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Central cholinergic systems regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis differentially in males and females (sexual diergism). We previously investigated the role of muscarinic receptors in this regulation by administering physostigmine (PHYSO), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, to male and female rats pretreated with scopolamine (SCOP), a nonselective muscarinic antagonist. SCOP pretreatment enhanced adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) responses in both sexes, but males had greater ACTH responses while females had greater CORT responses. In the present study, we further explored the role of muscarinic receptor subtypes in HPA axis regulation by administering PHYSO to male and female rats following SCOP or various doses of either the M1 or the M2 selective muscarinic receptor antagonists, pirenzepine (PIREN) or methoctramine (METHO). Blood was sampled before and at multiple times after PHYSO. ACTH and CORT were determined by highly specific immunoassays. M1 antagonism by PIREN prior to PHYSO resulted in sustained, dose-dependent increases in ACTH and CORT: ACTH responses were similar in both sexes, and CORT responses were greater in females. M2 antagonism by METHO prior to PHYSO resulted in overall decreases in ACTH and CORT: ACTH and CORT responses were higher in females but lower in both sexes than the hormone responses following PIREN or SCOP pretreatment. Area under the curve analyses supported these findings. These results suggest that specific muscarinic receptor subtypes differentially influence the HPA axis in a sexually diergic manner.

The main goal of the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) project was to further understand the role that regional circulations and aerosol loading play in the convective cloud life cycle across the greater Houston, Texas, area. To accomplish this goal, the United States Department of Energy and research partners collaborated to deploy atmospheric observing systems across the region. Cloud and precipitation radars, radiosondes, and air quality sensors captured atmospheric and cloud characteristics. A dense lower-atmospheric dataset was developed using ground-based remote sensors, a tethersonde, and uncrewed aerial systems (UASs). TRACER-UAS is a subproject that deployed two UAS platforms to gather high-resolution observations in the lower atmosphere between 1 June and 30 September 2022. The University of Oklahoma CopterSonde and the University of Colorado Boulder RAAVEN (Robust Autonomous Aerial Vehicle – Endurant Nimble) were flown at two coastal locations between the Gulf of Mexico and Houston. The University of Colorado Boulder RAAVEN gathered measurements of atmospheric thermodynamic state, winds and turbulence, and aerosol size distribution. Meanwhile, the University of Oklahoma CopterSonde system operated on a regular basis to resolve the vertical structure of the thermodynamic and kinematic state. Together, a complementary dataset of over 200 flight hours across 61 d was generated, and data from each platform proved to be in strong agreement. In this paper, the platforms and respective data collection and processing are described. The dataset described herein provides information on boundary layer evolution, the sea breeze circulation, conditions prior to and nearby deep convection, and the vertical structure and evolution of aerosols. The quality-controlled TRACER-UAS observations from the CopterSonde and RAAVEN can be found at 10.5439/1969004 (Lappin, 2023) and 10.5439/1985470 (de Boer, 2023), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This planning manual illustrates why planning for transit-oriented development that serves families is important for creating complete communities and how such integrated planning can be achieved. The first half of the book lays out the why- families are an important market segment that can receive many benefits from locating in transit-rich locations with a mix of housing, retail, and other uses. Next, the manual describes the ten core connections between TOD and families, and then delves into seven action-oriented steps to support family-friendly complete communities and high-quality edcuation.

New photometry, including TESS data, have been combined with recent spectroscopic observations of the Orion Ib pulsating triple-star system VV Ori. This yields a revised set of absolute parameters with increased precision. Two different programmes were utilized for the light-curve analysis, with results in predictably close agreement. The agreement promotes confidence in the analysis procedures. The spectra were analysed using the FDBinary programme. The main parameters are as follows: M 1 = 11.56 ± 0.14 and M 2 = 4.81 ± 0.06 (M⊙). We estimate an approximate mass of the wide companion as M 3 = 2.0 ± 0.3 M⊙. Similarly, R 1 = 5.11 ± 0.03, R 2 = 2.51 ± 0.02, R 3 = 1.8 ± 0.1 (R⊙); T e1 = 26600 ± 300, T e2 = 16250 ± 420, and T e3 = 10000 ± 1000 (K). The close binary's orbital separation is a  = 13.91 (R⊙); its age is 8 ± 2 (Myr) and its photometric distance is 396 ± 7 pc. The primary's β Cep type oscillations support these properties and confirm our understanding of its evolutionary status. Examination of the well-defined λ6678 He  i profiles reveals the primary to have a significantly low projected rotation: some 80 per cent of the synchronous value. This can be explained on the basis of the precession of an unaligned spin axis. This proposal can resolve also observed variations of the apparent inclination and address other longer term irregularities of the system reported in the literature. This topic invites further observations and follow-up theoretical study of the dynamics of this intriguing young multiple star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Ce incorporation into ZrO2 on the catalytic performance of Cu/ZrO2 for the hydrogenation of CO have been investigated. A Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 solid solution was synthesized by forced hydrolysis at low pH. After calcination at 873 K, XRD and Raman spectroscopy characterization indicated that the Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 had a t'' crystal structure. 1.2 wt percent Cu/Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 exhibited H2 consumption peaks at low temperature (< 473 K) during H2-TPR indicating a significant fraction (~; 70 percent) of Ce4+ is reduced to Ce3+. 1.2 wt percent Cu/Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 is 2.7 times more active for methanol synthesis than 1.2 wt percent Cu/m-ZrO2 at 3.0 MPa at temperatures between 473 and 523 K and exhibits a higher selectivity to methanol. In-situ infrared spectroscopy shows that, analogous to Cu/m-ZrO2, the primary surface species on Cu/Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 during CO hydrogenation are formate and methoxide species. A shift in the band position of the bridged methoxide species indicated that some of these groups were bonded to both Zr4+ and Ce3+ cations. For both catalysts, the rate-limiting step for methanol synthesis is the reductive elimination of methoxide species. The higher rate of methanol synthesis on Cu/Ce0.3Zr0.7O2 relative to Cu/m-ZrO2 was primarily due to a ~; 2.4 times higher apparent rate constant, kapp, for methoxide hydrogenation, which is attributed to the higher surface concentration of H atoms on the former catalyst. The increased capacity of the Ce-containing catalyst is attributed to interactions of H atoms with Ce-O pairs present at the surface of the oxide phase.

The effect of zirconia phase on the activity and selectivity of Cu/ZrO2 for the hydrogenation of CO has been investigated. Relatively pure t-ZrO2 and m-ZrO2 were prepared with high surface areas (~; 145 m2/g). Copper was then deposited onto the surface of these materials by either incipient-wetness impregnation or deposition-precipitation. For a fixed Cu surface area, Cu/m-ZrO2 was tenfold more active for methanol synthesis than Cu/t-ZrO2 from a feed of 3/1 H2/CO at 3.0 MPa and temperatures between 473 and 523 K. Cu/m-ZrO2 also exhibited a higher selectivity to methanol. Increasing the Cu surface area on m-ZrO2 resulted in further improvement in activity with minimal change in selectivity. Methanol productivity increased linearly for both Cu/t-ZrO2 and Cu/m-ZrO2 with increasing Cu surface area. The difference in inherent activity of each phase paralleled the stronger and larger CO adsorption capacity of the Cu/m-ZrO2 as quantified by CO-TPD. The higher CO adsorption capacity of Cu/m-ZrO2 is attributed to the presence of a high concentration of anionic vacancies on the surface of m-ZrO2. Such vacancies expose cus-Zr4+ cations, which act as Lewis acid centers and enhance the Bronsted acidity of adjacent Zr-OH groups. The presence of cus-Zr4+ sites and adjacent Bronsted acidic Zr-OH groups contributes to the adsorption of CO as HCOO-Zr groups, which are the initial precursors to methanol.

The interactions of CO, CO/H2, H2, D2, and CH3OH with t-ZrO2, m-ZrO2, Cu/t-ZrO2, and Cu/m-ZrO2 have been investigated by in-situ infrared spectroscopy with the aim of understanding the nature of species involved in methanol synthesis and the dynamics of the formation and consumption of these species. With both phases of ZrO2, the primary surface species observed during CO hydrogenation were bidentate formate groups, b-HCOO-Zr, and methoxide groups, CH3O-Zr. Transient-response experiments indicated that the rate-limiting step for each catalyst is the reductive elimination of methoxide species. Relative to 1.2 wt% Cu/t-ZrO2, though, spillover of H atoms and the formation and reduction of formate and methoxide species proceeded more rapidly on the more active 1.2 wt% Cu/m-ZrO2. Steady-state intensities of surface species were also larger on 1.2 wt% Cu/m-ZrO2. These differences are attributed to the higher reactivity of the hydroxyl groups on the surface of m-ZrO2. Increasing the Cu surface area on m-ZrO2 increases the rate of reductive elimination of methoxide species up to a maximum value, determined by the eventual saturation of the ZrO2 surface with H atoms via spillover from Cu. The product of the apparent rate coefficient for reductive elimination of methoxide species and the surface concentration of these species increases linearly with increasing Cu surface area consistent with the proportionality seen in the rate of methanol synthesis at steady state.

The main goal of the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) project was to further understand the role that regional circulations and aerosol loading play in the convective cloud life cycle across the greater Houston, Texas area. To accomplish this goal, the United States Department of Energy and research partners collaborated to deploy atmospheric observing systems across the region. Cloud and precipitation radars, radiosondes, and air quality sensors captured atmospheric and cloud characteristics. A dense lower atmospheric dataset was developed using ground-based remote sensors, a tethersonde, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). TRACER-UAS is a subproject that deployed two UAS platforms to gather high-resolution observations in the lower atmosphere between 1 June and 30 September 2022. The University of Oklahoma CopterSonde and the University of Colorado Boulder RAAVEN (Robust Autonomous Aerial Vehicle - Endurant Nimble) were flown at two coastal locations between the Gulf of Mexico and Houston. The University of Colorado RAAVEN gathered measurements of atmospheric thermodynamic state, winds and turbulence, and aerosol size distribution. Meanwhile, the University of Oklahoma CopterSonde system operated on a regular basis to resolve the vertical structure of the thermodynamic and kinematic state. Together, a complementary dataset of over 200 flight hours across 61 days was generated, and data from each platform proved to be in strong agreement. In this paper, the platforms and respective data collection and processing are described. The dataset described herein provides information on boundary layer evolution, the sea breeze circulation, conditions prior to and nearby deep convection, and the vertical structure and evolution of aerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereotype threat has been demonstrated to reduce the performance of stereotyped individuals in the threatened domain (Steele & Aronson, 1995). This study attempted to replicate the finding that stereotype threat instruction can erase the performance deficit women experience in math performance (Johns, Schmader, & Martens, 2005) and to further evaluate the arousal hypothesis of stereotype threat (e.g. Ben-Zeev, Fein & Inzlicht, 2005). The study provided no evidence of stereotype threat F(2, 91) = 1.60, p = 0.208, partial h[superscript 2] = 0.034. Stereotype threat may be less likely to affect performance at a small, liberal arts institution where the learning environment is both nurturing and personal. (Contains 3 tables.)