allegorical bones and flesh of the artist, an artifactual surrogacy articulated through things. My methodological innovation has direct bearing on how sexual difference shapes the material record and the places from which these "queer remains" are kept, sheltered, and displayed. These heritage purveyors questioned what constitutes an archive and a record, challenging the biased assumption that sexuality was insignificant to the Chicano Art Movement and leaving no material trace. The structure of my dissertation presents five archive recovery projects, including: Robert "Cyclona" Legorreta, Joey Terrill, Mundo Meza, Teddy Sandoval, and VIVA: Lesbian and Gay Latino Artists of Los Angeles. The restoration of these artists also reveals the profound symbiosis between this circle of artists, Chicano avant-gardism, and the burgeoning gay and lesbian liberation movement in Los Angeles. My findings rupture the persistent heterosexual vision of this period and reveals a parallel visual lineage, one which dared to picture sexual difference in the epicenter of Chicano art production

Indigeneity and mestizaje in Luis Alberto Urrea's The Hummingbird's Daughter and Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead

textIn an attempt to narrow a perceived gap between two literary fields, this thesis provides a comparative analysis of Luis Alberto Urrea’s The Humminbird’s Daughter, and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead. I explore and critique the ways in which Luis Alberto Urrea mobilizes mestizaje and Chicana/o nationalist rhetoric. I argue that mestizaje stems from colonial representations that inscribe indigenous people into a narrative of erasure. Furthermore, I address Leslie Marmon Silko’s critique of mestizaje within Almanac of the Dead.Mexican American Studie

CAREER TRACK PREDICTION USING DEEP LEARNING MODEL BASED ON DISCRETE SERIES OF QUANTITATIVE CLASSIFICATION

In this paper, a career track recommender system was proposed using Deep Neural Network model. This study aims to assist guidance counselors in guiding their students in the selection of a suitable career track. It is because a lot of Junior High school students experienced track uncertainty and there are instances of shifting to another program after learning they are not suited for the chosen track or course in college. In dealing with the selection of the best student attributes that will help in the creation of the predictive model, the feature engineering technique is used to remove the irrelevant features that can affect the performance of the DNN model. The study covers 1500 students from the first to the third batch of the K-12 curriculum, and their grades from 11 subjects, sex, age, number of siblings, parent’s income, and academic strand were used as attributes to predict their academic strand in Senior High School. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm depend upon the correctness and quality of the collected student’s data. The result of the study shows that the DNN algorithm performs reasonably well in predicting the academic strand of students with a prediction accuracy of 83.11%. Also, the work of guidance counselors became more efficient in handling students’ concerns just by using the proposed system. It is concluded that the recommender system serves as a decision tool for counselors in guiding their students to determine which Senior High School track is suitable for students with the utilization of the DNN model