Extremophilic microbial metabolism and radioactive waste disposal.

Decades of nuclear activities have left a legacy of hazardous radioactive waste, which must be isolated from the biosphere for over 100,000 years. The preferred option for safe waste disposal is a deep subsurface geological disposal facility (GDF). Due to the very long geological timescales required, and the complexity of materials to be disposed of (including a wide range of nutrients and electron donors/acceptors) microbial activity will likely play a pivotal role in the safe operation of these mega-facilities.

Birth trauma: the elephant in the nursery.

Method: The current study used a multiperspectival (dyadic) IPA approach to interview eight participants ( = 4 heterosexual couples) where one parent was help-seeking for the experience of birth trauma.

Results: Analysis resulted in four superordinate themes: (1) From perfect plan to shattered reality, (2) Trauma in the healthcare system, (3) Trauma in the family system and (4) The post-trauma family: Navigating the new normal.

Discussion: Parents described a shared experience of birth trauma during birth.

Sender Gender Influences Emoji Interpretation in Text Messages.

With the rise in social media use, emojis have become a popular addition to text-based communication. The sudden increase in the number and variety of emojis used raises questions about how individuals interpret messages containing emojis. To explore perceptions of emoji usage, we conducted a 2 (Sender Gender: Female or Male) × 2 (Emoji Type: Affectionate or Friendly) between-groups experiment to examine the appropriateness and likability of each of four hypothetical text messages sent to a woman from either a male or female coworker.

Transitioning care-leavers with mental health needs: 'they set you up to fail!'.

Background: Children in the UK care system often face multiple disadvantages in terms of health, education and future employment. This is especially true of mental health where they present with greater mental health needs than other children. Although transition from care - the process of leaving the local authority as a child-in-care to independence - is a key juncture for young people, it is often experienced negatively with inconsistency in care and exacerbation of existing mental illness.