Conflict in the Latino parent-youth dyad: The role of emotional support from the opposite parent.

In the present study, the author examined the independent and interactive effects of support and conflict within a triadic familial context (mother-father-youth). The sample consisted of 6th- and 7th-grade inner-city Latino youths (N = 329; 142 boys, 187 girls). Using multiple regression techniques, level of conflict with either mother or father was consistently related to higher levels of both boys' and girls' internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Interaction effects were significant in predicting boys' externalizing behavior problems--a supportive parental relationship significantly reduced the risk associated with high conflict with the opposite parent. For boys' internalizing problems, mother and father support served a protective function regardless of the level of conflict with the opposite parent. Conflict with the mother was especially detrimental for Latina girls--highly conflictive mother-daughter relationships were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing symptomatology, and father support added little in predicting symptomatology. The study adds to the understanding of risk and protection in Latino families and underscores the importance of examining the parent-youth relationship from a triadic perspective, noting similarities and differences in mother-son, mother-daughter, father-son, and father-daughter relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Regional aerosol retrieval results from MISR

Examples of aerosol retrieval results, derived from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on the Earth Observation Science (EOS) Terra platform, are shown and the performance of the retrieval algorithms are discussed, following the first 18 months of operational data processing. A number of algorithm modifications were implemented, based on an analysis of aerosol retrieval results during this period, and these changes are described. Two cloud-screening algorithms, the angle-to-angle smoothness and angle-to-angle correlation tests, which were used in the preprocessing phase of the analyses are also described. The aerosol retrieval examples cover a wide variety of conditions, both over land and water. Particular aerosol types include dust clouds, forest fire and volcanic plumes, and localized dense haze. Finally, some ideas are discussed for additional improvement of the MISR aerosol data product, based on the experience gained in analyzing multiangle data and the associated geophysical products.     

Interior Penalties for Summation-by-Parts Discretizations of Linear Second-Order Differential Equations

This work focuses on simultaneous approximation terms (SATs) for multidimensional summation-by-parts (SBP) discretizations of linear second-order partial differential equations with variable coefficients. Through the analysis of adjoint consistency and stability, we present several conditions on the SAT penalties for general operators, including those operators that do not have nodes on their boundary or do not correspond with a collocation discontinuous Galerkin method. Based on these conditions, we generalize the modified scheme of Bassi and Rebay and the symmetric interior penalty Galerkin method to SBP-SAT discretizations. Numerical experiments are carried out on unstructured grids with triangular elements to verify the theoretical results.     

ZnO thin films prepared by a single step sol-gel process

ZnO thin films were prepared on fused silica from a single spin-coating deposition of a sol-gel prepared with anhydrous zinc acetate [Zn(C₂H₃O₂)₂], monoethanolamine [H₂NC₂H₄OH ] and isopropanol. Crystallization annealing was performed over the range 500 to 650 °C. X-ray analysis showed that thin films were preferentially orientated along the [002] c-axis direction of the crystal. The films had a transparency of greater than 85% in the visible region for sol-gels with a zinc content of up to 0.7 M and exhibited absorption edges at ∼ 378 nm. The optical band-gap energy was evaluated to be 3.298-3.306 eV. Photoluminescence showed a strong emission centered at ca. 380 nm along with a broad yellow-orange emission centered at ca. 610 nm. Single step sol-gel thin film deposition in the film thickness range from 80 nm to 350 nm was demonstrated. The effect of sol-gel zinc concentration, film thickness and crystallization temperature on film microstructure, morphology and optical transparency is detailed. A process window for single spin coating deposition of c-axis oriented ZnO discussed.     

Reliability analysis of transparent conductive tracks embossed in ZnO and Al-ZnO sol–gel materials

In this paper, we present a low-cost rapid replication approach to fabricate ZnO and Al-doped ZnO Transparent Conductive Oxide electrode structures using both hard UV curable polyurethane acrylate and soft thermal curable polydimethylsiloxane moulds. The thin films of the ZnO and Al-ZnO sol–gel precursor solution prepared from zinc acetate monoethanolamine and isopropanol were cast into a polydimethylsiloxane or polyurethane acrylate mould containing the electrode design. For soft mould embossing, the sol–gel coated substrate and polydimethylsiloxane mould were dried under vacuum at 70 °C for 3h. While for hard mould embossing, the system was heated at 150 °C for 30 min with 100 N applying force and then demoulded at 80 °C. The formed electrode patterns can be further densified or annealed giving a stable film that retains the embossed shape. The difference of surface profile obtained by soft and hard moulding is detailed and the hard mould is shown to be more suitable for low aspect ratio conductors. And the reliability study on embossed ZnO and Al-ZnO conductive tracks prepared with hard moulds shows that the embossed structure still retains good quality.     

Excimer laser fabrication of diffractive optical elements

Excimer lasers are well known for their ability to machine features on the micron scale. Recently, they have been used to fabricate diffractive optical elements (DOEs). These elements are patterns of pixels machined to the depth required, in order that a reconstructed pattern is formed in the image plane when the DOE is illuminated by a coherent source. The patterns are designed using computer phase retrieval code. These designs are used to create XY co-ordinate data files for conversion to machining routines where the pixels are machined individually. The laser used is an ArF excimer operating at 193 nm. We describe research undertaken on the fabrication and testing of some typical DOEs. The measurements include efficiency of reconstruction as well as the measurements of profile and surface roughness. The work compares the reconstruction results with the topographical measurements made on the DOE for 2, 4 and 8 phase-level designs. Newly developed simulation code was used to generate reconstructions without machining imperfections.     

Room temperature electroless plating copper seed layer process for damascene interlevel metal structures

Described in this paper is the development of a room temperature electroless copper seed layer deposition process on ultra-thin TiN barrier layers. This novel process is compatible with damascene interlevel metal structures for sub-0.18 micron ULSI processes. An optimum copper layer thickness of 50 nm and a deposition rate of 45 nm min⁻¹ was targeted and obtained. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that the non-uniformity of the seed layer is less than 10% of the film thickness, while four-point probe measurements indicate that the resistivity of the copper seed layer is less than 6 μΩ cm⁻¹. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) reveals that potential metallic contaminants such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions do not penetrate the TiN barrier layer. Rutherford back scattering (RBS) indicates that the palladium concentration in the seed layer is approximately 1%, which is low enough to avoid wafer contamination and increased resistivity in the subsequent electroplated copper layer.     

Evaluation of the influence of granulation processing parameters on the granule properties and dissolution characteristics of a modified release drug

Understanding the relationship between high shear wet granulation processing parameters and the characteristics of intermediate and final products is crucial in the ability to apply quality by design (QbD) and process analytical technologies (PAT) to secondary pharmaceutical processes. This research examined a high shear wet granulation process and subsequent manufacturing of a tablet containing a biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) class II drug, gliclazide (low solubility, high permeability). Previous studies have concentrated on either granulation or tabletting but not both together; this work brings together the analysis as a single large multivariate process. The design of experiment (DoE) was performed according to an L9 Taguchi method with three replications, in total; thirty-six runs were performed. A full statistical analysis relating both granule and tablet properties to selected process parameters were carried out. The research illustrates that mapping a highly multivariate process is possible. Statistically significant critical process parameters were identified for granule hardness, granule density and granule particle size. These granule properties were also identified as contributing to the dissolution release characteristics. Dissolution modeling and prediction was achieved within the DoE structure. Process noise was identified and measured across the entire production and specifically with respect to the milling process.     

Oxidation of guanine by carbonate radicals derived from photolysis of carbonatotetramminecobalt(III) complexes and the pH dependence of intrastrand DNA cross-links mediated by guanine radical reactions

The carbonate radical anion CO(3)(*-) is a decomposition product of nitrosoperoxycarbonate derived from the combination of carbon dioxide and peroxynitrite, an important biological byproduct of the inflammatory response. The selective oxidation of guanine in DNA by CO(3)(*-) radicals is known to yield spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) and guanidinohydantoin (Gh) products, and also a novel intrastrand cross-linked product: 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC), featuring a linkage between guanine C8 (G*) and thymine N3 (T*) atoms in the oligonucleotide (Crean et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 2008, 36, 742-755). Involvement of the T-N3 (pK(a) of N3-H is 9.67) suggests that the formation of 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC) might be pH-dependent. This hypothesis was tested by generating CO(3)(*-) radicals through the photodissociation of carbonatotetramminecobalt(III) complexes by steady-state UV irradiation, which allowed for studies of product yields in the pH 5.0-10.0 range. The yield of 5'-d(CCATCG*CT*ACC) at pH 10.0 is approximately 45 times greater than at pH 5.0; this is consistent with the proposed mechanism, which requires N3(H) thymine proton dissociation followed by nucleophilic addition to the C8 guanine radical.