Development of brief scales to monitor clients' constructions of change.

This article describes the development and validation of scales to measure clients' outcome optimism, perceived progress, and self-agency related to change in problems presented in therapy. In Study 1, initial confirmatory and subsequent exploratory factor analyses (N?=?257) identified effort and persistence as an additional unique factor and guided selection of items to measure the 4 constructs. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis of the revised scales with a new sample (N?=?93) confirmed the measurement model. Results of convergent and discriminant validity analyses generally were in the predicted directions. The Perceived Progress scale demonstrated criterion validity with changes in dyadic adjustment and family functioning. The Outcome Optimism and Self-Agency scales showed variability in their relationship to the Perceived Progress scale over the first 3 sessions of therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Degradation Behaviors of Metal-Induced Laterally Crystallized n-Type Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Transistors Under DC Bias Stresses

Device degradation behaviors of typical-sized n-type metal-induced laterally crystallized polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors were investigated in detail under two kinds of dc bias stresses: hot-carrier (HC) stress and self-heating (SH) stress. Under HC stress, device degradation is the consequence of HC induced defect generation locally at the drain side. Under a unified model that postulates, the establishment of a potential barrier at the drain side due to carrier transport near trap states, device degradation behavior such as asymmetric on current recovery and threshold voltage degradation can be understood. Under SH stress, a general degradation in subthreshold characteristic was observed. Device degradation is the consequence of deep state generation along the entire channel. Device degradation behaviors were compared in low V_d-stress and in high V_d-stress condition. Defect generation distribution along the channel appears to be different in two cases. In both cases of SH degradation, asymmetric on current recovery was observed. This observation, when in low V_d-stress condition, is tentatively explained by dehydrogenation (hydrogenation) effect at the drain (source) side during stress     

Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Kaffee, Tee und Kakao – eine übersicht für Deutschland

Um Auskunft über die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Kaffee, Tee und Kakao zu geben, werden in diesem Mini-Review u.a. aktuelle Angaben zur weltweiten Produktion dieser drei „Exoten“ gemacht (Menge und Herkunftsl?nder), die jeweiligen Import-Anteile der Produktionsl?nder nach Deutschland (bzw. in die EU) benannt, der Pro-Kopf-Verbrauch an Kaffee, Tee oder Kakao in Deutschland mit dem anderer Staaten verglichen und – sofern m?glich – Einblick gegeben in die Entwicklung von weltweitem Angebot und Nachfrage und die damit verbundene Preisentwicklung in den vergangenen Jahren.     

A transmit/receive IF chip set for WCDMA mobiles in 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS

An implementation of the IF section of WCDMA mobile transceivers with a set of two chips fabricated in an inexpensive 0.35-/spl mu/m two-poly three-metal CMOS process is presented. The transmit/receive chip set integrates quadrature modulators and demodulators, wide dynamic range automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers, with linear-in-decibel gain control, and associated circuitry. This paper describes the problems encountered and the solutions envisaged to meet stringent specifications, with process and temperature variations, thus overcoming the limitations of CMOS devices, while operating at frequencies in the range of 100 MHz-1 GHz. Detailed measurement results corroborating successful application of the new techniques are reported. A receive AGC dynamic range of 73 dB with linearity error of less than /spl plusmn/2 dB and spread of less than 5 dB for a temperature range of -30/spl deg/C to +85/spl deg/C in the gain control characteristic has been measured. The modulator measurement shows a carrier suppression of 35 dB and sideband/third harmonic suppression of over 46 dB. The core die area of each chip is 1.5 mm/sup 2/.     

The complexity of some reachability problems for a system on a finite group

We consider a system defined as the product of a finite set of periodic systems on cyclic groups. It is of interest to determine if certain subgroups and unions of subgroups of the state set are reachable from a specified initial state, and in particular to determine the computational complexity of verifying such reachability. These questions are motivated by certain problems that arise in the modelling and control of discrete event systems and certain forms of periodic scheduling. Our main result is that deciding whether or not the union of a certain set of subgroups is reachable or not is NP-complete.     

Broadband dual-polarized patch antennas fed by capacitively coupledfeed and slot-coupled feed

Designs of broadband dual-polarized patch antennas fed by promising feed structures of a capacitively coupled feed and a slot-coupled feed (antenna A), two capacitively coupled feeds of a 180° phase shift and a slot-coupled feed (antenna B), and two capacitively coupled feeds of a 180° phase shift and two slot-coupled feeds (antenna C) are proposed and experimentally studied. The first two feed designs are for the excitation of a single-element broadband patch antenna, while the last design is for a two-element broadband patch antenna. These proposed patch antennas have a thick air substrate, and the 10 dB return-loss impedance bandwidths obtained for the two polarizations are all greater than 13%. High isolation (<-30 dB for antenna A, <-32 dB for antenna B, <-35 dB for antenna C) between the two feeding ports for the entire impedance bandwidth of the proposed antennas can be obtained. Also, improved cross-polarization levels (>20 dB) in both E and H plane patterns for the two polarizations of antennas B and C are achieved     

Regeneration studies on nickel molybdate catalysts used for the upgrading of coal-derived liquids

Nickel molybdate catalysts used in several different upgrading reactions of coal-derived materials from low-rank Australian coals have been regenerated and their activity assessed using a number of physical and chemical techniques. Regeneration of spent coked catalysts for 20 hours in air at 450°C was sufficient to restore chemical hydrogenation activity to catalyst used for pre-asphaltene, asphaltene and oil upgrading, provided poisoning of the catalyst surface by other impurities, principally chlorine-containing molecules, had not occurred.