The Impact of Two Los Angeles County Teen Courts on Youth Recidivism: Comparing Two Informal Probation Programs.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the impact of two Teen Courts operating in Los Angeles County, a juvenile justice system diversion program in which youth are judged by their peers and given restorative sentences to complete during a period of supervision. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare youth who participated in Teen Court (n=112) to youth who participated in another diversion program administered by the Probation Department (the 654 Contract program) (n=194). Administrative data were abstracted from Probation records for all youth who participated in these programs between January 1, 2012 and June 20, 2014. Logistic and survival models were used to examine differences in recidivism - measured as whether the minor had any subsequent arrest or arrests for which the charge was filed. RESULTS: Comparison group participants had higher rates of recidivism than Teen Court participants, after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and risk level. While the magnitude of the program effects were fairly consistent across model specifications (odd ratios comparing Teen Court [referent] to school-based 654 Contract ranging from 1.95 to 3.07, hazard ratios ranging from 1.62 to 2.27), differences were not statistically significant in all scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: While this study provides modest support for the positive impact of Teen Court, additional research is needed to better understand how juvenile diversion programs can improve youth outcomes.

The Zeeman effect in the (0,0) band of the A 7Pi-X 7Sigma(+) transition of manganese monohydride, MnH.

The Zeeman tuning of the P(1)(0) line (nu=17 568.35 cm(-1)) of the A (7)Pi-X (7)Sigma(+) (0,0) band of manganese monohydride, MnH, has been investigated. The laser induced fluorescence spectrum of a supersonic molecular beam sample was recorded at a resolution of approximately 40 MHz and with field strengths of up to 362.0 mT. The observed spectrum was successfully fitted using a traditional effective Zeeman Hamiltonian to determine an effective magnetic g-factor for the J=2 level of the F(1)-spin component of the A (7)Pi(v=0) state. Spectral predictions of the P(1)(0) line at field strengths used in magnetic trapping experiments are presented.

The Zeeman tuning of the A 6Sigma+-X 6Sigma+ transition of chromium monohydride.

The magnetic tuning of the low-rotational levels of the A (6)Sigma(+) (v = 1 and 0) states of chromium monohydride, (52)CrH, have been experimentally investigated using optical spectroscopy of the (0, 0) and (1, 0) bands of the A (6)Sigma(+)-X (6)Sigma(+) transition. The tuning of the numerous low-rotational lines in the A (6)Sigma(+)-X (6)Sigma(+) (0, 0) band can be accurately modeled using a single set of g-factors (g(S) and g(l)) which are close to the expected values. In contrast, the g-factors for the A (6)Sigma(+) (v = 1) state required to model the magnetic tuning of low-rotational lines in the A (6)Sigma(+)-X (6)Sigma(+) (1, 0) band are strongly dependent upon rotational and fine structure component and the determined effective values for g(S) deviate significantly from 2.002. Interpretation of the quantum level variation of g(S) is presented. The magnetic hyperfine structure of the (0, 0) and (1, 0) bands of the A (6)Sigma(+)-X (6)Sigma(+) transition is analyzed to produce proton Fermi contact, b(F) and dipolar, c, magnetic hyperfine parameters of 19(1) MHz and 34(5) MHz for the A (6)Sigma(+) (v = 0) state and 21(2) MHz and 30(7) MHz for the A (6)Sigma(+) (v = 1) state.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Massachusetts workforce development system using no-shows as a nonexperimental comparison group.

This article examines the effect of the Massachusetts workforce development system on the earnings of disadvantaged adults using nonexperimental data from the late 1990s. The authors construct a comparison sample for program participants using individuals who apply for and are offered services yet do not participate in a training program. They present a series of difference-in-difference estimates that make several alternative efforts to correct for selectivity bias, including econometric models that regression adjust for observable characteristics and fixed-effect models that adjust for time-invariant person effects. They also employ probabilistic matching techniques to more finely align the treatment and comparison samples. On average, program participants experienced 20% increases in annual earnings 1 year postintervention and 25% increases after 2 years. The authors uncover considerable heterogeneity in these effects, suggesting that the most difficult to serve and the most job ready benefit the least.

Coordination chemistry of the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion: molecular interactions in room temperature ionic liquids.

Room temperature ionic liquids composed of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anions and 1,3-ethylmethylimidazolium (EMI) cations are shown to stabilize monomeric ligand deficient transition metal complexes via four distinct binding modes: monodentate nitrogen or oxygen coordination and/or bidentate oxygen-oxygen' or nitrogen-oxygen coordination (eta1-N, eta1-O, eta2-O,O' and eta2-N,O).

Bifurcation analysis of an orientational aggregation model.

We consider an integro-differential equation for the evolution of a function f on the circle, describing an orientational aggregation process. In the first part we analyze generic bifurcations of steady-state solutions when a single eigenvalue changes sign. Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction leads to the bifurcation equation which is solved explicitly by formal power series. We prove that these series have positive radius of convergence. Two examples exhibit forward and backward bifurcations, respectively. In the second part we assume that the first and second eigenvalues become positive. Again we use Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction to arrive at the reduced bifurcation system from which we get the bifurcating branches as power series. We calculate the two most important parameters of the reduced system for two examples; one of them has interesting mode interactions which lead to various kinds of time-periodic solutions.