Formation of self-assembled Cu-γ-Al 2 O 3 nanocomposite

We report here the formation of a novel 'self-assembled' three-dimensional nanocomposite consisting of uniformly sized, evenly spaced spherical Cu nanoparticles embedded within a polycrystalline n -Al 2 O 3 matrix. This was discovered serendipitously during the examination of an ion-beam-milled ZrO 2 specimen in a transmission electron microscope. This nanocomposite was deposited as a coating during ion-beam milling by the co-sputtering of Cu and Al from the ion-mill hardware in the presence of O. The mechanism by which this highly organized nanocomposite forms is discussed, together with broader implications of these types of metal-ceramic nanocomposite and the possibility of using sputter deposition as a generic method for making them.     

Therapists' perception of benefits and costs of using virtual reality treatments

Research indicates that virtual reality is effective in the treatment of many psychological difficulties and is being used more frequently. However, little is known about therapists' perception of the benefits and costs related to the use of virtual therapy in treatment delivery. In the present study, 271 therapists completed an online questionnaire that assessed their perceptions about the potential benefits and costs of using virtual reality in psychotherapy. Results indicated that therapists perceived the potential benefits as outweighing the potential costs. Therapists' self-reported knowledge of virtual reality, theoretical orientation, and interest in using virtual reality were found to be associated with perceptual measures. These findings contribute to the current knowledge of the perception of virtual reality amongst psychotherapists.