Duration and Persistence in Multidimensional Deprivation: Methodology and Australian Application

This paper extends the recent literature on static multidimensional deprivation to propose dynamic deprivation measures that incorporate both the persistence and duration of deprivation across multiple dimensions. The paper then illustrates the usefulness of the extension by applying it to Australian panel data for the recent period, 2001-2008. The empirical application exploits the subgroup decomposability of the deprivation measures to identify the subgroups that are more deprived than others. The proposed measure is also decomposable by dimensions and is used to identify the dimensions where deprivation is more persistent. The comparison between the subgroups shows that the divide between homeowners and non-homeowners is one of the sharpest, with the latter suffering much more deprivation than the former. The results are robust to alternative schemes for weighting and aggregating the dimensions as well as to the choice of model parameters.Multidimensional Deprivation; Social Exclusion; Duration of Deprivation; Deprivation Persistence; Subgroup Decomposability.

EVALUATING THE DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRICE MOVEMENTS: METHODOLOGY, APPLICATION AND AUSTRALIAN EVIDENCE

This paper investigates the distributional implication of inflation in Australia. It proposes and applies a method of evaluating the nature and size of the inequality bias of price movements. In the process, the study introduces a new demographic demand model that yields sensible and well determined estimates of the general equivalence scale and the size economies of scale. The study finds that inflation in Australia during the 1990s had an inequality increasing bias and that this bias increased in the late 1990s and the first part of the new millennium. The study also provides evidence on the decomposition of overall inequality between demographic groups and compares the decomposition between the nominal and real expenditure inequalities.Price scaling, demographic demand, real expenditure inequality, inequality aversion.

On the anomalous afterglow seen in a chameleon afterglow search

We present data from our investigation of the anomalous orange-colored afterglow that was seen in the GammeV Chameleon Afterglow Search (CHASE). These data includes information about the broad band color of the observed glow, the relationship between the glow and the temperature of the apparatus, and other data taken prior to and during the science operations of CHASE. While differing in several details, the generic properties of the afterglow from CHASE are similar to luminescence seen in some vacuum compounds. Contamination from this, or similar, luminescent signatures will likely impact the design of implementation of future experiments involving single photon detectors and high intensity light sources in a cryogenic environment.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR

Challenges of CPAS Flight Testing

The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is being designed to land the Orion Crew Module (CM) at a safe rate of descent at splashdown via a series of Drogue, Pilot, and Main parachutes. Because Orion is considerably larger and heavier than Apollo, many of the flight test techniques developed during the Apollo program must be modified. The Apollo program had a dedicated C-133 aircraft, which was modified to allow a simple airdrop of "boilerplate" flight test vehicles. However, the CPAS program must use either commercial or military assets with minimal modifications to airframes or procedures. Conceptual envelopes from 2-Degree Of Freedom trajectories are presented for several existing and novel architectures. Ideally, the technique would deliver a representative capsule shape to the desired altitude and dynamic pressure at test initiation. However, compromises must be made on the characteristics of trajectories or the fidelity of test articles to production hardware. Most of the tests to date have used traditional pallet and weight tub or missile-shaped test vehicles. New test vehicles are being designed to better incorporate Orion structural components and deploy parachutes in a more representative fashion. The first attempt to test a capsule-shaped vehicle failed due to unexpected events while setting up the test condition through a series of complex procedures. In order to avoid the loss of another expensive test article which will delay the program, simpler deployment methods are being examined and more positive control of the vehicle will be maintained. Existing challenges include interfacing with parent aircraft, separating test vehicles, achieving test conditions, and landing within limited test ranges. All these challenges must be met within cost and schedule limits

An Examination of Motivation to Change and Neural Alcohol Cue Reactivity Following a Brief Intervention.

Background: Brief interventions represent a promising psychological intervention targeting individuals with heavy alcohol use. Motivation to change represents an individual's openness to engage in a behavior change strategy and is thought to be a crucial component of brief interventions. Neuroimaging techniques provide a translational tool to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying potential mediators of treatment response, including motivation to change. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of a brief intervention on motivation to change drinking behavior and neural alcohol taste cue reactivity. Methods: Non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers were randomized to receive a brief drinking intervention (n = 22) or an attention-matched control (n = 24). Three indices of motivation to change were assessed at baseline and after the intervention or control session: importance, confidence, and readiness. Immediately following the intervention or control session, participants also underwent an functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during which they completed an alcohol taste cues paradigm. Results: There was a significant effect of the brief intervention on increasing ratings of importance of changing drinking behavior, but not on ratings of confidence or readiness to change. Ratings of importance after the intervention or control session were associated with neural alcohol taste cue reactivity, but notably, this effect was only significant for participants who received the intervention. Individuals in the intervention condition showed a positive association between ratings of importance and activation in the precuneus, posterior cingulate, and insula. Conclusions: The brief drinking intervention was successful at improving one dimension of motivation to change among non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers. The brief intervention moderated the relationship between ratings of importance and brain activation in circuitry associated with interoceptive awareness and self-reflection. Together, findings represent an initial step toward understanding the neurobiological mechanisms through which a brief intervention may improve motivation to change

The Uniform Commercial Code as Related to Arizona Agriculture

This item is part of the Agricultural Experiment Station archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information, please email CALS Publications at [email protected]

Hydra-Multi: Collaborative Online Construction of 3D Scene Graphs with Multi-Robot Teams

3D scene graphs have recently emerged as an expressive high-level map representation that describes a 3D environment as a layered graph where nodes represent spatial concepts at multiple levels of abstraction (e.g., objects, rooms, buildings) and edges represent relations between concepts (e.g., inclusion, adjacency). This paper describes Hydra-Multi, the first multi-robot spatial perception system capable of constructing a multi-robot 3D scene graph online from sensor data collected by robots in a team. In particular, we develop a centralized system capable of constructing a joint 3D scene graph by taking incremental inputs from multiple robots, effectively finding the relative transforms between the robots' frames, and incorporating loop closure detections to correctly reconcile the scene graph nodes from different robots. We evaluate Hydra-Multi on simulated and real scenarios and show it is able to reconstruct accurate 3D scene graphs online. We also demonstrate Hydra-Multi's capability of supporting heterogeneous teams by fusing different map representations built by robots with different sensor suites.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

Periodic Optical Variability of Radio Detected Ultracool Dwarfs

A fraction of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs are known to be radio active, in some cases producing periodic pulses. Extensive studies of two such objects have also revealed optical periodic variability and the nature of this variability remains unclear. Here we report on multi-epoch optical photometric monitoring of six radio detected dwarfs, spanning the $\sim$M8 - L3.5 spectral range, conducted to investigate the ubiquity of periodic optical variability in radio detected ultracool dwarfs. This survey is the most sensitive ground-based study carried out to date in search of periodic optical variability from late-type dwarfs, where we obtained 250 hours of monitoring, delivering photometric precision as low as $\sim$0.15%. Five of the six targets exhibit clear periodicity, in all cases likely associated with the rotation period of the dwarf, with a marginal detection found for the sixth. Our data points to a likely association between radio and optical periodic variability in late-M/early-L dwarfs, although the underlying physical cause of this correlation remains unclear. In one case, we have multiple epochs of monitoring of the archetype of pulsing radio dwarfs, the M9 TVLM 513-46546, spanning a period of 5 years, which is sufficiently stable in phase to allow us to establish a period of 1.95958 $\pm$ 0.00005 hours. This phase stability may be associated with a large-scale stable magnetic field, further strengthening the correlation between radio activity and periodic optical variability. Finally, we find a tentative spin-orbit alignment of one component of the very low mass binary LP 349-25.Comment: Accepted to The Astrophysical Journal; 22 pages; 12 figure

Understanding the Affective Dimension of Occupational Participation Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience problems in occupational participation that are secondary to co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. The purpose of this project was to enhance understanding of factors that influence depressive symptomatology and subjective experiences of occupational participation for adolescents with ASD. Three specific aims were addressed, each drawing from data obtained from a larger study. The study, Temporal Evaluation of eMotion, Place, and Occupation (TEMPO), included 17 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ages 11-17 years, and their caregivers. First, participants completed an in-person visit during which they completed self-reported and parent-reported measures of depression, a measure of intelligence quotient, and questionnaires on other demographic information. Second, participants completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of depressive symptoms and occupational experiences. Adolescents were signaled to complete the EMA protocol six times per day for seven consecutive days. In Chapter Three, fidelity results from the TEMPO study are presented. In this chapter, evidence that EMA is a helpful tool for clinical occupational therapy practice and occupational therapy and occupational science research is also presented. In Chapter Four, the findings that the social dimension of occupation was a significant predictor of momentary affect and depressive symptomatology are presented. For children at earlier pubertal stages, increased quantity of social interaction was related to momentary positive affect (PA); for children at later pubertal stages, increased quality of social interaction was related to momentary PA. I also found that affective instability was related to parent-reported depressive symptomatology. In Chapter Five, I further explored the relationships between affective and subjective experiences during occupational participation. I evaluated the relationship between temporal patterns of occupational participation and subjective experiences. Four themes are discussed including: (1) adolescents with ASD participate in a range of occupations, most commonly screen-time occupations; (2) adolescents with ASD spend significant time spent in enjoyable occupations with others; (3) adolescents with ASD report more PA than negative affect; and (4) high variability characterizes the subjective experiences of adolescents with ASD. Findings across the three aims led to the identification of key factors that influence the affective dimension of occupation.Doctor of Philosoph