Research contributions of international branch campuses to the scientific wealth of academically developing countries

A majority of international branch campuses (IBCs) have been established during the last two decades, with China, Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates being the countries hosting the largest numbers. IBCs are often considered education providers within the host country; but there has been ongoing debate about their role as contributors to the scientific wealth of the host country. This study develops a methodology to investigate the research activity at branch campuses based on their publications. The main methodological challenge was to identify publications from these entities, as they are often not indexed and visible in the publication databases. This was solved through a search query extracting publications with affiliation data including the host country or city for the branch campus as well as the name of the institution. Using the publication sets for each research active IBC, the study illustrates not only that they are increasingly active in research, but also how their publication quality and collaboration patterns relate to their host country as well as to their home institution. The results also indicate that IBCs appear to have a role in the academic research development of some hosting countries; Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.     

Sparse direct factorizations through unassembled hyper-matrices

We present a novel strategy for sparse direct factorizations that is geared towards the matrices that arise from hp-adaptive Finite Element Methods. In that context, a sequence of linear systems derived by successive local refinement of the problem domain needs to be solved. Thus, there is an opportunity for a factorization strategy that proceeds by updating (and possibly downdating) the factorization. Our scheme consists of storing the matrix as unassembled element matrices, hierarchically ordered to mirror the refinement history of the domain. The factorization of such an ‘unassembled hyper-matrix’ proceeds in terms of element matrices, only assembling nodes when they need to be eliminated. The main benefits are efficiency from the fact that only updates to the factorization are made, high scalar efficiency since the factorization process uses dense matrices throughout, and a workflow that integrates naturally with the application.     

Progress in the Development of Platelet‐Activating Factor Receptor (PAFr) Antagonists and Applications in the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases

Platelet‐activating factor (PAF) and its receptor (PAFr) have been implicated in a wide range of diseases and disorders that originate from the activation of inflammatory pathways. Although the exact structure of the binding site on the PAFr remains unknown, the PAFr is a well‐established therapeutic target, and an array of structurally diverse PAFr antagonists have been identified. These include compounds that are structurally similar to the natural PAF ligand, synthetic heterocycles, complex polycyclic natural products, and various metal complexes. This review provides an update on more than 20 years of progress in this area. The development and synthesis of new PAFr antagonists, structure–activity relationship studies, the biological activity of these molecules, and their therapeutic potential are discussed.     

Anomalous friction in slurry flows

Experiments conducted with water slurries of 1 mm particles of specific gravity 1.59 in a laboratory pipeline 0.105 m in diameter have provided evidence of a change in the friction mechanism at velocities above 3 m/s. These flows were stratified and at low velocities the frictional pressure gradients were in satisfactory agreement with the predictions of the conventional two‐layer model. However at higher velocities the friction is substantially lower than predicted. Measurements of concentration and velocity distributions within the pipe show that no major change in flow regime occurs concurrently with the change in the friction mechanism. It appears that the effect is due to a change in the nature of the particle‐wall interaction, of a type which suggests that an inward‐acting force affects the particles adjacent to the wall.     

Semi-quantitative mechanical characterisation of fibre composites in the sub-micron-range by SFM

The possibilities of using a Scanning Force Microscope (SFM) in tapping mode for a quantitative mechanical characterisation in the sub-micron-range are investigated. The test method and associated theory are presented and the technique is used to characterise glass fibre reinforced polyamide. Stiffness images are discussed with regard to the sample preparation method used and the mechanical properties of the interphase region between the fibres and the polyamide matrix.     

Low Noise mm-Wave Amplifier Design Methodology

A design methodology for mm-wave LNAs is presented. The optimum bias point selection is outlined. The stabilisation strategy is described, and the impact of packaging requirements on the amplifier design is discussed. A bond wire compensation technique is detailed. The tradeoff between input match and noise figure is presented, and a design with a suitable tradeoff is¹ developed. A very simple inter-stage match requirement is a novel outcome of this design approach. An effective means of achieving a broadband response is also outlined. A four stage 30 – 50 GHz LNA design was fabricated and characterised in a customised package. A maximum MMIC gain of 28 dB at 32 GHz was achieved, and the gain exceeded 20 dB over the frequency range 26 – 44 GHz. A noise figure of 4.5 dB and a P1dB of +11 dBm were also obtained. It is the authors' opinion that the methodology presented in this paper will be of significant interest to other mm-wave LNA designers.