An exploration of the relationship among online social network usage, intimacy, social comparison tendencies, and relationship satisfaction

The popularity of online social networks prompts an examination of the effects these websites have on intimate relationships. While these networks have received a considerable amount of attention in mainstream media, peer-reviewed research examining the effects these websites have on users is sparse. By their very nature, online social networks involve the creation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. As such, the effect of these networks on relationships may be profound and with the paucity of research on the topic, the relationship between online social networks and interpersonal relationships is an important area of study. The present study sought to examine relations among online social network usage, relationship satisfaction, intimacy, and social comparison tendencies in intimate relationships. While initial analyses only found support for a relationship between intimacy and relationship satisfaction, post hoc analyses found a negative relationship between intimacy and perception of a partner\u27s use of online social networks. It was also found that intimacy mediates the relationship between online social network usage and overall relationship satisfaction

Development of an x-ray excited optical luminescence microscope (XEOM)

X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) refers to the trans-visible emission produced as a consequence of X-ray bombardment and provides an alternative detection method for X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Whereas XAS measured by conventional means (absorption, X-ray fluorescence) generally yields spectra characteristic of the bulk, the shallow escape depth of visible photons provides surface specificity of ~ 200 nm. Combining this with the relative ease of manipulating the emission using conventional optics gives us the basis for a method of mapping surface chemical states on the micron scale — XEOL microscopy (XEOM). As part of an ongoing project looking into the use of XEOL to study the chemical systems relevant to the corrosion of heritage artefacts, a portable XEOM instrument, XEOM1, has been constructed. Here, a detailed account of the development process is given, including descriptions of the microscope itself (optics, detectors, auxiliary hardware) and of its support system (control electronics and software). Data processing challenges are also discussed. Testing of XEOM1 has involved deployment on multiple synchrotron beamlines and data acquired from samples comprising of corroded copper surfaces (coupons, meshes) are presented in order to demonstrate how XEOM1 can be used for surface chemical analysis. XEOL spectra have been obtained by acquiring image 'stacks' — each stack is sequence of images resolved in energy across an absorption edge — and extracting data from regions of interest (ROIs) in each image. Chemical identification is achieved through analysis of the nearedge structure (XANES). Subtraction of pre- and post-edge images also gives a method for fast elemental mapping. Several options for future development of the XEOM1 hardware and related investigations are also proposed

Laser microsculpting for the generation of robust diffractive security markings on the surface of metals

AbstractWe report the development of a laser-based process for the direct writing (‘microsculpting’) of unique security markings (reflective phase holograms) on the surface of metals. In contrast to the common approaches used for unique marking of the metal products and components, e.g., polymer holographic stickers which are attached to metals as an adhesive tape, our process enables the generation of the security markings directly onto the metal surface and thus overcomes the problems with tampering and biocompatibility which are typical drawbacks of holographic stickers. The process uses 35ns laser pulses of wavelength 355nm to generate optically-smooth deformations on the metal surface using a localised laser melting process. Security markings (holographic structures) on 304-grade stainless steel surface are fabricated, and their resulted optical performance is tested using a He–Ne laser beam of 632.8nm wavelength

Effects of Co-contaminants on Biodegradation of 1,4-Dioxane

1,4-Dioxane is a commonly used industrial solvent stabilizer, a groundwater contaminant, and a probable human carcinogen. Due to its chemical and physical properties, treatment of 1,4-dioxane-contaminated groundwater is not cost effective. Two well-studied oxygenase-expressing bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5 (referred as JOB5 hereafter) and Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 (referred as RHA1 hereafter) have been shown to individually degrade both 1,4-dioxane and common co-contaminants, e.g. trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloropropane (TCP). However, little study has been devoted to the biodegradation of both 1,4-dioxane and co-contaminants. To determine the effects of co-contaminants on 1,4-dioxane biodegradation, strains JOB5 and RHA1 were used to degrade 1,4-dioxane and mixtures of 1,4-dioxane and TCE or 1,4-dioxane and TCP. Propane- and 1-butanol-induced JOB5 and RHA1 were able express oxygenases to degrade both 1,4-dioxane, TCE, and TCP. Complete degradation of 1,4-dioxane/TCE mixture was only observed in propane-induced strain JOB5. Product toxicity caused incomplete degradation of 1,4-dioxane by 1-butanol-induced JOB5. Furthermore, competitive inhibition was observed between 1,4-dioxane and TCE in propane- and 1-butanol-induced JOB5 and RHA1. The findings of this study provide a major basis for developing an effective in-situ remediation method for 1,4-dioxane-contaminated ground water

Examining heterogeneity and wildfire management expenditures using spatially and temporally descriptive data

Increasing costs of wildfire management have highlighted the need to better understand suppression expenditures and potential tradeoffs of land management activities that may affect fire risks. Spatially and temporally descriptive data is used to develop a model of wildfire suppression expenditures, providing new insights into the role of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in determining expenditures. Incorporating heterogeneity improves model fit and predictive ability over a model with data based on the point and time of fire ignition. The model is potentially useful for providing expenditure information for simulated fire applications and post-season evaluation of suppression activities

The Australian Institute of Family Studies Evaluation of the 2006 Family Law Reforms: Key findings

The Australian Institute of Family Studies' Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms was released in January 2010. It is based on an extensive amount of empirical research, unprecedented in Australia and arguably internationally, comprising 17 separate studies involving 28,000 people, 1724 court files, administrative data and legal analysis. This article presents some key findings of the Evaluation. Specifically, the Evaluation found that for the majority of families, the family law system is working satisfactorily. At the same time however, the Evaluation findings underline the existence of complex issues, including family violence and child abuse concerns, mental health problems and substance misuse which affect many families that rely on the federal family law system^ for assistance. While the introduction of family dispute resolution with exceptions+ has resulted in more disputes being resolved without court action, there is a need for refinement of processes and understandings with respect to cases that are unsuitable for such processes or cases that require additional support in order for disputes to be resolved safely and responsibly. Similarly, while children in shared care represent a minority overall, and while the majority of families with shared care appear to be doing well, there is evidence that these arrangements are sometimes being made even in circumstances where parents have safety concerns, with adverse consequences for the well-being of children

Compensation of x-ray mirror distortion by cooling temperature control

Synchrotron radiation is emitted from a bending magnet source in a wide ray fan which is collected by the first optical element in a beamline. In order to maximize angular acceptance, and hence flux, it is beneficial to increase the length of this mirror and optical design requirements may necessitate that the optical surface be over 1 m in length. Such mirrors also require cooling as they may be subject to high heat loads from the incident radiation. Two beamlines, B07 and B24, at Diamond Light Source, UK, use 1.4 m long toroidal mirrors which utilize a similar side-clamped cooling manifold design. While this scheme has been successful in providing effective cooling of the mirror, it has also been discovered that it introduces deformation of the radius of curvature which is sufficient to alter the focusing characteristics of the mirror. At both beamlines, the horizontal focus of the beam was found to differ by up to several meter from the design position at the exit slit which resulted in poor flux throughput, reduced energy resolution and other side effects. A pencil beam scan method has been used to diagnose this issue and infer the position of the focus and mirror shape. Through the use of a standalone chiller to alter the temperature of the water within the cooling loop, it has been possible to correct the distortion of the radius and restore the focus to its nominal position

Time-lapse synchrotron X-ray diffraction to monitor conservation coatings for heritage lead in atmospheres polluted with oak-emitted volatile organic compounds

We discuss the effectiveness of a lead tetradecanoate coating on lead to protect against harmful volatile organic compounds emitted from oak. The oak volatile organic compounds were characterized by GCMS and the major constituent was found to be acetic acid. Under the test conditions, the coating decreases the rate of corrosion by up to 75% compared to bare lead. The thickness of corrosion products on the sample was also calculated thus demonstrating the power of the time-lapse synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction technique to deliver a quantitative estimate of the effectiveness of the coating