University of Colorado Boulder

About: University of Colorado Boulder is a education organization based out in Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 48794 authors who have published 115151 publications receiving 5387328 citations. The organization is also known as: CU Boulder & UCB.

Cross-National Gender Variation in Environmental Behaviors*

Abstract: Objective. This article presents a cross-national examination of gender variations in environmental behaviors. Research on environmental concern reveals modest distinctions between men and women, with women typically displaying higher levels of environmental concern and behavioral adjustments relative to men. Additionally, some prior research suggests that women appear more engaged in household-oriented (private) pro-environment behaviors (e.g., recycling), and men in community/society-oriented (public) pro-environment behaviors (e.g., protests). The analysis provided here offers an important extension to existing research through its cross-cultural, comparative perspective. Method. We make use of the 1993 International Social Survey to explore gender differences in “private” and “public” environmentally-oriented behaviors across 22 nations. Results. It is shown that women tend to engage in more environmental behaviors than men in many nations, particularly private behaviors. In addition, both women and men tend to engage in relatively more private environmental behaviors as opposed to public ones. Conclusion. The cross-national analysis provides support for gender distinctions with regard to some environmental behaviors within most of the incorporated 22 national contexts. Gender differences in level of private environmental behaviors tend to be more consistent within nations at the upper end of the wealth distribution.

High resolution foreground cleaned CMB map from WMAP

Abstract: We perform an independent foreground analysis of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) maps to produce a cleaned cosmic microwave background (CMB) map (available online) useful for cross-correlation with, e.g., galaxy and x-ray maps. We use a variant of the Tegmark-Efstathiou technique that assumes that the CMB has a blackbody spectrum, but is otherwise completely blind, making no assumptions about the CMB power spectrum, the foregrounds, WMAP detector noise or external templates. Compared with the foreground-cleaned internal linear combination map produced by the WMAP team, our map has the advantage of containing less non-CMB power (from foregrounds and detector noise) outside the Galactic plane. The difference is most important on the angular scale of the first acoustic peak and below, since our cleaned map is at the highest ${(12.6}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ rather than lowest ${(49.2}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ WMAP resolution. We also produce a Wiener filtered CMB map, representing our best guess as to what the CMB sky actually looks like, as well as CMB-free maps at the five WMAP frequencies useful for foreground studies. We argue that our CMB map is clean enough that the lowest multipoles can be measured without any galaxy cut, and obtain a quadrupole value that is slightly less low than that from the cut-sky WMAP team analysis. This can be understood from a map of the CMB quadrupole, which shows much of its power falling within the Galaxy cut region, seemingly coincidentally. Intriguingly, both the quadrupole and the octopole are seen to have power suppressed along a particular spatial axis, which lines up between the two, roughly towards $(l,b)\ensuremath{\sim}(\ensuremath{-}110\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{},60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})$ in Virgo.

An Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) for Routine Monitoring of the Composition and Mass Concentrations of Ambient Aerosol

Abstract: We present a new instrument, the Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM), which routinely characterizes and monitors the mass and chemical composition of non-refractory submicron particulate matter in real time. Under ambient conditions, mass concentrations of particulate organics, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and chloride are obtained with a detection limit <0.2 μg/m3 for 30 min of signal averaging. The ACSM is built upon the same technology as the widely used Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), in which an aerodynamic particle focusing lens is combined with high vacuum thermal particle vaporization, electron impact ionization, and mass spectrometry. Modifications in the ACSM design, however, allow it to be smaller, lower cost, and simpler to operate than the AMS. The ACSM is also capable of routine stable operation for long periods of time (months). Results from a field measurement campaign in Queens, NY where the ACSM operated unattended and continuously for 8 weeks, are presented. ACSM data is...

Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation

Abstract: In many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, women are outperformed by men in test scores, jeopardizing their success in science-oriented courses and careers. The current study tested the effectiveness of a psychological intervention, called values affirmation, in reducing the gender achievement gap in a college-level introductory physics class. In this randomized double-blind study, 399 students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the 15-week course. Values affirmation reduced the male-female performance and learning difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. A brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance and learning.