Two Phase Transitions for the Contact Process on Small Worlds

In our version of Watts and Strogatz's small world model, space is a d-dimensional torus in which each individual has in addition exactly one long-range neighbor chosen at random from the grid. This modification is natural if one thinks of a town where an individual's interactions at school, at work, or in social situations introduces long-range connections. However, this change dramatically alters the behavior of the contact process, producing two phase transitions. We establish this by relating the small world to an infinite "big world" graph where the contact process behavior is similar to the contact process on a tree.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures. We have rewritten the phase transition in terms of two parameters and have made improvements to our original result

Political Risk and Capital Flight

The Rule of One-Third guaranteed wives one-third of their husband's estate upon marital dissolution through death or divorce. We document the historical ubiquity of this legal construct and show that without a wife's residual claim on her husband's estate, children's outcomes are imperiled. Using ancient Roman law as an example, we argue that the patriarch, or paterfamilias is the main legal entity with an interest in creating and enforcing the Rule of One-Third. Then, in a game-theoretic model, we demonstrate that the Rule of One-Third obtains when mothers' and fathers' marginal impacts on their children's human capital are equal. We conclude that the Rule of One-Third arose in many societies because it places the cost of marital dissolution on the household rather than society and solves a complex contracting problem between the husband and wife when each is specialized in tasks the other cannot perform well.marriage; divorce; human capital; institutions

An Analysis of Political and Legal Debates Concerning Medicaid Expansion in Virginia

The Supreme Court’s historic June 2012 ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius set the stage for a massive federalism battle over Medicaid expansion in the United States. The original language of the Act was intended to nationalize Medicaid by having every state expand their program’s eligibility to all individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level. This would have significantly reshaped Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program, into a universal entitlement for all low-income citizens. Currently, Medicaid eligibility varies dramatically from state to state. The Court held that the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, and the additional federal financing that would accompany it, would be optional for the states. The decision instigated a series of intense, state-level political battles, especially in Virginia. This article will provide a basic overview of: Medicaid and its significance in Virginia, how and why the Supreme Court’s decision triggered a heated debate over Medicaid expansion, the manner in which the political debate has unfolded in the Commonwealth, and what the major implications are for expanding (and not expanding) the program. This article concludes that Medicaid expansion can be viewed as a valuable investment in the health of vulnerable citizens and the overall healthcare infrastructure of Virginia

The economic crisis and community development finance: an industry assessment

For thirty years, the community development finance industry—banks, credit unions, loan funds, community development corporations, venture funds, microfinance institutions—has quietly provided responsible, well-designed and well priced credit to lower-income people and communities. These entities have provided this credit with the support of the federal government, through the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, the Low Income Housing and New Markets Tax Credits, the Small Business Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and various housing and facilities development programs. The industry has also been supported in its efforts by mainstream institutions such as banks and insurance companies, most frequently motivated by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) or by concern that CRA-like obligations would be imposed. Philanthropic foundations and supporters and state and local governments have also played their parts. The result: a community development finance industry that has survived and even prospered during recessions and political downdrafts. But the field, and the communities, businesses, and individuals it serves, are hurting now, and fearing bigger hurt. This paper examines this situation and focuses attention on what needs to be done.

An Analysis of the Political and Legal Debates concerning Medicaid Expansion in Virginia

The Supreme Court\u27s historic June 2012 ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius set the stage for a massive federalism battle over Medicaid expansion in the United States. The original language of the Act was intended to nationalize Medicaid by having every state expand their program\u27s eligibility to all individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level. This would have significantly reshaped Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program, into a universal entitlement for all low-income citizens. Currently, Medicaid eligibility varies dramatically from state to state. The Court held that the ACA\u27s Medicaid expansion, and the additional federal financing that would accompany it, would be optional for the states. The decision instigated a series of intense, state-level political battles, especially in Virginia. This article will provide a basic overview of: Medicaid and its significance in Virginia, how and why the Supreme Court\u27s decision triggered a heated debate over Medicaid expansion, the manner in which the political debate has unfolded in the Commonwealth, and what the major implications are for expanding (and not expanding) the program. This article concludes that Medicaid expansion can be viewed as a valuable investment in the health of vulnerable citizens and the overall healthcare infrastructure of Virginia

An Analysis of the Political and Legal Debates concerning Medicaid Expansion in Virginia

The Supreme Court\u27s historic June 2012 ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius set the stage for a massive federalism battle over Medicaid expansion in the United States. The original language of the Act was intended to nationalize Medicaid by having every state expand their program\u27s eligibility to all individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level. This would have significantly reshaped Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program, into a universal entitlement for all low-income citizens. Currently, Medicaid eligibility varies dramatically from state to state. The Court held that the ACA\u27s Medicaid expansion, and the additional federal financing that would accompany it, would be optional for the states. The decision instigated a series of intense, state-level political battles, especially in Virginia. This article will provide a basic overview of: Medicaid and its significance in Virginia, how and why the Supreme Court\u27s decision triggered a heated debate over Medicaid expansion, the manner in which the political debate has unfolded in the Commonwealth, and what the major implications are for expanding (and not expanding) the program. This article concludes that Medicaid expansion can be viewed as a valuable investment in the health of vulnerable citizens and the overall healthcare infrastructure of Virginia

Stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analysis of permafrost preserved human hair from rescue excavations (2009, 2010) at the precontact site of Nunalleq, Alaska

Acknowledgments This work was funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/K006029/1) grant awarded to Rick Knecht, Kate Britton and Charlotta Hillerdal (Aberdeen); an AHRC-LabEx award (AH/N504543/1) to KB, RK, Keith Dobney (Liverpool) and Isabelle Sidéra (Nanterre); the Carnegie Trust to the Universities of Scotland (travel grant to KB); and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The onsite collection of samples was carried out by staff and students from the University of Aberdeen, volunteer excavators and the residents of Quinhagak. We had logistical and planning support for fieldwork by the Qanirtuuq Incorporated, Quinhagak, Alaska, and the people of Quinhagak, who we also thank for sampling permissions. Special thanks to Warren Jones and Qanirtuuq Incorporated (especially Michael Smith and Lynn Church), and to all Nunalleq project team members, in Aberdeen and at other institutions, particularly Charlotta Hillerdal and Edouard Masson-Maclean (Aberdeen) for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript, and also to Véronique Forbes, Ana Jorge, Carly Ameen and Ciara Mannion (Aberdeen) for their inputs. Thanks also to Michelle Alexander (York). Finally, thank you to Ian Scharlotta (Alberta) for inviting us to contribute to this special issue, to the Editor, and to three anonymous reviewers, whose suggestions and recommended changes to an earlier version of this manuscript greatly improved the paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Around the table: Are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

This paper presents a classroom study that investigated the potential of using touch tabletop technology to support children's collaborative learning interactions. Children aged 7-10 worked in groups of three on a collaborative planning task in which they designed a seating plan for their classroom. In the single-touch condition, the tabletop surface allowed only one child to interact with the digital content at a time. In the multiple-touch condition, the children could interact with the digital content simultaneously. Results showed that touch condition did not affect the frequency or equity of interactions, but did influence the nature of children's discussion. In the multiple-touch condition, children talked more about the task; in the single-touch condition, they talked more about turn taking. We also report age and gender differences

The Rule of One-Third

The Rule of One-Third guaranteed wives a life interest in one-third of their husband's estate upon marital dissolution. We document the ubiquity of this legal construct over four thousand years and across numerous societies. Due to specialization within the household, we demonstrate that without a wife's residual claim on her husband's estate, children's outcomes are imperiled. Using ancient Roman law as an example, we argue that the patriarch, or paterfamilias, is the primary legal entity with an interest in creating and enforcing the Rule of One-Third. Then, in a game-theoretic model, we demonstrate that the Rule of One-Third obtains when mothers' and fathers' are equally important at producing children's human capital, and when this rule is enforced by the paterfamilias or by modern legal institutions. We conclude that the Rule of One-Third arose in many societies because it places the cost of marital dissolution on the household rather than society, and solves a contracting problem between the husband and wife when each is specialized in tasks the other cannot perform well.Marriage, Divorce, Human Capital, Institutions,

Consortium study of labile trace elements in some Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites: Antarctic and non-Antarctic meteorite comparisons

We report data for Ag, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, U and Zn determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis in consortium samples of Belgica (B)-7904,Yamato (Y)-82042,Yamato-82162 and Yamato-86720 carbonaceous chondrites. These trace elements cover a wide volatility/mobility range and give unique information on thermal histories of meteorites. The results indicate the unique nature of these carbonaceous chondrites. Y-82042 proves to have the volatile element pattern of a C2 (≡CM) chondrite and the petrologic characteristics of a C1 (≡CI) chondrite. These must be primary nebular condensation/accretion features, unaffected by post-accretionary processes. The other three meteorites were thermally metamorphosed in &ge;2 parent regions over the 600-700℃ range, at relative temperatures B-7904<Y-82162<Y-86720. Before heating, B-7904 and Y-86720 had C2-levels of volatile elements : Y-82162 had uniquely high volatile element concentrations, at about C1-levels. The data require a new classification scheme for such chondrites. Belgica-7904 and Y-82162 and -86720 seem to be derived from one or more thermally altered carbonaceous asteroids and their spectral characteristics should be compared with those of B-, F-, G-, or T-asteroids. These results indicate substantial differences in the thermal histories of Antarctic and non-Antarctic C1 and C2 chondrite populations. In reviewing all that is known about the Antarctic and non-Antarctic meteorite populations, the overwhelming weight of evidence supports the view that these populations sample different extraterrestrial source materials, differing in thermal histories. It may be that over the extended collecting period of the Antarctic ice sheet, it has sampled a considerable greater proportion of near-Earth asteroids than do current falls