Sex, Age, and Training Modulate Spatial Memory in the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta).

The authors tested 90 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) on a task of spatial memory, the spatial Delayed Recognition Span Test. The results showed that performance declined significantly with age, males had greater scores than females, and the rate of apparent decline with age was greater in males than in females. Both working and reference memory declined with age, but only working memory showed sex differences. The authors compared these data with that of 22 monkeys who were trained on a simpler version of the task before formal testing. Training had no effect on males but dramatically improved working memory in young females. The results confirm a male advantage in spatial working memory at a young age and confirm a greater decline with age in males than in females. It is important to note that prior training completely reverses the deficits of young females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical Modelling of Transport Phenomena in a Delta‐shaped,Four‐strand Tundish with Flow Modifiers

Experiments were conducted in a full‐scale physical model of a delta‐shaped, four‐strand tundish to study the effect of flow modifiers on tundish performance. Two different types of flow modifiers were studied; an existing flow‐modifier and a turbulence‐inhibitor. Their effects were quantified by measuring residence times of fluid in the tundish and residual ratios of inclusions. Although the Turbulence‐Inhibitor appeared to be more effective in guiding flows than the flow‐modifier, the latter gave the longer average residence times and smaller residence time differences between the inner and outer nozzles, which resulted in a higher residual ratio of inclusions.     

Effect of Hot Band Annealing on Magnetic Properties in 3% Si Grain‐oriented Electrical Steels

Hot band annealing is known to be a prerequisite for good magnetic properties irrespective of manufacturing methods in grain‐oriented Fe‐3 wt.% Si electrical steels. In this study, the effects of hot band annealing on magnetic properties were investigated in 3% grain‐oriented electrical steels of low soluble AI contents and one‐stage cold rolling. Microstructure and precipitate distribution were compared with hot band annealing conditions. Secondary recrystallization behaviour with hot band annealing condition was also discussed.     

Leak behavior of SCC degraded steam generator tubings of nuclear power plant

A forced outage due to a steam generator tube leak in a Korean nuclear power plant has been reported [Kim, J.S., Hwang, S.S., et al., 1999. KAERI Internal Report (Korean). Destructive analysis on pulled tubes from Ulchin unit 1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute]. Primary water stress corrosion cracking has occurred in many tubes in the plant, and they were repaired using sleeves or plugs. In order to develop proper repair criteria, it is necessary to understand the leak behavior of the tubes containing stress corrosion cracks. Cracked specimens were prepared using a room temperature cracking technique, and the leak rates and burst pressures of the degraded tubes were determined both at room temperature and at a high temperature. Some tubes with 100% through wall cracks did not show a leakage at 10.8 MPa, which is the typical pressure difference of the pressurized water reactors (PWRs) during a normal operation. In some tests, the leak rates of the tubes increased with time at a constant pressure. In a high temperature pressure test at 282 °C one specimen showed a very small leakage at 18.6 MPa, which stopped after a small increase in the test pressure. Because stress corrosion cracks can develop at relatively low stresses, even 100% through wall cracks can be so tight that they will not leak at a normal operating pressure.     

Dielectric characteristics of Pb(Zn<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>Ta<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics with/without PbTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> modification

Stabilization tendencies of the perovskite structure in a Pb(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃-BaTiO₃ pseudobinary system with/without compositional modification by 20 mol% PbTiO₃ introduction were compared. In order to promote perovskite phase formation, the B-site precursor method (which is conceptually similar to the columbite process) was employed in this study. Dielectric properties of sintered samples were investigated as functions of composition and measurement frequency. Dielectric constant spectra, in the paraelectric temperature region, were further analyzed in terms of diffuseness. Microstructures of sintered specimens were also investigated and correlated with perovskite stabilization.     

Wear and dynamic properties of piezoelectric ultrasonic motor with frictional materials coated stator

Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors have been studied, developed and utilized by researchers and companies all over the world. Ultrasonic motors (USM) produce rotational motion based on traveling waves made by the resonant vibrations of piezoceramic. These motors have been recently developed and utilized in practical applications. The dynamic properties and life of piezoelectric ultrasonic motors are strongly related to the frictional material Fused on the sliding surface. In this study, effects of frictional material properties on the performances of piezoelectric ultrasonic motors are investigated. It was possible to improve the torque of a traveling wave type ultrasonic motor by stator's coating.     

Optimization of a piezoelectric linear motor in terms of the contact parameters

The contact kinetics of piezoelectric linear motors determines the operational characteristics like speed and torque or transmitted mechanical power and efficiency. Piezoelectric linear motors are driven by tangential stress in the interface between tip of shaking beam and slider. A good contact between the tip and slider is necessary for a reliable analysis of the motor, which is needed for the optimization of its performance. The piezoelectric linear motor was fabricated and the characteristics of the motor were investigated by external conditions such as tip shape with different curvatures and contact force between the tip and the slider. It was found in this investigation that the optimal curvature of the tip and the contact force are curvature of 1 and 10, respectively, for the high actuating speed, and curvature of 1 and 40 N, respectively, for the high actuating force. Finally, tip shape has an influence on the characteristics of linear motor.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photoluminescence properties of nano-crystalline GdBO3:Eu phosphor

Nano-crystalline GdBO₃:Eu³⁺ was prepared by a hydrothermal method and the effects of some processing variables such as pH, temperature were investigated. The as-synthesized powders were spherical shaped agglomerates of nanoparticles. The luminescent properties were compared with samples synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction method. Both the photoluminescence intensity and chromaticity were improved and a red-shift in the CT band was observed for the hydrothermally synthesized samples. Possible mechanisms of phase formation were investigated and explanations for the changes in optical properties are proposed.     

Ultraflat indium tin oxide films prepared by ion beam sputtering

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films with a smooth surface (root-mean-square roughness; R_rms=0.40 nm) were made using a combination of the deposition conditions in the ion beam-sputtering method. Sheet resistance was 13.8 Ω/sq for a 150-nm-thick film grown at 150 °C. Oxygen was fed into the growth chamber during film growth up to 15 nm, after which, the oxygen was turned off throughout the rest of the deposition. The surface of the films became smooth with the addition of ambient oxygen but electrical resistance increased. In films grown at 150 °C with no oxygen present, a rough surface (R_rms=2.1 nm) and low sheet resistance (14.4 Ω/sq) were observed. A flat surface (R_rms=0.5 nm) with high sheet resistance (41 Ω/sq) was obtained in the films grown with ambient oxygen throughout the film growth. Surface morphology and microstructure of the films were determined by the deposition conditions at the beginning of the growth. Therefore, fabrication of ITO films with a smooth surface and high electrical conductivity was possible by combining experimental conditions.     

Surface-directed spinodal decomposition in a stressed, two-dimensional, thin film

Two-dimensional simulations of the spinodal decomposition of self-stressed, binary thin films using a Cahn-Hilliard model are presented. Two different sets of mechanical boundary conditions are considered, and compositional strains for a cubic-anisotropic system under plane strain are treated. A composition-dependent interaction energy is assumed at the free surface. Numerical solution of the coupled Cahn-Hilliard and elastic equilibrium equations are obtained using an efficient nonlinear multigrid method. Results of simulations show that, for large enough compositional strain, surface-directed decomposition occurs at the traction-free surface, even when there is negligible surface interaction energy initially attracting one of the components. This decomposition is controlled by elasticity, and results in a local alignment of phases perpendicular to the free surface, in contrast to the parallel alignment produced by surface energy in stress-free systems.