Fertility and Investments in Human Capital: Estimates of the Consequences of Imperfect Fertility Control in Malaysia

In this paper, we describe and utilize methods to estimate the consequences for children's schooling and birthweight of the exogenous variability in the supply of births in one low income country, Malaysia. The method utilizes information on contraceptive techniques employed by couples to estimate directly the technology of reproduction and provides a means of disentangling the biological and demand factors that contribute to the variation in fertility across couples under a regime of imperfect fertility control. Our results suggest that imperfect fertility control significantly influences both the average schooling attainment and birthweight of children in Malaysia, with couples having above-average propensities to conceive reporting higher levels of actual fertility, significantly lower expectations of and actual schooling attainment for their children, and lower birthweight children, on average, due to smaller intervals between births.Labor and Human Capital,

The Martian crustal dichotomy: Product of accretion and not a specific event?

Attempts to explain the fundamental crustal dichotomy on Mars range from purely endogenic to extreme exogenic processes, but to date no satisfactory theory has evolved. What is accepted is: (1) the dichotomy is an ancient feature of the Martian crust, and (2) the boundary between the cratered highlands and northern plains which marks the dichotomy in parts of Mars has undergone significant and variable modification during the observable parts of Martian history. Some ascribe it to a single mega-impact event, essentially an instantaneous rearrangement of the crustal structures (topography and lithospheric thickness). Others prefer an internal mechanism: a period of vigorous convection subcrustally erodes the northern one third of Mars, causing foundering and isostatic lowering of that part of Mars. The evidence for each theory is reviewed, with the conclusion that there is little to recommend either. An alternative is suggested: the formation of the crustal dichotomy on Mars was not a specific tectonic event but a byproduct of the accretionary process and therefore a primordial characteristic of the Martian crust, predating the oldest recognizable landforms

Thermal-Expansion and Fracture Toughness Properties ofParts made from Liquid Crystal Stereolithography Resins

Liquid crystal (LC) resins are a new kind ofstereolithography material that can produce parts with structured or ordered morphologies instead ofthe amorphous morphologies that result from standard resins. The LC molecules can be aligned before cure resulting in an anisotropic crosslinked network when the laser induced polymerization "locks-in" the alignment. Previous papers have explored liquid crystal orientation dynamics [1], the effects of orientation on viscoelastic and mechanical properties [2,3], and the processing ofLC resins by stereolithography [4]. This paper considers the effects ofmorphology on fracture toughness and thermal-expansion properties. Both toughness and thermal-stability continue to be important issues for stereolithography parts. The use ofLC resins may provide a way to significantly improve performance in both ofthese areas, and in addition result in parts with high upper use . temperatures.Mechanical Engineerin

Analysis of severe atmospheric disturbances from airline flight records

Advanced methods were developed to determine time varying winds and turbulence from digital flight data recorders carried aboard modern airliners. Analysis of several cases involving severe clear air turbulence encounters at cruise altitudes has shown that the aircraft encountered vortex arrays generated by destabilized wind shear layers above mountains or thunderstorms. A model was developed to identify the strength, size, and spacing of vortex arrays. This model is used to study the effects of severe wind hazards on operational safety for different types of aircraft. The study demonstrates that small remotely piloted vehicles and executive aircraft exhibit more violent behavior than do large airliners during encounters with high-altitude vortices. Analysis of digital flight data from the accident at Dallas/Ft. Worth in 1985 indicates that the aircraft encountered a microburst with rapidly changing winds embedded in a strong outflow near the ground. A multiple-vortex-ring model was developed to represent the microburst wind pattern. This model can be used in flight simulators to better understand the control problems in severe microburst encounters

Combustion of coal gas fuels in a staged combustor

Gaseous fuels produced from coal resources generally have heating values much lower than natural gas; the low heating value could result in unstable or inefficient combustion. Coal gas fuels may contain ammonia which if oxidized in an uncontrolled manner could result in unacceptable nitrogen oxide exhaust emission levels. Previous investigations indicate that staged, rich-lean combustion represents a desirable approach to achieve stable, efficient, low nitrogen oxide emission operation for coal-derived liquid fuels contaning up to 0.8-wt pct nitrogen. An experimental program was conducted to determine whether this fuel tolerance can be extended to include coal-derived gaseous fuels. The results of tests with three nitrogen-free fuels having heating values of 100, 250, and 350 Btu/scf and a 250 Btu/scf heating value doped to contain 0.7 pct ammonia are presented

The effect of cave illumination on bats

Artificial light at night has large impacts on nocturnal wildlife such as bats, yet its effect varies with wavelength of light, context, and across species involved. Here, we studied in two experiments how wild bats of cave-roosting species (Rhinolophus mehelyi, R. euryale, Myotis capaccinii and Miniopterus schreibersii) respond to LED lights of different colours. In dual choice experiments, we measured the acoustic activity of bats in response to neutral-white, red or amber LED at a cave entrance and in a flight room – mimicking a cave interior. In the flight room, M. capaccinii and M. schreibersii preferred red to white light, but showed no preference for red over amber, or amber over white light. In the cave entrance experiment, all light colours reduced the activity of all emerging species, yet red LED had the least negative effect. Rhinolophus species reacted most strongly, matching their refusal to fly at all under any light treatment in the flight room. We conclude that the placement and light colour of LED light should be considered carefully in lighting concepts for caves both in the interior and at the entrance. In a cave interior, red LED light could be chosen – if needed at all – for careful temporary illumination of areas, yet areas important for bats should be avoided based on the precautionary principle. At cave entrances, the high sensitivity of most bat species, particularly of Rhinolophus spp., towards light sources almost irrespective of colour, calls for utmost caution when illuminating cave entrances

Uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy in CaRuO3{\rm CaRuO_3}

${\rm CaRuO_3}$ is a paramagnetic metal and since its low temperature resistivity is described by $\rho=\rho_0+AT^\gamma$ with $\gamma \sim 1.5$, it is also considered a non-Fermi liquid (NFL) metal. We have performed extensive magnetoresistance and Hall effect measurements of untwinned epitaxial films of ${\rm CaRuO_3}$. These measurements reveal that ${\rm CaRuO_3}$ exhibits uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. In addition, the low-temperature NFL behavior is most effectively suppressed when a magnetic field is applied along the easy axis, suggesting that critical spin fluctuations, possibly due to proximity of a quantum critical phase transition, are related to the NFL behavior.Comment: 7 figure