Co-resident Parents and Young People Aged 15–34: Who Does What Housework?

Young adults are now more likely to co-reside with their parents than previous generations, but domestic work patterns among this family type are largely unexplored. This study addresses this issue using Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Surveys (1992, 1997, 2006) and Poisson–Gamma regression analyses. It examines patterns in and correlates of domestic labor in two-generation households in which young people aged 15–34 co-reside with their parents (n = 1,946 households comprised of 2,806 young people and 5,129 parents). It differentiates between routine indoor tasks (cooking, cleaning, laundry), non-routine tasks (outdoor work, household management and maintenance, car care) and grocery shopping. Predictors of more time in some domestic activities by young people include being in neither employment nor education/training (NEET), being older, having a single parent and being in a non-English speaking household (young women). Young people being NEET, or female, are associated with less cooking time for mothers, but in the main when young people do perform domestic activities, they do not relieve their parents of those same activities, suggesting more time is spent by the household in total

Siblings of children with autism:The Siblings Embedded Systems Framework

Purpose of review: a range of interacting factors/mechanisms at the individual, family, and wider systems levels influences siblings living in families where one sibling has autism. We introduce the Sibling Embedded Systems Framework which aims to contextualise siblings’ experience and characterise the multiple and interacting factors influencing family and, in particular, sibling outcomes.Recent findings: findings from studies that have reported outcomes for siblings of children with autism are equivocal, ranging from negative impact, no difference, to positive experience. This is likely due to the complex nature of understanding the sibling experience. We focus on particular elements of the framework and review recent novel literature to help guide future directions for research and practice including the influence of culture, methodological considerations, and wider participatory methods.Summary: the Siblings Embedded System Framework can be used to understand interactive factors that affect sibling adjustment and to develop clinically, educationally and empirically based work that aims to enhance and support sibling adjustment, relationships, and well-being in families of children with autism.<br/

Hybrid sol-gel based coatings for the protection of historical window glass

Medieval glass is commonly attacked by atmospheric pollutants conveyed by water, triggering the corrosion process. Current conservation strategies aim to maintain window glass in its original context, and so it is necessary to protect it from further degradation. Sol–gel technology is very effective for the preparation of protective films, using Si-alkoxide precursors chemically similar to the substrate. The present work discusses water-repellent hybrid sol–gel coatings made from tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate with different quantities of Si-alkoxides, functionalized with various alkyl groups. The coatings were deposited using the dip-coating technique and characterized by UV–VIS and FT-IR spectroscopy. Static and dynamic contact angle measurements showed an overall homogeneity of the coatings and indicated improved water-repellency when functionalized by long alkyl chains. The coatings with best performance in terms of transparency and contact angle, and with the lowest organic content, were selected and applied to medieval-like glass samples. Colorimetric characterization was carried out using a spectrophotometric scanner before and after application of the coatings and no significant color changes were found. The electron microscopy images revealed relatively even, crack-free coatings, especially with higher organic contents. Contact angle and colorimetric measurements were repeated after accelerated ageing by exposure to UV light and an SO2-saturated atmosphere. A significant decrease in the contact angle was observed only for the samples treated at the highest SO2concentration. The silica-based materials did not give reaction by-products, were water-repellent, compatible with the substrate, colorless, transparent, and stable under exposure to chemicals and light, thereby satisfying the main requirements for the conservation of Cultural Heritage