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This paper identifies and compares the level of career maturity as measured by the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) for students (N=221) in grades 9 and 12 in 1 suburban district in Nebraska. The participating school district was preparing for the implementation of a developmental, comprehensive, and competency-based guidance program. Specific baseline data related to several aspects of student career development was provided prior to implementation of the program. The CMI assessed career maturity values corresponding to a Competence Test, Attitude Scale, and Total Score. Analysis of data showed that students in grade 12 scored significantly higher than the students in grade 9 on the Total Score and Competence Test. No significant differences were found between grades for the Attitude Scale of the CMI. This finding was unanticipated, as career maturity is a developmental construct that is typically expected to increase with the age or grade level of students. Gender did not account for a significant amount of the variability in Total Score of the CMI. Results of an item analysis of the CMI are shared and discussed. (Contains 5 tables and 28 references.) (JDM)

A simple method is developed and used to compare the tensile strengths of metallic substrates used in the YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) coated conductor technology. This method is developed based on the ASTM D3379 tensile test standard method that is recommended for single filament materials. Two different biaxially textured samples, pure Cu and Cu-Fe alloy, are tested by this new method and the tensile strengths are compared. The copper samples showed average yield strength of 36 MPa, and the Cu-Fe samples showed average yield strength of 72 MPa—double that of the pure copper. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

XPS studies of a typical YBCO coated conductor architecture were conducted to investigate the chemical and microstructural profiles. The detailed XPS depth profiling study was performed on one sample (YBCO/CeO2/YSZ/CeO2/Ni) of coated conductor. The chemical depth profiling involved bombarding a small area of the specimen surface with 3 KeV Ar+ ions and analyzing the freshly exposed surface after each bombardment. Results of the process show that the Y(3d) photo-electronic peak shape in these films is very different from bulk (sintered and oxygen annealed) YBCO superconductors and surface analysis of YBCO thin films. This may indicate a possible difference in the atomic co-ordination between some laser-ablated films and bulk sintered ones. The correlation between chemical binding states of the ions and superconducting properties need to be investigated in details. The lower portion of the YBCO film showed distinct signs of contamination including Ce, and traces of Ni. An initial report of Zr diffusion into this YBCO layer is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]