Development of Fundamental Research of SiC_w / Al Composites in HIT Part Ⅱ: Mechanical Behaviour of Squeeze-cast SiC_w / Al Composites

Studies on the mechanical behaviour of squeeze-cast SiCw / Al composites have been revjewed. The results show that SiCw / Al composites exhibit improved mechan ical properties and cyclic hard ening. The reasons leading to the above results are discussed. Localized deformation near SiC whiskers plays an important role in the initiation of microcracks in the composites, and the fracture of the composites is caused by the abrupt linking of microcracks

Fundamental Research on Enhancing Operation Reliability for Large-Scale Interconnected Power Grids——An interview with Zhou Xiaoxin, chief scientist of "973 Program"

At the end of last year, the editors from Power and Electrical Engineers interviewed Zhou Xiaoxin on "Fundamental Research on Enhancing Operation Reliability for Large-Scale Interconnected Power Grids", a project of "973 Program". Mr. Zhou, the chief engineer of China Electric Power Research Institute(CEPRI) and an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, is the chief scientist in charge of this research project.

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN NATURAL SCIENCE: SUPPORTING NATIONAL STRATEGY

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have put forward "the strategy for revitalizing China through science and education" and decided to implement it with the turn of the century. All circles of the society and the broad masses of people i n China are unprecedentedly raising their scientific and technical awareness and so gradually reaching more and more common understanding of the role that fundamental research in natural science has been playing as a cornerstone in the implementation of "the strategy of revitalizing China through science and education".

SEVERAL ISSUES CONCERNING FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH

This article expounds the strategic significance and main tasks of fundamental research, and analyses the situation that the Chinese Academy of Sciences is faced with in its fundamental research, and the measures which should be taken.

Progress in fundamental research on thermal desorption remediation of organic compound-contaminated soil

Thermal desorption(TD)is a mainstream technology for the remediation of organic compound-contaminated soil.By reviewing the domestic and foreign research on the remediation of organic compound-contaminated soil by TD,this paper systematically introduces the principle,characteristics,and classification of TD.The impact of key operating parameters(such as heating temperature and heating time),certain physical and chemical properties(such as soil texture,moisture content),and external conditions(such as additives and the carrier gas)on the TD process is summarized.Next,pollutants’migration and their transformation processes,as well as the laws governing the TD process,are briefly described.Finally,the prospects of TD,in terms of its future research and development directions,are described,with the aim of providing references for the application and promotion of TD.

“Sparking”and“Igniting”Key Publications of 2020 Nobel Prize Laureates

Purpose:This article aims to determine the percentage of"Sparking"articles among the work of this year’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine,physics,and chemistry.Design/methodology/approach:We focus on under-cited influential research among the key publications as mentioned by the Nobel Prize Committee for the 2020 Noble Prize laureates.Specifically,we extracted data from the Web of Science,and calculated the Sparking Indices using the formulas as proposed by Hu and Rousseau in 2016 and 2017.In addition,we identified another type of igniting articles based on the notion in 2017.Findings:In the fields of medicine and physics,the proportions of articles with sparking characteristics share 78.571%and 68.75%respectively,yet,in chemistry 90%articles characterized by"igniting".Moreover,the two types of articles share more than 93%in the work of the Nobel Prize included in this study.Research limitations:Our research did not cover the impact of topic,socio-political,and author’s reputation on the Sparking Indices.Practical implications:Our study shows that the Sparking Indices truly reflect influence of the best research work,so it can be used to detect under-cited influential articles,as well as identifying fundamental work.Originality/value:Our findings suggest that the Sparking Indices have good applicability for research evaluation.

A public health mission in Canada in response to the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic

Many governments in the world reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by swiftly offering stimulus packages to their populations.While public unpreparedness was dramatic,it was not unexpected:many alarms had been sounded.Strategies by the federal and various provincial governments of Canada in core sectors predis-posed the country to the current situation and weakened its capacity to respond adequately.This paper reviews the cumulative effects of these strategic orientations:a deficient investment strategy in fundamental science;dis-connect between laboratory work and the country's capacity to produce vaccines and antiviral drugs;the priority of cost efficiency that led to overwhelming dependency on foreign production of medical supplies;and dramatic spending cuts in public health.We will discuss a Mission strategy to exit the crisis that takes a long-term perspec-tive,in which public interest and public health,combined with a strong State leadership,stimulate innovation and collaboration between national and international actors.

Several Problems in the Development of Basic Disciplines

In this paper, several problems related to the development of basic disciplines are expounded from macroscopic visual angle. First, four important concepts(basic science, basic discipline, basic research, fundamental research) are analyzed. Then, reserve strength for the development of basic disciplines in China is considered in accordance with funds that have been put into basic research. Finally, several theoretical cognition problems concerning the development of basic disciplines (such as social function of science, motive force for the development of basic disciplines, as well as soft environment and cultural atmosphere favourable to it) are discussed.