Parents Behind Bars: What Happens to Their Children?

Children do not often figure in discussions of incarceration, but new research finds more than five million U.S. children have had at least one parent in prison at one time or another -- about three times higher than earlier estimates that included only children with a parent currently incarcerated. This report uses the National Survey of Children's Health to examine both the prevalence of parental incarceration and child outcomes associated with it.Previous research has found connections between parental incarceration and childhood health problems, behavior problems, and grade retention. It has also been linked to poor mental and physical health in adulthood

America's Hispanic Children: Gaining Ground, Looking Forward

The purpose of the study was to "widen the lens" by highlighting the positive trends among Hispanic youth. More young Latino children are enrolling in center-based care programs which are more likely to be of a higher educational quality than home-based care and other alternatives. Other highlights include Latino students posting solid gains on national assessments in key subject areas, more Latinos than ever before earning a high school diploma, and a record number of Hispanics enrolling in two- or four-year colleges. A greater sense of responsibility among Latino youth was also revealed in the study, indicated by falling teen pregnancy rates -- declines have been greater in the last four years for Latinas than other ethnic groups -- and a decrease in smoking and binge drinking habits among high school seniors. Latino teens' use of technology is also promising. While less likely to own a cell phone than their peers, they are avid users of smartphones and tablets. The Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project reported Hispanics are the only group to see poverty rates decline and incomes increase, but despite these gains, Hispanics have the largest number of people living in poverty when compared with other minority groups. "Nearly one-third of Latino children live below the poverty line, and a roughly equal share, while not poor by official definition, has family incomes just adequate to meet basic needs," the Child Trends study states

Adverse Childhood Experiences: National and State-Level Prevalence

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. These experiences range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce or the incarceration of a parent or guardian. A growing body of research has sought to quantify the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences and illuminate their connection with negative behavioral and health outcomes, such as obesity, alcoholism, and depression, later in life. However, prior research has not reported on the prevalence of ACEs among children in a nationally representative, non-clinical sample. In this brief, we describe the prevalence of one or more ACEs among children ages birth through 17, as reported by their parents, using nationally representative data from the 2011/12 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). We estimate the prevalence of eight specific ACEs for the U.S., contrasting the prevalence of specific ACEs among the states and between children of different age groups

Constructing the child: Relations between parents' beliefs and child outcomes

The context of children's development includes parents' belief-perspectives regarding the child, the parent, and their respective roles. Although parent beliefs have received a good deal of attention recently in the developmental literature, the focus here is explicitly child centered, determining whether beliefs, both global and specific, make a difference for the child. A model is presented that describes the relation of beliefs to other aspects of the socialization system. In addition, the processes that might account for the influence of parental beliefs on children are discussed. Directions for further research are suggested, including a proposal that greater attention be given to more fundamental belief-constructs, such as those dealing with the relative contributions of child and parent to the developmental process.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/30003/1/0000370.pd

Control of multiple model systems

This thesis considers the control of multiple model systems. These are systems for which only one model out of some finite set of models gives the system dynamics at any given time. In particular, the model that gives the system dynamics can change over time. This thesis covers some of the theoretical aspects of these systems, including controllability and stabilizability. As an application, ``overconstrained' mechanical systems are modeled as multiple model systems. Examples of such systems include distributed manipulation problems such as microelectromechanical systems and many wheeled vehicles such as the Sojourner vehicle of the Mars Pathfinder mission. Such systems are typified by having more Pfaffian constraints than degrees of freedom. Conventional classical motion planning and control theories do not directly apply to overconstrained systems. Control issues for two examples are specifically addressed. The first example is distributed manipulation. Distributed manipulation systems control an object's motion through contact with a high number of actuators. Stability results are shown for such systems and control schemes based on these results are implemented on a distributed manipulation test-bed. The second example is that of overconstrained vehicles, of which the Mars rover is an example. The nonlinear controllability test for multiple model systems is used to answer whether a kinematic model of the rover is or is not controllable

Effects of Relative Humidity and Shelf-Life on Selected Properties of Polyvinyl Acetate Adhesive Films

The effects of various relative humidities and shelf-lives on the tensile and thermal properties of a commercial polyvinyl acetate copolymer emulsion (PVAC) adhesive are reported. Adhesive-free films, from both crosslinkable and uncrosslinkable resins at three different shelf-life periods, were formed in an environmental chamber (72% relative humidity). After curing, specimens were cut from the films and divided into experimental units; and each unit was conditioned at a different relative humidity (0, 40, 60, and 90%). Tensile and differential scanning calorimetry tests were conducted after the films reached equilibrium at the various relative humidities. Tensile testing results indicate that at relative humidities greater than 40% the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of both uncrosslinked and crosslinked films decrease. Shelf-life periods of 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 months had relatively little effect on the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity values of either crosslinked or uncrosslinked PVAC films as compared to the effects of relative humidity. Regression analysis established that the mechanical properties varied mainly as a function of relative humidity. Differential scanning calorimetry specimens were cut from the same sheets of free film as the tensile specimens. Crosslinked and uncrosslinked specimens from an initial shelf-life period of 1.5 months were tested to determine the effects of relative humidities on the calorimetric properties of the films. The results indicate that relative humidity, especially at levels greater than 40%, affects some of the calorific values obtained from the films

Effects of live-bait shrimp trawling on seagrass beds and fish bycatch in Tampa Bay, Florida

The use of live shrimp for bait in recreational fishing has resulted in a controversial fishery for shrimp in Florida. In this fishery, night collections are conducted over seagrass beds with roller beam trawls to capture live shrimp, primarily pink shrimp, Penaeus duorarum. These shrimp are culled from the catch on sorting tables and placed in onboard aerated “live” wells. Beds of turtlegrass, Thalassia testudinum, a species that has highest growth rates and biomass during summer and lowest during the winter (Fonseca et al., 1996) are predominant areas for live-bait shrimp trawling (Tabb and Kenny, 1969). Our study objectives were 1) to determine effects of a roller beam trawl on turtlegrass biomass and morphometrics during intensive (up to 18 trawls over a turtlegrass bed), short-term (3-hour duration) use and 2) to examine the mortality of bycatch finfish following capture by a trawl

Paper Session III-A - LDAR, a Three-Dimensional Lightning Warning System: Its Development and Use by the Government, and Transition to Public Availability

NASA, at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), developed and operates a unique high precision lightning location system to provide lightning related weather warnings. These warnings are used to stop lightning-sensitive operations such as space vehicle launches and ground operations where equipment and personnel are at risk. The data is provided to the Range Weather Operations [45th Weather Squadron, U. S. Air Force (USAF)] where it is used with other meteorological data to issue weather advisories and warnings for Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) and KSC operations. This system, called Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR), provides users with a graphical display in three dimensions of 66 MHz radio frequency events generated by lightning processes. The locations of these events provide a sound basis for the prediction of lightning hazards. NASA and Global Atmospherics, Inc. are developing a new system that will replace the unique LDAR components with commercially available and maintainable components having improved capabilities. These components will be phased in to ensure full continuity and access to this important warning technology. These LDAR systems are expected to eventually be available for installation and use by the public at specialized facilities, such as airports, and for general weather warnings via the National Weather Service (NWS) or television broadcast. The NWS in Melbourne has had access to real-time LDAR data since 1993 on an experimental basis. This use of LDAR has shown promise for the improvement of aviation forecasts and severe weather warnings. More so, it has opened the door to investigate the feasibility of issuing lightning-related public advisories. The success of its early use suggests that this technology may improve safety and potentially save lives, therefore constituting a significant benefit to the public. This paper describes the LDAR system, the plans and progress of these upgrades, and the potential public benefits of its use

Volcanic Initiation of the Eocene Heart Mountain Slide, Wyoming, USA

The Eocene Heart Mountain slide of northwest Wyoming covers an area of as much as 5000 km2 and includes allochthonous Paleozoic carbonate and Eocene volcanic rocks with a run-out distance of as much as 85 km. Recent geochronologic data indicated that the emplacement of the slide event occurred at ∼48.9 Ma, using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) extracted from U-Pb zircon ages from basal layer and injectite carbonate ultracataclasite (CUC). We now refine that age with U-Pb results from a lamprophyre diatreme that is temporally and spatially related to the CUC injectites. The ages for the lamprophyre zircons are 48.97 ± 0.36 Ma (LA-ICPMS) and 49.19 ±0.02 Ma (chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry). Thus, the lamprophyre and CUC zircons are identical in age, and we interpret that the zircons in the CUC were derived from the lamprophyre during slide emplacement. Moreover, the intrusion of the lamprophyre diatreme provided the trigger mechanism for the Heart Mountain slide. Additional structural data are presented for a variety of calcite twinning strains, results from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility for the lamprophyre and CUC injectites and alternating-field demagnetization on the lamprophyre, to help constrain slide dynamics. These data indicate that White Mountain experienced a rotation about a vertical axis and minimum of 35° of counterclockwise motion during emplacement

SKITTER/implement mechanical interface

SKITTER (Spacial Kinematic Inertial Translatory Tripod Extremity Robot) is a three-legged transport vehicle designed to perform under the unique environment of the moon. The objective of this project was to design a mechanical interface for SKITTER. This mechanical latching interface will allow SKITTER to use a series of implements such as drills, cranes, etc., and perform different tasks on the moon. The design emphasized versatility and detachability; that is, the interface design is the same for all implements, and connection and detachment is simple. After consideration of many alternatives, a system of three identical latches at each of the three interface points was chosen. The latching mechanism satisfies the design constraints because it facilitates connection and detachment. Also, the moving parts are protected from the dusty environment by housing plates