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Many mammalian societies are structured by dominance hierarchies, and an individual's position within this hierarchy can influence reproduction, behaviour, physiology and health. In nepotistic hierarchies, which are common in cercopithecine primates and also seen in spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta, adult daughters are expected to rank immediately below their mother, and in reverse age order (a phenomenon known as 'youngest ascendancy'). This pattern is well described, but few studies have systematically examined the frequency or causes of departures from the expected pattern. Using a longitudinal data set from a natural population of yellow baboons, Papio cynocephalus, we measured the influence of maternal kin, paternal kin and group size on female rank positions at two life history milestones, menarche and first live birth. At menarche, most females (73%) ranked adjacent to their family members (i.e. the female held an ordinal rank in consecutive order with other members of her maternal family); however, only 33% of females showed youngest ascendancy within their matriline at menarche. By the time they experienced their first live birth, many females had improved their dominance rank: 78% ranked adjacent to their family members and 49% showed youngest ascendancy within their matriline. The presence of mothers and maternal sisters exerted a powerful influence on rank outcomes. However, the presence of fathers, brothers and paternal siblings did not produce a clear effect on female dominance rank in our analyses, perhaps because females in our data set co-resided with variable numbers and types of paternal and male relatives. Our results also raise the possibility that female body size or competitive ability may influence dominance rank, even in this classically nepotistic species. In total, our analyses reveal that the predictors of dominance rank in nepotistic rank systems are much more complex than previously thought.

Two model test boilers simulated the operating conditions of the Babcock & Wilcox Company Oconee class once-through steam generators to test for materials-environment compatibility. Results of nearly seven years of operation show that a stress relief heat treatment [621°C (1150°F)/10 h] reduces the risk of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Alloy 600 steam generator tubes. The introduction of minor amounts of caustic contamination is also not likely to result in tube failures of properly heat treated tubes. Consequently, steam generators tubed with stress-relieved Alloy 600 and employing condensate-polished all volatile-treated water have little risk of tube failure by SCC and/or pitting corrosion.

Laboratory thermal-mechanical processing was used to produce Alloy 600 material with varying microstructures. The materials were fabricated into single U-bend specimens and tested in 343 C...

Modified Streicher and 288 C (550 F) electrochemical caustic stress corrosion tests were performed on Alloy 600 to determine the relationship between acid intergranular attack susceptibility and caustic stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility. Mill annealed and solution annealed materials with and without a subsequent 621 C (1150 F) heat treatment (simulated stress relief) were evaluated. Susceptibility to attack in the Streicher test was greatest for material that had received a 621 C (1150 F) heat treatment, whereas this heat treatment caused the same material to be least susceptible to cracking in the electrochemical tests. The conclusions drawn from these results are: (1) stress relieving Alloy 600 does improve its resistance to caustic SCC, and (2) resistance of Alloy 600 to acid intergranular attack does not imply resistance of Alloy 600 to caustic SCC. Therefore, the results demonstrate the need for selecting corrosion qualification tests which are relevant to service conditions.