Leading Research Institutions Research Articles

How well can we assess thermally driven reliability issues in electronic systems today? Summary of panel held at the Therminic 2002

A panel was organized at the Therminic 2002 workshop to address the question posed in the title of this summary paper. Brief presentations were made by the six panelists, followed by an open discussion among Workshop participants. The focus of the panel was on reliability, not performance, and on systems, not parts. While the panel recognized the availability of various specialized analytical tools at a handful of leading research institutions and with expert individuals, it was felt that the industry at large is still transitioning from the use of simple thermal design rules to a more detailed physics based methodology. The current state-of-the-art of thermal metrology was outlined. An overview of the temperature-reliability relationships at the component and system levels was provided. Some of the emerging thermal challenges associated with the evolution of three-dimensional on-chip interconnect architectures were identified. The role of uncertainty analysis in predictions was emphasized. A primary conclusion was to focus on the prediction of thermally influenced risks in current and future products, based on a sound physics based approach.

Challenges for Monetary Policy

It is a great honour and privilege to be invited to deliver the Kale Memorial Lecture. Rao Bahadur R.R. Kale was a well-known leader who played a notable role not only in the political but also in the social and economic life of Maharashtra. His contributions to the development of education are well known. His generous contribution helped to establish the Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics at Pune, which has emerged as a leading research institution in the country in the field of economics, politics and sociology. Professor D. R. Gadgil and Professor V. M. Dandekar, to name only a few, who were associated with this Institute, have made landmark contributions to the development of economic policy in post-Independent India. Kale Memorial Lecture is a prestigious lecture series, which includes contributions by many distinguished and outstanding personalities of our country. I, therefore, feel greatly honoured to deliver this year's lecture.

Brazil and the development of international scientific biosafety testing guidelines for transgenic crops

Under the umbrella of the International Organisation of Biological Control (IOBC), an international working group of public sector scientists entitled on "Transgenic Organisms in Integrated Pest Management and Biological Control" has been organized. The group will develop scientific principles and detailed scientific guidelines for biosafety testing of transgenic crops. The key elements of this project are: (1) An international initiative including expert scientists from leading research institutions in developed and developing countries; (2) coordination of the development and implementation of the guidelines as a dynamic process, which will include scientific and technical capacity building and communication among scientists and between scientists and policy makers; (3) rapid serial publication of sections of the guidelines as they are completed; and (4) rapid and timely revision of previously published sections. The guidelines will be constructed on a case-by-case basis and will have no regulatory legitimacy themselves.

Academician Basov, high-power lasers and the antimissile defence problem

A review of the extensive programme of pioneering research and development of high-power lasers and laser radar undertaken in the USSR during the years 1964 — 1978 under the scientific supervision of N.G. Basov is presented. In the course of this program, many high-energy lasers with unique properties were created, new big research and design teams were formed, and the laser production and testing facilities were extended and developed. The programme was fulfilled at many leading research institutions and design bureaus of the USSR Academy of Sciences and defence industry.

The market for neurotechnology

Biomedical technologies represent one of the most promising and profitable new industry groups of the 21st century. Spurred on by medical developments and discoveries that cure disease, alleviate suffering, and generally improve the quality of life, many leading research institutions and health-care firms have gained the world's attention and respect in recent years. Within the biomedical technology industries, there is one field that stands out not only for its promise of restoring function to human patients, but also for carrying over biomedical concepts and processes to the industrial and information processing sectors. That field is what we call neurotechnology. Unlike the field of biotechnology, which concerns itself with pharmacological and genetic engineering efforts to understand and control DNA, genetic material, and other complex biological molecules, neurotechnology is concerned with electronic and engineering methods of understanding and controlling nervous system function. Some of the very ea...

Norwegian Research on Development: A Comment on Johan Helland's Article

In a rapidly globalising world, it is imperative that not only the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but other ministries as well, realise their responsibility for funding and utilising research on development in poor countries and regions, in all parts of the world. To convince the ministries that they can no longer have a research policy that is focused narrowly on Norway should be a strategic aim of the Research Council of Norway. The funding for the Research Council's programme ‘Development Paths in the South’ has been far too limited (NOK 20 million per year). If they were better funded, such programmes could be used to engage the country's leading research institutions in research on poverty and development worldwide. Such research must not be the prerogative of a community called ‘development researchers’; furthermore, it should address both global issues and local and regional issues in all parts of the world, not just ‘the South’.

Development of junior faculty's self-efficacy: outcomes of a National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine.

Time as UCSD faculty Mean 3.7 years 2.7 years Range 1–7 years .5–7.5 years In 2000, several articles were published discussing the importance of academic medical centers’ addressing the attitudes and obstacles junior faculty have concerning their career progress and success. All agreed that formal mentoring programs, whether gender-based or work-environment–driven, would have positive effects on junior faculty’s performance, attracting and retaining those who have chosen academic medicine as their careers. In 1998, the Office of Women’s Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created four National Centers of Leadership in Academic Medicine (NCLAMs) to help faculty members of both sexes obtain mentors and thereby facilitate their career advancement. This study is the first in a series of reports of outcome data collected by the University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD’s) NCLAM in evaluating whether a formal mentoring process in an academic medical center has an impact on junior faculty’s selfefficacy, thereby leading to development of career competency. Mentoring has traditionally been viewed as a human resource strategy for enhanced leadership development, professional socialization, and competence in education and business training. Few studies have addressed the significance of formal mentoring in the development of professionals in the field of health care. Review of the literature showed that those studying the concept of mentoring have proven a strong correlation with the concept of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is one’s personal belief or conviction in the ability to carry out a behavior that will produce a particular outcome, a sense of confidence that one can organize and complete a behavior competently. In other professional-education literature, self-efficacy has been seen as an important motivational construct. It influences both goal and goal attainment, an individual’s choice of activities and tasks, and his or her coping skills while engaged in those tasks. An effective mentorship program in academic medicine, therefore, should be able to facilitate the self-efficacy of the participant through encouragement, recognition of potential, role modeling, and promotion of opportunities. Self-efficacy is the mentoring outcome of information cognitively processed by a participant through performances needed to fit changing circumstances in his or her career.

Is Australian Educational Research Worthwhile?

This research examines publication and citation data to assess the contribution of Australian educational research to major international journals. Additionally a set of highly cited articles is reviewed to assess the relevance of educational research to teaching practice and policy making. Australia makes a significant contribution to international educational research, although its share of publications has been increasing over time, whereas its share of citations has remained relatively constant. Substantial turnover in leading research institutions is found over time. It might be possible to explain this turnover by the productivity of a small number of academic staff members. Finally it is found that Australian educational research is extremely relevant to educational practice.

Home of the Future and ICT - Integration of Professional and Private Roles

The overall purpose of the research project concerns changes in future living and working conditions with emphasis on the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The objective of the reported pilot study has been to explore the US future trends of living and working from and at home at the increased use of ICT related services and products. “Homing from Work” and “Working from Home” are both key issues. The method has been explorative, using expert interviews with leading research institutes, universities, and high tech companies. A model has been developed for the analyses of the “Home of the Future” and factors effecting “What is a future Home?”. From the model problems are derived e g: What human needs and behavior are related to the home and home environment? What new behaviors evolve on the border between technology and human needs? What are the main social trends? What are the main hypotheses that could be phrased from an international comparative perspective?

Update on current PM research in Japanese institutes

In May 1999, Dr Anish Upadhyaya, representing the P/M Lab at The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA, visited several Japanese universities and industrial research laboratories during a month-long visit to Japan. In coflaboration with Dr Akira Fujiki of Nissan Motor Co Ltd, he summarizes recent powder metallurgy (PM) research thrusts at some of Japan's leading research institutes.

Scholarly Communication in the Sciences—A Third World Perspective

ABSTRACT A study was undertaken to assess the impact of the Internet on scientific communication among a group of scientists and information professionals from leading research institutions in India. The object of the study was to understand the information-seeking behavior of Indian scientists and information professionals and the use of the Internet in their work. In order to determine subject specific differences in Internet use, participants included physicists, mathematicians, chemists, biomedical scientists, and information professionals. This article also examines the perceptions of scientists on recent developments in scholarly communication and explores the role of Indian librarians and information professionals in the electronic environment.

Leveraging Technology to Create a World-Class Library

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) library has used technology effectively to rapidly create a world-class research environment for the faculty and students at this new institution in just a few years and with a modest start-up budget. Leveraging technology was important since the library had to be able to support an international research faculty with very high expectations for access and availability to both archival and recent research publications within less than one year from the founding of the university. Information technology has been one of the key items on the agenda for HKUST and a commitment to this has been all pervasive in decisions affecting all departments. As a key and integral component of the academic programs, the Library at HKUST supports the University’s teaching and research in science, engineering, business and management, and social sciences. Information technology has been an integral part of the library’s services provided to the University community since the establishment of the institution. In this case study, the HKUST library used leading-edge technologies effectively in supporting the mission of the school to become the leading research institution in Asia and has also participated actively as a partner with vendors in the development of software to support the needs of the school where such software had not previously existed. Applications developed in cooperation with HKUST library support staff are now in use at all universities in Hong Kong and have been adopted by many institutions outside of Hong Kong as well. In summary, HKUST has provided a world-class example of leveraging technology to support library services.

Low cost prototyping of multichip modules ‐ the European INCO‐Copernicus project

The opportunity for mutual benefit across Europe to develop low‐cost MCM technologies arose from recognition of the scientific skills and design and prototyping capabilities in organic and inorganic circuits in countries of Central Europe. As a result, the leading research institutions and small/medium‐size enterprises of Hungary, Romania and Slovenia together with relevant institutions of the UK and Belgium proposed and received approval for a European Union INCO‐Copernicus project “Cheap multichip models” to establish fast prototyping low cost multichip module (MCM) technology facilities. The project commenced in May 1997.

Tsukuba develops key role in Japan's research efforts

Tsukuba Science City is home to many of Japan's leading research institutes and is playing a key role in the country's development of low dimensional structures. Among the organizations doing important work in this area are the National Research Institute for Metals and the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Tsukuba.

Europeans Plan Their Next Big Source

Neutron ResearchEuropean neutron-scattering researchers this week announced the next step in an ambitious plan to build the world's most powerful pulsed-neutron source by 2010. A group of five leading research institutions released their feasibility study for the proposed European Spallation Source, a $1.1 billion neutron facility powered by a 5-megawatt particle accelerator, and also agreed to seek funding for a 3-year research and development phase to prove the concept.

Partial assessment of Mexican health sciences research 1982–1986

The paper provides a picture of Mexican health sciences research for the years 1982–1986, measuring, bibliometrically, the size of its scientific activity. The most widely bibliometric indicators for research evaluation, publication count and citation analysis, are combined to determine the degree of production, productivity, and impact. The study also highlights the role of leading research institutions.

Some aspects of Japanese science, 1868–1945

Summary This is a brief history of Japanese science since the beginning of Japan as a modern state in 1868 to the end of the Second World War. It focuses on five aspects: (1) The intellectual training in Chinese studies prior to the period was significant for the reception of Western science. Chinese ideograms were effectively utilized for creating technical terms for science. (2) Western science and technology were intensively implanted in approximately the first 30 years with the help of a large number of hired foreign experts, unparalleled in modern world history. (3) A few major scientific personalities and a new, leading research institute emerged around the First World War. (4) The wartime expansion of research expenditure occurred and Japanese research institutes were established in China. (5) Maturity of Japanese science was attained, as seen in an example of theoretical physics.

Cormon — the way ahead

Since the Company's inception in January 1984 it has made possible significant advances in the science and application of Corrosion Monitoring. Through its associations with leading research institutes and associations, including UKAEA Harwell, Cormon has introduced a number of techniques and facilities which, taken together, improve the ability of Oil/Gas majors and contractors, corporate institutions and government authorities, to more accurately and effectively provide information on material loss through corrosion, erosion or wear.

Financing at the leading 100 research universities: A study of financial dependency, concentration, and related institutional characteristics

This paper presents results of a National Science Foundation sponsored study to examine the financing of the leading 100 research universities. The study examines the changing dependence of these institutions on the federal government for overall financial support, the shifts in the concentration of federal funding to and within higher education, and the various programmatic and resource characteristics of these leading research institutions. The study covers five fiscal periods, 1975 through 1979.

ON CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY OF BERRY CROPS SUITABLE FOR MECHANIZED HARVESTING

The review of domestic and foreign reports devoted to the improvement of currant and gooseberry cultivation technology for mechanized harvesting is presented. Common approaches to the selection of cultivars and methods of agricultural practice are considered: the importance of a cultivar in the aspect of industrial cultivation; planting design; the value of pruning in dense plantations; agronomical practice of growing. Much attention is paid to a new assortment of currants and gooseberries developed in the Central-Chernozem, North-West and Central regions and Siberia, from the point of view of profound study of suitability for intensive technologies of cultivation and obtaining maximum economic effect. Cultivation technologies and cultivars suitable for mechanized harvesting are presented. The cultivars are from the countries of Eastern and Western Europe (Poland, Germany, England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands) as well as from the USA and Canada. The value and types of pruning (economic, rejuvenating and detailed pruning) in the dense plantations of gooseberries and currants as well as reports of leading research institutes in this trend are shown. The impact of cultivation technology (types of pruning) on the photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll content in the leaves of black currant is described. A particular attention is paid to the work of VNIISPK breeders in the question of the value of a cultivar in the agronomical practice of berry crops. In black currants the varietal differences influence much on the value of crop losses. The cultivars that have simultaneous ripening of berries in the bunch are preferable for mechanized harvesting. Azhurnaya, Zusha and Ekzotica from the VNIISPK breeding program belong to such black currant cultivars. Their crop losses at harvest at the optimum time does not exceed 3,4-13,8%.