A Sociodemographic and Partisan Analysis of Voting in Three Anti-Gay Rights Referenda in Oregon

Since 1988, three separate anti-gay rights referenda have been placed on the ballot in the state of Oregon. While in 1988 Oregon voters passed the first measure (subsequently found unconstitutional), they rejected similar referenda in 1992 and 1994. This paper examines the electoral geography of these three referenda both cartographically and quantitatively. It finds patterns of support for the referenda were closely associated with voting patterns for the Republican Party in gubernatorial and presidential elections, and with sociodemographic indicators reflective of traditionalist areas.     

Behaviour of hatchery‐reared and wild‐caught 4th and 5th stage American lobsters,Homarus americanus

Behavioural deficiencies in 4th and 5th stage hatchery‐reared lobsters were examined using time budget analysis and predator trials. Hatchery‐reared 4th stage lobsters were found to behave differently than wild‐caught lobsters and differences existed between hatchery‐reared lobsters from different sources. Local hatchery‐reared 4th stage lobsters spent less time on shelter and suffered higher predator rates in laboratory trials than both wild‐caught 4th stage and lobsters reared in a hatchery in Maine. Fifth stage hatchery‐reared lobsters spent significantly more time in shelter than their wild‐caught counterparts. These differences may be attributable to the lack of development of proper predator‐avoidance behaviour and need to be understood and corrected to maximise the effect of enhancement projects.     

Distribution of deep near-inertial waves observed in the Kuroshio Extension

The distribution of deep near-inertial waves (NIWs) is investigated using data mainly from an array of 46 near-bottom acoustic current meter sensors spanning a 600 km × 600 km region as part of the Kuroshio Extension System Study during 2004–2006. The deep NIW distribution is interpreted in the context of both upper-layer and near-bottom mapped circulations. The wintertime-mean mixed-layer NIW energy input, modeled from observed wind stress, has the same range of values north and south of the Kuroshio Extension in this region. Yet, the wintertime-mean deep NIW energy distribution reveals a sharp factor-of-5 decrease from north to south of the Kuroshio jet. This direct observational evidence shows that the Kuroshio Extension blocks the equatorward propagation of NIWs. The NIW energy that does reach the sea floor within the subset of wintertime observations in the subtropical gyre arrives with patchy spatial and temporal distribution. Elevated NIW energy in deep water is associated with anticyclones in the deep barotropic flow and unassociated with upper layer eddies.     

Sea-level and reef accretion history of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 and late Stage 5 based on age and facies of submerged late Pleistocene reefs,Oahu, Hawaii

In situ Pleistocene reefs form a gently sloping nearshore terrace around the island of Oahu. TIMS Th–U ages of in situ corals indicate that most of the terrace is composed of reefal limestones correlating to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7, ~ 190–245 ka). The position of the in situ MIS 7 reef complex indicates that it formed during periods when local sea level was ~ 9 to 20 m below present sea level. Its extensiveness and geomorphic prominence as well as a paucity of emergent in situ MIS 7 reef-framework deposits on Oahu suggest that much of MIS 7 was characterized by regional sea levels below present. Later accretion along the seaward front of the terrace occurred during the latter part of MIS 5 (i.e., MIS 5a–5d, ~ 76–113 ka). The position of the late MIS 5 reefal limestones is consistent with formation during a period when local sea level was below present. The extensiveness of the submerged Pleistocene reefs around Oahu compared to the relative dearth of Holocene accretion is due to the fact that Pleistocene reefs had both more time and more accommodation space available for accretion than their Holocene counterparts.     

Remineralization Ratios in the Subtropical North Pacific Gyre

Based on a new mixing model of two end-members, the water column remineralization ratios of P/N/C_org - O₂ = 1/13 ± 1/135 ± 18/170 ± 9 are obtained for the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) data set at station ALOHA. The traditional Redfield ratios of P/N/C_org/–O₂ = 1/16/106/138 have standard deviations of more than 50%, when they are based on the average composition of phytoplankton. Apparently, the remineralization processes in the water column have smoothed out the observed large variability of plankton compositions. A new molar formula for the remineralized plankton may be written as ₁₃₅H₂₈₀O₁₀₅N₁₃P or C₂₅(CH₂O)₁₀₁(CH₄)₉(NH₃)₁₃(H₃PO₄). Oxidation of this formula results inC₂₅(CH₂O)₁₀₁(CH₄)₉(NH₃)₁₃(H₃PO₄) + 170O₂ 135CO₂ + 132H₂O + 13NO₃ ^- + H₂PO₄ ^- + 14H⁺.For comparison, remineralization using Redfield's formula gives:(CH₂O)₁₀₆(NH₃)₁₆(H₃PO₄) + 138O₂ 106CO₂ + 122H₂O + 16NO₃ ^-+ H₂PO₄ ^- + 17H⁺     

The effect of global warming on mortality

There is a significant relationship between ambient temperature and mortality. In healthy individuals with no underlying co-morbid conditions, there is an efficient heat regulation system which enables the body to effectively handle thermal stress. However, in vulnerable groups, especially in elderly over the age of 65 years, infants and individuals with co-morbid cardiovascular and/or respiratory conditions, there is a deficiency in thermoregulation. When temperatures exceed a certain limit, being cold winter spells or heat waves, there is an increase in the number of deaths. In particular, it has been shown that at temperatures above 27 °C, the daily mortality rate increases more rapidly per degree rise compared to when it drops below 27 °C.This is especially of relevance with the current emergency of global warming. Besides the direct effect of temperature rises on human health, global warming will have a negative impact on primary producers and livestock, leading to malnutrition, which will in turn lead to a myriad of health related issues. This is further exacerbated by environmental pollution.Public health measures that countries should follow should include not only health-related information strategies aiming to reduce the exposure to heat for vulnerable individuals and the community, but improved urban planning and reduction in energy consumption, among many others. This will reduce the carbon footprint and help avert global warming, thus reducing mortality.     

The Green Revolution re-assessed: Insider perspectives on agrarian change in Bulandshahr District, Western Uttar Pradesh, India

In spite of raising Asian per capita food production by 27% and making India food self-sufficient, the Green Revolution has received much criticism for its environmental and socio-economic impacts. Taking on board post-development critiques of ‘speaking for’ Third World ‘others’, this paper seeks to examine the Green Revolution from the points of view of people directly affected by it. Comparative, historically-informed research in three villages for which 1972 baseline data exist reveal that the Green Revolution has ensured, in the words of one marginal farmer that ‘nobody sleeps with an empty stomach nowadays’. Most villagers associate the Green Revolution with increases in living standards and weakening community-based wealth hierarchies. Nevertheless, socio-economic inequalities between certain Scheduled Castes and other villagers are still very apparent.     

Genetic differentiation of three key anadromous fish populations of the Hudson River

Large, recreationally or commercially important populations of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), and striped bass (Morone saxatilis) occur in the Hudson River. Members of the Hudson River populations of these fishes also occur over a broad range along the Atlantic coast where they mix with conspecifics from other anadromous populations. For management purposes, it is imperative to be able to discriminate among individual stocks so that weak stocks may be protected and harvest may be allocated equitably. Because of their sensitivity and resistance to environmentally-induced temporal variation, molecular approaches have been increasingly employed in stock identification studies. However, post-Pleistocene recolonization of the Hudson River must have occurred less than 10,000 years ago—a relatively brief period for genetic divergence among populations. We tested whether various measures of DNA variation between Hudson River populations and adjacent populations of Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, and striped bass were sufficient to discriminate among their conspecific populations. American shad populations surveyed for mtDNA variation were highly diverse genotypically, but genotypic frequencies among the populations of the Connecticut, Hudson, and Delaware rivers were statistically homogenous (p>0.05). In contrast, Atlantic sturgeon (surveyed for mtDNA variation) and striped bass (surveyed for mtDNA and nuclear DNA variation) populations of the Hudson River were not genotypically diverse, but they were differentiated from northern and southern populations. Our results suggest higher gene flow (and lesser homing fidelity) among American shad populations in comparison with the two other species.