As China has celebrated its economic boom over the past decades, scientific research within the R&D sector of industry has become an active arena for Science and Technology Studies (STS) in understanding how science contributes to social change in China. Two themes are central in this sociological work: the study of secular change in China, in particular, change in its biotech industries exemplified by work in the BGI (formerly known as Beijing Genomics Institute); the investigation of interdisciplinarity in that context. This research sheds new light on explanatory practice in interdisciplinary research (IDR) strategy as patterns of interaction in the social process of scientific knowledge production, and its contribution also includes bridging the sociology of scientific knowledge production and research policy studies. In this thesis, I examine a number of topics at three interrelated levels of analysis. First, it explores the theoretical development of the academic discipline and the notion of interdisciplinarity, with a focus on the balance of normative and descriptive approaches in understanding their social functionality as embodied by what I name as Paradiscipline (the initial stage of IDR project). The second level investigates closely how IDR patterns emerge and evolve in the sequencing-based industrial R&D practice in the case of the BGI. Social, cultural, and institutional factors directing and conditioning collective actions by status groups within interaction network are carefully weighed against the context that scientific expertise speak to power in China's social setting. The last level is dedicated to yield more pervasive implications including the organizational structure of interaction and modelling of scientific research, via comparative analysis of traditional S&T management and governing 'Big Science'. It further addresses the issues around on-site governance of China's biotechnology industry R&D, at both management practice and policy making levels, on the basis of social embedment.

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; School of Electrical and Information System; MSC Dissertation / In this paper, the Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator (ESPAR) antenna, developed by the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR) in Japan was analyzed to determine its feasibility as a low cost direction finding (DF) system. Simulations of the antenna were performed in SuperNEC and Matlab was used to determine the direction of arrival (DOA) using the Reactance Domain multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. Results show the ideal configuration has 6 parasitic elements with a diameter of 0.5 . Up to 5 periodic, uncorrelated signals spread 360° in azimuth and above 45° elevation produce sharp peaks in the MUSIC spectra. Azimuth separations of only 2° at 40 dB are resolvable while signals arriving with 25% full power are still detectable. For the DOA to be resolved the radiation pattern should be asymmetrical and hence the reactance set should have a range of unequal values. Comparative results show that the 6 element ESPAR offers excellent overall performance despite the reduction in cost and is comparable in performance to the 6 element uniform linear array.

Mundialmente a inovação é um dos principais assuntos das agendas políticas e econômicas. Por meio da inovação, as empresas adquirem vantagens competitivas sustentáveis, e alavanca o desenvolvimento econômico do país ou de sua região. A fim de minimizar os custos e adaptar as exigências do mercado interno e externo, a participação do instituto público de pesquisa (IPP) é fundamental para dar mais agilidade no desenvolvimento de novos produtos e processos, pois foca na pesquisa aplicada. Assim, uma integração harmônica deveria ocorrer entre o setor produtivo e o IPP, porém há entraves contratuais e burocráticos que podem, inclusive, prejudicar um projeto de inovação entre estes entes. A partir do problema apresentado, surge a questão: como negociar os aspectos da formalização da transferência de tecnologia por meio de um instrumento contratual entre o IPP e o setor produtivo? Para tanto, este trabalho faz uma revisão bibliográfica sobre a pesquisa, definição e características do IPP, a transferência de tecnologia e os aspectos de propriedade intelectual, bem como a negociação contratual. Propõe a revisitar o conceito de transferência de tecnologia, das suas formas de contratação, bem como da propriedade intelectual e dos aspectos pertinentes na negociação dos instrumentos contratuais. A metodologia de pesquisa utilizada foi de estudo exploratório e qualitativo com estratégia de pesquisa de casos em 04 (quatro) IPPs de países localizados na América Latina, do Brasil, México e Uruguai. Verificou-se que em todos os IPPs são negociados caso a caso os aspectos de propriedade industrial que incidem nos contratos de transferência de tecnologia, porém diferem em razão da legislação de seu país ou de suas diretrizes institucionais. Recomenda-se para trabalhos futuros a ampliação deste escopo para os demais IPPs localizados nos países que compõem a América Latina, bem como nos Estados Unidos, Japão, e Europa, a fim de aprimorar a negociação dos aspectos, tornando mais ágil a contratação dos IPPs junto ao setor produtivo. / Innovation is one of the main issues of political and economic globally agendas. Through innovation, companies acquire sustainable competitive advantages, and leverage the economic development of the country or its region. In order to minimize costs and adapt the requirements of the internal and external market, the participation of the public research institute (PRI) is fundamental to give more agility in the development of new products and processes, as it focuses on applied research. Thus, a harmonic integration should occur between the productive sector and the PRI, however there are contractual and bureaucratic barriers that can even harm an innovation project between these ones. From the problem presented, the question arises: how to negotiate aspects of formal technology transfer through a contractual instrument between the PRI and the productive sector? To do so, this work makes a bibliographic review about research, definition and characteristics of PRI, technology transfer and intellectual property aspects, as well as contractual negotiation. Proposes to revisit the concept of technology transfer, its forms of hiring, as well as intellectual property rights and relevant aspects in the negotiation of contractual instruments. The research methodology used was an exploratory and qualitative study with a strategy to investigate cases in four (4) PRIs from countries located in Latin America, such Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay. It has been found that in all PRIs negotiate case-by-case aspects of industrial property that deal with technology transfer contracts, but differ according to the legislation of their country or their institutional guidelines. It is recommended to further work of this scope enlargement to others PRIs located in others Latin America countries, as well as in the United States, Japan and Europe, in order to improve the trading aspects, making it more agile hiring of PRIs by productive sector.

Este trabalho investiga os projetos cooperativos de pesquisa coordenados por institutos públicos de pesquisa tecnológica (IPPs), com a participação de universidades, empresas e outros agentes do sistema de inovação. Considera-se que estas iniciativas possam ser um mecanismo para promover e acelerar a produção de inovações tecnológicas avançadas, tanto por permitir a reunião de diferentes e complementares capacitações, como por possibilitar a alavancagem de recursos financeiros. Nestes projetos, os IPPs têm aproveitado sua experiência em atividades nas fases intermediárias do processo de inovação para assumir o desafio de reunir os conhecimentos das ciências básicas e aplicadas, produzidos nas universidades, às suas capacitações tecnológicas, e aos conhecimentos das firmas sobre a produção e os seus negócios, com o objetivo de oferecer novas tecnologias para o mercado. Este trabalho também realiza um levantamento sobre as características dos IPPs e as formas como estas instituições têm se relacionado com as universidades e empresas. Para uma análise mais aprofundada destas experiências, foram selecionados três casos para a pesquisa de campo: o Fraunhofer Innovation Clusters, programa coordenado pelos Institutos Fraunhofer, na Alemanha, que apoia o desenvolvimento de projetos cooperativos entre agentes pertencentes a uma mesma região; o National Flagship Program, coordenado pela Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), na Austrália; e por fim, os projetos Mobile Harbour e Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV), coordenados pelo Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), na Coreia do Sul. A decisão de apresentar a experiência do KAIST, apesar da instituição ser uma universidade, deve-se ao fato de esta ser enriquecedora para os propósitos deste trabalho. Os casos estudados indicaram o elevado investimento público destas iniciativas. As equipes destas instituições também mostraram que a qualidade das pesquisas é o ponto de partida para que as empresas queiram cooperar com os IPPs. Em seguida, os pesquisadores apontaram a relevância da capacidade de gestão dos projetos pelas equipes dos IPPs. Os casos apresentados tornaram evidente que gerar inovação pressupõe a capacidade de administrar os diversos assuntos que poderão afetar a adoção das tecnologias e que as empresas podem contribuir nestes processos. As experiências indicaram também que as universidades têm participado nos projetos, solucionando problemas científicos que impedem o desenvolvimento das tecnologias. Os resultados mostram que estas iniciativas têm contribuído para a produção de inovação para seus países. / This thesis investigates cooperative research coordinated by public research institutes (PRIs), with participation of universities, companies and other agents of the innovation system. It is considered that these initiatives may be a mechanism to promote and accelerate the development of advanced technological innovations, both by allowing the gathering of different and complementary capabilities, such as by allowing the leveraging of financial resources. In order to develop these projects, PRIs are assuming the challenge of joining the university basic and applied knowledge with their technological capabilities and the firms product development knowledge to propose high market value technologies. It is also identified some PRI characteristics and the ways these institutions have been working with universities and companies. For a more detailed analysis of their experiences, three cases were selected for field research: the Fraunhofer Innovation Clusters, a program coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany, which supports the development of cooperative projects between agents belonging to the same regions; the National Flagship Program, coordinated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in Australia; and finally, the Mobile Harbour and Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) projects, coordinated by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), in South Korea. The intention of presenting the KAIST experience is due to the fact that this may contribute to the purposes of this study, although it is a university. Cases studied indicated the high level of public investment in these initiatives. These institutions have also pointed the research quality as the starting point for cooperation with industry. Then, it was emphasised the ability of PRI members in project management. Experiences clarified that producing innovation requires the ability of managing various issues that may affect the adoption of technologies. It was also pointed that companies can contribute to these processes. These cases also showed that universities are participating by solving scientific problems that hinder the technology development. Conclusions are that these PRI initiatives are managing to contribute to produce relevant innovation to their countries.

The persistence of grizzly bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) in western Alberta is threatened by increasing human activities on the landscape. The Foothills Research Institute Grizzly Bear Program (FRIGBP) hypothesizes human-caused landscape change in Alberta causes long-term stress in individual bears, resulting in impaired biological functions and, when many bears are affected, decreased population performance. To facilitate the evaluation of individual grizzly bear health within the FRIGBP, the objective of my research was to develop and assess the usefulness of a health function score system for grizzly bears. From a large set of complex biological data collected from grizzly bears from 1999 to 2007, I merged 14 � constituent� variables into four health functions; growth, immunity, movement, and stress. For each health function, I calculated individual scores by adding ranked and weighted variable percentiles. I found that health function scores corresponded well with health status of individual bears based on values for multiple constituent variables. The score system facilitated quick screening of health in individual bears, identification of bears with reduced health, and comparison of health profiles between bears. I examined the usefulness of the score system by evaluating relationships presumed to exist under the working hypothesis of the FRIGBP. Results generated from health function scores were compared with those from constituent variable values using statistical and graphical techniques. I concluded that scores likely provided clearer depiction of wildlife health relationships than did constituent variables because they were not influenced by capture method, sex, or outlying observations. By using the score system, I found support for the proposed positive relationship between human-affected landscape condition and stress, but not for inverse relationships between stress and other health functions. The usefulness of the score system could be increased by minimizing use of redundant constituent variables, e.g., in growth and immunity, and removing the influence of potential confounding factors, e.g., capture.

The persistence of grizzly bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) in western Alberta is threatened by increasing human activities on the landscape. The Foothills Research Institute Grizzly Bear Program (FRIGBP) hypothesizes human-caused landscape change in Alberta causes long-term stress in individual bears, resulting in impaired biological functions and, when many bears are affected, decreased population performance. To facilitate the evaluation of individual grizzly bear health within the FRIGBP, the objective of my research was to develop and assess the usefulness of a health function score system for grizzly bears. From a large set of complex biological data collected from grizzly bears from 1999 to 2007, I merged 14 � constituent� variables into four health functions; growth, immunity, movement, and stress. For each health function, I calculated individual scores by adding ranked and weighted variable percentiles. I found that health function scores corresponded well with health status of individual bears based on values for multiple constituent variables. The score system facilitated quick screening of health in individual bears, identification of bears with reduced health, and comparison of health profiles between bears. I examined the usefulness of the score system by evaluating relationships presumed to exist under the working hypothesis of the FRIGBP. Results generated from health function scores were compared with those from constituent variable values using statistical and graphical techniques. I concluded that scores likely provided clearer depiction of wildlife health relationships than did constituent variables because they were not influenced by capture method, sex, or outlying observations. By using the score system, I found support for the proposed positive relationship between human-affected landscape condition and stress, but not for inverse relationships between stress and other health functions. The usefulness of the score system could be increased by minimizing use of redundant constituent variables, e.g., in growth and immunity, and removing the influence of potential confounding factors, e.g., capture.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 16, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Joe Donaldson. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Bibliography: leaves 488-505. / Microfiche. / xx, 505 leaves, bound 28 cm

Thesis (MCIS) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print ( 131 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 616.99404200285 WAN)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1974. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 414-419).