Neuropsychiatric aspects of progressive supranuclear palsy

Administering the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), we examined the behavioral symptoms of 22 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 40 controls. PSP patients exhibited apathy (91%), disinhibition (36%), dysphoria (18%) and anxiety (18%), but rarely (< 9%) irritability, abnormal motor behaviors, or agitation. Apathy in PSP was significantly associated with executive dysfunction. The presence of high apathy and low agitation and anxiety scale scores correctly identified the PSP patients 85% of the time. Evaluating the behavioral abnormalities of patients with neurodegenerative disorders will aid diagnosis and facilitate management.     

Motion of vortices in thin superconducting strips

We study analytically and numerically the interaction of vortices in current-carrying narrow superconducting strips. The characteristic time of vortex-antivortex pair annihilation and the energetic losses in the strip are evaluated as a function of the external transport current and width of the strip. The effects of an external magnetic field on the motion of a single vortex are discussed.     

Influence of stress concentrators on the temperature dependence of the liquid metal embrittlement of Armco iron

We study temperature dependences of the effects of liquid indium and lead-bismuth eutectics on the ultimate strength and tensile elongation of Armco iron. Tests were performed on Armco iron cylindrical specimens with stress concentrators and with square cross section under active strain with a rate of 8.3 · 10^–4 s^–1. It was found that, under identical test conditions, the decrease in the ultimate strength of the specimens with concentrators caused by the effect of melts occurs in a broader temperature range than the embrittlement of specimens without concentrators. The effect of liquid metal also depends on the size of the grains in iron (26 – 110 µm) but its character is different for specimens with and without concentrators.Karpenko Physicomechanical Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, L'viv. Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 65–72, September–October, 1993.     

Mechanisms of deformation and fracture of multilayer coatings during thermal cycling

Damage to multilayer coatings under thermal cyclic loading is investigated. The mechanisms of crack formation are established and studied as a function of the composition of the coatings, the base metal, and the form of cycle. On the basis of these results, we suggest a composition of multilayer coating with high heat resistance.Science and Production Department, Polzunov Central Design and Technological Institute, St. Petersburg. Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 48–55, November–December, 1993.     

A process algebraic approach to the specification and analysis ofresource-bound real-time systems

Recently, significant progress has been made in the development of timed process algebras for the specification and analysis of real-time systems. This paper describes a timed process algebra called ACSR, which supports synchronous timed actions and asynchronous instantaneous events. Timed actions are used to represent the usage of resources and to model the passage of time. Events are used to capture synchronization between processes. To be able to specify real systems accurately, ACSR supports a notion of priority that can be used to arbitrate among timed actions competing for the use of resources and among events that are ready for synchronization. The paper also includes a brief overview of other timed process algebras and discusses similarities and differences between them and ACSR     

Experiments on hot electron noise in semiconductor materials forhigh-speed devices

Experimental results on noise temperature and spectral density of current fluctuations (electron diffusion) at high electric fields in silicon, gallium arsenide, and indium phosphide are presented. The dominant noise sources are discussed in their relation to electron scattering mechanisms. Physical backgrounds of high speed-low noise performance (noise-speed tradeoff) are considered. Suppression in short samples of the fluctuations having long correlation time constant and (or) high threshold energy is discussed     

Furnace grown gate oxynitride using nitric oxide (NO)

Gate oxynitride was grown in NO for the first time. This approach can provide a tight N accumulation near the Si/SiO₂ interface. Much lower thermal budget is required for an NO process than for an N₂O process to produce an oxynitride with useful properties. Submicron MOSFET's with NO oxynitride showed superior current drive characteristics and comparable hot carrier immunity to those with N₂O oxynitride