Pragmatic Limitations Research Articles

Scaling fully depleted SOI CMOS

Quasi-two-dimensional (2-D) device analyses, 2-D numerical device simulations, and circuit simulations of nanoscale conventional, single-gate fully depleted (FD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS are done to examine the scalability and performance potential of the technology. The quasi-2-D analyses, which can apply to double-gate devices as well, also provide a simple expression to estimate the effective channel length (L/sub eff/) of FD/SOI MOSFETs. The insightful results show that threshold-voltage control via channel doping and polysilicon gates is not a viable option for extremely scaled FD/SOI CMOS, and hence that undoped channels and metal gate(s) with tuned work function(s) must be employed. Quantitative as well as qualitative insights gained on the short-channel effects reveal the need for ultrathin films (t/sub Si/ < 10 nm) for L/sub eff/ < 50 nm. However, the implied manufacturing burden, compounded by effects of carrier-energy quantization for ultrathin t/sub Si/, forces a pragmatic limit on t/sub Si/ of about 5 nm, which in turn limits the scalability to L/sub eff/ = 25-30 nm. Unloaded CMOS-inverter ring-oscillator simulations, done with our process/physics-based compact model (UFDG) in SPICE3, show very good performance for L/sub eff/ = 35 nm, and suggest viable technology designs for low-power as well as high-performance applications. These simulations also reveal that moderate variations in t/sub Si/ can be tolerated, and that the energy quantization significantly influences the scaled-technology performance and hence must be properly accounted for in optimal FD/SOI MOSFET design.

The intangible/intellectual resource “curse”

This paper examines the limits of pragmatism in strategy formulation in the new, knowledge‐rich economy. By tracing the history of pragmatism in social and management thought, and assessing the commonalties and complementarities between a firm’s vision and mission, we explore the possibility and consequences of an intangible resource curse for firms pursuing strategies of incessant pragmatic growth in the expanding Web‐based domain. Ultimately, we posit a combined influence of market‐based governance and strategy simplification as an effective antidote to the executive intangible resource binging, which is sustainable as long as confidence and trust continue to be shared among the firm stakeholders.

The Limits of Pragmatism in American Foreign Policy: Unsolicited Advice to the Bush Administration on Relations with International Nongovernmental Organizations

The Bush Administration has tended to see nongovernmental organizations in a pragmatic way, as functionally the equivalent of domestic volunteer organizations. This article argues that the Bush Administration ought to see nongovernmental organizations as organizations seeking to substitute so-called international civil society, on the one hand, and public organizations, on the other, for the authority of democratically sovereign states. Looking beyond the particular issues on which NGOs press political agendas - human rights, environmentalism, etc. - the function of NGOs is to delegitimize democratic sovereignty in favor of liberal internationalism. The article argues that the Bush Administration, rather than merely battling with NGOs over particular issues, ought to aim to change the culture of the international community to recognize the virtues of democratic sovereignty over utopian internationalism.

Magical numbers: the seven-plus-or-minus-two myth

Ask any specialist of professional communication how many items we can hold in short-term memory: almost certainly, he or she will answer seven (possibly, seven plus or minus two). Ask that person where this answer comes from: very likely, he or she will refer to an article published almost fifty years ago in Psychological Review (G.A. Miller, 1956). Equally likely, however, he or she will never have read this article and will happily go on quoting it out of context. The article denounces the seven-plus-or-minus-two myth. It first reviews George Miller's original paper, placing the limit of seven in a proper perspective and drawing other, possibly more useful lessons from the research presented. Next, it explores the guiding value of integers below seven and proposes other, equally magical, but more pragmatic limits for effective professional communication.

Contemporary Pragmatism in Public Administration

In this article, the authors present some of the limitations of contemporary pragmatism. Although the authors are sympathetic in many respects to the community-building aspirations of pragmatism, they also contend that in certain important respects—specifically with regard to process, experience, and imagination—contemporary pragmatism leaves some troubling gaps that limit or undermine its ability to address what they argue are important contemporary political problems.

Building a sustainable peace: The limits of pragmatism in the Israeli–Palestinian negotiations.

In this article I argue that the strictly pragmatic, step-by-step approach of Oslo has reached a dead end and that cajoling the parties into signing an agreement is now irrelevant. To move the peace process to a successful conclusion, the parties must now commit themselves to a principled solution whose key elements include prior commitment to a genuine two-state solution as the endpoint of the final-status negotiations, provision of meaningful citizenship to the Palestinians of the territories and the refugees, and mutual acknowledgment of the other's nationhood and humanity. Such a proposal, although seemingly utopian, represents the most realistic option at this juncture.

Building a Sustainable Peace: The Limits of Pragmatism in the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

Building a Sustainable Peace: The Limits of Pragmatism in the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

Building a Sustainable Peace: The Limits of Pragmatism in the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations

This article argues that the strictly pragmatic, step-by-step approach of Oslo has reached a dead end and that cajoling the parties into signing an agreement is now irrelevant. To move the peace process to a successful conclusion, the parties must now commit themselves to a principled solution whose key elements include prior commitment to a genuine two-state solution as the end point of the final status negotiations, provision of meaningful citizenship to the Palestinians of the territories and the refugees, and mutual acknowledgment of the other's nationhood and humanity. Such a proposal, though seemingly utopian, represents the most realistic option at the present juncture.

Evidence-based medicine, critical pathways, practice guidelines, and managed care. Reflections on the prevention and care of stroke.

Because managed care plans are exerting enormous pressure to reduce the cost of medical care, neurologists need to enhance their skills at identifying appropriate, high-quality, and cost-effective care for patients with neurological disorders. A variety of health services research methods are available that foster evidence-based decisions and de-emphasize intuition in decision making. Despite imperfect data and a lack of familiarity with some of these methods, we have found them useful in developing guidelines and pathways for the prevention and management of stroke. Neurologists should become more familiar with the pragmatic benefits, limitations, and obstacles that hinder acceptance and implementation of these approaches. If we wish to continue to influence the medical decision process, we must focus on the provision of quality neurological care and not on the managed care plan.

If Nonlinear Models Cannot Forecast, What Use Are They?

This paper begins with a brief review of the recent experience using nonlinear models and ideas of chaos to model economic data and to provide forecasts that are better than linear models. The record of improvement is at best meager. The remainder of the paper examines some of the reasons for this lack of improvement. The concepts of "openness" and "isolation" are introduced, and a case is made that open and nonisolated systems cannot be forecasted; the extent to which economic systems are closed and isolated provides the true pragmatic limits to forecastability. The reasons why local "overfitting," especially with nonparametric models, leads to worse forecasts are discussed. Models and "representations" of data are distinguished and the reliance on minimum mean-square forecast error to choose between models and representations is evaluated.

The Promise of Pragmatism: Modernism and the Crisis of Knowledge and Authority

For much of the 20th century, pragmatism has held the dominant point of view in American politics, law, education and social thought in general. After suffering a brief eclipse in the post-World War II period, pragmatism has experienced a revival, especially in literary theory and such areas as poststructuralism and deconstruction. In this critique of pragmatism and neopragmatism, the author traces the attempts of thinkers from William James to Richard Rorty to find a response to the crisis of modernism. He analyzes the limitations of pragmatism from a historical perspective and asks whether America's one original contribution to the world of philosophy has actually fulfilled its promise.

Towards Inherently Useful Theory: A Management Example

Insights derived from the theory of complex systems and theoretical biology suggest that “small‐scale modelling” may be valuable in the construction of management theory. Small‐scale modelling can be used to embed managerial perspectives in models. For that reason small‐scale modelling shows some prospect for producing what might be called inherently useful theory, namely, theory that recognizes the pragmatic limitations accompanying its use. As an example of the modelling approach, examines aspects of the management of workgroup routine. Considers directions for further research.

Winners and Losers: The Limits of Pragmatism and Moralism in Politics

fT_ _HE STUDY of winners and losers is only the personalization of an old problem: the gap between politics as a science and politics as a vocation. We too often treat the political world as possessed of self-evident properties apparent to any who study it. In point of fact, politics is anything but self-evident and hardly systematic, although dogmatists and model-builders may think otherwise. There are simply too many possibilities, options, and choices to permit consistent adherence to a normative framework. Efforts to do so may prove idiosyncratic no less than reductionist. Just as there is a perennial gap between social facts and theoretical possibilities, there is a similar range of discrepancies between political systems and human actors.

The Practical Limits of Pragmatism

The Practical Limits of Pragmatism

Cyclic Variations and the Pedon

AbstractThe applicability of utilizing a half‐cycle width as a pedon limit for soils having cyclic horizon variations is analysed using a sine curve as a model. The low probabilities of success associated with the half‐cycle limit, even when accepting ranges less than the total observed vertical variation, indicates a practical width limit of approximately 0.8 cycle.A method for determining the width of a pedon necessary to include an acceptable range of horizon variability is given. Included in the method is a visual technique for estimating some pragmatic limits of variations of horizon thicknesses. This method of determining pedon widths is illustrated using a hypothetical soil cross section.Some implications of determining pedon size for soils having cyclic horizons are intermittent or cyclic and recur at linear intervals of about 1.3 to 4.3 m. the pedon should include 80 to 90% of the vartical horizon variability and have lateral dimensions of approximately 0.8 of a cycle.

The limits of pragmatism.

The limits of pragmatism.