Stability of chromium diffusion barriers during anodic bonding in silicon resistor devices

In this work, the stability of chromium diffusion barriers during anodic bonding in silicon resistor devices was investigated. In particular, temperature–voltage–time conditions for failure were identified. It was found that temperatures of 400 °C regardless of voltage and times above 11.5 min were enough to promote failure. Failure was identified by SEM in the form of a line of hills across the device surface where the silicon resistor was underneath. In contrast, temperatures of 300 °C did not promote failure for all the voltages considered and anodization times of up to 1580 min. Hence, the device failure was attributed to electrothermal migration with the thermal component being dominant.     

The Protein Environment Drives Selectivity for Sulfide Oxidation by an Artificial Metalloenzyme

Magic Mn–salen metallozyme : The design of an original, artificial, inorganic, complex‐protein adduct, has led to a better understanding of the synergistic effects of both partners. The exclusive formation of sulfoxides by the hybrid biocatalyst, as opposed to sulfone in the case of the free inorganic complex, highlights the modulating role of the inorganic‐complex‐binding site in the protein.

     

Role of nitrogen- and sulphur-containing compounds in the ageing of liquid fuels

Insoluble and adherent sediments are formed during ageing of liquid fuels. In this research, the extent of deposit formation was studied by adding specific nitrogen- and sulphur-containing compounds to upgraded coal-derived liquids, petroleum-derived JP-5 jet and diesel fuels. Of the nitrogen compounds tested, the ability to promote sediment formation is much greater for 2,5-dimethylpyrrole (DMP), than 2,6-dimethylquinoline (DMQ). Of the sulphur-containing compounds tested, the decreasing order is: thiophenol, tetrahydrothiophene, thiophene. Synergistic effects between DMP and thiophenol can occur. Degradation products obtained by heat stressing of fuels enriched with specific heteroatomic compounds were analysed by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

A reexamination of developmental changes in causal attributions.

Examined young children's use of the presence or absence of extrinsic reward to make inferences about the intrinsic motivation of another person. Previous research indicates that most kindergartners do not use a discounting heuristic, but it was hypothesized that these children may have misinterpreted the questions asked. 19 boys and 19 girls from kindergarten, 2nd and 4th grade were presented stories about children who were rewarded or not rewarded for performing various activities. Two forms of questioning about motivation were compared. When a traditional form was used, kindergartners did not show evidence of a discounting heuristic. When the questions were adjusted to ask more specifically about intrinsic motivation, Ss at all grade levels appeared to use a discounting heuristic. Results are discussed in terms of the parameters of the attributional effects, the possible mechanisms responsible for the phenomena, and the significance of the findings for other developmental research using self-report techniques. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of personality change across the life span.

Six aspects of personality were examined for a sample of 211 individuals across either a 30- or 40-year time span. Latent curve analyses found an underlying pattern of lifetime change for self-confidence, cognitive commitment, outgoingness, and dependability. An underlying pattern of lifetime stability was found for assertiveness. No shared systematic underlying pattern could be fit to individuals' lifetime trajectories for warmth. Although individuals shared a single underlying pattern of change or stability for 5 of the 6 dimensions of personality considered here, they also showed differences in the degree and direction of personality change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An empirically derived inventory to measure social fears and anxiety: The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory.

The development, reliability, and discriminative ability of a new instrument to assess social phobia are presented. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is an empirically derived instrument incorporating responses from the cognitive, somatic, and behavioral dimensions of social fear. The SPAI high test–retest reliability and good internal consistency. The instrument appears to be sensitive to the entire continuum of socially anxious concerns and is capable of differentiating social phobics from normal controls as well as from other anxiety patients. The utility of this instrument for improved assessment of social phobia and anxiety and its use as an aid for treatment planning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dysfluency and topic orientation in bereaved individuals: Bridging individual and group studies.

Discourse of bereaved individuals talking about the deceased and other topics was examined using computer-based text analyses and judged ratings of verbal behavior for patterns indicating dysfluency and orientation toward topics. Using factor analysis, the discourse structure of low-distress bereaved individuals was compared with that of high-distress bereaved individuals and with that of a single bereaved individual both early and late in psychotherapy. Meaningful differences were observed for the distress groups and for the single individual early and late in therapy, and these findings indicate possible quantitative and qualitative means for detecting maladaptive responses to stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of dysfunctional attitudes as vulnerabilities to depressive symptoms.

Empirical tests of the diathesis-stress component of A. T. Beck's (1976; A. T. Beck, A. J. Rush, B. E. Shaw, & G. Emery, 1979) cognitive theory of depression have generally not yielded positive results. The resulting focus on conceptual and methodological concerns has diverted attention from the more fundamental issue of how validly vulnerability is measured. The present investigation uses the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS; A. N. Weissman, 1979; A. N. Weissman & Beck, 1978), the most commonly used measure of vulnerability in this area, but adopts a more in-depth approach by examining DAS factors in addition to the typical total score. This study involved a sample of undergraduates who had never before taken a college-level examination. The dimension of the DAS measured by the Perfectionistic Achievement factor had the strongest relationship to increased depressive symptoms in response to poorer-than-expected performance on the examination. Implications for future research in this area are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)