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High‐frequency transducer arrays that can operate at frequencies above 30 MHz are needed for high‐resolution medical ultrasound imaging. The fabrication of such devices is challenging not only because of the fine‐scale piezocomposite fabrication typically required but also because of the small size of arrays and their interconnects. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of research to develop solutions for several of the major problems in high‐frequency ultrasound array fabrication.

Net‐shape 1‐3 piezocomposites operating above 40 MHz are developed. High‐quality surface finishing makes photolithographic patterning of the array electrodes on these fine scale piezocomposites possible, thus establishing a fabrication methodology for high‐frequency kerfless ultrasound arrays.

Structured processes are developed and prototype components are made with them, demonstrating the viability of the selected fabrication approach. A 20‐element array operating at 30 MHz is patterned and characterised. Furthermore, an electrode pattern suitable for a 20‐element array operating at 100 MHz is created to demonstrate the state of the art of photolithography processing directly on piezocomposite.

The work reported suggests that ultrasound arrays for real‐time biomedical imaging will be viable at higher frequencies than presently available commercially or previously reported in the research literature.

The main elements of a novel, fully mask‐based process for high‐frequency ultrasound transducer array fabrication are presented in outline in this paper.

A LEICESTER firm of shoe manufacturers recently cut down its basic patterns from between 30 and 40 to six. The effect was to increase production by 2,400 pairs a week and reduce work in progress and the stock of material in hand by a third. There has also been an increase in the earnings of operatives and a saving of a week in the time between planning and despatching orders.

While the common suggestion in leader-member exchange (LMX) research is that there is a strong relationship between LMX and performance, a closer look at these studies reveal that the performance measures in the majority of studies are primarily subjective in nature such as performance reviews. Relatively few studies examine the LMX-objective performance (OP) relationship. The findings from those studies are not consistent subjective performance studies. While most LMX studies are conducted in a work environment, this paper adds to the literature by examining this in a higher education. The findings indicated a significantly positive regression coefficient between Professional Respect and midterm grades. Based on the results, the authors introduce the idea of the “peer leader effect” and discussed the development of peer leaders.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what impact International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) lease accounting changes might have on corporate real estate (CRE) strategies, and what the consequences for future corporate real estate portfolio decisions might be.

A macro-analysis based on the constructive capitalization method of Imhoff et al. (1991) is used to determine the potential impact of IFRS lease accounting changes on Amsterdam Exchange Index (AEX) listed corporations. In addition, a series of interviews were held with CRE executives to discuss this impact and with CRE and IFRS experts for general insight.

The impact of IFRS lease accounting seems less severe than expected. Notwithstanding, it could form a serious bottleneck for CRE departments that do not operate on a strategic level. Therefore, IFRS lease accounting changes might act as a catalyst for the professionalization of corporate real estate management departments.

The paper provides CRE managers with a manageable insight to alter CRE decision-making processes in relation to IFRS lease accounting. The sample size was too small to make a distinction between different industries.

Past research showed that accounting is a potential variable in CRE decision-making, but did not yet clarify the possible impact of IFRS lease accounting on CRE strategies and the relating CRE operating decisions. Besides that, this paper also provides insight for options to cope with the (possibly severe) implications.

This paper aims to introduce and explores the use of electrodermal activity (EDA) data as a tool for obtaining data about youth engagement during maker learning activities.

EDA and survey data were collected from a yearlong afterschool maker program for teens that met weekly and was hosted at a children’s museum. Data from four youth who were simultaneously present for eight weeks were examined to ascertain what experiences and activities were more or less engaging for them, based on psychophysiological measures.

Most of the focal youth appeared to show higher levels of engagement by survey measures throughout the program. However, when examined by smaller time intervals, certain activities appeared to be more engaging. Planning of maker activities was one space where engagement was higher. Completing sewing projects with minimal social interaction appeared to be less engaging. Specific activities involving common maker technologies yielded mixed levels of engagement.

Some research is emerging that uses EDA data as a basis for generating inferences about various states while participating in maker learning activities. This paper provides a novel analysis building on some techniques established in the still emergent body of prior research in this area.

FOR the tenth time our American counterpart, the Industrial Management Society, is holding a contest for methods improvement. The brochure giving the rules shows how thoroughly such a project is undertaken. Its main purpose is to stimulate interest in cost reduction through improved ways of doing something, although the mere replacement of obsolete equipment by new plant which is commercially available is not considered to fall within the ambit of the competition.

MILLIONS of pounds have been recklessly thrown away by the naive Government on useless so‐called defence contracts. The greatest loss has been sustained by the aircraft industry and anyone who has had any experience at all of that industry will find nothing remarkable in such a statement.

THE article that appears in this issue entitled ‘Machine Design and the Work Study Analyst’ illustrates that the techniques of work study can be equally well applied in fields outside of production.

From the quiet new born days of early 1990s, the World Wide Web has had an exponential growth in the last decade or so. From the original goal of sharing research resources, Web today portrays a virtual world spanning from research to entertainment and e‐commerce. This growth has necessitated substantial changes in the Web model. From the purely syntactic and relatively static framework of HTML, we have moved through DHTML and XML incorporating dynamicity and extensibility, and are now en route semantic frameworks starting with RDF. These allow Web documents to be comprehensible to machines (and not just to humans) allowing software agents to access and process such information on the Web. This leads us to semantic Web, and thus to a generation of Web applications based on Web services, adaptive content delivery, etc. Spinning the Semantic Web is based on papers presented in a seminar in Germany in 2000, and sketches the vario elements of semantic Web, the issues in realising it as well as some visions of the future. The stimulating forward to the book by Tim Berners‐Lee, recently Knighted and widely regarded as the father of the Web, portrays his vision of semantic Web. The chapters explore specific issues such as ontologies, schema languages, annotations, applications, etc. The chapters are largely unorganised and presented without any cross‐linking and most chapters use a fair amount of domain jargon. The book will be of value to those seriously interested in the field.

FOR some time we have given news about Scottish industry at length because, as one of the major areas of underemployment in Great Britain, it deserves special consideration by industrialists embarking on new projects. We have therefore special sympathy with the considerable apprehension which exists there at present because of threatened rail closures. Although the present closures do not seem very serious in themselves the prevailing uncertainty can have adverse effects on the attraction of new industry to Scotland. Those who are in a position to assess the situation are definitely of the opinion that the second and later stages could be very serious indeed.