Kinetics of chlorination of tantalum pentoxide in mixture with sucrose carbon by chlorine gas

The mechanism and kinetics of β-Ta₂O₅ chlorination, mixed with sucrose carbon, have been studied by a thermogravimetric technique. The investigated temperature range was 500 °C to 850 °C. The reactants and reaction residues were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method for surface area (BET). The effect of various experimental parameters was studied, such as carbon percentage, temperature, chlorine partial pressure, and flow, use of the multiple sample method, and carbon previous oxidation. The carbon percentage and previous treatment have an effect on the system reactivity. The temperature has a marked effect on the reaction rate. In the 500 °C to 600 °C temperature interval, the apparent activation energy is 144 kJ/mol of oxide, while at higher temperatures, the activation energy decreases. With high chorine partial pressures, the order of reaction is near zero. The kinetic contractile plate model, X=kt, considering carbon oxidation as the controlling stage, is the one with the best fit to the experimental data. A probable mechanism for the carbochlorination of β-Ta₂O₅ is proposed: (1) activation of chlorine on the carbon surface, (2) chlorination of Ta₂O₅, (3) oxidation of carbon, and (4) recrystallization of β-Ta₂O₅.     

Formal techniques for performance analysis: blending SAN and PEPA

In this paper we consider two performance modelling techniques from the perspectives of model construction, generation of an underlying continuous time Markov process, and the potential for reduction in the Markov process. Such careful comparison of modelling techniques allows us to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, and facilitates cross-fertilization between them. In the present case we take a characteristic of one formalism, functional rates in Stochastic Automata Networks, and introduce it to the other formalism, Performance Evaluation Process Algebra. We investigate the benefits of this cross-fertilization, particularly from the perspectives of Markov process generation and reduction.     

Simultaneous translation of lectures and speeches

With increasing globalization, communication across language and cultural boundaries is becoming an essential requirement of doing business, delivering education, and providing public services. Due to the considerable cost of human translation services, only a small fraction of text documents and an even smaller percentage of spoken encounters, such as international meetings and conferences, are translated, with most resorting to the use of a common language (e.g. English) or not taking place at all. Technology may provide a potentially revolutionary way out if real-time, domain-independent, simultaneous speech translation can be realized. In this paper, we present a simultaneous speech translation system based on statistical recognition and translation technology. We discuss the technology, various system improvements and propose mechanisms for user-friendly delivery of the result. Over extensive component and end-to-end system evaluations and comparisons with human translation performance, we conclude that machines can already deliver comprehensible simultaneous translation output. Moreover, while machine performance is affected by recognition errors (and thus can be improved), human performance is limited by the cognitive challenge of performing the task in real time.     

Nanoscale research in South Africa: A mapping exercise based on scientometrics

This article reports the findings of a scientometric analysis of nanoscale research in South Africa during the period 2000–2005. The ISI databases were identified as the most appropriate information platform for the objectives of the investigation and have been interrogated for the identification of South African authors publishing in the field. The article identifies trends over time, major institutional contributors, journals in which South African authors publish their research, international collaborators and performance in comparison to four comparator countries (India, Brazil, South Korea and Australia). The major findings of the investigation are as follows: nanoscale research in South Africa is driven by individual researchers interests up to date and it is in its early stages of development; the country’s nanoscale research is below what would one expect in light of its overall publication output; the country’s nano-research is distributed to a number of Universities with subcritical concentration of researchers.     

Bibliometric analysis of tsunami research

The use of the bibilometric analytical technique for examining tsunami research does not exist in the literature. The objective of the study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of all tsunami-related publications in the Science Citation Index (SCI). Analyzed parameters included document type, language of publication, publication output, authorship, publication patterns, distribution of subject category, distribution of author keywords, country of publication, most-frequently cited article, and document distribution after the Indonesia tsunami. The US and Japan produced 53% of the total output where the seven major industrial countries accounted for the majority of the total production. English was the dominant language, comprising 95% of articles. A simulation model was applied to describe the relationship between the number of authors and the number of articles, the number of journals and the number of articles, and the percentage of total articles and the number of times a certain keyword was used. Moreover the tsunami publication patterns in the first 8 months after the Indonesia tsunami occurred on 26 December 2004 indicated a high percentage of non-article publications and more documents being published in journals with higher impact factors.     

International contribution to library and information science in Poland: A bibliometric analysis

This article reports findings from the study of the international contribution to the system of library and information science communication in Poland in the years 2003–2005. The sample consists of articles published both in selected journals and collective works. Two important dimensions determining the internationalization of local scholarly communication are considered: direct contribution (foreign authors’ articles and papers and their translations published in Poland) and indirect contribution (citedness of foreign authors’ documents in articles and papers published in Poland). Bibliographic data about the geographical distribution and affiliation of foreign authors are gathered and analyzed. Furthermore, the findings of citation analysis are presented to determine the percentage share of citations received by foreign documents as well as to find out what is the structure of such citations regarding the language and form, which thematic areas are most replete with such citations and which foreign journals are most cited in Poland.     

The global institutionalization of nanotechnology research: A bibliometric approach to the assessment of science policy

Based on bibliometric methods, this paper describes the global institutionalization of nanotechnology research from the mid-1980s to 2006. Owing to an extremely strong dynamics, the institutionalization of nanotechnology is likely to surpass those of major disciplines in only a few years. A breakdown of the relative institutionalizations strengths by the main geographical regions, countries, research sectors, disciplines, and institutional types provides a very diverse picture over the time period because of different national science policies. The results allow a critical assessment of the different science policies based on the relative institutionalizations strengths as well as the conclusion that the institutionalization process has run out of control of individual governments who once induced the development.