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The attitudes of others towards the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities are one of the main perceived barriers to them expressing their sexuality. Research on what influences these attitudes yields heterogeneous results.A systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis were carried out.Eleven studies using the Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaire-Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ASQ-ID) were included. Within the included studies, the country's socio-economic development and level of individualism were associated with attitudes towards the sexual rights, parenting and self-control of adults with intellectual disabilities. General population and staff samples held more favourable attitudes than family samples in terms of sexual rights and parenting. Age and gender did not yield significant results.Variables related to country context may underlie the differences observed between countries and therefore influence the population's general thinking and ideologies. Unexpectedly, no age differences were observed. Gender-related results may reflect rapprochement between genders in sexuality. These findings are relevant for researchers and practitioners, as they suggest the importance of considering contextual factors when developing effective interventions that aim to support adults with disabilities to live their sexuality.

Raman scattering of L-asparagine:Cr3+ was studied over the complete range of wavenumbers at temperatures from ambient to ∼410 K. A qualitative change in the spectrum occurs when the temperature approaches 400 K. In the region of the spectrum corresponding to lattice vibrations of the crystal some bands disappear, as they do in the intermediate range of wavenumbers 200 cm−1 3000 cm−1, which is associated with water molecule vibrations. The changes indicate a modification of the crystal structure with irreversible loss of water molecules during the heating process. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Single crystals of L-valine, C5H11O2N, have been studied by Raman spectroscopy at temperatures from 17 to 300 K over the spectral range 20–3300 cm−1. A tentative assignment of the bands is given. Careful analysis of the Raman spectra suggests that a series of changes in the low-wavenumber region may be associated with a phase transition undergone by the material, and this possibility is discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leaves and branches of Ocimum Basilicum were dried, reduced to coarse powder and extracted in aqueous metanol and aqueous hexane. This paper discusses the X-ray diffraction and FT-Raman spectra measured at room temperature. The data obtained have been used to propose a general assignment of the vibrational fundamentals on the base of frequencies assigned in other related single crystals. From the results we can conclude that the crystal has a high symmetry. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Polarized Raman spectra of monohydrated L-asparagine (C4N2O3H8·H2O) were studied at temperatures ranging from 300 to 10 K. The wavenumbers of most modes were found to increase linearly upon cooling, although some bands showed an exponential behaviour, which is discussed in terms of anharmonicities of vibrations associated with hydrogen bonds. Evidence was found of a structural phase transition at low temperature by analysis of the external mode region of the spectra. An x-ray diffraction investigation confirmed the occurrence of a structural change between 140 and 150 K. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We have studied the stress in porous silicon films as a function of depth and porosity using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra were measured at different points along a cross section cleaved normal to the layer planes. Each spectrum was fitted using the phonon confinement model with the bulk phonon wavenumber as a free parameter. From the variation of this parameter we get the stress using the known dependence of phonon frequency on stress for bulk silicon. We observe a compressive stress at the interface with the substrate due to the lattice mismatch between porous and bulk silicon. The maximum value of the stress increases with porosity. The results obtained by Raman micro-spectroscopy agree well with the lattice mismatch measured by X-ray diffraction reported in the literature.