How scholars conceptualize and measure the gender gap in mobilization can have profound consequences for substantive conclusions. Scholars typically refer to a difference between women and men's turnout (difference-in-proportions measure) or a fraction of women voters among all voters (proportion measure). Using the case of proportional representation (PR) reform in Norway, I demonstrate that, in the context of low men's turnout, the proportion measure indicates that PR narrows the gap, while the difference-in-proportion measure indicates that it widens the gap. This is because mobilizing fewer women than men widens the difference between women and men's turnout, but may constitute a greater proportional increase in women's mobilization compared to men when only a few men (and even fewer women) vote. These findings bring together seemingly opposing arguments in the PR-gap debate and have wide implications for the study of ‘gaps’ within and beyond gender scholarship.

Aeroengine performance is determined by temperature and pressure profiles along various axial stations within an engine. Given limited sensor measurements, we require a statistically principled approach for inferring these profiles. In this paper we detail a Bayesian methodology for interpolating the spatial temperature or pressure profile at axial stations within an aeroengine. The profile at any given axial station is represented as a spatial Gaussian random field on an annulus, with circumferential variations modelled using a Fourier basis and radial variations modelled with a squared exponential kernel. This Gaussian random field is extended to ingest data from multiple axial measurement planes, with the aim of transferring information across the planes. To facilitate this type of transfer learning, a novel planar covariance kernel is proposed. In the scenario where frequencies comprising the temperature field are unknown, we utilise a sparsity-promoting prior on the frequencies to encourage sparse representations. This easily extends to cases with multiple engine planes whilst accommodating frequency variations between the planes. The main quantity of interest, the spatial area average is readily obtained in closed form. We term this the Bayesian area average and demonstrate how this metric offers far more representative averages than a sector area average---a widely used area averaging approach. Furthermore, the Bayesian area average naturally decomposes the posterior uncertainty into terms characterising insufficient sampling and sensor measurement error respectively. This too provides a significant improvement over prior standard deviation based uncertainty breakdowns.

We investigated how operationalizing bilingualism affects the results on a Simon task in a population of monolingual and bilingual native English speakers (N = 166). Bilingualism was measured in different ways within participants, and the measurements were used both as dichotomous and continuous variables. Our results show that the statistical significance and effect size varied across operationalizations. Specifically, the Composite Factor Score (the Language and Social Background Questionnaire’s general score), showed a bilingual disadvantage on reaction times regardless of how it was used (dichotomously or continuously). When dividing participants into monolinguals and bilinguals based on the Nonnative Language Social Use score (a Language and Social Background Questionnaire subscore), differences in accuracy and reaction times were found between the groups, but the Nonnative Language Social Use score did not predict accuracy when used as a continuous variable (only reaction times). Finally, earlier age of acquisition predicted faster reaction times, but only when used on a continuum. Effect sizes were between the small and medium range. No differences on the Simon effect were found. Our results call for cautiousness when comparing studies using different types of measurements, highlight the need for clarity and transparency when describing samples, and stresses the need for more research on the operationalization of bilingualism.

Assessing the effect of novel pharmaceutical treatments on the quality of life (QoL) of a patient, or group of patients, has been approached in numerous ways over the last 20 years. Techniques as diverse as single questions to multidimensional scales requiring trained assessors to devote several hours to each assessment; from generic questions about how life might have changed to specific issues such as the ability to use a toothbrush. In the pharmaceutical industry, the emphasis is on the registration of a product with national licensing bodies. Each body has tended to see the issue from a different perspective, which has driven study designs to be different in different countries; even different over time within one country. This paper emphasises the basic statistical steps necessary to ensure that a measure of QoL is appropriately recorded, while retaining sufficient flexibility to support the registration in several countries. Aspects about possible study design are included to assist with developing some simple concepts about analysing and then interpreting the results. It is not the intention of the paper to provide the answer, merely to provide the tools to develop the answer robustly. Put briefly, with the right approach generic solutions are feasible and these solutions will have greater utility. The challenge is to recognise exactly what QoL is, and not to deviate from it.

Steps required for proper acquisition and processing of laser Doppler velocimetry data for turbomachinery research applications are addressed. Turbomachinery applications are difficult due to the small internal passages, high-frequency fluctuations, large turbulence intensities, and strong secondary flows resulting in low overall signal-to-noise ratios and narrowband noise sources that cannot be removed by simple band-pass filters. Special aspects that must be considered for successful and accurate laser Doppler velocimetry studies to be conducted in turbomachinery are discussed. Specifically, the design of the measurement volume size, reflection mitigation, engineering of seed particle size and injection schema, and alignment of the traverse mechanism are addressed in terms of their importance (from literature sources) and the solutions implemented by the authors. These techniques have been applied to successfully obtain three-component, unsteady velocity data in a high-speed centrifugal compressor for aeroengine application. Processing techniques are also presented including a novel mixture-model-based statistical method for narrowband noise isolation developed by the authors. The method, validation steps, and example results are presented, showing the successful rejection of noise with high accuracy, a low failure rate, and a significant reduction in required manual inspection. This newly developed method elucidated flow features that were not clear prior to the noise removal.

In this paper we explore simulated responses of electromagnetic (EM) signals relative to in situ field surveys and quantify the effects that different values of conductivity in sea ice have on the EM fields. We compute EM responses of ice types with a three-dimensional (3-D) finite-volume discretization of Maxwell’s equations and present 2-D sliced visualizations of their associated EM fields at discrete frequencies. Several interesting observations result: First, since the simulator computes the fields everywhere, each gridcell acts as a receiver within the model volume, and captures the complete, coupled interactions between air, snow, sea ice and sea water as a function of their conductivity; second, visualizations demonstrate how 1-D approximations near deformed ice features are violated. But the most important new finding is that changes in conductivity affect EM field response by modifying the magnitude and spatial patterns (i.e. footprint size and shape) of current density and magnetic fields. These effects are demonstrated through a visual feature we define as ‘null lines’. Null line shape is affected by changes in conductivity near material boundaries as well as transmitter location. Our results encourage the use of null lines as a planning tool for better ground-truth field measurements near deformed ice types.

In this paper, a microstrip-fed U-shaped dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) is simulated, designed, and fabricated. This antenna, in its simple configuration, operates from 5.45 to 10.8 GHz. To enhance its impedance bandwidth, the ground plane is first modified, which leads to an extended bandwidth from 4 to 10.8 GHz. Then by inserting a rectangular metallic patch inside the U-shaped DRA, the bandwidth is increased more to achieve an operating band from 2.65 to 10.9 GHz. To validate these results, an experimental antenna prototype is fabricated and measured. The obtained measurement results show that the proposed antenna can provide an ultra-wide bandwidth and a symmetric bidirectional radiation patterns. With these features, the proposed antenna is suitable for ultra-wideband applications.

In this paper, we suggest to use a sky radiance model which accounts for heterogeneous distribution of light fixtures, their photometry, the ground reflectance and topography, to infer the point to point contribution of Canary Islands to the artificial sky radiance at Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife) and Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma). In-situ hyperspectral sky radiance measurements, acquired on site in 2010, have been used to calibrate the model and to evaluate its inherent error. We aim to identify and characterize zones at which any lighting level increase or decrease may have a larger impact on light pollution at both European Northern Observatory sites, and then help to control and/or reduce their light pollution levels. This innovative methodology, can then be seen as a high level decision tool to help local authorities to restrict or reduce light pollution with the objective of protecting research class astronomical sites.

L’amélioration de la qualité sonore d’un produit dès le stade de la conception est unepréoccupation des industriels de divers secteurs. Cette conception se faisant à partird’outils basés sur des méthodes numériques du type élément-finis, éléments de frontièresou sur des méthodes semi-analytiques, il est important que leurs prédictions intègrent laqualité sonore attendue. L’objectif de cet article est de montrer l’intérêt et l’apportd’une démarche perceptive au service de l’interprétation et l’exploitation physique. Ils’agit plus spécifiquement d’évaluer perceptivement la pertinence de certains paramètresstructuraux et paramètres d’analyse, afin d’affiner la prédiction sonore. Le systèmeétudié est une plaque vibrante couplée à une cavité, dans laquelle nous mesurons despressions acoustiques, en tenant compte de variations liées à l’épaisseur de la plaque,aux conditions de serrage aux bords de cette même plaque et à l’absorption de la cavité.La fréquence maximale d’analyse est aussi étudiée subjectivement, en utilisant des testsde dissemblance et de préférence fondés sur la méthode de comparaison par paires.

Intervals between sampling are a major concern in studies of behaviour. Objective choices compromise accurate definition, collection of enough data and avoidance of time dependence between samples. This paper tests whether significant differences occur in the proportion of activities of Sotalia guianensis when the protocols of observation using different intervals between registers are varied. The study was carried out at Formosa Bay, south coast of Rio Grande do Norte over a period of 40 days (251 hours). The results show that the use of different intervals of data registering result in non-significant differences in the quantification of behaviour. However, a tendency to over-estimate forage and under-estimate travel at 2 minutes relative to 8 minutes intervals was detected. This warns of the need to define a proper interval between behavioural sampling and addresses the question of the adoption of a common protocol for fast and continuous assessment of different estuarine dolphin populations throughout the Brazilian coast.

North Bengal Grey (NBG) cattle are an important indigenous cattle genetic resource found mainly in the northern part of Bangladesh. The study was undertaken at Bogra Sadar, Shibgonj and Kahalu Upazila (sub-district) in the Bogra district. The physical and morphological characteristics, and the productive and reproductive performances of NBG cattle were studied. The coat colour of these animals is deep grey to white. The coat colour of the neck region in adult bulls was found to be generally ashy with a range of shades.

The body is small, compact and less fleshy. Ear length and ear width were 18.0±0.17 and 11.0±0.21 cm, respectively. The head length average was 38.0±0.56 cm, the head width 16.0±0.17 cm, the foreleg length average 65.0±0.64 cm, the hind leg length 71.0±0.64 cm, the tail length average 71.0±0.67 cm, the horn length average 9.0±0.39 cm, the horn diameter 10.0±0.37 cm, the average teat length 5.0±0.18 cm, the teat diameter 6.0±0.22 cm, the distance betweenthe front teats 7.0±0.13 cm and the distance between the rear teats 7.0±0.13 cm. Body length, height at wither and heart girth in adult cows were 105.0il.20, 94.0+1.12 and 127.0±1.52 cm, respectively.

The recorded highest peak milk production per day was 3.5±0.18 kg, lactation length was 219±6.1 days, and the dry period was 180±6.8 days. The average birth weight of calves was 18.4±0.52 kg and mature live weight of cows 241.0±4.0 kg. The age at first heat was 869±29.6 days, age at first calving 1191±19.7 days, gestation length 281±1.3 days, calving interval 442±7.4 days, postpartum heat period 110±4.2 days and the number of services per conception 1.4±0.6. About 54% of total cattle population was NBG cattle in the surveyed area of Bangladesh. The results indicated that the productive and reproductive performance of NBG cattle was better than other non-descript indigenous cattle of Bangladesh. The study further revealed an obvious need for more in-depth and objective information on wider samples of this type of indigenous cattle in order to assess the future need for conservation and improvement programs to be undertaken.

Les instruments de mesures des courants en mer permettent d'obtenir un nombre d'informations de plus en plus important grâce à des techniques de mesures de plus en plus sophistiquées. En particulier, les mesures ponctuelles de vitesses et de pression permettent d'obtenir des informations sur l'énergie de la houle et sa direction de propagation. Nous avons montré dans ce travail que le caractère partiellement stationnaire des houles réelles peut être mesuré de façon quantitative à partir de données synchrones de vitesse et/ou de pression. Ces capacités sont illustrées par des exemples de mesures à partir de différents appareils immergés en zone littorale (S4, ADV, ligne de capteurs de pression).

Nesting hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata and their eggs and young were studied on Cousine Island, Seychelles from 1995 to 1999. Numbers of females known to nest (tagged individuals) on Cousine was 146. An average of 75% of emerging adults were intercepted, and this rose to 81.6% in 1999. Mean carapace lengths and widths of adult females were 81.2×60.8 cm, and included some of the longest carapace lengths known for hawksbill turtles. There were poor correlations between adult weight and carapace length or width, but better correlations between adult weight and the product of carapace length and width. Width to length carapace proportions averaged 0.75. The mean weight of nesting females before their first recorded nesting on Cousine was 65.6 kg (51.2–83.0 kg). These were the first recorded weights for nesting hawksbills from the Seychelles. Individuals lose 8.5–15% of their body weight after laying three to five clutches. Mean clutch size was 176.7, and clutch sizes for any season showed great variation for some individuals. Clutch sizes tended to decrease after the main nesting month for the population but not necessarily for the individual. The largest clutch size of 264 is the largest recorded for hawksbill turtles worldwide. Turtles with longer carapaces tended to lay larger clutches than those with shorter carapaces, and heavier turtles generally laid heavier clutches than did lighter turtles. Eggs were usually (85.6%) somewhat elongate, measuring on average 36.3×35.5 mm, and weights averaged 25.5 g. Very few ‘pea’ eggs were found. The average hatchling weight was 14.5 g and the average carapace length and width were 39.2 and 30.1 mm, giving a mean ratio of carapace length to width of 0.77.

Ce travail porte sur l'utilisation du verre comme véritable matériau de structure et concerne plus particulièrement la proposition d'une méthode de contrôle in situ non destructif des structures en verre trempé thermiquement, notamment dans les zones d'assemblage. Une méthode de dimensionnement de la structure est proposée. Elle est fondée d'une part, sur un état limite ultime garantissant la pérennité de la structure sur une longue durée de chargement, et d'autre part, sur une prédiction, par la méthode des éléments finis, en tout point de la structure, de l'état de contraintes résiduelles dues au procédé de trempe thermique ainsi que celles dues au chargement mécanique extérieur. La méthode de contrôle consiste à comparer, durant la vie de la structure, des images issues d'analyses photoélastiques sur la structure chargée, à des images obtenues par calcul aux éléments finis pour l'état limite ultime ayant servi au dimensionnement.

This study was undertaken in order to characterize the Ponwar breed and to establish its present status so that suitable breeding strategies and conservation models could be suggested for the overall improvement of the breed.

The Ponwar is a draught cattle breed and is native to the Pilibhit District of Uttar Pradesh. The breeding tract lies between latitude 28°4' and 28°8' North and between longitude 79°0' and 80°4' East. The coat colour of these animals is brown or black with white patches in varying proportions. The tail switch is white in black animals and black in those having a greater proportion of white patches. The body is small, compact and non-fleshy, the face is small and narrow and the ears are small. The horns are small to medium and curve inward with pointed tips. The hump is small in females and developed in males. The tail is long and reaches to below the hock. Cows have small udders and teats. The animals of this breed possess an aggressive temperament.

The milk production of the Ponwar cows is low, i.e. about 0.5 to 2.5 kg per day for a lactation period of 8 to 10 (average 8.9±0.1) months. Lactation milk yield averaged 462.5±12.1 kg. The age at first calving ranged from 40 to 60 months and the inter-calving period averaged 12.6±0.1 months. The service period in Ponwar cattle varied from 60 to 100 days. The cows remained dry for average of 110.0±2.6 days. Bullocks of this breed can transport an 800 to 1 000 kg load up to 10 kilometres easily. They can plough 0.4 hectares of land in a day working for 6 to 8 hours. Body length, height at wither and heart girth in adult cows averaged 97.1±0.5, 109.0±0.4 and 140.6±0.5 cm, respectively. The animals recorded in the different villages had similar average body measurements corresponding to their category. The survey revealed that about 21% of total cattle population was of Ponwar breed in Puranpur Tehsil. The approximate Ponwar population in the entire breeding tract was estimated as 10 667.