DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Background: Mexican women in the United States (US) have higher rates of fertility compared to other ethnic groups and women in Mexico. Whether variation in women’s access to family planning services or patterns of contraceptive use contributes to this higher fertility has received little attention. Objective: We explore Mexican women’s contraceptive use, taking into account women’s place in the reproductive life course. Methods: Using nationally representative samples from the US (National Survey of Family Growth) and Mexico (Encuesta National de la Dinámica Demográfica), we compared the parity-specific frequency of contraceptive use and fertility intentions for non-migrant women, foreign-born Mexicans in the US, US-born Mexicans, and whites. Results: Mexican women in the US were less likely to use IUDs and more likely to use hormonal contraception than women in Mexico. Female sterilization was the most common method among higher parity women in both the US and Mexico, however, foreign-born Mexicans were less likely to be sterilized, and the least likely to use any permanent contraceptive method. Although foreign-born Mexicans were slightly less likely to report that they did not want more children, differences in method use remained after controlling for women’s fertility intentionsPopulation Research Cente

The slipper lobster, Scyllarides latus, uses apatite and fluorapatite to protect its sensory organules

The cuticle of arthropods has been intensely studied not only to better understand the properties of a natural composite material, but also to understand how structural properties and mineral contributions to this composite offer a durable protective covering from predator and microbial attack. Thus far, most marine cuticular studies have focused on the American lobster, Homarus americanus, or several crab species, but have largely ignored other types of lobsters, such as spiny or slipper lobsters that have exoskeletons differing in both structural properties (i.e., amount of trabeculae present in pits and spines) and resistance to structural failure. Using an electron microprobe, we analyzed various segments of the exoskeleton of the Mediterranean slipper lobster, Scyllarides latus, to determine the mineral content in discrete domains of cuticle. EMP analysis determined that the cuticle of S. latus is similar to that of H. americanus in that it contains carbonate apatite in canal linings and in the areas surrounding sensory organules (setae). The slipper lobster also uses a fluorapatite mineral that further adds strength to the shell. Results will be discussed in the context of what this means for defense against attack and differences in environmental water chemistry and resilience to climate change

Invariance: a Theoretical Approach for Coding Sets of Words Modulo Literal (Anti)Morphisms

Let $A$ be a finite or countable alphabet and let $\theta$ be literal (anti)morphism onto $A^*$ (by definition, such a correspondence is determinated by a permutation of the alphabet). This paper deals with sets which are invariant under $\theta$ ($\theta$-invariant for short).We establish an extension of the famous defect theorem. Moreover, we prove that for the so-called thin $\theta$-invariant codes, maximality and completeness are two equivalent notions. We prove that a similar property holds in the framework of some special families of $\theta$-invariant codes such as prefix (bifix) codes, codes with a finite deciphering delay, uniformly synchronized codes and circular codes. For a special class of involutive antimorphisms, we prove that any regular $\theta$-invariant code may be embedded into a complete one.Comment: To appear in Acts of WORDS 201

Macroeconomic Imbalances in the World Economy

This paper explores the emergence of large current account imbalances in a few large countries, the factors behind the emergence, the role of those imbalances in the financial crisis of 2008-09, and the implications of achieving global balance. Imbalances reflect a country’s net savings and suggest that growth in GDP of a surplus country is partly dependent upon growth in external demand of deficit countries. Although a country can incur a surplus or deficit for ever, we suggest that the increasing surpluses of relatively large and rapidly growing countries is likely to be destabilizing to global growth in the long-run. The adjustment will likely require a surplus country, such as China, to rely more on domestic demand for growth while a deficit country, such as the U.S., may need to rely more on external demand for growth. We suggest the Eurozone imbalances are not directly linked to U.S. imbalances. There are a variety of potential causes of global imbalances including excess savings in surplus countries, the twin deficit hypothesis, the export-led growth hypothesis, and the possible miss-measurement of the U.S. current account due to repatriation of profits from U.S. owned foreign affiliates. However, whatever the combination of causes of the growing imbalances, adjustments need to be made to return to long-terms sustainable growth.International Relations/Trade,

Adolescent substance use in relation to school-based extracurricular activities according to individual and school-level characteristics

The purpose of this study was to fill gaps in previous literature on adolescent involvement in activities that are school-based in relation adolescent alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and illicit substance use, while taking into account important individual and sociodemographic variables. Research was conducted with 49 12th grade students in two public high school in North Central West Virginia. Data were collected using an internet questionnaire accessible to students on Survey Monkey. The questionnaire consisted of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug use questions that were derived directly from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) questions pertaining to students involvement in school-based activities during the past school year. The present study tested three separate hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that higher rates of involvement in extracurricular activities would be associated with lower levels of substance use. The present study found statistically significant negative relationships between involvement in school-based activities and tobacco and alcohol use. The second hypothesis was that males would report higher levels of substance use than females, especially males involved in sports activities. A hierarchical regression analyses showed that the addition of gender and sports involvement into the model did not explain a significant portion of the variance in tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drug use. Finally, the third hypothesis was that adolescents from the lower SES school would have higher rates of substance use than those adolescents from the higher SES school. Three separate mean-level comparisons by school found that students from the lower SES school were not significantly more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit drugs than students from the lower SES school. Result findings are discussed in relation to implications of the study, study limitations, and recommendations for future research

What Prospective College Students Say Matters During the College Selection Process

For most prospective college students, selecting a college is a highly involved, lengthy process. While past research has examined how high school students determine their college choice subsets and what information sources they use most during the college selection process, further research is needed to determine the most effective means of reaching prospective students. The current study employs focus group research to examine students\u27 college selection processes to gain a better understanding of the types of information students seek during their college selection process, the media they use to find it, and the people whose guidance they seek when making their decisions. Determining which institution of higher education high school students will attend is a serious decision. It is a process that many students are deeply involved in. Some begin thinking about it early in high school while others wait until application deadlines approach. But, no matter when students embark on the process of finding a college or university to attend, it is a process that involves a number of different research resources for students to use and a process that students can approach from different angles. Part of the college decision process involves determining an initial set of institutions, careers, and academic majors to consider. Progressively, students narrow their options to a few select schools to which they will apply. The final stage in this process, after all research is complete, is to choose one school to attend upon admittance. Throughout this process students must sort through all sorts of institutional information. They receive this information in the mail, via television commercials, from their friends, parents, and/or guidance counselors, or on the Internet. The information ranges from academic majors offered to the best clubs to join. Previous research (Bradshaw, Espinoza, & Hausman, 2001; Hossler, Braxton, & Coopersmith, 1989; Zemsky & Oedel, 1983;Hodges & Barbuto, 2001; Rosen, Curran, & Greenlee, 1998) has sought to understand prospective college students\u27 college selection processes, from determining the initial choice subsets they will examine, to the criteria they use to judge colleges, to how they make their final decisions. The present study adds to this body of knowledge, most specifically to our understanding about the means by which students seek and receive information about colleges during their selection COLLEGE SELECTION 7 process. It also adds to the literature about what resources, both people and media, high school students find to be most influential throughout their college selection process