Grain nucleation and texture analysis of electroless copper deposition on a palladium seed layer

Electroless copper grains were deposited on a Pd seed layer under varying bath conditions. The seed layer was determined to have a (111) texture using grazing incident x-ray (GIX) diffraction. Multiple nucleation sites in the grain boundaries were imaged using a scanning tunneling microscope. Continual copper growth produced row-like structures. The texture of the electrolessly deposited copper (ED-Cu) grains were determined to be (111). No radial grain orientation for the Pd seed layer or the ED-Cu thin film was detected using GIX diffraction. Atomic force microscope images indicated continual Cu nucleation throughout the deposition process. PdH was formed as a by-product of the electroless deposition process, and detected by x-ray diffraction.     

Characterization of the weak link of wool fibers

The variance of fiber morphology along a fiber and the natural and artificial flaws in the fiber structure represent the primary reasons for the weak link of fibers. Accordingly, the fiber weak link can be divided into two types, that is, the geometrical thinnest part and the structural weak point. Scanning electron microscopic observation was used to characterize the morphological features of the fiber weak points whose forms are the normal thin sections, natural flaws, and artificial damage. Both the fiber profile morphology and the tensile behavior of wool fibers have been measured using a single‐fiber analyzer (SIFAN) and an optical microscope with a CCD camera plus an XQ‐1 fiber tensile tester (OM + XQ). The results from the SIFAN and OM+XQ methods indicate that the fibers breaking at their minimum diameters represent only one part of the broken fibers. The percentage of this kind of breakage is in the range of 40–60%. A new approach is presented to identify the weak‐point breakage relying on the fiber tensile behavior. The experimental results show that the probabilities of weak‐point, normal, and thinnest‐part breakage evaluated by these methods approximate 40, 60, and slightly more than 80%, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1206–1212, 2003     

Medical care utilization in a regional prepaid medical system

Aggregate dollar medical care utilization is estimated by applying a fee structure to 1967–70 medical care utilization of 3,418 members of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Portland, Oregon. The data indicated a very stable pattern of medical care utilization by the cohort during the period. The average yearly increase in medical care dollar utilization per person (prices constant) was only 1.5 percent. There was some tendency for resource utilizaton to become more concentrated among the highest users. Inpatient services accounted for about 40 percent of the dollar utilization with no tendency to decline or rise over the fouryear period. While age and death were the only factors significantly associated with the likelihood of being a high user in a given year ($2,500 threshold), family size, education, and sex joined these factors in being associated with medical care dollar utilization by an individual. Family size was negatively related while education and being female were related directly to dollar utilization. A limited comparison is made with experience in the U.S.This research was supported by Grant No. 5 RO1 HS-01653, awarded by the National Center of Health Services Research, HRA. Technical support was given by the Health Services Research Center, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Portland, Oregon.     

Predicting phobics' response to therapy: A consideration of subjective, physiological, and behavioural measures.

Attempts to relate general client characteristics to individual differences in response to behavioral treatment of phobic disorders that have had a long history but have produced mixed results. Most efforts have not included consideration of the 3-systems model of fear and its utility in defining response patterns that may be used to predict individual differences in response to various treatments. Recent studies that have implications for this approach are reviewed. Methodological factors involved in the measurement of each of the systems are discussed, and suggestions for more detailed assessments in the behavioral and cognitive/subjective systems are presented. (French abstract) (50 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The 3-4/4-3 MMPI code type in an offender population: An update on levels of hostility and violence.

Levels of hostility and type of crime committed were compared in 94 male offenders with either 3-4 or 4-3 MMPI high point pairs and in 94 randomly selected offenders (mean age for all Ss 31 yrs) without these codes who were matched for race with the 3-4/4-3 group. The samples were drawn from all male offenders entering a state prison system over 5 yrs. Self-report measures included the MMPI, Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory, and Monroe Dyscontrol Scale. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that those with 3-4 codes did not differ from those with 4-3 codes. Except for higher scores on Megargee's Overcontrolled-Hostility scale, the combined 3-4/4-3 offenders either did not differ from or scored lower than the comparison group on type of crime and all self-report measures of hostility, anger, episodic dyscontrol, and violence. Neither these results nor the majority of research on 3-4/4-3 profiles supports these codes as evidence of a proclivity for violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Technical publications: The design professionals' response

Summarized here are the results of a detailed study for the UK Building Research Establishment to discover how those involved in building design react to and use the technical publications of BRE and others. The results merit wider study; they reveal the types of publication preferred — and why — and also when and how technical publications are consulted. Also of wider interest are the comments elicited about BRE's output and how it could be improved.     

Black students' counselor preference and attitudes toward counseling center use.

Surveyed 42 female and 33 male Black college students to determine factors related to Black student use of the university counseling center. Counselor preference, sex of client, sex of counselor, race of counselor, and type of problem were analyzed as to their effects on counseling center use. Results indicate that Black clients preferred Black counselors and that the likelihood of taking a problem to the counseling center increased as counselor preference increased. Also, the likelihood of taking a problem to the center was significantly greater if the counselor to be seen was Black rather than White. Client and counselor sex, and type of problem (personal or educational-vocational) had no effect on potential counseling center usage. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized offender assessment: Validation study.

Evaluated the validity of a computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) system for mental health screening in correctional settings. First, 100 adult male felons were administered a brief mental status interview and a series of psychological tests, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the revised Beta IQ Examination, and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. Psychiatric diagnoses and CBTI ratings of victimization, violence, suicide, and substance abuse potentials were compared with clinicians' evaluations. Second, CBTI diagnoses of 109 inmates were compared with Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) diagnoses. Last, CBTI risk ratings were compared with institutional infraction records of 1,718 inmates. Agreement with CBTI and clinicians' risk ratings was fair. CBTI agreement with clinicians' and DIS diagnoses ranged from 60–93%. Ways of improving CBTI algorithms and the value of this approach in correctional screening are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)