Analysis of Photoconductive Properties in Ge\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eSb\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eTe\u3csub\u3e5\u3c/sub\u3e (GST) Chalcogenide Films for Applications in Novel Electronics

This thesis investigated the thermal phase-change properties in Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) chalcogenide-based films and determined the feasibility of coupling the GST with photosensitive DNA material for novel optical device applications. Modeling and testing of GST were researched with the approach that GST would react as a resistive mechanism through thermal manipulation. A test structure was fabricated with a 2-micronmeter MEMS fabrication process. GST material was deposited (by RF sputtering) on the surface of the test structures. The GST was analyzed primarily in the amorphous to crystalline transition states due to more distinct changes in the resistance between partial states. Using both filtered light (via a monochromator), and non-filtered white light, light was incident on the GST for photo response testing. A biased voltage was applied to the device and the current change was measured. The GST was tested electrically, applying a current sweep across the device and measuring change in resistance as the GST changed states. Data recorded on the thermal properties of GST leading to resistive changes from both optical and electrical sources was analyzed. The results of this research indicate how future optical and electrical testing of the GST can be improved. The data measured by testing the GST electrically was compared to other research data (following similar testing procedures), revealing that optimal designs need sub-micro layers of GST with electrodes places above and below the GST. It was concluded that higher power light sources will be needed to continue exploring the optical reaction of GST in future research

Keeping Food Safe During Emergencies

Disasters can come in many forms, including tornadoes, fires, floods, and snowstorms. In any of these emergency situations, two problems commonly arise. The first is a lack of incoming supplies. The second is damage to gas and electrical power systems. This publication discusses how to handle foods before, during, and after an emergency to keep them safe and to avoid food poisoning

Ink from longfin inshore squid, Doryteuthis pealeii, as a chemical and visual defense against two predatory fishes, summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, and sea catfish, Ariopsis felis

Author Posting. © Marine Biological Laboratory, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of Marine Biological Laboratory for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biological Bulletin 225 (2013): 152-160.Chemical and visual defenses are used by many organisms to avoid being approached or eaten by predators. An example is inking molluscs—including gastropods such as sea hares and cephalopods such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopus—which release a colored ink upon approach or attack. Previous work showed that ink can protect molluscs through a combination of chemical, visual, and other effects. In this study, we examined the effects of ink from longfin inshore squid, Doryteuthis pealeii, on the behavior of two species of predatory fishes, summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, and sea catfish, Ariopsis felis. Using a cloud assay, we found that ink from longfin inshore squid affected the approach phase of predation by summer flounder, primarily through its visual effects. Using a food assay, we found that the ink affected the consummatory and ingestive phase of predation of both sea catfish and summer flounder, through the ink's chemical properties. Fractionation of ink showed that most of its deterrent chemical activity is associated with melanin granules, suggesting that either compounds adhering to these granules or melanin itself are the most biologically active. This work provides the basis for a comparative approach to identify deterrent molecules from inking cephalopods and to examine neural mechanisms whereby these chemicals affect behavior of fish, using the sea catfish as a chemosensory model.Our project was supported by National Science Foundation grant IOS-1036742 and REU supplements IOS-1338385, IOS 1234038, and IOS-1130244; by The Plum Foundation John E. Dowling Fellowship Fund and the Colwin Endowed Summer Research Fellowship Fund from the Marine Biological Laboratory; and by a Second Century Initiative graduate fellowship from Georgia State University

Give Me a Break: Do Mental Health Breaks from Social Networking Sites Correlate with Lower Psychopathology? - Preliminary Findings

Social networking sites (SNS) have become a pervasive part of modern society. In 2019, 69 % of adults used Facebook, and 74 % of these users checked Facebook daily. Social networking use is even higher in younger generations; 92 % of adolescents check SNS daily, and 24 % report being online “almost constantly.” Recently, a flood of research has exposed the harmful correlates of social networking site use, including increased depression, anxiety, suicidality, psychological distress, self-esteem, anxiety, and sleep problems. As the public has become aware of these adverse outcomes, a new trend of taking a break from SNS for their mental health has increased in popularity. However, no empirical research has examined how the mental health of those who have taken a SNS mental health break differs from those who have not. Therefore, this study examined the differences in personality psychopathology, self-esteem, and internalizing symptoms between these two groups in a sample of 565 adult social networking site users. It was found that individuals who took a SNS mental health break had higher self-esteem, but also higher levels of personality psychopathology and internalizing symptomology. Implications for this study are discussed

What is a weapon?

Animals utilize an incredible array of traits for offence and defence during conflict. These traits range from exaggerated morphological structures such as the antlers of stags and the horns of beetles, to an arsenal of noxious chemicals emitted, secreted, and injected. However, the breadth of these traits appears to be underappreciated in our current thinking about aggression in animals. Use of the term "weapon" in the current literature is largely restricted to studies of conspicuous morphological structures used by males during contests over access to females, and as a result, our understanding of other types of weapons is limited. In this article, I explore the diversity of traits utilized by animals to manipulate and control the behavior of other individuals in a number of agonistic contexts, with the aim to encourage a reappraisal of the way in which behavioral and evolutionary biologists view animal weapons. I discuss the advantages of including this broader range of traits in studies of animal weaponry and explore the unifying features that distinguish animal weapons from other traits

The influence of infant feeding attitudes on breastfeeding duration: Evidence from a cohort study in rural Western Australia

Background - Breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants in the first six months of life. Promoting and protecting breastfeeding is reflected in public health policy across the globe, but breastfeeding rates in both developing and industrialised countries continue to demonstrate that few mothers meet these recommendations. In addition to sociodemographic factors such as age, education and income, modifiable factors such as maternal infant feeding attitudes have been shown to influence breastfeeding duration. The objective of this paper was to describe the influence of infant feeding attitudes on breastfeeding duration in rural Western Australia. Methods - A cohort of 427 women and their infants were recruited from hospitals in rural Western Australia and followed for a period of 12 months. Information about feeding methods was gathered in hospital and at a further seven follow-up contacts. Infant feeding attitude was measured using the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS), and a score of > 65 was considered positive towards breastfeeding. Results - Mothers with an IIFAS score of > 65 were approximately twice as likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at six months, and breastfeeding at any intensity to 12 months. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding for mothers with an IIFAS score of > 65 was 16 weeks (95 % CI 13.5, 18.5) compared with 5 weeks for those with a score  65 (48 vs. 22 weeks, p < 0.001). Conclusions -Women in this rural cohort who had a more positive attitude towards breastfeeding had a longer duration of both exclusive breastfeeding to six months and any breastfeeding to 12 months. Further research examining the breastfeeding attitudes of specific subgroups such as men, grandparents and adolescents in rural areas will contribute to the evidence base and help to ensure that breastfeeding is seen as the normal method of infant feeding

Legal Barriers to Alcohol Screening in Emergency Departments and Trauma Centers

As described in more detail in the accompanying article by D’Onofrio and Degutis, many patients admitted to emergency departments (EDs) and trauma centers have positive blood alcohol levels at the time of their visit. (For more information on the distinction between EDs and trauma centers and the patients they treat, see the textbox “Emergency Departments Versus Trauma Centers.”) Research has shown that screening ED and trauma patients for alcohol use not only helps physicians make a more accurate diagnosis of patients’ conditions and decide on an appropriate treatment plans but also may allow for brief interventions and referrals to more extensive treatment. Many clinicians believe that patients with alcohol-related problems may be particularly amenable to alcohol interventions while they receive acute medical care for an alcohol-related injury. Several studies have demonstrated that brief interventions delivered to patients who are being treated in EDs or trauma centers for alcohol-related injuries can reduce alcohol consumption and the risk of renewed alcohol-related injuries in those patients (for more information, see the article by D’Onofrio and Degutis)