Gender Gaps in the Measurement of Public Opinion About Homosexuality in Cross-national Surveys: A Question-Wording Experiment

Measures of attitudes towards homosexuality in cross-national studies have received criticism for not being ‘gender-sensitive’. The current study used a split-ballot design allowing for separate analyses of the attitudes towards ‘gay men and lesbian women’, ‘gay men’, and ‘lesbian women’ in a pooled sample of 3,381 participants from Great Britain, Hungary, and Portugal. Analyses controlling for sociodemographics showed that differences in attitudes towards male and female targets were generally small and did not interact with the gender of the rater. In addition, results showed that men’s attitudes towards homosexuality were more strongly related to their gender ideology than women’s attitudes. Implications of these findings for cross-national studies measuring attitudes towards homosexuality are discussed

The PAX 2 picture processing system

PAX 2 digital picture processing program written in FORTRAN - subroutine annotation

Action of earthworms on flint burial – a return to Darwin’s estate

For thirty years, from the early 1840s, Charles Darwin documented the disappearance of flints in the grounds of Down House in Kent, at a location originally known as the “Stony Field”. This site (Great Pucklands Meadow - GPM) was visited in 2007 and an experiment set up in this ungrazed grassland. Locally-sourced flints (either large - 12 cm, or small – 5 cm dia.) were deposited at two densities within sixteen 1 m2 plots in a randomised factorial design. The area selected was distant from public access routes and remained unmown throughout the duration here reported. Fixed point photographs were taken at the outset to enable later photogrammetric analysis. After 6 years, the site was re-examined. The flints had generally been incorporated into the soil. Photographs were re-taken, proportion of buried flints recorded and measurements made of burial depth from a quarter of each plot. Results showed that large flints were more deeply incorporated than smaller (p=0.025), but more of the latter were below the soil surface. A controlled laboratory experiment was also conducted using Aporrectodea longa (the dominant earthworm species in GPM) to assess effects of casting in the absence of other biota. Results suggested that this species has a major influence on flint burial through surface casting. Combined with a long term, but small scale collection of A. longa casts from an area close to GPM, all results were consistent with those provided by Darwin and showed that rate of flint burial was within the range 0.21-0.96 cm y-1

Reducing GHGs from UK Households ‐ An Examination of Local Authority‐Level Data

As the threat of irreversible climate change has increased over time, the UK has focused on reducing its carbon emission levels. International treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol have informed national targets, directing the UK in reducing its climate impact. In order to achieve this an understanding of the factors that affect carbon emission reductions is vital. Identifying what dictates the success of UK local authorities in reducing their carbon emissions addresses this problem. The research uses secondary data regarding local authorities’ carbon emissions and regression analyses to explore the key factors affecting domestic emission levels over time. The research goes into further detail than existing literature through exploring sources of emissions across different sectors and analysing emissions reductions specifically between 2005-2016. Substantial and relatively consistent domestic emissions reductions were achieved in this time frame, exceeding the reductions provided by decarbonisation of the electricity grid. Standard deviations of 3% were observed in this sector, compared with 12% from Industrial & Commercial emissions. While population density demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with domestic GHG reductions, gross disposable household income was not found to be significant; however, it is a relevant indicator of total emissions levels in 2016. Through identifying these factors, suggestions to local government are made such as the implementation of region-specific strategies, tailoring these to the exact characteristics of a local authority. Furthermore, consideration of population density in conjunction with domestic and urban planning will allow for future emissions reductions to occur across the UK

Supernova remnants and gamma-ray sources

A review of the possible relationship between gamma-ray sources and supernova remnants (SNRs) is presented. Particular emphasis is given to the analysis of the observational status of the problem of cosmic ray acceleration at SNR shock fronts. All positional coincidences between SNRs and unidentified gamma-ray sources listed in the Third EGRET Catalog at low Galactic latitudes are discussed on a case by case basis. For several coincidences of particular interest, new CO(J=1-0) and radio continuum maps are shown, and the mass content of the SNR surroundings is determined. The contribution to the gamma-ray flux observed that might come from cosmic ray particles (particularly nuclei) locally accelerated at the SNR shock fronts is evaluated. We discuss the prospects for future research in this field and remark on the possibilities for observations with forthcoming gamma-ray instruments.Comment: Final version of a review article, to appear in the Physics Reports (82 pages, 31 figures). Figures requiring high quality are just too large and too many to be included here. Please download them from http://www.angelfire.com/id/dtorres/down3.htm

Did Egret Detect Distant Supernova Remnants?

It might be thought that supernova remnants (SNRs) more distant than a few kiloparsec from Earth could not have been detected by the EGRET experiment. This work analyzes the observational status of this statement in the light of new CO studies of SNRs.Comment: Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research, in High Energy Studies of Supernova Remnants and Neutron Stars, eds. W. Becker and W. Hermsen (2003