The Impact of Family Income on Child Achievement

Understanding the consequences of growing up poor for a child's well-being is an important research question, but one that is difficult to answer due to the potential endogeneity of family income. Past estimates of the effect of family income on child development have often been plagued by omitted variable bias and measurement error. In this paper, we use a fixed effect instrumental variables strategy to estimate the causal effect of income on children's math and reading achievement. Our primary source of identification comes from the large, non-linear changes in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) over the last two decades. The largest of these changes increased family income by as much as 20%, or approximately $2,100. Using a panel of over 6,000 children matched to their mothers from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth datasets allows us to address problems associated with unobserved heterogeneity and endogenous transitory income shocks as well as measurement error in income. Our baseline estimates imply that a$1,000 increase in income raises math test scores by 2.1% and reading test scores by 3.6% of a standard deviation. The results are even stronger when looking at children from disadvantaged families who are affected most by the large changes in the EITC, and are robust to a variety of alternative specifications.

Spectra of Particles from Laser-Induced Vacuum Decay

The spectrum of electrons and positrons originating from vacuum decay occurring in the collision of two non-colinear laser pulses is obtained. It displays high energy, highly-collimated particle bunches traveling in a direction separate from the laser beams. This result provides an unmistakable signature of the vacuum decay phenomenon and could suggest a new avenue for development of high energy electron and/or positron beams.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; typos corrected and references added; version appearing in Physical Review

Compact Ultra Dense Matter Impactors

We study interactions of meteorlike compact ultradense objects (CUDO), having nuclear or greater density, with Earth and other rocky bodies in the Solar System as a possible source of information about novel forms of matter. We study the energy loss in CUDO puncture of the body and discuss differences between regular matter and CUDO impacts.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; v4 identical to published PR

Soldiers of the Spirit

This fireside address was given at the BYU Law School on March 12, 1995

Soldiers of the Spirit

This fireside address was given at the BYU Law School on March 12, 1995

Using a Cost Benefit Analysis to Support the Development of a Comprehensive Business Model for a Pre-Filled, Pre-Labeled, Pre-Diluted, Sterilely Packaged, Ready-to-Use, Syringe-Based Anesthesia Delivery System

The foundation of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists’ (CRNAs) entire profession is built on the ability to provide anesthetic services using a variety of medications in the safest, most efficient, cost-effective way possible. The purpose of this capstone is to address, via a comprehensive cost benefit analysis, whether pre-filled syringe drug trays are a more cost-effective way to address problems as compared to vial-filled drug trays and to implement the necessary transitions in order to improve outcomes. There are a number of identifiable problems related to anesthesia medication delivery via vial-filled medication, including increased cost of healthcare, decreased patient safety to provider inconvenience, increased medication errors, and increased contamination. The method of medication delivery has gained the attention of significant governing bodies such as the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), just to name a few. The best methods for change were evaluated in order to facilitate the most optimal quality improvement. According to the AANA, “the available information is sufficient to promote the implementation of pre-filled or premixed syringes in anesthesia departmentsto reduce the number of adverse drug events (ADEs) and become compliant with the Joint Commission, and Institute of Medicine” (Brown, 2014, pp. 465-469). The future change in anesthesia drug delivery is undeniable, and the data provide clearly defined recommendations and guidelines supporting the use of pre-filed syringes. Providing medications in pre-filled syringes would reduce medication errors and treatment delays, improve patient safety, and effectively meet the expectations, recommendations, and guidelines of governing entities (Fahimi et al., 2008). “When you look at the impact of the initiative on quality and safety for the patients, it’s [just] what’s right to do” (Blum, 2013, p. 3)

In Search of Atticus Finch

This satellite fireside address was given to the J. Reuben Clark Law Society at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on February 10, 2006