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The aim of this study is to examine the significant factors to improve the green nuclear energy investments in the emerging economies. For this purpose, balanced scorecard-based criteria are weighted with DEMATEL methodology. The findings demonstrate that technological improvement and financial issues are the most important issues for the improvement of the green nuclear energy investments in these countries. Nuclear energy working with thorium can also be obtained with proton accelerator technology that is currently quite expensive. Because of this problem, the investors are not willing to make investments for green nuclear energy projects. Hence, emerging countries should make the necessary technological investments to have proton accelerator technologies. With the help of this condition, it will be possible to reduce the cost of green nuclear energy projects which attracts the attention of the investors. This situation has a powerful contribution for the sustainable economic development of these countries.

The paper seeks to propose and analyze a new electrostatic ramjet space engine.

The upper atmosphere (85‐1,000 km) is extremely dense in ions (millions per cubic cm). The interplanetary medium contains positive protons from the solar wind. A charged ball collects the ions (protons) from the surrounding area and a special electric engine accelerates the ions to achieve thrust or decelerates the ions to achieve drag. The thrust may have a magnitude of several Newtons. If the ions are decelerated, the engine produces a drag and generates electrical energy. The theory of the new engine is developed.

It is shown that the proposed engine driven by a solar battery (or other energy source) cannot only support satellites in their orbit for a very long time but can also work as a launcher of space apparatus. The latter capability includes launch to high orbit, to the Moon, to far space, or to the Earth's atmosphere (as a return thruster for space apparatus or as a killer of space debris). The proposed ramjet is very useful in interplanetary trips to far planets because it can simultaneously produce thrust or drag and large electric energy using the solar wind.

Two scenarios, launch into the upper Earth atmosphere and an interplanetary trip, are simulated and the results illustrate the excellent possibilities of the new concept.

The author's aim is to offer a revolutionary method – the non‐rocket transfer of energy and thrust into Space with distances of millions of kilometers.

The author develops the theory and makes the computations.

The method is more efficient than transmission of energy by high‐frequency waves.

The method may be used for space launch and for acceleration of spaceships and probes to very high speeds, up to relativistic speed by current technology.

The research presented contains prospective projects which illustrate the possibilities of the suggested method.

Copper electrodeposition acts as a crucial step in the manufacture of high-density interconnect board. The stability of plating solution and the uniformity of copper electrodeposit are the hotspot and difficulty for the research of electrodeposition. Because a large number of factors are included in electrodeposition, experimentally determining all parameters and electrodeposition conditions becomes unmanageable. Therefore, a multiphysics coupling technology was introduced to investigate microvia filling process, and the mechanism of copper electrodeposition was analyzed. The results provide a strong theoretical basis and technical guidance for the actual electroplating experiments. The purpose of this paper is to provide an excellent tool for quickly and cheaply studying the process behavior of copper electrodeposition without actually needing to execute time-consuming and costly experiments.

The interactions among additives used in acidic copper plating solution for microvia filling and the effect on the copper deposition potential were characterized through galvanostatic measurement (GM). The adsorption behavior and surface coverage of additives with various concentrations under different rotating speeds of working electrode were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements. Further, a microvia filling model was constructed using multiphysics coupling technology based on the finite element method.

GM tests showed that accelerator, inhibitor and leveler affected the potential of copper electrodeposition, and bis(3-sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS), ethylene oxide-propylene oxide (EO/PO) co-polymer, and self-made leveler were the effective additives in acidic copper plating solution. CV tests showed that EO/PO–Cu⁺-Cl⁻ complex was adsorbed on the electrode surface by intermolecular forces, thus inhibiting copper electrodeposition. Numerical simulation indicated that the process of microvia filling included initial growth period, the outbreak period and the stable growth period, and modeling result was compared with the measured data, and a good agreement was observed.

The research is still in progress with the development of high-performance computers.

A multiphysics coupling platform is an excellent tool for quickly and cheaply studying the electrodeposited process behaviors under a variety of operating conditions.

The numerical simulation method has laid the foundation for mechanism of copper electrodeposition.

By using multiphysics coupling technology, the authors built a bridge between theoretical and experimental study for microvia filling. This method can help explain the mechanism of copper electrodeposition.

This fourth article in a series of six focuses on mega‐material technologies. Offering the ability to deconstruct and reconstruct matter at atomic and sub‐atomic levels to achieve desired properties, mega‐materials are set to radically transform the physical sciences, realising an alchemist’s wildest dreams. Advanced understanding of the bio‐chemistry of life’s instructional genetic codes will be followed by parallel developments in physics and chemistry involving mastery over quantum mechanics, to enable the construction of “designer” materials. Harnessing nanotechnologies will introduce new and novel types of artefact that were previously the stuff of science fiction. Fully understanding and adroitly manipulating sub‐atomic matter will take time, but these technologies are expected to move to a dominant position in the economy between 2200 and 2300.

This paper aims at advancing a pragmatist perspective on entrepreneurial opportunities as an alternative to the traditional and predominant constructivist and objectivist perspectives. To this end, this paper advances a pragmatist definition of an opportunity and draws from empirical evidence to propose a pragmatist model of opportunity conception and exploitation.

A review of the entrepreneurial opportunity and pragmatism literatures yields a definition of an opportunity as a dynamic and unfolding experience which an entrepreneur conceives as a general market need to exploit it for financial or social gain. Drawing from this definition, and with the aim of developing a pragmatist model of an opportunity, a case study approach is applied to three radically innovative services conceived and developed by three high-performance computing (HPC) centers.

In each of the three cases, an entrepreneurial HPC center conceived a new, general market need (opportunity) and then acted to exploit it. Through its action, the HPC center learned something that enabled it to address barriers, develop an improvement or otherwise reconceive the opportunity. In turn, the HPC center learned more about and advanced the opportunity, and then acted again. After launching a new service based on the opportunity, the opportunity continued to evolve in response to the HPC center’s efforts and to market forces.

The pragmatist perspective and model of an opportunity can serve as a foundation for future pragmatist research into entrepreneurship and innovation. To this end, future studies could extend the model by examining in greater detail the acting-learning-reconceiving cycle, by exploring how an opportunity evolves and is reconceived after market launch and/or by investigating opportunity conception and exploitation within other types of markets.

From a pragmatist perspective, an opportunity is not some discrete object to be discovered. It is emergent and dynamic, and to the extent that it is “created”, it is never complete or finalized. It is experienced by the entrepreneur, and it continues to evolve, even after it has been launched as a new good or service.

The paper proposes novel value by advancing a pragmatist perspective on entrepreneurial opportunities. Such a perspective is an alternative to the constructivist and objectivist perspectives that have framed research into opportunities. The paper also proposes novel value by drawing from case study findings to propose a pragmatist model of opportunity conception and exploitation.

Urethane Acrylate Oligomer with 100% solids was synthesised and characterised in order to study the application in electron beam curing with varying ratio of Trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA). The purpose of this paper is to study effect of TMPTA addition on the crosslink density and different coating properties.

Polyester polyol was synthesised by reacting single diacid, adipic acid (AA), with Pentaerythritol (PENTA) and 1,6‐hexanediol (HD). Further, Urethane acrylate resin was synthesised by using Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydroxy ethyl acrylate (HEA) and Polyester polyol. The polyester polyol and urethane acrylate oligomer were characterised by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR and GPC. Further, TMPTA was added as a crosslinker to the urethane acrylate oligomer and cured by electron beam radiation. The cured UA films having varying concentration of TMPTA were employed to evaluate thermal property, contact angle analysis, mechanical and chemical properties.

The obtained results showed improvement in their chemical properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties and water contact angle at 20% of TMPTA iconcentration. The TMPTA also reduced the dose required for the curing.

The resin can be synthesised from different isocyanates as TDI, MDI and HMDI, etc. The study can also be done with different multi or mono functional monomers such as methacrylate, hexanediol diacrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, etc.

The paper provides the better solution to reduce the cost of the electron beam radiation required for the curing.

The method presented in the paper could be very useful for controlling environmental pollution; as the conventional method of curing releases volatile organic compounds (VOC).

In this paper, urethane acrylate and TMTPA cured with electron beam are shown to offer good coating properties. A high‐solid urethane acrylate coating would find numerous industrial applications in surface coatings.

An innovative approach for enhancing college courses using virtual worlds was developed to raise the students' level of engagement, promote critical thinking, and meet pedagogical objectives. Reaching to a new level of teaching delivery, this approach involves conducting tours of rich and exciting virtual world venues and assigning students' reflective assignments during and after the tour. In this chapter, the procedures for conducting virtual educational tours are presented, descriptions of explored virtual demonstrations and simulations are provided, findings from the learning experiences are discussed, and students' reactions to the technologies based on comprehensive surveys are shared. Furthermore, key lessons learned and recommended teaching strategies are provided and future plans for application of cutting-edge technologies to education are described.