Age effects on block design: Qualitative performance features and extended-time effects.

Qualitative performance features and extended-time effects on the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R) were examined in 145 healthy Ss (aged 50–95 yrs). Raw scores were calculated at standard and extended time limits; error types and starting points were recorded for a subgroup of Ss. In Ss age 60 yrs and older, there was a consistent decline with age in overall scores at both time limits. Extra time allotments resulted in modest but significant increases in scores. Older and younger Ss benefited equally from the extra time, indicating that the age-related decline on this task cannot be accounted for by general age-related psychomotor slowing. Single- and multiblock rotation errors were relatively common, whereas stimulus boundedness and broken configurations were rare. Despite some potential limitations in generalizability, the results suggest that the incorporation of qualitative scoring procedures in the assessment of visuoconstructional skills may enhance understanding of normal and abnormal brain–behavior relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Wide- and narrow-band bandpass coplanar filters in the W-frequency band

This paper deals with the design of passive coplanar devices in the W-frequency band. As long as coplanar transmission lines are correctly dimensioned, analytical models based on quasi-TEM approximation can be used. Such models are associated with a correct definition of the reference planes at the junctions and employed for junction discontinuities, T- and cross-junctions. In order to validate these assertions, simulated and experimental data on classical quarter-wavelength shunt-stub filters are first presented. Then the design of traditional coupled-line filters is examined. The problems in terms of insertion loss associated with these kinds of narrow-band applications are discussed here. Minimization of insertion losses requires increasing the width of the strips. Consequently, the design becomes complex and modeling using transmission-line models less accurate. Nevertheless, as an optimization procedure is needed to tune the filter theoretically, such a very fast design method is necessary. Simulated and experimental results in the range 500 MHz to 110 GHz are compared throughout the paper.     

The influence of packaging materials on RF performance

At frequencies beyond 1 GHz, every component of the IC package contributes to the RF performance, whether required or not. In this work, we study the effects of packaging materials namely, the substrate and the globtop/underfill material on RF performance. We have measured interconnects on two area-array CSPs, the ball grid array and the polymer stud grid array using IMEC’s MCM-D technology. The measurements on the package interconnect show that the losses in the package substrate material account for about 50% of the total losses at 1.8 GHz and this drops to less than 20% at 5.2 GHz. The losses due to impedance mismatch dominate the losses especially below 10 GHz and considerable improvement in performance cannot be obtained by using an improved/expensive substrate. The other study is about the influence of globtop/underfill materials on wirebonds (through 3D EM simulations) as well as on standard 50 Ω MCM-D transmission lines (through experiments). While a higher value of dielectric constant of the globtop/underfill material is better on wirebonds, the influence of loss tangent is felt only above values of 0.1. The influence of seven different globtop/undefill materials on 50 Ω transmission lines has been used to extract their dielectric constant and loss tangent values at 30 GHz. These results are very valuable since one can hardly find the properties of globtop/underfill materials beyond 1 GHz.     

Ultraviolet chambers based on integrating spheres for use in artificial weathering

Laboratory ultraviolet (UV) chambers are widely used to obtain weathering data for a wide range of commercial polymer products including coatings, textiles, elastomers, plastics, and polymeric composites. Although numerous improvements have been made in the design of UV chambers over the last 80 years, the reproducibility of the exposure results from these chambers has remained elusive. This lack of reproducibility is attributed to systematic errors in their design, operation, and control which prevent direct comparisons of the performance of materials exposed in the same environment, comparisons of the performance of the same material exposed in different laboratories, and the comparison of field and laboratory results. This paper describes an innovative UV chamber design based on integrating sphere technology that greatly reduces the magnitude of these errors, as well as provides additional experimental capabilities. Presented at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, on November 4–7, 2001, in Atlanta, GA. Building Materials Division. Gaithersburg, MD. Freeport, TX.     

Une architecture massivement parallèle intégrée

This paper presents a new massively parallel MIMD architecture, halfway between the Connection Machine and hypercubes based on 32-bit processors. It is built from specific 8-bit processors arranged in a 2-D grid and communicating by message transfers. We discuss the communication problems, the instruction set of the basic processing unit, the programmation of the whole array and the use of a high level data-flow language.     

Premature termination in the midst of psychotherapy: Three psychoanalytic perspectives.

Reviews the perspectives of the drive/structural, object relations, and self-psychology models as to premature termination. A case history is presented of a man in his late twenties who ended therapy after 2.5 yrs. Examining the commonalities in the application of the 3 models, a central issue is apparent: the man's conflicts over dependency. Whether these conflicts are construed as resistance to experiencing passive feminine desires, as separation–individuation conflicts, or as fears of retraumatization by an unattuned self-object, issues of dependence are central to the patient's leaving treatment prematurely. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)