The Effect of Family Separation and Reunification on the Educational Success of Immigrant Children in the United States

For many immigrants, especially those from Central America and Mexico, it is common for a mother or father (or both) to migrate to the United States and leave their children behind. Then, after the parent(s) have achieved some degree of stability in the United States, the children follow. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we examined the hypothesis that separation during migration results in problems at school after re-unification. We find that children separated from parents during migration are more likely to be behind others their age in school and are more likely to drop out of high school.immigrant children, education, family separation

Monitoring and Assessing the Use of External Quality Review Organizations to Improve Services for Young Children: A Toolkit for State Medicaid Agencies

Assesses the extent to which states use external quality review organizations in studying the quality of preventive and developmental services for young children enrolled in Medicaid, and provides guidance on determining their scope of work

Signatures of a quantum Griffiths phase in a d-metal alloy close to its ferromagnetic quantum critical point

We report magnetization ($M$) measurements close to the ferromagnetic quantum phase transition of the d-metal alloy Ni$_{1-x}$V$_x$ at a vanadium concentration of $x_c \approx 11.4$. In the diluted regime ($x>x_c$), the temperature ($T$) and magnetic field ($H$) dependencies of the magnetization are characterized by nonuniversal power laws and display $H/T$ scaling in a wide temperature and field range. The exponents vary strongly with $x$ and follow the predictions of a quantum Griffiths phase. We also discuss the deviations and limits of the quantum Griffiths phase as well as the phase boundaries due to bulk and cluster physics.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, final version as published in the Strongly Correlated Electron Systems special issue of J. Phys. Condens. Matte

A Network of SLC and ABC Transporter and DME Genes Involved in Remote Sensing and Signaling in the Gut-Liver-Kidney Axis.

Genes central to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) also regulate numerous endogenous molecules. The Remote Sensing and Signaling Hypothesis argues that an ADME gene-centered network-including SLC and ABC "drug" transporters, "drug" metabolizing enzymes (DMEs), and regulatory genes-is essential for inter-organ communication via metabolites, signaling molecules, antioxidants, gut microbiome products, uremic solutes, and uremic toxins. By cross-tissue co-expression network analysis, the gut, liver, and kidney (GLK) formed highly connected tissue-specific clusters of SLC transporters, ABC transporters, and DMEs. SLC22, SLC25 and SLC35 families were network hubs, having more inter-organ and intra-organ connections than other families. Analysis of the GLK network revealed key physiological pathways (e.g., involving bile acids and uric acid). A search for additional genes interacting with the network identified HNF4α, HNF1α, and PXR. Knockout gene expression data confirmed ~60-70% of predictions of ADME gene regulation by these transcription factors. Using the GLK network and known ADME genes, we built a tentative gut-liver-kidney "remote sensing and signaling network" consisting of SLC and ABC transporters, as well as DMEs and regulatory proteins. Together with protein-protein interactions to prioritize likely functional connections, this network suggests how multi-specificity combines with oligo-specificity and mono-specificity to regulate homeostasis of numerous endogenous small molecules

Ontogenetic shifts in perceptions of safety along structural complexity gradients in a territorial damselfish.

Age and body size can influence predation risk and hence habitat use. Many species undergo ontogenetic shifts in habitat use as individuals grow larger and have different age-specific predation pressures. On coral reefs, a number of fish species are more tolerant of threats in structurally complex habitats that contain more refuges than in less structurally complex habitats. However, we do not know how risk perception varies with age, and whether age interacts with habitat complexity. Adults and juveniles, because of their size, may face different risks in structurally simple versus complex habitats. We used flight initiation distance as a metric to analyze perceptions of risk in a species of damselfish Stegastes nigricans. All else being equal, fish fleeing at greater distances are inferred to perceive higher risk. We targeted juvenile and adult damselfish to assess whether there are ontogenetic shifts in perceptions of safety in relation to structural complexity, inferred based on percent coral cover and rugosity. We found that adult damselfish tolerated closer approach in more complex habitats as measured by percent coral cover, but not rugosity, whereas juvenile fish always allowed closer approach than adult fish regardless of complexity. This ontogenetic shift in habitat use may result from juvenile fish taking bigger risks to maximize growth, whereas older animals, who are closer to their maximum body size, can afford to take fewer risks and protect their assets

The Effects of Market Survey Rates, Job Evaluation and Job Gender on Job Pay

The present study investigates the effects of current pay, market surveys, job evaluation points, job gender, and rater sex on pay rates for jobs. 406 compensation administrators assigned new pay rates to nine jobs in one of two matched job sets: either all predominantly female, or all predominantly male. The two sets were matched on all quantitative data (current rate, market rate, and job evaluation points), but varied in terms of job titles and descriptions. Multiple analyses of variance and regression analyses were performed to determine whether job gender had a significant effect on assigned pay rates, holding other factors constant. Regardless of the analysis employed, no evidence of gender bias was found. Limitations and suggestions for future research are offered

Ranges of Atmospheric Mass and Composition of Super Earth Exoplanets

Terrestrial-like exoplanets may obtain atmospheres from three primary sources: Capture of nebular gases, degassing during accretion, and degassing from subsequent tectonic activity. Here we model degassing during accretion to estimate the range of atmospheric mass and composition on exoplanets ranging from 1 to 30 Earth masses. We use bulk compositions drawn from primitive and differentiated meteorite compositions. Degassing alone can create a wide range of masses of planetary atmospheres, ranging from less than a percent of the planet's total mass up to ~6 mass% of hydrogen, ~20 mass% of water, and/or ~5 mass% of carbon compounds. Hydrogen-rich atmospheres can be outgassed as a result of oxidizing metallic iron with water, and excess water and carbon can produce atmospheres through simple degassing. As a byproduct of our atmospheric outgassing models we find that modest initial water contents (10 mass% of the planet and above) create planets with deep surface liquid water oceans soon after accretion is complete.Comment: ApJ, in press. 32 pages, 6 figure

Low temperature mean opacities for the carbon-rich regime

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars undergo a change in their chemical composition during their evolution. This in turn leads to an alteration of the radiative opacities, especially in the cool layers of the envelope and the atmosphere, where molecules are the dominant opacity sources. A key parameter in this respect is the number ratio of carbon to oxygen atoms (C/O). In terms of low temperature mean opacities, a variation of this parameter usually cannot be followed in stellar evolution models, because up to now tabulated values were only available for scaled solar metal mixtures (with C/O ~ 0.5). We thus present a set of newly generated tables containing Rosseland mean opacity coefficients covering both the oxygen-rich (C/O 1) regime. We compare our values to existing tabular data and investigate the relevant molecular opacity contributors.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. To appear in the AIP Proceedings of the IXth Torino Workshop on AGB Nucleosynthesi