Lesbian and bisexual women's experiences of sexuality-based discrimination and their appearance concerns

Lesbian and bisexual women frequently experience sexuality-based discrimination, which is often based on others' judgements about their appearance. This short article aims to explore whether there is a relationship between lesbian and bisexual women's experiences of sexuality-based discrimination and their satisfaction with the way that they look. Findings from an online survey suggest that discrimination is negatively related to appearance satisfaction for lesbian women, but not for bisexual women. It is argued that this difference exists because lesbian appearance norms are more recognisable and distinctive than bisexual women's appearance norms

The Similarity Hypothesis in General Relativity

Self-similar models are important in general relativity and other fundamental theories. In this paper we shall discuss the ``similarity hypothesis'', which asserts that under a variety of physical circumstances solutions of these theories will naturally evolve to a self-similar form. We will find there is good evidence for this in the context of both spatially homogenous and inhomogeneous cosmological models, although in some cases the self-similar model is only an intermediate attractor. There are also a wide variety of situations, including critical pheneomena, in which spherically symmetric models tend towards self-similarity. However, this does not happen in all cases and it is it is important to understand the prerequisites for the conjecture.Comment: to be submitted to Gen. Rel. Gra

Patterns of thermal preference and Visual Thermal Landscaping model in the workplace

The main purpose of research on occupant behaviour is to enhance building energy performance. However, it is difficult to reduce the energy use without understanding the occupant, their needs and preferences. Individual differences and preferences for the thermal environment in relation to the spatial context are overlooked in the main stream of research. This study investigates the patterns of occupant thermal preference based on individual differences in perceiving the thermal environment to enhance user comfort and energy performance. A novel method of Visual Thermal Landscaping is used, which is a qualitative method to analyse occupant comfort and user behaviour according to the spatial context. This method drives away from the notion of ‘thermal neutrality’ and generic results, rather it opens to details and meaning through a qualitative analysis of personal-comfort, based on individual differences and spatial context information. Field test studies of thermal comfort were applied in five office buildings in the UK, Sweden and Japan with overall 2,313 data sets. The primary contribution of the study was the recognition of four patterns of thermal preference, including consistent directional preference; fluctuating preference; high tolerance and sensitive to thermal changes; and high tolerance and not-sensitive to thermal changes. The results were further examined in a longitudinal field test study of thermal comfort. In several cases, occupant thermal comfort and preferences were observed to be influenced by the impact of outdoor conditions, when the windows were fixed. Practical solutions for research, practice and building design were recommended with direct implications on occupant comfort and energy use

First measurement of θ<inf>13</inf> from delayed neutron capture on hydrogen in the Double Chooz experiment

The Double Chooz experiment has determined the value of the neutrino oscillation parameter θ13 from an analysis of inverse beta decay interactions with neutron capture on hydrogen. This analysis uses a three times larger fiducial volume than the standard Double Chooz assessment, which is restricted to a region doped with gadolinium (Gd), yielding an exposure of 113.1 GW-ton-years. The data sample used in this analysis is distinct from that of the Gd analysis, and the systematic uncertainties are also largely independent, with some exceptions, such as the reactor neutrino flux prediction. A combined rate- and energy-dependent fit finds sin22θ13=0.097±0.034 (stat.)±0.034 (syst.), excluding the no-oscillation hypothesis at 2.0. This result is consistent with previous measurements of sin22θ13

Family predictors of adolescent substance use: the case of high school students in the Cape Metropolitan area, Cape Town, South Africa

Family predictors of tobacco and alcohol use were studied in random samples of school-going Black, Coloured, and White adolescents (total N=1,800) in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area. The subjects ranged in age from 14 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.95 years. Logistic regression analysis of the data showed invariance across the three racial groups in terms of the specific family variables that were predictive, as well as their direction and magnitude of association with substance use. Essentially, higher rates of substance use for all three groups were predicted by parental behavioural control, parental monitoring/knowledge and limit setting, marital relations and family stress. The findings extend the work on South African adolescent substance use by providing a view into the proximal (family) socialising forces that are related to substance use. The findings also extend the broader work on identifying specialised effects of dimensions of socialisation on adolescent functioning. The discussion section includes commentary on the cultural invariance found when measuring socialising forces at this level of generality.