Obliging Institutions and Industry Evolution: A Comparative Study of the German and UK Wind Energy Industries

This paper firstly examines the relationship between state coordination and wind energy growth by comparing the differences between UK and German institutional configurations and state involvements in the 1990s. While the EU was calling for a unified regulatory framework for its member states, the UK and Germany adopted very different renewable energy policies. The evidence of the early 1990s shows that the British government employed “deregulation” with so limited state involvement that wind energy project developers faced thorny development problems, while the German government tried to require the electricity supply industry to purchase expensive wind power by “regulation” but encountered formidable resistance. Nevertheless, both the British and German administrations later could resolve these problems through new forms of state power. This suggests that, firstly, neither “deregulation” nor “regulation” is an effective means to develop wind power with increasing electricity liberalization and regionalization. Secondly, “obliging” regulations and state powers are vital to the policy outcome by harnessing the state's institutional capacity to smooth out technology innovation and diffusion.     

The Achievements of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques in Aviation and Aerospace Industries

In this paper, the recent achievements in the advanced manufacturing technology are presented. The laser forming of sheet metals, rapid forming, precision casting, precision forging, inertia friction welding are developed for aviation and aerospace industries. The main topics including the advantages, principle of manufacturing, processing parameters and control, typical processing applied in practice and typical work-pieces for those advanced manufacturing technologies are summarized.     

Citation Ootprint Analysis Part I: UK and US Chemical Engineering Academics

A novel method of displaying the publication and citation characteristics of outputs of researchers using a graphical "footprint" has been developed. Its first application has been to compare the publication and citation characteristics of a small group of top UK, and US academic chemical engineers. The footprint demonstrates the Relationship Factors of publications in a number of related disciplines, as defined by ISI's Journal Citation Reports. The technique has been used to compare both individual academics and each national group as a whole. The results clearly show that US academic chemical engineers are far more interdisciplinary in their output than their UK counterparts. The technique has a number of potential applications, including tracking changes in a discipline over time, tracking individual academics' output over time, and comparing different disciplines for their interdisciplinarity.     

Characteristics of the publishing infrastructure of peripheral countries: A comparison of periodical publications from Latin America with periodicals from the US and the UK

Bibliometric research can provide science policy makers with indicators of the capacity of a country's national scientific system to produce printed information. The capacity of the local publishing industry to produce scientific and technical periodical publications reflects the availability of outlets for the dissemination of scientific findings. The present research attempts to evaluate the role of the publishing industry in the level of bibliographic control, and the level of peer review of periodical publications from Latin America. A random search was performed on the 1990 Cd-Rom version ofThe Serials Directory, a commercially produced international reference source on periodical publications. A sample of 311 periodicals from Latin America was downloaded to a local database. A similar search was performed on publications from the United States and the United Kingdom for comparison purposes. A random search of 235 publications was downloaded into a local database. Publishers were classified for both samples according to three types: academic, governmental, and commercial. Publications were sorted thematically and indicators of bibliographic control, and of peer review were recorded for both samples. Publications from Latin America showed a very low level of bibliographic control, particularly in the case of the assignment of ISSN numbers, where 58% of the sample studied was published without this element of bibliographic control. This contrasted sharply with the periodicals from the US and UK, where 83% (195) journals had an ISSN number assigned. The involvement of editorial boards in the academic quality of Latin American publications amounted only to 21% of the sample studied. Periodicals from the US and UK reported an editor as responsible for the journal in 40% (93) of the cases. This amount constitutes about double the number of editors reported by Latin American publications. Latin American academic publishers are the most numerous publishers in the sample studied accounting for 37% (114) of the journals studied however, 68% (77) of those editors printed periodicals without a named editor. Governmental publishers are the second largest publisher type. They produced 29% (89) of the journals in the sample. Commercial publishers are responsible for 26% (82) of the journals studied. Publications from the US and UK show a clear predominance of commercial publishers, accounting for 47% (111) of the journals. Academic publishers only produced 29% (68) of the 235 journals in the sample. This clear dominance of the commercial publisher sector shows that publishing in at least the two countries studied is clearly practised as a business enterprise. This is in sharp comparison to the publishing patterns exhibited in Latin America where the academic sector is the most prominent one.     

Specialization of Regions and Universities: The New Versus the Old

This paper analyzes whether there is a correspondence between a university's research specialization and industrial specialization in the region hosting the university, and to what extent universities influence regional productivity. Moreover, the analysis seeks to answer if a difference can be detected between the influences of old and new universities on regional performance. To achieve this end we utilize a unique data set on spatially disaggregated data for Sweden in the period 1975–99. A two‐step Heckman regression analysis is implemented to examine whether universities' research specialization matches regional specialization in production as compared to the average region. The results suggest a correspondence in specialization, as well as positive productivity effects. However, there are also considerable differences across regions, albeit primarily unrelated to the age of the universities.     

Competitive Impact of Strategic Restructuring: Evidence from the Telecommunications Industry

Stock market evidence can provide insights into how firms inrapidly changing markets design and implement strategies. Thefailed merger attempt of Bell Atlantic and TCI serves as a casestudy for examining the effects of strategic choices on firmsin the telecommunications industry. The paper documents thevarying strategies of the seven regional Bell operating companies(RBOCs) and analyzes the stock price reactions of industry participantsto the proposed merger and its termination in the context ofthese differing strategic orientations. Results reveal thatthe announcement of the merger generated significant spillovereffects for other cable and local telephone companies as wellas for other industry participants. We use the reactions totest hypotheses regarding the rationale for the merger proposaland the reasons for its demise. Stock price reactions to theproposal were significantly more positive for the three RBOCsthat had committed to strategic approaches similar to Bell Atlantic'sthan for the other three RBOCs. However, reactions to the terminationindicate that investors viewed the hierarchical organizationalstrategy of Bell Atlantic as less desirable than those beingpursued by other Bell companies.     

Clustering in the Creative Industries: Insights from the Origins of Computer Software

We use several different sources (a 1970 Roster of Organizations in Data Processing and the 1960 and 1970 Censuses of Population) to study patterns of geographic clustering at the very origins of the software industry. We find a strong trend toward clustering of the industry in a few metropolitan areas. Furthermore, we uncover a tendency in the early software industry to agglomerate in close proximity to some of its main customers. This tendency holds even after controlling for region-specific heterogeneity and for the potentially endogenous nature of the software customers' location decisions. We explore the factors that may have driven the observed clustering patterns and suggest directions for further research.     

Assessing the role of basic control measures, antivirals and vaccine in curtailing pandemic influenza: scenarios for the US, UK and the Netherlands

An increasing number of avian flu cases in humans, arising primarily from direct contact with poultry, in several regions of the world have prompted the urgency to develop pandemic preparedness plans worldwide. Leading recommendations in these plans include basic public health control measures for minimizing transmission in hospitals and communities, the use of antiviral drugs and vaccination. This paper presents a mathematical model for the evaluation of the pandemic flu preparedness plans of the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands. The model is used to assess single and combined interventions. Using data from the US, we show that hospital and community transmission control measures alone can be highly effective in reducing the impact of a potential flu pandemic. We further show that while the use of antivirals alone could lead to very significant reductions in the burden of a pandemic, the combination of transmission control measures, antivirals and vaccine gives the most 'optimal' result. However, implementing such an optimal strategy at the onset of a pandemic may not be realistic. Thus, it is important to consider other plausible alternatives. An optimal preparedness plan is largely dependent on the availability of resources; hence, it is country-specific. We show that countries with limited antiviral stockpiles should emphasize their use therapeutically (rather than prophylactically). However, countries with large antiviral stockpiles can achieve greater reductions in disease burden by implementing them both prophylactically and therapeutically. This study promotes alternative strategies that may be feasible and attainable for the US, UK and the Netherlands. It emphasizes the role of hospital and community transmission control measures in addition to the timely administration of antiviral treatment in reducing the burden of a flu pandemic. The latter is consistent with the preparedness plans of the UK and the Netherlands. Our results indicate that for low efficacy and coverage levels of antivirals and vaccine, the use of a vaccine leads to the greatest reduction in morbidity and mortality compared with the singular use of antivirals. However, as these efficacy and coverage levels are increased, the use of antivirals is more effective.     

光学计量在新旧动能转换中的发展

在新旧动能转换的新形势下,对光学计量专业发展来说是新的机遇,同时也面临着新的挑战。本文从光学计量的专业角度出发,结合光学计量的实际情况,提出了提升传统光学计量专业、发展新兴光学计量专业的新思路,并对光学计量在新旧动能转换的新形势下如何发展,以及发展过程中的机遇和挑战进行了思考和研究。     

关于秒表新旧检定规程差异的探讨

通过对秒表新旧检定规程的适用范围、计量性能和检定方法等对比分析,进而阐明新规程的内容较之旧规程更加科学、合理、规范,同时在检定过程中也具有更强的可操作性。     

An Analysis of the Deferences between Old and New Maintenance Concepts

Beforethe'50s,maintenancemainlywasakindofskillandwasshortofagUidetoSystematictheoryandmaintenanceprocesswasakindofrewordathardtime.AsdevelOPmentofdelveofintellectUalization,automationofequipment,maintenancecostrosesteeply.Availabilitywascontinuouslydecreasing,andexistingmaintenanceProcesscouldnotadapttoobjectiverequirements.From1960,thecivilaviationofAmericahadexploredthebasiclawofaoplanemaintenanceintheuseofmodemsciencetechnology[l].UPtothelate'6()s,reliability-centeredmaintenancetheorywa…     

出租车计价器新旧检定规程的比较

文章对出租车计价器新旧检定规程的差异进行了比较。     

用户体验设计师角色与能力组合的比较分析——基于中美英招聘信息

用户体验概念起源于产业界,并在学界中产生了持续的影响。为了探究学界与业界分析用户体验设计师实践、角色和技能的理解,进行一项中美英用户体验招聘广告的对比研究。通过对工作定义、能力条件及其主题分析,探讨在组织环境中用户体验设计能力的识别(岗位胜任条件),跨阶段(新手—专家)的用户体验设计能力对比,以及跨岗位用户体验设计能力的评估。不仅可以更好地理解设计师角色与能力组合的关系,而且还可以作为一种实用资源,帮助毕业生尽快进入这个实践领域,对用户体验设计教育具有参考意义。     

Network positioning and risk perception in servitization: evidence from the UK road transport industry

For manufacturing firms, the integration of advanced services into their customer offerings has become a crucial decision. Such commercial decisions require weighting the risks and rewards of implementing a business model based on advanced services. While academic experts acknowledge uncertainty of returns on investment despite potential advantages, research generally fails to address the challenge of calculating the actual risks involved in ‘servitization’. This paper seeks better understanding of managers’ risk perception and of servitization implications for strategic partnerships and network positioning, while considering the impact of factors such as entry barriers, technological knowledge and position in the supply chain (SC). Qualitative evidence is drawn from an industrial case study involving firms in the UK’s road transport industry: 14 in-depth interviews with senior executives from seven companies (manufacturers, operators, technology providers). During interviews, a payment card exercise measured risk perception and willingness to take strategic ‘make-or-buy’ decisions. Results suggest that implementing advanced services is perceived as a high-risk strategy, especially when firms lack in-house technological knowledge. However, collaborative strategic partnerships within supply chain networks can mitigate this risk and prove crucial to building entry barriers against external competitors. Based on these findings, implications for network positioning are developed.     

Upgrading of Symbolic and Synthetic Knowledge Bases: Evidence from the Chinese Automotive and Construction Industries

This paper deals with the question of how upgrading of the symbolic and synthetic knowledge bases takes place and, by doing so, we contribute to the upgrading literature by linking upgrading with the concept of the differentiated knowledge bases. We discern a number of upgrading mechanisms, and based on empirical evidence from the construction industry and the automotive industry in China, we show that the main upgrading mechanisms for symbolic knowledge include “learning-by-interacting in project teams” and “monitoring”, while upgrading of synthetic knowledge takes place via “technology transfer” and “learning-by-doing and-using”. “Mobility” and “on-the-job training and learning in Transnational Corporations” are the main upgrading mechanisms contributing to the development of both knowledge bases.     

New UK guidance on the use of concrete in aggressive ground

The UK guidance for specification of concrete in aggressive ground has been revised following the discovery of the thaumasite form of sulfate attack in the foundations to highway bridges in England in 1998. Interim advice was issued in the Report of the Thaumasite Expert Group in January 1999. Following consultation with industry, a new BRE Special Digest 1 was published in September 2001 (to replace Digest 363) and parallel amendments to the current BS 5328 were drafted. New concepts are introduced for ground assessment and concrete specification. Allowance is now made for the oxidation of sulfides in the ground and there is a new classification for the aggressive chemical environment. Concrete specification additionally takes into account the required structural performance level, the carbonate content of aggregates, and the need for additional protective measures. Compatible guidance is being put in place for the UK Highways Agency and for BS 8500, the UK complementary standard to the European Standard BS EN 206-1, which will replace BS 5328 in December 2003.