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One promising avenue for augmenting the effect of interventions designed to reduce risk behaviors for acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among adolescents is the use of peer influence through friendship groups. In this study, conducted among 76 groups of African American adolescents, the authors sought to determine whether the similarity of behaviors among group members persists over time and whether the similarity is enhanced through a risk-reduction intervention. Youth within groups were more similar compared to youth between groups with respect to sexual behaviors, expectations, and feelings at the baseline and through 18 months of follow-up. An HIV risk-reduction intervention that increased condom use also increased similarity of condom use among youth within intervention groups at 6 and 18 months postintervention. These data provide empiric support for the hypothesis that delivery of HIV-prevention efforts through groups of friends may be a useful intervention adjunct., Continued expansion of the AIDS epidemic reinforces the need to develop effective risk-reduction interventions, particularly those targeting potentially high-risk populations. Minority adolescents constitute one of these demographically important high-risk populations [...]

Data from an experimental study of coal-derived residuum reactivity are reported. Thermal conversion experiments were completed at short contact time reaction conditions using eight residuum samples derived from Kentucky 9114 and Illinois 6 bituminous coals. Results indicated that residuum reactivity toward distillate production decreased with increased severity of catalytic prehydrotreatment. Asphaltene disproportionate and retrogressive reactions to form insoluble organic matter were suppressed when the feed residuum was hydrotreated prior to thermal conversion. Results from elemental analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopic measurements on selected asphaltene samples suggested that disproportionation occurred via a mechanism of phenolic condensation.

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