Structural,SEM and dielectric properties of PLZT

Powder of lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) with the composition La/Zr/Ti=8/65/35, was synthesized from aqueous nitrate solutions. A single-phase PLZT was obtained at ∼550 °C. The reactivity of the powder during low-temperature heating was determined using X-ray diffraction and various thermal analysis techniques. The dielectric properties of the compound were also studied at 1 and 10 kHz frequency from room temperature to 200 °C. Diffuse phase transition (DPT) in the material was observed around 136 °C at 1 kHz. An increase in peak-permittivity temperature (i.e. the transition temperature) with increasing frequency (a characteristic of relaxor ferroelectrics) was also observed.     

Qualification of plastic encapsulated microcircuits (PEM) for avionicsBased on ``Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits (PEM) Qualification Testing'''', by J. A. Scalise, which appeared in the Proceedings of the 46th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, Orlando, FL, U.S.A., 28–31 May 1996, pp. 392–397. © 1996 IEEE.

Microcircuit package qualification testing is used to establish the reliability of integrated circuit processes and devices as they relate to part packaging. This paper presents the results of package qualification tests conducted on plastic encapsulated microcircuits (PEMs) and plastic discrete devices (diodes, transistors) used in avionics applications. Highly accelerated stress test (HAST) and temperature cycle (TC) test results, including part failure mechanisms and associated failure rates, are provided. A variety of plastic package styles and integrated circuit functions have been tested. Examples of package styles tested include small outline (SO), plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC), thin small outline package (TSOP), plastic quad flat package (PQFP) and plastic dual-in-line (PDIP).Manufacturers' devices have been evaluated and various plastic compounds have been compared to determine which provide optimum reliability. The testing showed that package qualification performance of PEMs is affected by type of compound, passivation (including die coat) and die size. HAST failures are caused by moisture penetration of the package while temperature cycle failures result from coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch effects.     

Behavioral and judged coordination in adult informal social interactions: Vocal and kinesic indicators.

Coordination in social interaction means that persons adjust their actions to those of their partners. Common methods for measuring coordination include judgments and behavioral covariation. 16 1-min segments of videotaped interactions were chosen (8 high and 8 low in behavioral coordination). In Study 1, 51 people judged the 16 segments, rating each for coordination. Study 2 (n?=?17) used different items. Study 3 (n?=?22) replicated Study 2 without sound and with a mosaic pattern imposed on the faces. Results indicated judges were reliable, able to distinguish high from low coordination interactions on the basis of 1-min slices for male but not female dyads. Segments judged to be coordinated had partners smiling in synchrony but with complementary patterns of gazing and gesturing. Both measures correlated with conversational satisfaction, but only behavioral coordination predicted attraction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design and Operation of Point-of-Use Treatment System for Arsenic Removal

A point-of-use (POU) system was designed and constructed using commercially available activated alumina to remove arsenic from drinking water. Testing with City of Albuquerque chlorinated tap water containing an average of 23 ug/L arsenic found that 1 L of adsorbent would provide water for direct consumption by a family of four for 435 days. It was estimated that the POU system constructed for this study could be sold for $162, and the arsenic adsorption columns were estimated to cost $4. A monthly cost to the customer of $10/month was estimated to purchase, install, and operate this POU system, assuming annual replacement of adsorption media cartridges. The implications of relying upon POU systems to comply with a new drinking water standard for arsenic are discussed.     

Quantitation of Ink Transferred During Pharmaceutical Printing Operations Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy

The identification of solid dosage forms is often achieved through printing with a non-toxic ink. Due to product purity requirements, a method to quantify the amount of ink applied to tablets and capsules is of interest to the pharmaceutical industry.

The following presentation investigated the use of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) as a direct method of quantifying the amount of ink on a tablet. Because the ink used contained an iron oxide pigment of known composition, quantitation of the iron content could be used to measure the amount of ink transferred to the tablet.

The quantitative results obtained using ICP-AES were in agreement with calculated values for the volume of ink in the gravure roll. Tablets exposed to “double printing” were easily detected by the ICP-AES method.     

Reproductive pattern, perinatal mortality, and sex preference in rural Tamil Nadu, south India: community based, cross sectional study

OBJECTIVES: To study reproductive pattern and perinatal mortality in rural Tamil Nadu, South India. DESIGN: Community based, cross sectional questionnaire study of 30 randomly selected areas served by health subcentres. SETTING: Rural parts of Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India. SUBJECTS: 1321 women and their offspring delivered in the 6 months before the interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of pregnancies, pregnancy outcome, spacing of pregnancies, sex of offspring, perinatal and neonatal mortality rates. RESULTS: 41% of the women (535) were primiparous; 7 women (0.5%) were grand multiparous (> 6 births). The women had a mean age of 22 years and a mean of 2.3 pregnancies and 1.8 live children. The sex ratio at birth of the index children was 107 boys per 100 girls. The stillbirth rate was 13.5/1000 births, the neonatal mortality rate was 35.3/1000, and the perinatal mortality rate was 42.0/1000. Girls had an excess neonatal mortality (rate ratio 3.42%; 95% confidence interval 1.68 to 6.98; this was most pronounced among girls born to multiparous women with no living sons (rate ratio 15.48 (2.04 to 177.73) v 1.87 (0.63 to 5.58) in multiparous women with at least one son alive). CONCLUSIONS: In this rural part of Tamil Nadu, women had a controlled reproductive pattern. The excess neonatal mortality among girls constitutes about one third of the perinatal mortality rate. It seems to be linked to a preference for sons and should therefore be addressed through a holistic societal approach rather than through specific healthcare measures.     

Cognitive accessibility and sentiment override—starting a evolution: Comment on Fincham et al. (1995).

F. D. Fincham, P. C. Garnier, S. Gano-Phillips, and L. N. Osborne (see record 1995-21088-001) present a methodology new to the marital arena (reaction time assessment) and use it to illuminate a classic issue in the marital area, sentiment override. In doing so, they highlight the potential of this new methodology for enhancing marital assessment and allowing for the rigorous test of theory. However, the promise of this specific methodology and its implications for marital assessment may be less important than the broader research agenda implied. Because Fincham et al utilized an information processing approach developed within the robust tradition of social-cognition research, they open the marital area to a broad array of potential assessment techniques and implicitly invite the field to join them in a profound reconceptualization of the role of cognition in shaping each spouse's response to the other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)