Rape myth acceptance, victim blame attribution and Just World Beliefs: a rapid evidence assessment

Background: Rape is underreported, potentially because individuals self-blame and/or are blamed by others. Research predominantly illustrates male-perpetrated stranger-rape of females; thus, there may be a perception that rape myth acceptance (RMA) and victim-blaming are most prevalent in males. The purpose of this rapid evidence assessment was to investigate the availability of high-quality research into the effects of Just World Beliefs, perpetrator/victim gender, and stranger- and acquaintance/marital-rape scenarios on victim-blaming and RMA. Methods: Several electronic databases were searched for empirical papers using terms including: ‘victim blame’, ‘rape myth acceptance’, ‘Just World Beliefs’, ‘type of rape’ and ‘gender’. Gough's (2007) weight of evidence framework was used to assess quality prior to inclusion. Findings: Studies retained after filtering and quality assessment suggested that RMA was predictive of victim-blaming with both male and female ‘victims’. Rape myth acceptance is more prevalent in males even in male ‘victim’ scenarios, and Just World Belief was positively associated with RMA. Greater victim-blaming was attributed in stranger- vs. acquaintance-rape scenarios. Discussion: There are no absolute conclusions regarding the role of gender or situational factors and rape-supportive/victim-blaming attitudes. Further empirical research is required to understand the prevalence of RMA in perceptions of marital rape and, particularly, homosexual marital rape

The dual endothelin converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase inhibitor SLV-306 (daglutril), inhibits systemic conversion of big endothelin-1 in humans

Aims - Inhibition of neutral endopeptidases (NEP) results in a beneficial increase in plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides such as ANP. However NEP inhibitors were ineffective anti-hypertensives, probably because NEP also degrades vasoconstrictor peptides, including endothelin-1 (ET-1). Dual NEP and endothelin converting enzyme (ECE) inhibition may be more useful. The aim of the study was to determine whether SLV-306 (daglutril), a combined ECE/NEP inhibitor, reduced the systemic conversion of big ET-1 to the mature peptide. Secondly, to determine whether plasma ANP levels were increased. Main methods - Following oral administration of three increasing doses of SLV-306 (to reach an average target concentration of 75, 300, 1200 ng ml− 1 of the active metabolite KC-12615), in a randomised, double blinded regime, big ET-1 was infused into thirteen healthy male volunteers. Big ET-1 was administered at a rate of 8 and 12 pmol kg− 1 min− 1 (20 min each). Plasma samples were collected pre, during and post big ET-1 infusion. ET-1, C-terminal fragment (CTF), big ET-1, and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured. Key findings - At the two highest concentrations tested, SLV-306 dose dependently attenuated the rise in blood pressure after big ET-1 infusion. There was a significant increase in circulating big ET-1 levels, compared with placebo, indicating that SLV-306 was inhibiting an increasing proportion of endogenous ECE activity. Plasma ANP concentrations also significantly increased, consistent with systemic NEP inhibition. Significance - SLV-306 leads to inhibition of both NEP and ECE in humans. Simultaneous augmentation of ANP and inhibition of ET-1 production is of potential therapeutic benefit in cardiovascular disease

Zn nanodot patterning in borosilicate glasses by electron irradiation

Metallic zinc nanoparticles are generated in two compositional ranges of borosilicate glasses upon 200 and 300 keV electron beam irradiation in a transmission electron microscope. Irradiation effects are studied either with a stationary electron beam as a time series or with spatially varying beams for line-scan patterning. The size of the zinc nanodots formed is inversely related to the distance from the center of the electron beam, and growth from 5 to 50 nm over time via ripening can be observed. Line-scan patterning via both thermal gun and field emission gun electron irradiation has been successfully achieved. Our findings also show the occurrence of self-organized particle ordering, such as formation of chains. Metal nanoparticles have a tendency to migrate toward the glass fragment center, unless high intensity radiation ablates the glass matrix, when Zn particles remain decorating the surface. High-resolution lattice imaging, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy are used to confirm particle identity

Thermodynamic parameters of bonds in glassy materials from viscosity-temperature relationships

Doremus's model of viscosity assumes that viscous flow in amorphous materials is mediated by broken bonds (configurons). The resulting equation contains four coefficients, which are directly related to the entropies and enthalpies of formation and motion of the configurons. Thus by fitting this viscosity equation to experimental viscosity data these enthalpy and entropy terms can be obtained. The non-linear nature of the equation obtained means that the fitting process is non-trivial. A genetic algorithm based approach has been developed to fit the equation to experimental viscosity data for a number of glassy materials, including SiO2, GeO2, B2O3, anorthite, diopside, xNa2O–(1-x)SiO2, xPbO–(1-x)SiO2, soda-lime-silica glasses, salol, and α-phenyl-o-cresol. Excellent fits of the equation to the viscosity data were obtained over the entire temperature range. The fitting parameters were used to quantitatively determine the enthalpies and entropies of formation and motion of configurons in the analysed systems and the activation energies for flow at high and low temperatures as well as fragility ratios using the Doremus criterion for fragility. A direct anti-correlation between fragility ratio and configuron percolation threshold, which determines the glass transition temperature in the analysed materials, was found

Photoinduced refractive-index changes in germanosilicate fibres

Photoinduced guided index changes approaching 10-4 in the range 488-784 nm, measured using a simple interferometric technique, are reported in germanosilicate single-mode optical fibers exposed to the 488-nm line of an Ar+ laser running multifrequency. The wavelength dependence and dynamics of the writing process are characterized, and the material dispersion of the induced Δn(λ) is shown to be weak. The effect is placed in the context of related research on color centers in these fibers, and two different mechanisms are proposed that lead to quantitative estimates in rough agreement with the measured Δn values

WISE/NEOWISE Observations of Comet 103P/Hartley 2

We report results based on mid-infrared photometry of comet 103P/Hartley 2 taken during 2010 May 4-13 (when the comet was at a heliocentric distance of 2.3 AU, and an observer distance of 2.0 AU) by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Photometry of the coma at 22 μm and data from the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope obtained on 2010 May 22 provide constraints on the dust particle size distribution, d log n/d log m, yielding power-law slope values of alpha = –0.97 ± 0.10, steeper than that found for the inbound particle fluence during the Stardust encounter of comet 81P/Wild 2. The extracted nucleus signal at 12 μm is consistent with a body of average spherical radius of 0.6 ± 0.2 km (one standard deviation), assuming a beaming parameter of 1.2. The 4.6 μm band signal in excess of dust and nucleus reflected and thermal contributions may be attributed to carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide emission lines and provides limits and estimates of species production. Derived carbon dioxide coma production rates are 3.5(± 0.9) × 10^(24) molecules per second. Analyses of the trail signal present in the stacked image with an effective exposure time of 158.4 s yields optical-depth values near 9 × 10^(–10) at a delta mean anomaly of 0.2 deg trailing the comet nucleus, in both 12 and 22 μm bands. A minimum chi-squared analysis of the dust trail position yields a beta-parameter value of 1.0 × 10^(–4), consistent with a derived mean trail-grain diameter of 1.1/ρ cm for grains of ρ g cm^(–3) density. This leads to a total detected trail mass of at least 4 × 10^(10) ρ kg

Silicon oxycarbide glass for the immobilisation of irradiated graphite waste

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Silicon oxycarbide glass has been investigated as a potential immobilisation medium for irradiated graphite waste from nuclear power generation. The glass was synthesised via sol-gel techniques using alkoxysilane precursors. Attempts to produce a wasteform via conventional sintering were unsuccessful, but dense wasteforms were achieved by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Microstructural investigations showed that the addition of graphite to the glass did not alter the structure of the matrix; no reaction between the graphite and the glass matrix was observed. Silicon oxycarbide glass is a viable candidate for encapsulation of graphite waste prior to disposal

Short communication : the dissolution of UK simulant vitrified high-level-waste in groundwater solutions

Dissolution of a simulant UK nuclear waste glass containing Mg, Ca and Zn was investigated over 35 d at 50 °C in water and simulant groundwater solutions. The dissolution rates were influenced subtly by the groundwater composition, following the trend, from least to most durable: clay > water > granite ≈ saline. Solutions were rapidly silica saturated but boron dissolution rates continued to increase. This is hypothesised to be due to the formation of secondary Mg-silicate precipitates, preventing the formation of a passivating silica gel layer and allowing glass dissolution to proceed at close to the maximum rate