Recalibrating the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W4 Filter

We present a revised effective wavelength and photometric calibration for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W4 band, including tests of empirically motivated modifications to its pre-launch laboratory-measured relative system response curve. We derived these by comparing measured W4 photometry with photometry synthesised from spectra of galaxies and planetary nebulae. The difference between measured and synthesised photometry using the pre-launch laboratory-measured W4 relative system response can be as large as 0.3 mag for galaxies and 1 mag for planetary nebulae. We find the W4 effective wavelength should be revised upward by 3.3%, from 22.1 micron to 22.8 micron, and the W4 AB magnitude of Vega should be revised from m = 6.59 to m = 6.66. In an attempt to reproduce the observed W4 photometry, we tested three modifications to the pre-launch laboratory-measured W4 relative system response curve, all of which have an effective wavelength of 22.8 micron. Of the three relative system response curve models tested, a model that matches the laboratory-measured relative system response curve, but has the wavelengths increased by 3.3% (or 0.73 micron) achieves reasonable agreement between the measured and synthesised photometry.Comment: Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

The Influence of Religiosity, Gender, and Language Preference Acculturation on Sexual Activity Among Latino/a Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to determine the main and interactive effects of religiosity, gender, and language preference acculturation on sexual activity among 570 Latino/a adolescents from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Results indicated that adolescents who viewed religion as very important, had frequent church attendance, and had more traditional attitudes on sexuality were less likely ever to have sex compared with adolescents who were less religious. Those with frequent church attendance and high traditional attitudes had fewer lifetime and recent sex partners. Unassimilated religious youth were less likely ever to have sex, had fewer lifetime and recent sexual partners, and a later age of sexual debut. Females were less likely to have had sex, had fewer recent and lifetime partners, and had a later age of coital debut than males. Religiosity had a healthy dampening of sexual activity among Latino/a adolescents and, in particular, among those who were less assimilated

Bending and Breathing Modes of the Galactic Disk

We explore the hypothesis that a passing satellite or dark matter subhalo has excited coherent oscillations of the Milky Way's stellar disk in the direction perpendicular to the Galactic midplane. This work is motivated by recent observations of spatially dependent bulk vertical motions within ~ kpc of the Sun. A satellite can transfer a fraction of its orbital energy to the disk stars as it plunges through the Galactic midplane thereby heating and thickening the disk. Bulk motions arise during the early stages of such an event when the disk is still in an unrelaxed state. We present simple toy-model calculations and simulations of disk-satellite interactions, which show that the response of the disk depends on the relative velocity of the satellite. When the component of the satellite's velocity perpendicular to the disk is small compared with that of the stars, the perturbation is predominantly a bending mode. Conversely, breathing and higher order modes are excited when the vertical velocity of the satellite is larger than that of the stars. We argue that the compression and rarefaction motions seen in three different surveys are in fact breathing mode perturbations of the Galactic disk.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure

“Drinking” about the Past: Bar Culture in Antebellum New Orleans

Women in antebellum New Orleans have often been memorialized as Voudou queens, slave-torturers who continue to haunt houses, prostitutes, and light-skinned concubines to wealthy, white men. This study focuses on women’s contribution to New Orleans’s economy through the hospitality industry as female bar owners from 1830-1861. In addition, it provides an overview of the role that alcohol and beverage consumption patterns played among men and women of all races, classes, and cultural backgrounds in antebellum New Orleans. Antebellum tourists, in addition to cotton and sugar, were an important source of income for many New Orleanians before the Civil War. As bar owners, these women profited from male-dominated spaces while providing for themselves, and in some cases, their families. A study of the hospitality industry in antebellum New Orleans is essential to those studying both economic and social histories of the city during the antebellum era

Surviving Enhanced Judicial Scrutiny of Directors\u27 Decisions--Reaching the Protection of the Business Judgment Rule

In the merger and acquisition craze of the 1980\u27s, it became increasingly apparent that shareholders needed protection from directors who were not always acting in the best interests of the corporation. This note traces the history of the enhanced judicial scrutiny doctrine and explores the difficulty boards of directors face in characterizing and analyzing the myriad of transactions and events which may occur in a merger or sale scenario. Then, possible courses of action such boards may take to protect themselves are discussed

The Influences of Acculturation, Marianismo and Ethnic Identity on Sexual Activity Among Latina Adolescents

This mixed methods study examined the influences of acculturation (e.g., assimilation and enculturation), marianismo, and ethnic identity on the sexual behaviors and attitudes of Latina adolescents. In the quantitative portion of the study, 204 Latina adolescents completed measures regarding acculturation, gender roles, ethnic identity, and sexual behaviors. In the qualitative portion of the study, three focus groups were conducted (with a total of 10 participants) in which Latina youth were asked questions regarding their ethnic group membership and its influence on their attitudes about sex. The results of the quantitative portion of the study revealed that ethnic affirmation was negatively associated with the variable ever had sex. Ethnic affirmation was positively associated with contraception use at first sexual intercourse and ethnic identity achievement was positively associated with age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between ethnic affirmation and assimilation for age at first sexual intercourse, such that participants who reported high levels of assimilation and low levels of ethnic affirmation reported a younger age of first sexual intercourse than those who reported a high level of assimilation and a high level of ethnic affirmation. The qualitative results revealed that the participants live in a cultural context characterized by ethnic pride and biculturalism. Experiences of discrimination, awareness of negative stereotypes, and bicultural difficulties are also important aspects of the cultural context of the Latina youth. The cultural context of these adolescents helped to shape their sexual attitudes. The core sexual attitude expressed by the majority of the Latina youth was that marriage is a necessary condition for them to engage in sexual activity. The qualitative results also revealed how gender roles, cultural differences, family values, personal knowledge, peer pressure, and stressors/abuse shape the core sexual attitude of the Latina adolescents. Specifically gender roles, cultural differences, family values, and personal knowledge discouraged them from engaging in sexual activity, while peer pressure and stressors/abuse encouraged them to engage in sexual activity. Convergence and divergence between the qualitative and quantitative data are identified and explained. Limitations and implications of the current study and future directions are also discussed

East 52 : A Multi-Genre Work Chronicling One Man’s Final Journey

Middle-aged Michael Coogan heads east on US Route 52 through the area known as Creed County (a combination of Mercer Co, WV and Bland Co, VA), returning home to bury his father, although the man has been in the ground for several months. After a near fatal accident, Michael sees historical markers often revealing two stories: the typical history and the unknown history—a description of a fateful event that occurred in or near the locale described. Upon learning of these second histories, he visualizes the events surrounding the unknown facts related to him on the reverse markers. These stories trigger memories of key events in his life. As he continues his trip down East 52 and Memory Lane (his and Creed County’s) progresses, he begins to realize just how awfully irreconcilable life is—that is, until he meets Old John (his Hitchhiker)…and the little deaf-mute girl (his Hope)