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juniperpublishers-chemistry · 2 years ago

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Is US Patent Policy Strong Enough to Withstand the Winds of Change: A Study of the Need to Change United States Patent Policy

Author by Kent R Acheson

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to learn how US patent policy requirements differ for the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries, specifically if United States Patent Policy adequately protects intellectual property rights [1] for two divergent industries while still encouraging research and development (R & D) investment sufficient to increase profits and innovation. Data for this study consisted of 38 witness testimonies delivered to US Congress between the years 2005 and 2010 by experts representing the two industries of interest: pharmaceutical and software. Key findings from the data analysis of these 38 testimonies revealed both within industry differences and between industry differences in patent law protection. Within industry differences showed variance based on size of the company and the degree to which they relied on their own R & D. Between industry differences reflected divergent ‘products’ with Pharmaceutical Industries needing long-term protection to recover R & D expenditures that include expenses for human trials research to proceed from patent application to market. Software industry, on the other hand, uses follow-on innovation of others to continue technological advancement by constantly improving upon existing software. The data show that these two industries use patent policy protection in different ways for different reasons. This information will enable Policymakers to develop another form of product protection in lieu of the current patent law to better meet the needs of these two industries rather than try to modify the existing law.

Introduction

Patent law was developed in parts, building on one another with a single purpose in mind of protecting all innovations in a society and this created the basis for patent laws imposed on the current and future generations. Bessen [2,3] stressed that patents may not be valuable in protecting innovation [4-6] but are used solely to diffuse new ideas in the public. Bessen and Maskin [7] had previously highlighted that little research and development (R&D) in the Software Industry is used to gain patent protections and the enforcement issue with patents is difficult, as many patents are issued for products that are not new. Levin [8] and others found much earlier that patents were rated weak at protecting the returns on innovation, far behind the protection gained through lead time and learning curve advantages.

Patent’s role in different industries

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the different requirements for patent policy for the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries. All transcripts from testimonies from the spokespersons representing the two industries introduced to either House between the years 2005 to 2010 concerning the U.S. Patent Reform Bills were collected and analyzed to answer the research question in this case study. The findings could be useful in further adjusting patent policy to encourage innovation for diverse industries, or suggest the creation of another form of idea protection.

A similar problem may be in the type of intellectual property protection that a company chooses to obtain to avoid the constraints of getting a patent and extend the time frame for protection, such as copyright protection that extends protection from the 20 years for a patent to 120 years. Apple Inc. obtained a copyright protection for their popular iPhone [9], which recently lost in a suit against the Federal Government. The landmark decision helps to control copyright creep. Initially when buying an iPhone, Apple Inc. limited the service provider to AT&T and applications had to be bought from the Official Apple Store. Now, however, through a hack on the iPhone, users can choose a different service provider and load other, unofficial, applications not supported by Apple Inc., and hackers are not in violation of Copyright Law.

Policy Makers can use the findings of this study to explore new directions for the United States Patent Policy to optimize advancement of technology in the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries. Historically in the United States, there has been one patent policy. Scholars, academicians, and the United States Government still do not know the ideal amount of IPRs mainly because the objective has been to uphold one uniform policy. This study clarified if further changes were needed for patent policy through a Patent Reform Act, which enables Policy Makers to understand the needs of the Software Industry, or design another form of protection designed specifically for the Software Industry.

Crowe [10] and others stated that a case study design is most appropriate when little is known of a phenomenon in its natural context. A case study is “used to generate an in-depth, multifaceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context” (p. 1). The Pharmaceutical Industry has a profitable track record using the existing Patent Law to protect their R&D investments. The Software Industry is comparatively new and therefore their issues are only just now becoming obvious. Case law is outside the boundaries of this study.

The multiple dimensions of the phenomenon of the nature of protecting intellectual property rights in the Software Industry property and the Pharmaceutical Industry are worthy of study to allow all voices to be heard, including large corporations from both software and pharmaceutical companies, generic drug companies, and smaller software startups. After carefully examining all relevant transcripts, these diverse opinions can be given venue to state their needs.

Methodology and main results

The research question addressed in this study was: How do the patent policy requirements differ for the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries? From the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries’ objectives and needs for the United States Patent Policy to address, the questions spotlighted the sufficiency and effectiveness of the United States Patent Policy.

The focus of this study has two parts, they are:

1. What is the evidence United States Patent Policy adequately protects Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) for both the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries?

2. How does the United States Patent System encourage companies to make R&D investment in the Software and the Pharmaceutical Industry?

The first research question dealt with the effectiveness of the United States Patent Policy in protecting IPRs in two industries: software and pharmaceutical. The second research question related to how companies invest in R&D with support of the United States Patent Policy. The study explored the ability of the United States Patent Policy to foster innovation with satisfactory IPR protection to encourage R&D spending focusing on two specific industries. The Software Industry experiences a sequential and complementary nature of innovations, building on previous discoveries; and may not use the patent policy in effect in the United States. If patent policy does not consider the different requirements within the Pharmaceutical Industry and is too lax then enough R&D spending will not be invested and technological advancements, including new medications, may come to the market slower or not at all.

The scope of the study is to understand how the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries use the patent system and how better to adjust the patent system to optimize technological advancement. As discussed in assumptions, because of the nature of the source of data and the possible bias that was not fully known, the assumptions may or may not have had a credible or dependable basis and may therefore have biased the findings. Qualitative designs such as the case study have inherent limitations that may threaten validity, they may lack rigor and they may not be generalizable. These limitations may be mitigated with transparency in data analysis and reporting. Crowe 5 and others explains on page 8 “seeking potential, alternative explanations, and being explicit about how interpretations and conclusions were reached, helped readers to judge the trustworthiness of the case study report.

Evidence from various sources highlight the United States Patent system does not work as intended and needs a solution to continue or increase innovative activity. The principal problem deals with innovative activity that is sequential in nature and innovative activity that involves much R&D investment to bring a product to market. Sequential inventions build on previous breakthroughs and do not require much R&D investment. Secrecy would hinder follow-on discoveries of sequential innovative products.

This study used a content analysis of witness [11] testimonies to Congress on the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries from the years 2005 to 2010, and the possibility to develop more than one patent policy to accommodate different sectors of the economy. The study concentrated on software and pharmaceutical companies, as these two industries are most at odds with each other, and have prevented the passage of the Patent Reform Act of 2005 through 2010. The Patent Reform Act of 2010 [12,13] is the result of non-passage of the 2009 Act, as was each successive year from 2005. The stance of the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries remained relatively unchanged in their requirements, but the patent reform acts changed to incorporate the majority opinion of industry. The most important recommendations of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC 11) and National Academies of Sciences (NAS) studies that were first introduced in 2005 by Senator [14] Lamar Smith were considered.

The purpose of this descriptive analysis was to examine the current United States Patent Policy and the proposed changes to United States Patent Policy, and answer the research question – How do the patent policy requirements differ for the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries? This study will help decide if the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries effectively use the U.S. Patent Policy through protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and encouraged investment research and development (R&D). The qualitative case study was the most suitable approach to study the issues and answer the research questions because it explored real-life experiences of industries looking to patent Intellectual Property (IP).

Data and Sample Statistics

Data were collected and analysis began using the Content Analysis Guide developed for this study. The testimonies of the BSA representatives, other computer software witnesses, Computing Technology Industry Association, PhRMA representatives, other generic pharmaceutical representatives, and the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Biotechnology Industry Association (BIO), Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) [15-18], and venture capital organizations were included in this study. The IPO was included because IPO members represent 30% of patent applications at the USPTO and include members from the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries, among others. The study included Venture capitalists because some members of BSA [19] and other smaller software companies began with venture capital dollars. Each data point was examined for inclusion of any reference to R&D, including duration and support for R&D, the need for patent protections [20,21], and future needs for patent policy.

The 38 documents submitted to the congressional hearings were analyzed. Documents relating to software and pharmaceutical companies reviewed were not ambiguous but very clear and straight forward following a consistent format, so that anyone conducting another study would reach the same conclusions. They all stated who authored the document, who the document represented, who presented opinion to Congress, their position on the patent reform act, and agreements and disagreements with specific points of the patent reform act. No ambiguity existed and no information required subjective judgments to interpret the information reported. The nature of the data supported the reliability of the findings.

Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and other big high-tech companies began pushing for reform legislation to limit the number of patent infringement lawsuits and therefore the amounts paid in damages. The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) proceedings’ transcript from the public hearings showed the patent policy needs for BSA’s principle member and founder Microsoft. The public hearing titled Use of the Patent System to Protect Software Related Inventions took place in 1994 at the San Jose Convention Center, California, and at the Crystal Forum in Arlington, Virginia. A brief summary of Microsoft’s speech follows. Microsoft (BSA) recommended that patent protection allow an accused infringer to identify readily the activity forbidden under the claim. The success of a particular claim in meeting these objectives may depend less on the form and more on claim substance and the supporting details.

BSA represents a large base of computer software and hardware companies in the United States. Phelps (2005) from Microsoft Corporation stated that BSA does not want the patent holder to have automatically injunctive relief. Injunctive relief occurs when the courts rule an infringement occurred and automatically issue a ruling to stop the infringer from continuing operations. From the congressional hearing in 2005 on harmonization and other matters, Phelps for BSA supports publication in 18 months. Phelps [39] expressed support for establishing a post grant opposition procedure and supported third-party opportunity to alert USPTO to questionable patents during review. Phelps also supported allowing third parties the opportunity to suggest relevant prior art to examiner during review, supported a limit on damages for willful infringement to include only egregious behavior, and supported limiting damages to only the contributing, patented piece of the invention and not the market value of the whole product, as it is now.

In a congressional hearing in 2005, Simon [40] from Intel , a BSA representative, stated the patent system is difficult to maneuver because of many pieces that comprise computers and software contain “potentially hundreds of patents [that] may be relevant to a particular computer or software technology” [40]. The primary way to challenge a patent under current law is through costly litigation. Intel suggests Congress create a balanced post grant opposition enabling third parties to challenge issued patents that includes a post grant opposition of 2 years from patent grant or 1 year from receiving notice of patent infringement. Simon also encouraged Congress to create a second window to make the post grant review meaningful. Simon suggested a limit on patent application continuations and for the court not to issue a continuation on any claim broader than the broadest claim previously published or issued. BSA suggested a stay on the lower court’s decision in interlocutory appeals before final determination by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Micron Technology, Inc., a non-BSA member, suggested the same patent law reforms as BSA.

In a congressional hearing in 2006, Chandler [41] of Cisco (BSA) suggested a second window triggered by receipt of an infringement complaint. During the first window, the patent issues with thousands or millions of parts making the effectiveness of the patent examination questionable. Chandler (2006) encouraged Congress to make changes to remove venue shopping, and prevent suits from worldwide damages in United States Courts like the Microsoft and AT&T case. The only patent policy need described on the BSA website dated 1994 had no updates, which is understandable because United States Patent Policy has not changed significantly for more than 50 years and the proposed changes have not made it into law. The agreement with the Patent Reform Act was from the most influential voice for the Software Industry; nevertheless, there were disagreements within the Software Industry mainly arising from smaller companies and individual inventors. Software companies wanted patent reform by Congress but differences remained among large software companies and smaller organizations. An overhaul of the patent system and other measures to promote tech development efforts are top priorities of the Business Software Alliance, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and other big high-tech companies . BSA members began pushing for reform legislation to limit the number of patent infringement lawsuits, and therefore, the amounts paid in damages.

In an article in PC World dated March 9, 2008, patent reform leads a list of five legislative priorities expressed by BSA in 2008. The opinion article stated that BSA members want Congress to approve the Patent Reform Act but the legislation stalled in the United States Senate because of objections from inventors, pharmaceutical companies and some small tech (computer software) firms. In addition the article proclaimed, more than 170 California businesses and organizations oppose the Patent Reform Act in its current form. They mention that research to stay competitive is both expensive and risky, but strong protections from patent policy attract the necessary investments to commercialize a new product. This is especially the case for the hundreds of smaller, venture capital-backed firms in the state, of which many spun from California’s world-class research universities and private research institutes. According to GlaxoSmithKline, California Wireless and Mi5 Networks in paragraph eight on page one of Gross [42] (2008), the Patent Reform Act “would increase costs to obtain and maintain patents, undermine patent certainty, incentivize infringement, and weaken the enforceability of patent rights and intellectual property protections.”

Dr. Myhrovold [43-45] started Dynamical Systems, a software company, in 1984 that Microsoft bought in 1986. He worked with Microsoft from 1986 to 2000 (14 years). Myhrovold retired from Microsoft in 2000 to start another company, Intellectual Ventures, which files more than 300 patents a year making it the 25th largest inventing organization in America. Dr. Myhrovold stated “[Software is] a complex topic…and it’s all about company culture and how companies use patents” (Perspectives on Patents [46,47]. Continuing Dr. Myhrovold stated “…for most tech companies patents have never been important; they have never been a way to make money” (p. 76, para. 2), and “…patents are, at best, a distraction and most tech companies have made a deliberate decision to ignore the patent system” (p. 76, para. 5). Many other non-BSA members agreed with Myhrovold.

Defensive patenting by software companies explains if a company holds enough patents then this company can steal another product company’s ideas with impunity, but the problem enters when the other entity does not create a product to attack (Myhrovold, 2006, p. 77, para 3). These are the battle lines in the patent reform debate with universities, small inventors and pharmaceutical companies whose lifeblood is the patent system on one side, and companies who decide to infringe or at least do not care about infringing on the other side. Dr. Myhrovold is a witness from the vantage point of a Microsoft senior executive in the 1990s who discussed this role with other firms in the earlier rounds of patent reform debate.

Technology companies exaggerate the problem when over the last 20 years patents have remained in last place of lawsuits for the three forms of idea protection: trademark, copyright, and patents. A study of four high-tech companies that are active in the patent reform debate paid out $3.7 billion in patent lawsuit settlement from 1993 to 2005, but those same four companies earned $1.4 trillion in revenue over the same period making the sums for infringement only 0.26% of revenues on average. The company with the highest number of lawsuits experienced sums for infringement at only 0.51% of revenues. “Patent trolls” are companies that do not market a product but only the idea for a product. Companies that do not produce a product comprise only 2% of the patent infringement lawsuits. Software companies like to blame an innocuous group of patent troll companies when they themselves perform the same litigious practices blamed on trolls. Myhrovold stated the need to embrace the trend to make the alternate resolutions more like a court trial by creating a separate Patent Court, much like the Tax Court, Bankruptcy Court, or Divorce Court to try only specific cases.

Inter Digital is a technology and software company that disagrees with BSA’s proposed changes to patent law. Inter Digital’s Bernstein summarized the differences in the Software industry on page 220 last paragraph at the 2007 congressional hearings: “…the IT industry is absolutely not united in its support for mandatory apportionment, post grant opposition, expansive USPTO rulemaking authority, and interlocutory appeals fall outside the realm of patent ‘reform’.” Bernstein continues by expressing how such an action would degrade patent rights and increase litigation for smaller innovators. The weakening of legitimate patents would protect a few corporate giants and increase the number of lawsuits Bernstein (2007), [48,49].

An article by Mc Dougall [50] and Chabrow (2006), [51,52] in InformationWeek explains the problems as they perceive them with the Patent Reform Act from other software and computer companies. Hans Hxu, founder of online gift registry Felicite.com, says the industry’s large players want the appearance of IP openness but do not practice it. “IBM patents almost everything they do, and then they sit on it, which does not encourage innovation” (Microsoft Agenda, para. 3) says Hxu, a McKinsey consultant although other critics suggest the sellers’ moves cement their advantages when they face rising [53] competition from startups. In an August 2005 essay, Harvard Law School professor and tech entrepreneur James Moore argued the collaborative patent review proposed by IBM, Microsoft, and others would result in fewer patents issued because it would give examiners more ammunition to shoot down patent applications. “If fewer patents are issued, but existing patents are not revoked, IBM and Microsoft win because they already possess vast existing portfolios,” Moore writes (Microsoft Agenda, para. 4). Some Web 2.0 companies dismiss IBM’s argument that business-method patents protect obvious ideas. “Everything is obvious after someone has done it,” says a spokesperson for online movie renter Netflix (Microsoft Agenda, para. 5), which has patents on its queue-ordering system--and is suing Blockbuster for allegedly copying the system.

Small tech companies are taking matters into their own hands, forming patent cooperatives through which they share IPRs. Search company Wink shares in Creative Commons, a group that encourages sharing of copyrights and open source licenses, but there is a line between sharing and protecting intellectual property that creates competitive advantage, says Wink’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael [54,55] Tanne. “When companies have invested in the development of technologies, they really ought to be able to protect it,” Tanne says (Microsoft Agenda, para. 6). Resolving these issues will influence developing and commercializing tech innovations. Too many lengthy and expensive legal battles will persuade IT departments to stick with familiar technology, and this is something tech vendors should consider as they take one another to court.

The largest and best known pharmaceutical companies in the Pharmaceutical Industry represented by Pharmaceuticals Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and the Professional Inventors Alliance disagree with the weakening of patent protection and the long, time frame proposed for patent reexamination. High R&D characterizes these industries and the Pharmaceutical Industry realizes a shortened patent protection because patent protection begins before FDA approval. This shortens patent protection to commercialize the product to the remaining years.

On September 17, 2007, The Professional Inventors Alliance expressed through a letter to President Bush the flaws in the Patent Reform Act of 2007. The Patent Reform Act of 2007 did not pass the United States Senate because of the opposition from PhRMA, small inventors, and small tech firms . The letter from the Professional Inventors Alliance expressed that if the Patent Reform Act of 2007 passed into law it would harm the United States’ innovative character because of the inability to enforce patents and would reduce the royalties associated with a patented technology. In 1980, PHRMA’s members invested $2 billion in R&D for new medicines; although, nearly 30 years later (in 2009), PHRMA’s members invested $50.3 billion in R&D out of the $65.2 billion industry-wide total. Pharmaceutical companies rely on government-granted patents to protect their substantial investments in researching and developing new drugs. It takes 10-15 years and costs $800 million on average to bring a new medicine to market. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies.

Without patents to protect all the inventions necessary to develop a drug for a limited time, others could simply copy the drugs immediately, offering their versions at a reduced price because they did not incur the high costs to develop the drug. This would seriously affect the pharmaceutical companies’ ability to recoup their costs and reinvest in other research projects. PhRMA stated in 2010 that “a strong patent system is crucial to our economic [56,57] competitiveness, especially in these economically trying times” (PhRMA’s website, 2001, p. 1). The companies in favor and against the Patent Reform Act of 2010 divided into the companies that have favored and opposed the previous patent reform acts, that is, computer software favoring patent reform and pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies opposing patent reform. Those opposing and in favor of the patent reform acts through the six years in this study have not changed their needs but, instead, Congress changed trying to create a patent policy agreeable to most patent users.

The large pharmaceutical companies also known as the name brand pharmaceutical companies and the smaller, generic pharmaceutical companies were in general agreement on most issues. Both wanted strong patent protection and both sides were against the Patent Reform Bill [58] of 2005 and 2006 as stated in the congressional hearings on patent reform. The firstinventor- to-file patent system while harmonizing with the large United States trading partners also poses some difficulties and disagreements with United States patentees. The problems lay in the grace period of 1-year and the best mode requirement in the patent application. Harmonizing with other countries’ patent systems as currently written, such as Japan and Europe, would remove the United States grace period of 1 year to file a patent application and would remove the best mode requirement when filing a patent application. The best mode requirement is the descriptive part of the patent application the inventor has to include the inventor’s idea of how best to use or combine the chemicals for complete effectiveness.

The differences between the brand name and generic pharmaceutical companies lay in eliminating the best mode factor of the patent application and the inequitable conduct defense. Brand name pharmaceutical companies say the best mode provision of the patent law is subjective, and therefore should be removed. The generic pharmaceutical companies believe the best mode provision should remain because they cannot copy the patented medication without the recipe or the “best mode” of making the drug. By removing the inequitable conduct defense, brand name pharmaceutical companies will misuse the patent system to the harm of the public and generic pharmaceutical companies. Differences exist between the brand name pharmaceuticals and the generic pharmaceuticals. One example is the issue of patent quality: Best mode. Generic pharmaceuticals want to keep the “best mode” in the patent law language because it lowers cost of medications by allowing generic companies to copy name brand drugs more easily. Ely Lilly [59,60] and PhRMA want to remove the best mode language . The Generic Pharmaceutical Association also has qualms with weakening the inequitable conduct saying that weakening this provision gives brand-name pharmaceutical companies incentive to misrepresent their inventions.

Together the Case Lawre presented the most comprehensive line of court-led patent reforms, which makes patent reform substantially different in 2010 than 2005. Patent lawyers and the law association, AIPLA [63,64], believe that legislation is not necessary and the court system will eventually find a solution for compromise for the different users of the patent system and will define patent law through successive Case Law. Larger, more market capitalized firms make more noise and are heard more clearly than smaller, less capitalized companies or individual inventors, including companies that specialize in innovation but do not concurrently produce a product, also known as patent trolls. More innovation comes from smaller firms and individual inventors than large entities. The larger software enterprises that often infringe on patents held by companies that do not produce a product (patent trolls) behave similarly to the patent trolls. IBM and Microsoft sit on patents without an accompanying product, when another company discovers something similar the patent surprises the unsuspecting company, and a licensing or royalty agreement can avoid costly litigation. IBM earned over a billion dollars in 2005 solely from license agreements and royalties. Licensing and royalty agreements are another possible direction that companies take to avoid patent infringement suits; however, their use threatens other companies to ransom licensing or royalty agreements but is cheaper and the outcome more certain than litigation.

The Pharmaceutical Industry appreciates the current patent policy and is leery of any changes that would disrupt the current manner in which they use the patent system to optimize patent protection; also the Pharmaceutical Industry like the Software Industry makes the best of the current patent policy . Although pharmaceutical firms have to wait until after drug trials and resulting FDA approval to market the medication, which includes the 20-year patent term and drug approval sometimes lasts as much as 10 years, they too have found ways to evade current patent law to extend the patent length. The Pharmaceutical Industry commonly increases the shortened patent length by adding a known chemical to the patent protected drug therapy, and adds another patent protection term of 20 years by increasing the number of patents on a drug. One specific drug therapy created by a name-brand pharmaceutical firm that a generic company was exploring to copy had patent protection by more than 200 patents spanning 40 years.

Discussion and Conclusions

The specific research questions that framed this qualitative case study were 1. What is the evidence United States Patent Policy adequately protects Intellectual Property Rights [65] (IPRs) for both the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries? 2. How does the United States Patent Policy encourage companies to make research and development (R&D) investment in both the Software Industry and in the Pharmaceutical Industry? Based on the differences on how patent policy should read, issues of effectiveness of the United States Patent Policy to both protect and encourage IPRs and R&D investment should be considered. Patent policy in the United States has remained unchanged for the last 55 years, and has been effective in protecting IPRs and encouraging R&D investment. Pharmaceutical firms have been around many years and have flourished in the current patent policy environment. Only with the creation of the personal computer have software companies entered the scene and have expressed concern for the patent policy changes to reduce the software company’s purposeful infringement. In a few words, the large software companies want to weaken patent protections and reduce their costs to defend against patent infringement lawsuits because big software companies do not care about patents or patent infringement.

Three important findings from this study are

1. The Pharmaceutical and Software Industries use patent policy differently

2. BSA explicitly states they want a strong patent policy, but, in effect, want to weaken the current patent policy, and

3. Differences exist within each industry. Congress has attempted to improve patent law 6 years without success because there is not agreement pleasing all industries, but the principle differences embodied the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries.

Firstly, pharmacy and software use patent policy differently: Pharmacy to protect R&D and Software for defensive purposes. Software Industry (BSA) does not use the patent policy as designed to protect R&D, but to defend against the threat of patent infringement lawsuits. The testimonies to Congress provided evidence to answer my research question of how the patent policy requirements differ between the Software and Pharmaceutical Industries. The testimonies to Congress were clear and straightforward. I did not have to infer the meaning or needs of the witnesses. They clearly stated their position and what they wanted in patent policy. Many people in the Pharmaceutical Industry and smaller software companies specifically stated that larger software and computer companies began calling for patent reform to limit the many patent infringement suits against them. Myhrovold shared his experience working for Microsoft in the late 90s stating that large software companies are not concerned with infringing on another’s patents and the only reason they care at all about patents is to defend against patent infringement lawsuits.

Secondly, the data from congressional testimonies clearly showed that the Software Industry (BSA) verbalized they want a strong patent policy but, instead, they want to weaken the rights of patent holders. This weakening is from: An unlimited post patent review period, placing the burden of proof for infringement on the patent holder (instead of the offender), and limiting the damage awards for infringement to only the infringing part of an innovation. The testimonies clearly stated their position and what they wanted. The previous list clearly communicated to Congress what the Software Industry (BSA) wanted in a patent policy, and refuted by other expert testimonies in the Software Industry.

All BSA representatives stated they wanted strong patent protection, and continued with the above reasons, which amount to weakening a patent holders’ legal rights to their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). Many testimonies contrary to BSA stated specifically the reasons BSA wants to limit a patent holders’ IPRs is to stave off patent infringement lawsuits. Myhrovold (2006) shared that patent policy did not enter into Microsoft’s and other BSA members’ culture. Patents are not how software companies protect innovation, but, rather, secrecy, and lead time or economies of scale are more effective to protect innovation in a short product lifecycle industry. Thirdly, the entire Software Industry is not united with BSA, and the entire Pharmaceutical Industry is not united with PhRMA. Differences exist between the two industries and differences exist within each industry, such as difference between larger companies and smaller companies in Software Industry and brand name pharmaceutical versus generic pharmaceutical. Each expert clearly stated what they wanted, why they wanted it, and differences within their respective industries. The witnesses to the congressional hearings succinctly stated that the BSA or PhRMA did not represent the entire industry, and the industry was not united in its desires for patent policy. Siwik [66] said in the exact words that the Pharmaceutical Industry is not united, and based on the non-BSA members’ testimonies with them vehemently disagreeing with BSA’s stance, anyone would reach the same conclusions that BSA is far from united too.

The evidence suggests the two industries use patent policy in different ways. For instance, The Software Industry does not use the patent system to protect intellectual property but rather use the patent system for defensive purposes not so much to protect innovation but to defend against infringement lawsuits. Pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on a patent protection to recover large R&D spending. The evidence was found in examples of how each industry effectively uses the patent system. Based on research of the patent system and the evidence of how each industry uses the patent system, the data would suggest agreement with many of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other industries that use the patent system effectively to protect research and development dollars that the system does not need major change. Research shows the answer to the question of how the United States Patent System encourages R&D and promotes innovation; the patent system performs well according to its design. It protects ideas. The current patent policy is effective in protecting innovation and encouraging research and development spending.

For more Open Access Journals please visit our site: Juniper Publishers For more articles, please click on Journal of Organic Medicinal Chemistry

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beakers-and-telescopes · 2 years ago

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OKAY THIS ARTICLE IS SO COOL

I'm going to try to explain this in a comprehensible way, because honestly it's wild to wrap your head around even for me, who has a degree in chemistry. But bear with me.

Okay, so. Solids, right? They are rigid enough to hold their shape, but aside from that they are quite variable. Some solids are hard, others are soft, some are brittle or rubbery or malleable. So what determines these qualities? And what creates the rigid structure that makes a solid a solid? Most people would tell you that it depends on the atoms that make up the solid, and the bonds between those atoms. Rubber is flexible because of the polymers it's made of, steel is strong because of the metallic bonds between its atoms. And this applies to all solids. Or so everybody thought.

A paper published in the journal Nature has discovered that biological materials such as wood, fungi, cotton, hair, and anything else that can respond to the humidity in the environment may be composed of a new class of matter dubbed "hydration solids". That's because the rigidity and solidness of the materials doesn't actually come from the atoms and bonds, but from the water molecules hanging out in between.

So basically, try to imagine a hydration solid as a bunch of balloons taped together to form a giant cube, with the actual balloon part representing the atoms and bonds of the material, and the air filling the balloons as the water in the pores of the solid. What makes this "solid" cube shaped? It's not because of the rubber at all, but the air inside. If you took out all the air from inside the balloons, the structure wouldn't be able to hold its shape.

Ozger Sahin, one of the paper's authors, said

"When we take a walk in the woods, we think of the trees and plants around us as typical solids. This research shows that we should really think of those trees and plants as towers of water holding sugars and proteins in place. It's really water's world."

And the great thing about this discovery (and one of the reasons to support its validity) is that thinking about hydration solids this way makes the math so so so much easier. Before this, if you wanted to calculate how water interacts with organic matter, you would need advanced computer simulations. Now, there are simple equations that you can do in your head. Being able to calculate a material's properties using basic physics principles is a really big deal, because so far we have only been able to do that with gasses (PV=nRT anyone?). Expanding that to a group that encompasses 50-90% of the biological world around us is huge.

#science #stem #science side of tumblr #stemblr #biology #chemistry #scientists #biochemistry #studyblr #physics #nature

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ninasnakie · 11 days ago

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New Fic! 😃🎉

Finally! I posted the first chapter of my FTH fic, A Study in Scale. The story lived for a year with me, everywhere I went, my traveling to the other side of the world, written in different sizes of notebooks, journals, and even napkins, speech-to-typed in Google doc, recorded on my phone whenever something came to my mind and I was in a weird place/ situation...

I had to do Tons of research, from geography and physiology to chemistry, history, and criminology, for this story, which is based on one of my lifelong dreams and fantasies. I went to sleep countless nights dreaming about having a companion like that, and now I wrote it in the form of a Sherlock fic.

I hope my Google history hasn't been checked during this time because they would be scared by the history, which includes things like "How long does it take to dissolve a body in sulfuric acid?"

I'd Love to share my journey with you Sherlockians, and grateful for reposts!

Let me know if you want to be deleted or added to the list. :)

@totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @calaisreno @helloliriels @blogstandbygo @topsyturvy-turtely @starrla89 @sgam76 @friday411 @thegildedbee @meetinginsamarra @raina-at @7-percent @kitten-kin @major-trouble @a-victorian-girl @sherlockjohnblog @holmesianlove @inevitably-johnlocked @khorazir @petite-madame

#bbc sherlock #bbc sherlock fanfiction #new fanfic #read my fic it's CRAZY

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themissinghand · 2 years ago

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Genshin Impact: Curiosity Blessed the Cat

Summary: In which Alhaitham meets an academic rival worthy of his attention. (Or the reader wants to find their way back home, the old-fashioned way)

Pairing: Alhaitham x Neutral! Creator! Reader!

Note: Slight SAGAU themes, y'know, gold blood and worship.

Warning: Mentions of blood

"Did you hear? The new kid scored incredibly high on the Haravatat entrance exam and was immediately accepted into our Akademiya."

"They also seem to be quite knowledgeable despite coming from Liyue Harbour. Perhaps they were a merchant."

"It's not just their score, but also their creativity and feasibility in the essay portion that has impressed other scholars and professors. The higher-ups are saying that it's the birth of another talent like Alhaitham and Miss Lisa!"

Alhaitham strategically chose to ignore the pointed looks and the scattered conversations around him.

It's meaningless to listen to anyway.

Besides, this book in front of him was much more intriguing than some new student. In fact, he spent most of his days in the library, surrounded by ancient texts and scholarly articles rather than people.

Luckily, the librarian silenced them with a pointed glare, and peace was restored once again.

However, while he was lost in thought, a burst of whispers brought him back to the present. He begrudgingly looked in the same direction as others, and noticed a new face in the library.

"It's the new Liyue student."

Alhaitham rolled his eyes at his fellow classmates. But just as he was about to return to reading his book, the librarian was walking towards him with the new student.

"These shelves store academic journals of various topics, but for studies on engineering, astronomy and chemistry, those shelves contain what you are looking for."

"Thank you."

When the new student walked past his table and towards the large shelves, Alhaitham slowly became amused by the sight.

Compared to the research journals and published articles, the new student seemed small in comparison. Though he was slightly impressed (or even doubtful) that a person could read, or even understand the sheer number of research material they were collecting in their arms.

"Hello, do you mind if I sit here?" Alhaitham nods solemnly without another word, and they sit down diagonally from him with their stack of books.

"Thank you."

It was then did Alhaitham noticed that there were multiple languages in that one stack.

Oh? Do they understand them all?

It took one full day at the library for him to learn that the new student is quite interesting.

Always reading books that nobody else seemed interested in and their grasp of the languages was impressive. He could read their translated notes from a glance.

When they finally finished their pile of research material, they unexpectantly let out a sigh.

"Damn, they don't have what I was looking for." They murmured in disappointment before stretching.

Alhaitham blinked in surprise behind his book.

What were they looking for? From his knowledge, the Akademiya has the largest collection of knowledge and research, despite this, they were unable to find what they were looking for?

"Hello, sorry to disturb you." Alhaitham looks up from his book slowly and sees a sheepish smile.

"Do you mind helping me put some books back? My legs have gotten stiff."

"Alright."

So the two returned the books back to their original position in a quick and organized manner.

"Thank you. My name is (Y/N) by the way, nice to meet you." They held out a hand for a handshake.

"Alhaitham." He introduced himself briefly, and shook their hand.

"Then, I'll see you around Alhaitham."

Alhaitham watched them leave, and suddenly felt his vision pulse by his shoulder.

Oh? Why is that? It was as if it was telling them to leave the library.

Curious, he picked up his vision and inspected it, but after a few minutes, it returned to normal as if nothing happened.

But Alhaitham knew it had something to do with (Y/N).

Alhaitham was surprised when he saw them the next day in his class. They introduced themselves as a traveler and a previous merchant who dealt with rare and exotic items.

The other too seemed surprised to see him, but offered a polite smile in response.

Before he knew it, (Y/N) became his seatmate and naturally, whispers follow.

Especially since (Y/N) seemed to do exceptionally well in their academics, so much so that Alhaitham was suspicious and annoyed at how much others were comparing them.

"(Y/N)." They look up in surprise.

"Oh, Alhaitham. How are you?"

"Are you trying to graduate early?" Alhaitham asks bluntly because at the rate they are succeeding in their academics, they may as well be.

"Yes I am actually."

"Why?"

"Well, I want to gain access to more records, the general library doesn't have what I want. I believe the easiest and more efficient way is to gain merits and succeed in academics."

That certainly makes more sense, and proves one of his predictions.

"And what exactly are you looking for?"

"Hmm, I want to see if there was a way to utilize the power of visions and help people travel to countries faster."

Alhaitham knew there was more to that, or else, why would they also look into astronomy?

"I also want to see if I can go home." Another murmur, and Alhaitham felt a chill go down his spine, his vision pulsing stronger this time.

"What?"

"Oh would you look at that? I have to go. I'll see you around Alhaitham."

"Wait-"

(Y/N) was gone in a flash, leaving behind scattered notes.

When Alhaitham picked up one, he was surprised to see notes on the Creator, the almighty being that created their world and one worthy of worship and loyalty.

But this was something everyone knows by heart, why would a student like (Y/N) have to learn, much less note about such an obvious thing?

Alhaitham immediately left to search for (Y/N), his curiosity got the best of him.

From that moment on, Alhaitham became even more fascinated by the (Y/N), trying to learn everything he could about them. However, who knew that in the process that he would find himself becoming more ambitious and competitive?

Always trying to beat them in academics and finding ways to make them reveal their secret.

Especially as to why his vision is reacting to them so.

But until then, he has grown to enjoy their presence and curious nature, questioning everything around them, and suggesting ideas he never thought of.

Alhaitham realized that they were truly a scholar in their own right, someone who is not corrupted or power-hungry, but someone...perhaps similar to him.

Graceful, kind, knowledgeable and hard-working, this is who (Y/N) was like from the beginning to the present.

They may not be a vision user, but still understands quite a bit about visions. As such, when Alhaitham asked them about his pulsing vision, they were curious about it too.

"May I inspect it?"

Alhaitham was surprised at how easily he agreed to their request, after all, the act of touching another's vision meant you had immense trust for them.

The moment they touched it, Alhaitham felt warm, as if he was in a mother's embrace.

Alhaitham took a step back instinctively at the strange feeling and almost tripped over a long vine that grew from his vision, but a hand grabbed onto his wrist to stabilize him.

"Oh crap!" (Y/N) is not one to swear, but when they do, Alhaitham knew there must be a reason.

(Y/N) quickly let go of his wrist, and before they could cover it, Alhaitham saw something extraordinary.

Gold blood.

It seems that they injured themselves on the same vine.

Regardless, only the Creator would have gold blood!

Everything started to snap together in place.

"You are-"

Without another moment of hesitation, their hand covered his mouth before pushing him against the wall. Their eyes darted around nervously and then laughed nervously at the bewildered and flushed faces around them.

Their graceful image was suddenly replaced with a flustered and panicked one.

Ah, this was their secret.

"You can't just say my crush's name out loud. That's so embarrassing!"

What? Why are they hiding?

Alhaitham saw their hand, that should have been bleeding, but is not. It was completely healed.

Before Alhaitham could say anything, they whispered beside his ear.

"I don't know what you saw, but keep it a secret."

Alhaitham felt his vision pulse again, and he swallowed slowly, before nodding. He realized it was an order from the Creator.

It had to be, or else why would his vision and himself, be so willing to listen to their request?

They slowly let him go before returning his vision, dragging him away and sprinting down to the library.

This time, they led the way while his mind is drawing many conclusions at once.

Then he flushed in embarrassment.

This person...is the Creator! And he followed them for weeks just to satisfy his curiosity!

How would they ever look at him again if they found out?

And he's holding their hand.

He is not worthy of such a privilege.

Despite the chaos in his mind, he doesn't show it even as the duo found themselves in the silent library. They walked between two rows of tall ancient books.

When they let go of his hand, he felt something left him briefly, and it wasn't the greatest feeling in the world.

"Before you make conclusions, I will ask you to keep everything you saw a secret." Alhaitham blinked as he processed the implications behind their words.

"There is only one person that has golden blood, and healing powers of that extent." He remembers what the stories told.

"The Creator." They flinched, but didn't back down, in fact, they crossed their arms. With just one look at their eyes was enough to almost send Alhaitham to his knees.

"That is quite a prediction. Without any evidence, Alhaitham?" Alhaitham felt his breath quicken as a giant pressure descended on him. His vision is pulsing too quickly, as if panicking.

"No, your highness. I could never." He responded robotically as he knelt in their presence.

"Highness? Where did you get that from? And why are you kneeing, get up." Two hands held his shoulders, sending shivers down his spine that jolted him awake, and made him reached out to hold hers.

"You are the Creator." He states firmly, without any doubt.

"I'm not. And you can be committing a crime right now-"

If that's what it took, then Alhaitham will bear the consequences.

With a quick movement, his nail scratched the skin of their hand, and before they could cover it, Alhaitham stopped them and watched as gold appeared for just a second before disappearing as if it never existed.

That was all he needed before he knelt again.

"Please punish me as you see fit your highness."

They're the Creator.

The saviour of this world.

Was that why they were conducting research? To find a logical way to save Teyvat? Was there a danger?

Also...did they want to go home?

Ha.

"Alhaitham, stop this. I don't need you to act any different than before." They groaned a bit before deciding to accept their fate.

Why are they hiding the fact that they're the Creator?

No, the real question is, why is he questioning their requests? As a devout believer, he should not doubt them at all.

And since he did, he is ready to take on any punishment.

He takes their hand and places a gentle kiss, watching them turn into a stuttering mess.

A reward for his curiosity and pursuit of knowledge.

Just how many people know that the very deity they worship is right beside them?

"What are you-"

"Your highness, please command me as you see fit."

The other sighs and rubs their temples, muttering something about how "Zhongli" was like this too, and how they shouldn't have let their curiosity get the best of them. Alhaitham furrowed his eyes in the mention of another name and wondered if this was perhaps their friend in Liyue.

"One, don't act any different than before with me. Two, keep my identity a secret. Three, don't question nor interfere with my goals. That's an order."

Alhaitham does not understand why the Creator is adamant in hiding their identity or living like a normal person, but he will obey their wishes. However, there is one thing he will not allow.

"I will heed your order."

That is to allow the Creator to leave, and "go home".

#alhaitham #al haitam x reader #genshin #genshin impact #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin sagau #gn reader #gn y/n #genshin x you #al haitham #sumeru #genshin fluff

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glowettee · 1 month ago

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Study Like an It Girl: Paris Geller Energy 📚✨

If there’s one fictional character who embodies the ultimate study grind, it’s Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls. Her level of ambition? Unmatched. Her drive? Relentless. And while her methods might sometimes verge on chaotic (okay, very chaotic), there’s so much we can learn from her approach to academics. I'm gonna break down how you can channel that Paris Geller energy while keeping your sanity intact. 🌸✨ (hopefully...)

1. Set Clear Goals (Be as Extra as Paris)

Paris didn’t just want to do well; she wanted to be the best. While you don’t have to make your life a competition, having clear, specific goals can give you direction. Instead of saying, “I want to study more,” try:

“I want to get an A on my next chemistry test.”

“I’ll complete three hours of focused study for math every weeknight.” Specificity helps you stay on track and keeps your energy focused on the right tasks.

💡 It Girl Tip: Create a vision board for your goals, Paris-style. Include dream colleges, career aspirations, or anything else that fuels your ambition. Keep it somewhere you can see it every day—manifestation meets motivation. (digital or IRL is good, USE PINTEREST!)

2. Romanticize Your Study Environment

Let’s be honest: Paris wouldn’t study in a messy, uninspiring room. Your study space should feel like an aesthetic haven. Think:

A tidy desk with your favorite stationery ✏️

Soft lighting (fairy lights or a warm desk lamp) 🌟

A pastel mug filled with tea or coffee ☕

Background music (try classical, K-Pop or lo-fi playlists for the ultimate vibe) 🎶

You’re the main character of your life!!

3. Be Aggressively Overprepared, But Aesthetically So

Paris Geller never walked into a study session without knowing everything. Her energy was all about overachieving to the point of intimidating her competition. You don’t need the rivalry, but you do need the prep.

It Girl Twist: Gather extra resources and organize them beautifully. Think color-coded binders, pastel-highlighted textbooks, and aesthetic digital flashcards.

Why It Works: When you know more than what’s required, it builds confidence. That’s Paris power.

💡 Mindy Says: “Overprepared = unbothered queen vibes. Let your notes be so cute they could double as Pinterest posts.”

4. Master Controlled Chaos

Paris’s intensity could sometimes spiral into chaos, but she always managed to pull through. Instead of avoiding stress, embrace it as a sign you’re pushing yourself—and learn to channel it constructively.

It Girl Twist: When you’re overwhelmed, do a quick brain dump into a journal or planner. Write down every single task, no matter how small. Then organize it into bite-sized chunks.

Why It Works: Getting everything out of your head and onto paper clears your mind and gives you control.

💡 Mindy Says: “Your chaos is part of the process, babe. Just make it chic— glittery gel pens and mood-boosting playlists.”

5. Develop an Intimidation-Level Vocabulary

Remember when Paris dropped SAT words like confetti? It wasn’t just for show; she knew that language was power. Building your vocabulary can make you feel (and sound) unstoppable.

It Girl Twist: Learn one new “power word” a day and slip it into casual conversations or captions. Bonus points if it’s super niche and makes you feel like a literary goddess.

Why It Works: Knowledge isn’t just for exams—it’s for life. Plus, it’s fun to impress people with words they have to Google.

💡 Mindy Says: “An eloquent queen is a glowing queen. Vocabulary flexing is the new subtle flex.”

6. Treat Every Day Like It’s a Debate Prep Day

Paris’s debate skills were unmatched because she thought critically about everything. Adopting her mindset means questioning the world around you and staying curious.

It Girl Twist: Pick one topic you’re passionate about and research the heck out of it. Pretend you’re preparing to debate Paris herself (but in a cute, less intimidating way).

Why It Works: Critical thinking is a muscle—flex it daily. It’s also a low-key way to keep studying exciting.

💡 Mindy Says: “Be curious. Be informed. Be iconic. Channel your inner Paris and make intellectual sass your superpower.”

5. Take Pride in Your Ambition—Unapologetically

Paris never dimmed her ambition, even when people found it “too much.” Embrace that energy and stop apologizing for wanting more—if it’s higher grades, dream schools, or a future as the CEO of your life embrace it!

It Girl Twist: Write a “brag list” every week. Note down everything you’ve accomplished, big or small, and let yourself feel proud of it.

Why It Works: Celebrating your wins keeps you motivated and reminds you that your hard work is paying off.

💡 Mindy Says: “Being ambitious isn’t extra—it’s iconic. You’re not ‘too much,’ babe. You’re just enough to glow brighter than everyone else.”

✨ Final Thoughts:

I hoped you girlies loved this blog post. I wanted to try a different style. If you all noticed the "Mindy Quotes" they're all words by me! I'm Mindy/Glowettee! I wanted to give you personal words of encouragement! Love you all!

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mindblowingscience · 6 months ago

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A team of scientists from Montana State University has provided the first experimental evidence that two new groups of microbes thriving in thermal features in Yellowstone National Park produce methane—a discovery that could one day contribute to the development of methods to mitigate climate change and provide insight into potential life elsewhere in our solar system. The journal Nature this week published the findings from the laboratory of Roland Hatzenpichler, associate professor in MSU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Letters and Science and associate director of the university's Thermal Biology Institute.

#Science #Environment #Biology #Microbiology #Climate Change #Methane #Microbes

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ros3ybabe · 9 months ago

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Daily Check-in: April 24, 2024 🎀

Wednesday started out so rough, I had a really bad stress breakdown from the pressure I was putting on myself for the exam I have today (Thursday), but luckily my dad was able to calm me down over the phone and my boyfriend motivated me and encouraged me. I don't feel as stressed out anymore, I know that I know the material and I'll do great! (it's a chemistry exam)

🩷 What I Accomplished:

studied chemistry for a good bit

completed 3 chemistry homework assignments

scheduled a make-up quiz for my psyc class

did the Total Body Pilates video from Blogilates

did the 11 minute Wake Up Yoga from Yoga with Adriene

did my morning skincare and journaling

actually, just did my entire morning routine and felt great about it

shipped off shorts I sold on depop

went to chemistry lecture to review for the exam

went to my virtual appointment with a registered dietitian and set some goals for the next 2 weeks

decided to join a step challenge with my health insurance company to win points (they have some cool things in their points shop, plus extra steps during the day is good for my health!)

washed my laundry

made a brain dump list for the remainder of the week

💞 Good Things That Happened:

I really like the dietitian I met with and have another appointment with her in 2 weeks

I really enjoyed using my new 40oz Simple Modern insulated tumbler cup

didn't let my stress breakdown make me go home, very proud of myself for sticking to my plans

went to sleep early

sold another item on depop!

I felt very reassured that I know the content that is going to be on my upcoming exam

the guy who makes sushi at my campus food court made sushi for me and held it until I went to get it so no one would buy it, i could've cried it was so nice of him

I drank coffee on campus and it didn't hurt my stomach for once!

💔 What Could've Gone Better:

need to put less pressure on myself

had some issues with food after my dietitian appointment (sometimes thinking too much about food can be triggering for me, tbh, but my goals are nutrient based which is helpful!!)

started crying before I went to bed because I was feeling oddly emotional (I think I'm starting my period soon)

had to turn down a work shift because I had too much school stuff and that appointment (I need the money so bad tho)

did not drink near enough water

need to be more patient and gentle with myself

also need to really figure out what's going on with my priorities, I keep struggling to do the things I say I'm going to do which is difficult for me to deal with sometimes

need to remember progress over perfection, 50% is always better then doing 0% of something

💗 Stuff For Thursday

clean my room

listen to a podcast episode

maybe do some more laundry

make a grocery list

clean my bathroom

therapy today over video call

reschedule a morning appointment

chemistry exam tonight

try to ship off the shirt I sold on depop

do some more planning and organizing for my life

that's all for now! Thursdays gonna be good. My exam is gonna go great! I have confidence in myself, and my knowledge and I know I've got this!

til next time lovelies 🩷

💕 Song of The Day: Baddie by IVE

Gotta remind myself of this sometimes <3

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materialsscienceandengineering · 16 days ago

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Scientists develop high-impact materials for optoelectronic technologies

Every day, people are reaping the benefits of work by scientists and engineers to make more effective X-ray machines, computers, cell phones and televisions. Florida State University researchers are pushing the boundaries of those technologies and developing new more cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials for these devices. FSU Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Biwu Ma and his lab have spent years pioneering the use of hybrid materials known as organic metal halide hybrids, or OMHHs. These materials combine organic molecules with metal halide units, resulting in structures with easily manipulated properties that are used in solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and more. This fall, their work related to various aspects of these materials was published in three different scientific journals.

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salemofthe0pera · 4 months ago

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you against yourself ; mark lee smau

[xiv] scissoring… haircuts!

mark slammed his head on his desk, immediately regretting it as pain blossomed in his cranium. he let out a long, dramatic groan before slamming his hands on the wood and lifting his head. he ran his fingers through his mess of hair and frowned at his laptop screen and the scribbles of notes scattered across his desk. He had been so caught up in tracking his instruments for his music assignment he’d completely forgot about his organic chemistry exam. His guitar seemed to whisper his name as he attempted chem formula after formula. He felt like gollum from lord of the rings.

With another sigh he pushed way from his desk, his wheely chair scotting him across the room towards his guitar that sat politely on its rack. He grabbed his journal on the way, opening it to the latest page and strumming his guitar to find the key. He felt his limbs relax into their familiar positions around his guitar, his fingers moved over the strings with a sense of comfort.

Truly he loved what he studied; he considered it a privilege to be able to study his true passion. Regardless of what everyone from home thought, mark genuinely believed he could make it if he pushed himself enough. one more sleepless night, just one more skipped lunch block to work out lyrics, just one less study session to finish a song. He pushed himself to his limits and further, often crashing in the middle of songwriting at his desk at late nights. It seemed to always be late at night where he attempted to finish all his schoolwork in time for deadlines and tweak his final project for his music industry study class.

A fully finished and polished album with ten songs. ten songs were all he needed to get his major credit for his degree, but it seemed he had run out of creative juices as he passed the seventh song. His mind was running on fumes, melting as soon as he opened his laptop.

mark hummed a melody as he played his guitar, just some simple universal chords in a minor key. He felt guilty, angry with himself for neglecting his friends and family. Sure the occasional pop up on his friends’ twitter feeds and private stories was fun but he knew it wasn’t enough to nurture the bonds he had with his roommates. The new additions to their little group weren’t much help either, however it did provide his friends with distractions from his absence which he thought was good.

Speaking of new additions… his neighbors were getting closer with his roommates at the semester dragged on. He’d known the tenants of 9301 for years, sharing classes with them all and even his freshman year dorm floor with jaemin. He grimaced at the resurfaced memories of the noise complaints. With his bad habit of being a night owl, mark would often work on his music final late at night, oblivious to how loud he was being and his disturbance of a certain black-haired neighbor.

He stopped his playing, tapping the wood of his guitar with his knuckles. he hummed softly, eyebrows creasing in thought.

“gotta formally apologize” mark mumbled to himself, dragging his free hand down his face.

He glanced at the clock on his desk, heaving another breath and stood from his seat. He had class soon, apologies could wait until after.

[9.25]

[<prev] | [next>]

#mark lee x reader #mark lee smau #mark lee

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orbital-inclination · 1 year ago

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Do Rem and Molt celebrate Gyftmas? What presents do they get everyone and each other?

What a fun question! They do in fact! My answer got long, so I put it all under the cut~

Rem gravitates towards to giving everyone practical gifts. What he gives depends on their needs or what he thinks they’ll appreciate that year!

Things like a new knife sharpener, scabbard, or even a storage case for his growing knife collection for Killer.

New Kitchen stuff, cook books, or other such things for Horror.

Cross's gyftmas gift is one on one sword training from Rem himself, just the two of them, no interruptions. Other gifts might be: scrapbooks kits, a polaroid camera, film etc.

For Dust its new equipment for his chemistry experiments, notebooks for note keeping (and organizing his thoughts,) the secret password to a safe belonging to some poor Alphys' so Dust can help himself to whatever dangerous substance he's missing.

Molt's gifts are almost always sentimental. He will go off of gyftmas lists if stumped, but otherwise, he usually aims for something meaningful and surprising. Something he knows will make the other person happy, even if it's very, very silly or they didn't realize how happy asking for that particular thing would've made them. He's very good at this.

He will get funny hats for the stray cats Killer picks up. (one year, Molt gave Killer an actual kitten.) He's the one giving Error and Cross their favorite brand of chocolate. Oh, it might be a simple box one year. but the next he's found a chocolate shop that will make elaborate custom chocolate sculptures. It's a joke book for Horror. a recording of a tv show that will make Dust laugh but only mentioned he wanted the dvd/vhs for once. Molt is drawn to happiness. and Gyftmas is one of the few occasions he lets down his guard and indulges in the instinct he has for it.

As for what the brothers get each other...

Since Molt experiences the world mostly through sound, touch, and feelings, most of his gifts from Rem lean into that. audio books, books written in braille, music to listen to (vinyl or cassette), a new pillow or blanket for Molt's growing hoard, an elaborate fidget box enchanted to present a new puzzle every day

For Rem; its the next book in the serial he's reading, (limited edition, which Molt enlists Killer's help in getting) a new chess set, a telescope, a journal for cataloguing new stars, and so on.

And lastly, a mutual gift: a truce. Whatever fight or argument they might have had, it's put aside for the day.

#long post #moltendreams!au #molten!dream #rem!nightmare #moltendreams!nightmare #passive nightmare sans #passive nightmare #gyftmas #orbital chatter

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cloudy-caspirations · 7 months ago

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✧ Introduction Post ✧

Hello! I’m Cas and welcome to my blog! I’m new to this studyblr thing and tumblr in general but desperately needed motivation for my studies, so please excuse any mistakes 😵‍💫

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

About me:

libra, latina, 19, any pronouns

As of the Spring ‘25 semester I will be a 2nd year undergrad, but it will be my 1st year studying electrical engineering

Hobbies/Interests: anything and everything Kirby and Sonic related, reading, guitar, occasionally art (both traditional and digital), arts and crafts I guess ??? bc I’m a broke college student and diy everything

Spring ‘25 Semester Specifics Under the Cut:

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• Classes for Spring ‘25:

- Digital Logic Design (Lecture & Lab) - Linear Algebra and Differential Equations - Calculus 3 - Chemistry 1

Academic Goals:

- Turn in assignments ON TIME - Actually study regularly instead of just cramming before tests - Get over fear of emailing professors and/or asking questions during lectures - Attend more office hours than I did last semester - Keep my notes and assignments organized for longer than the first 2 weeks of the semester

Personal Goals:

- Work out at least twice a week - Replacing doomscrolling habit with something constructive (reading, hobbies) or at least relaxing (games, socializing) - Eat healthier and on a regular schedule - SLEEP EARLIER, or at the very least before 12am - Consistently update this blog

okay I think this introduction post has gone on for long enough, thank you for reading this far! I’m going to treat this blog as a diary or journal of sorts mainly focused on academics, but will probably end up posting about my life in general every now and then. Hope you all stick around and good luck with your studies!

#studyblr #college #blog intro #studyspo #study motivation #study blog #university student #pinned intro #intro post #studyblr intro post #academia #caspirations.txt

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anavilante · 1 month ago

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December Drabble Marathon 23/31: Wishes

AU: Modern Childhood Friends

Word Count: 0.9К

Summary: John and Gale write letters to Santa.

Age 6

John’s Letter

Dear Santa, Hi! My name is Bucky, and I’ve been a good boy all year. Seriously, no joke. Well, okay, Mom says I get a bit noisy sometimes, but that’s only when I’m excited! And I’m excited almost all the time. I want a remote-control car, a real one, just like Tom next door has. Oh, and I want a puppy, but Dad says it’ll chew up all the shoes. If you bring me the car and the puppy, I promise to take care of it! And also, if it’s not too much, could you do something to make Gale less sad at school? People tease him, and I don’t like it. Maybe you could give him something fun, so he’d be happy? I really don’t like it when he’s upset.

Thanks, Santa! You’re the best!

Yours truly, John

Gale’s Letter

Dear Santa, I hope you’re not too busy to read my letter. My name is Gale, and I’m six. I’ve been good, I promise. I listen to my mom and do all my homework, even when there’s a lot of it. I’d like a picture book about space, so I can learn about the stars. I love looking at them, especially the bright ones. Also, if possible, could you make me more cheerful? My friend Bucky is always so fun and has lots of friends, but it’s really hard for me to make new ones. And, if you can, could you stop my parents from fighting?

Thank you, Santa.

Sincerely, Gale

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

Age 10

John’s Letter

Hey, Santa! I’m 10 now, but I still want to write to you. I’ve been a really good kid this year, for real. So, here’s the deal… I need a telescope. The Orion GoScope III 70mm Retractor Travel Telescope. I hope I wrote it right. I really need it, Santa. Also, I want people to leave Gale alone. They keep pushing him around, and I have to step in. They think he’s weak, but that’s not true. He’s just quiet, and they think it’s weird. He’s super smart, and I want him to stop being sad. He’s a great guy, but people just need time to get used to him.

Thanks, Santa!

Best wishes, John

Gale’s Letter

Dear Santa, Hi! I’m 10, and I still believe in you. I’d like a chemistry set so I can do experiments like the ones we do in school, but at home. Maybe then I could show Bucky something cool, and he’d stop laughing at my “sciencey” words. He’s still the best, but I don’t know how to tell him that. If you can, please make my mom smile more often. She seems sad, and that makes me feel bad. Oh, and could you make my dad drink less? Or maybe not at all.

Thank you, Santa.

Love, Gale

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

Age 13

John’s Letter

Yo, Santa! So, the stupid school counselor told me to write in a journal to “organize my thoughts” or whatever. Like putting them on paper is gonna make them stop bouncing around in my head. Yeah, sure. Total joke. Anyway, everyone says I’m a problem kid and “too aggressive.” What a load of crap. The real problem is the idiots around me. I’m chill—until they piss me off, which they’re real good at. Whatever. This journaling thing sucks, by the way. Doesn’t help at all.

Back to business. Santa, I don’t need anything. I just need to figure out why I keep thinking about Gale. Can you make him stop changing? His legs are all long now, and he’s like a skinny crane or something. He’s still got those chubby cheeks, though, and I keep wanting to poke them. That’s weird, right? I never used to want to do that. And his eyelashes… I noticed them the other day. They’re so thick, and I just—ugh. I want to know what they feel like. But I can’t touch them, ‘cause he’d think I’m nuts.

So yeah, fix it. Make him stop changing. Or make me stop changing. I don’t know. Things aren’t like they used to be, and it’s messing with my head. I can’t talk to him like I used to, and it sucks.

Thanks. Hope you don’t think I’m a freak.

Your ��problem child,” John

Gale’s Letter

Dear Santa, I know you’re not real. And I don’t believe in God. But I just need to say this to someone, and I don’t know who else to tell. I used to be able to tell Bucky, but now… he’s acting strange. I’m scared. There, I said it. I’m scared. I’m afraid Bucky is drifting away from me, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Everything I say or do just seems to make it worse. It’s always been hard for people to be friends with me. But Bucky stuck around for years, and there’s no one else in my life I’m closer to—not even my mom.

Is it his turn to leave me now? Why? I don’t even know what I did wrong. If I did, I’d fix it. But every time I try to ask him about it, he just shuts down and won’t talk to me.

I just want to ask for him to stay. Just stay. That’s all I want. I don’t want to be without him. Please. I promise I’ll never ask for anything else.

Gale

#clegan #john egan #gale cleven #eganven #masters of the air #mota #Clegan December Drabble Marathon

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 6 months ago

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Rocks collected on Mars hold key to water and perhaps life on the planet. Bring them back to Earth.

Only Earth-based analysis of sediments gathered by rover can retrieve clues to Mars' water history

Over the course of nearly five months in 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover collected rock samples from Mars that could rewrite the history of water on the Red Planet and even contain evidence for past life on Mars.

But the information they contain can't be extracted without more detailed analysis on Earth, which requires a new mission to the planet to retrieve the samples and bring them back. Scientists hope to have the samples on Earth by 2033, though NASA's sample return mission may be delayed.

"These samples are the reason why our mission was flown," said paper co-author David Shuster, professor of earth and planetary science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of NASA’s science team for sample collection. "This is exactly what everyone was hoping to accomplish. And we've accomplished it. These are what we went looking for."

The critical importance of these rocks, sampled from river deposits in a dried-up lake that once filled a crater called Jezero, is detailed in a study to be published Aug. 14 in AGU Advances, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

"These are the first and only sedimentary rocks that have been studied and collected from a planet other than Earth," said paper co-author David Shuster, professor of earth and planetary science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of NASA’s science team for sample collection. "Sedimentary rocks are important because they were transported by water, deposited into a standing body of water and subsequently modified by chemistry that involved liquid water on the surface of Mars at some point in the past. The whole reason that we came to Jezero was to study this sort of rock type. These are absolutely fantastic samples for the overarching objectives of the mission."

Shuster is co-author of the paper with first author Tanja Bosak, a geobiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge.

"These rock cores are likely the oldest materials sampled from any known environment that may have supported life," Bosak said. "When we bring them back to Earth, they can tell us so much about when, why and for how long Mars contained liquid water, and whether some organic, prebiotic and potentially even biological evolution may have taken place on that planet."

Significantly, some of the samples contain very fine-grained sediments that are the most likely type of rock to retain evidence of past microbial life on Mars — if there ever was or is life on the planet.

"Liquid water is a key element in all of this because it is the key ingredient for biological activity, as far as we understand it," said Shuster, a geochemist. "Fine-grained sedimentary rocks on Earth are those that are most likely to preserve signatures of past biological activity, including organic molecules. That's why these samples are so important."

NASA announced on July 25 that Perseverance had collected new rock samples from an outcrop named Cheyava Falls that also might contain signs of past life on Mars. The rover's scientific instruments detected evidence of organic molecules, while "leopard spot" inclusions in the rocks are similar to features that on Earth are often associated with fossilized microbial life.

In a statement, Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist at Caltech, said, “Scientifically, Perseverance has nothing more to give. To fully understand what really happened in that Martian river valley at Jezero crater billions of years ago, we’d want to bring the Cheyava Falls sample back to Earth, so it can be studied with the powerful instruments available in laboratories.”

Sediments hold the answers

Shuster noted that Jezero and the fan of sediments left behind by the river that once flowed into it likely formed 3.5 billion years ago. That abundant water is now gone, either trapped underground or lost to space. But Mars was wet at a time when life on Earth — in the form of microbes — was already everywhere.

"Life was doing its thing on Earth at that point in time, 3.5 billion years ago," he said. "The basic question is: Was life also doing its thing on Mars at that point in time?"

"Anywhere on Earth over the last 3.5 billion years, if you give me the scenario of a river flowing into a crater transporting materials to a standing body of water, biology would have taken hold there and left its mark, in one way or another," Shuster said. "And in the fine-grained sediment, specifically, we would have a very good chance of recording that biology in the laboratory observations that we can make on that material on Earth."

Shuster and Bosak acknowledge that the organic analysis equipment aboard the rover did not detect organic molecules in the four samples from the sedimentary fan. Organic molecules are used and produced by the type of life we're familiar with on Earth, though their presence is not unequivocal evidence of life.

"We did not clearly observe organic compounds in these key samples," Shuster said. "But just because that instrument did not detect organic compounds does not mean that they are not in these samples. It just means they weren't at a concentration detectable by the rover instrumentation in those particular rocks."

To date, Perseverance has collected a total of 25 samples, including duplicates and atmospheric samples, plus three "witness tubes" that capture possible contaminants around the rover. Eight duplicate rock samples plus an atmospheric sample and witness tube were deposited in the so-called Three Forks cache on the surface of Jezero as a backup in case the rover suffers problems and the onboard samples can't be retrieved. The other 15 samples — including the Cheyava Falls sample collected July 21 — remain aboard the rover awaiting recovery.

Shuster was part of a team that analyzed the first eight rock samples collected, two from each site on the crater floor, all of which were igneous rocks likely created when a meteor impact smashed into the surface and excavated the crater. Those results were reported in a 2023 paper, based on analyses by the instruments aboard Perseverance.

The new paper is an analysis of seven more samples, three of them duplicates now cached on Mars' surface, collected between July 7 and November 29 of 2022 from the front of the western sediment fan in Jezero. Bosak, Shuster and their colleagues found the rocks to be composed mostly of sandstone and mudstone, all created by fluvial processes.

"Perseverance encountered aqueously deposited sedimentary rocks at the front, top and margin of the western Jezero fan and collected a sample suite composed of eight carbonate-bearing sandstones, a sulfate-rich mudstone, a sulfate-rich sandstone, a sand-pebble conglomerate," Bosak said. "The rocks collected at the fan front are the oldest, whereas the rocks collected at the fan top are likely the youngest rocks produced during aqueous activity and sediment deposition in the western fan."

While Bosak is most interested in possible biosignatures in the fine-grained sediments, the coarse-grained sediments also contain key information about water on Mars, Shuster said. Though less likely to preserve organic matter or potential biological materials, they contain carbonate materials and detritus washed from upstream by the now-vanished river. They thus could help determine when water actually flowed on Mars, the main emphasis of Shuster's own research.

"With lab analysis of those detrital minerals, we could make quantitative statements about when the sediments were deposited and the chemistry of that water. What was the pH (acidity) of that water when those secondary phases precipitated? At what point in time was that chemical alteration taking place?" he said. "We have this combination of samples now in the sample suite that are going to enable us to understand the environmental conditions when the liquid water was flowing into the crater. When was that liquid water flowing into the crater? Was it intermittent?"

Answers to these questions rely upon analyses of the returned materials in terrestrial laboratories to uncover the organic, isotopic, chemical, morphological, geochronological and paleomagnetic information they record, the researchers emphasized.

"One of the most important planetary science objectives is to bring these samples back," Shuster said.

TOP IMAGE: Red hexagons mark the four sites where the Perseverance rover collected rock samples around the sediment fan in Jezero crater in 2022. Credit NASA

LOWER IMAGE: NASA’s Perseverance rover puts its robotic arm to work around a rocky outcrop called “Skinner Ridge” in Mars’ Jezero Crater. Composed of multiple images, this mosaic shows layered sedimentary rocks in the face of a cliff in the delta, as well as one of the locations where the rover abraded a circular patch to analyze a rock’s composition. Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #mars

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