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In January 2006 the first Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWP) was organized by students at the University of Southern California. The conference has become an annual event at the university and has expanded to conferences in the Midwest at the University of Michigan and to the East Coast at Yale University. Over 250 undergraduates have attended the CUWP since its inception. We look at the impact of the conferences from survey results taken before and after conference participation. Additionally we discuss the history of the CUWP, how it has evolved, and how it has shaped and been shaped by the institutional climates. We present the future goals and plans for assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of the CUWP.

In recent years the overall climate for women in academia in Canada has improved. Efforts are being made to attract girls to science at a young age. The enrollment of women across undergraduate and graduate programs in the physical sciences has increased gradually in the past decade, with a sharp increase at the graduate level. In light of a large number of upcoming retirements in academic positions, the presence of women in academia will continue to grow, supported by efforts to ensure equity in academia made by government agencies, academic institutions, and faculty associations.

We report the changes that have taken place recently regarding the situation of female scientists in Argentina. We comment on the rules for maternity leave that have been passed recently for research scholars doing their PhDs and on the number of women scientists that occupy decision making‐positions in science. We also present some evidence that seems to indicate that, among young scientists, women are more willing to occupy leadership positions and that the Argentinean society is more accepting of this new role.

In recent years, nanopores nave become an important tool to study the properties of single biomolecules in ionic solutions. The technique is based on the translocation of biomolecules through pores of comparable size, which are recorded as changes in the pore conductance. Among the various topics that can be studied with this technique are DNA unzipping and protein denaturation Various types of nanopores are used for these experiments, including biological, chemical, and solid‐state pores. Here we present a way to fabricate sub‐5‐nm pores in 20–100 nm thick SiC membranes by direct drilling with a focused ion beam. In order to obtain a user‐friendly setup allowing low‐noise measurements, these membranes have to be carefully integrated into an electrolytic cell. For this purpose, the membranes are fixed on a piece of Pyrex containing a micrometer‐sized aperture, which is used to select the desired pore and at the same time reduces the area of the membrane that is exposed to the liquid, thus reducing the cap...

Latvian women physicists participated in the Baltic State Network for Women in Science and High Technology (BASNET) in 2006 and 2007. We investigated the status of women scientists and created a common strategy to improve the situation of women scientists in all three Baltic countries.

I studied physics for three years in a bamboo hut in the forest. It was during the war and my school had fled Hanoi. I subsequently earned my bachelor’s degree in physics from Hanoi University and my PhD from the Polish Academy of Science. I am now a member of the National Basic Research Program of Vietnam on Optical Properties of Photonic Materials at the Institute of Materials Science of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology. In 2005 I received the National Award of Vietnam for Science and Technology. This is the story of how I came to love physics more at each step of my education and career.

We discuss women physicists in Albania, their problems, their achievements, the work done by Women in Physics Group in Albania, difficulties in attracting more girls into the field of physics, and plans and projects for the future.

We report on two main activities of the Working Group Women in Physics of the Mexican Physical Society: “Latin American Women in Exact and Life Sciences,” held in Mexico City in May 2006; and the annual “Participation of Women in Science” event. We also update information on the status of female researchers.

In Iran there is no difference between boys’ and girls’ activities in scientific works; however, they study separately at schools until they reach the university level. Before going to university, students think engineering and medical science are better than the other sciences for earning enough money to support their lives. But after the entrance exam for universities most of the girls choose basic sciences based on their test results. Creative methods of teaching physics at the elementary and secondary levels, such as “Dominos in Physics” and “Physics in Nature,” and understanding physics through real‐life examples and animation are important for attracting students to further studies and careers in physics. Participating in international physics competitions and holding national tournaments and university open houses in physics is also very helpful. Studying physics can improve students’ abilities and also help them to imagine, decide, think, and live better.

Introducing two plain electromagnetic waves into nonlinear material, we can get another electromagnetic wave with frequency different from the two incident waves. We know the norms of same direction incidence case. Parallel incident waves can be calculated simply with one‐dimensional calculation. In this research, we examine arbitrary angle incidence cases by using the computational method. We arrived at two‐dimensional findings and compared them with parallel incident case.

Publicly funded science, which employs the majority of research scientists in Australia, has since 1988 had significant shifts in the basis for funding with the expectation that all research, regardless of how fundamental, should have a plan or potential for impact for the community’s benefit. This may be solving major problems for Australia (e.g., climate change and provision of water and energy) to creating new technologies and industries to boost the Australian economy. At the same time, there has been some improvement in the status of women in science in Australia. There is recognition that women bring diversity to research teams, making teams more effective, and this is being embraced. However, other issues are still creating difficulties for women from the drop in the quality of child care while its costs increase; the need to juggle family and career, particularly balancing the need for travel; the poorly paid maternity leave provisions; and the difficulty in restarting a career in science if time ...

In this paper we give an overview of the challenges Kenyan women physicists face in their educational and career engagements as a result of social‐cultural stigma, cultural prejudices, and balancing family and work demands. We also discuss steps being taken in Kenya to address gender inequality in almost all spheres of public and private workplaces and the benefits to a prosperous developing nation of educating the girl child.

Scientists continue to investigate photosynthesis—nature’s process to efficiently regulate and store energy. To explore the mechanisms of regulation we used fluorescence, resonance Raman spectroscopy, and biochemical preparative methods. For detailed analysis we applied decomposition of the low temperature steady‐state fluorescence spectra. This allowed us to estimate the emission of distinct pigment protein complexes (PPC) and evaluate the fluorescence of various aggregation forms of the main light harvesting complex (LHCII), which plays a major role in the studied mechanisms. Resonance Raman spectroscopy revealed with precision the relation between changes in pigments’ spectral properties and structural distortions of PPC. It was shown that aggregation of LHCII led to out‐of‐plane distortion, not only of neoxanthin, but also of lutein molecules. This was enhanced when the complex was embedded in thylakoid membranes (TM). It was suggested that lutein molecules are more closely related to the process of a...

Scientific and technological know‐how, not the amount of natural resources, determines the development of a country. Bangladesh, with insignificant natural resources and a huge population on a small piece of land, can be developed through scientific and technological means. Whereas it was once the most sought‐after subject at secondary and postsecondary levels, science is losing its appeal in an alarming shift of choice. Problems in science education and possible solutions for Bangladesh, which has limited resources for encouraging science education, are presented.

Single molecules are the smallest building blocks of matter with chemical properties. The intrinsic properties of individual molecules cannot be understood in an ensemble of molecules where many properties are averaged and affected by local environment. We have investigated the nature of interaction between single molecules and surfaces from the chemistry point of view. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a versatile and powerful tool for realizing the purpose of our study, not only because it can reveal images of individual molecules, but because it is now applicable to manipulation, chemical reaction, and probing quantum states of single molecules. Electronic, vibrational, or spin states are selectively excited with spectroscopy and sub‐nanometer spatial resolution is realized.

The optical transition energies (Eii) of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are influenced by the local environment created by solvents and adsorbed molecules. We analyzed SWNT photoluminescence (PL) energies in various dielectric media and elucidated a semiempirical scaling relation for Eii shifts and nanotube structural properties from a classical solvatochromic formalism. We corrected the SWNT Kataura plot for a dielectric constant of unity and used it in conjunction with the scaling to accurately predict PL energies in a broad range of dielectric media.

In this paper we summarize the situation for women in physics in India. We provide some statistics, describe new initiatives, and provide comments collated from the widely varying backgrounds of the authors.

The polycrystalline silicon‐oxide‐nitride‐oxide‐silicon (SONOS) device has become an appealing alternative for next‐generation flash memory applications. However, as nitride thickness and gate size are reduced in nano‐scale, some problems in device performance and reliability have resulted, such as insufficient charge trapping efficiency. To solve these problems, bandgap engineering in charge trapping layers has been proposed for high‐density flash memories. We proposed bandgap engineering technique in SONOS devices to improve device performance. In this work, uniform standard nitride, Si‐rich nitride, and proposed non‐uniform nitride films were fabricated. The modified non‐uniform nitride film has a Si‐rich region in its core, surrounded by standard silicon nitride layers. To evaluate performance, its proposed structure was compared with both standard nitride and Si‐rich nitride structures. We confirmed that our structure could be effective in improving facets of device performance, such as charge trapping efficiency, cycling endurance, and data retention. These results show that the proposed structure is promising for application to next‐generation charge‐trap memory devices.

The gender equality problem in physics is discussed on the basis of Lithuanian statistics and results of the project, “Baltic States Network: Women in Sciences and High Technology” (BASNET), initiated by Lithuanian women physicists and financed by the European Commission.

The effects of some atmospheric parameters such as the extratropical suction pump (ETSP) and the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) on the variability of ozone in the tropics are investigated, with emphasis on Nigeria. Earth Probe total ozone mass spectroscopy data obtained for 1997 through 2005 were used. The results show that the mean 03 concentration temporal oscillation period, average temporal amplitude of oscillation, and average maximum daily variation are 273.6±0.04 DU, 7.81 DU, and 48.8 DU, respectively. The average monthly maximum and minimum O3 concentrations were found to be 287.8 DU between July and August and 192.73 DU between December and March. These variations follow the trend of the zonal wind speeds obtained for Nigeria for the periods under investigation. This O3 variation within the tropics could be attributed to the effects of the ETSP action, which causes O3 transport from the tropical stratosphere to the mid‐latitude region. The QBO effect on O3 variability was observed in February 2...

God created men and women differently so we can integrate with each other for the sake of the Earth’s inhabitants, and form families that are the fundamental building blocks of healthy and prosperous nations. The world around us is full of many challenges (environment, energy, health, food). Physicists are able to contribute strongly in solving most of these challenges; moreover, physicists can help promote in the welfare and economic development of all nations. Advancing in physics understanding is an exciting intellectual challenge that benefits from the diverse and complementary approaches taken by both women and men. Accordingly, women are needed to change the face of physics. We have to encourage and attract them, beginning with the education of girls, scholarships, help balancing family and career, and positions of influence for women. These measures are discussed.

We studied the lowest excitation energy of natural parity over even or odd multipole states in even‐even nuclei. The studies are done separately on each multipole state of nuclei. We suggest the global dependence of the lowest excitation energies on their spin. We find that spin dependency explains the overall behavior of the lowest excitation energy over the broad range of even‐even nuclei, with some exceptions.

The Cu49Hf42Al9 bulk metallic glass with a critical diameter of 10 mm was recently developed by J. Xu et al. We attempted to reproduce this alloy and developed Cu‐Hf‐Al ternary systems. The maximum critical diameter of the new bulk glassy alloy was 6 mm. The width of the supercooled liquid region ΔTx = Tx−Tg for this glass was 73° K. To increase the toughness of these metallic glasses, the Cu48Hf43Al9 bulk metallic glass‐forming liquid was reinforced with 50% volume fraction tungsten particles and 80% volume fraction composite with 242.4‐μm tungsten wire. Composites with critical diameters of 7 mm and lengths of 70 mm were synthesized. Structure, thermal stability, and microstructure of the composites were studied by X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscope. The mechanical properties of the composites were studied in compression tests.

Iridium is important for developing ultrahigh‐temperature oxidation‐resistant coatings, in addition to its role in catalysis and potential as an effective oxygen diffusion barrier for multilayered coatings. We present an ab initio density‐functional study of aluminum adsorption on Ir (111) at high symmetry sites, i.e., the fcc‐, hcp‐hollow, top, and bridge sites. The atomic geometry, average binding energy, work function, and surface dipole moment at a coverage of 0.25–1 monolayer are calculated. A favorable structure is found to be Al at the threefold hcp‐hollow site, with a corresponding binding energy of 4.46 eV. We compare the electronic properties of the two lowest energy structures, i.e., the threefold hollow sites, and discuss the nature of the Al‐Ir bond and binding site preference. A large hybridization of the Al‐3s, 3p, and Ir‐5d states is observed near the Fermi level, forming intermetallic bonds. This results in significant electron transfer from the Al atoms to the Ir (111) substrate, inducing an outward pointing surface dipole moment and a large decrease of 1.69 eV in the work function for Al at the hcp‐hollow site. Adsorption at this site results in a lower density‐of‐states compared to the fcc‐hollow site, as well as greater hybridization in the bonding states.Iridium is important for developing ultrahigh‐temperature oxidation‐resistant coatings, in addition to its role in catalysis and potential as an effective oxygen diffusion barrier for multilayered coatings. We present an ab initio density‐functional study of aluminum adsorption on Ir (111) at high symmetry sites, i.e., the fcc‐, hcp‐hollow, top, and bridge sites. The atomic geometry, average binding energy, work function, and surface dipole moment at a coverage of 0.25–1 monolayer are calculated. A favorable structure is found to be Al at the threefold hcp‐hollow site, with a corresponding binding energy of 4.46 eV. We compare the electronic properties of the two lowest energy structures, i.e., the threefold hollow sites, and discuss the nature of the Al‐Ir bond and binding site preference. A large hybridization of the Al‐3s, 3p, and Ir‐5d states is observed near the Fermi level, forming intermetallic bonds. This results in significant electron transfer from the Al atoms to the Ir (111) substrate, inducin...

Created at nano‐Kelvin temperatures, rotating Bose gases present an opportunity to study striking phenomena in a regime which is completely unattainable in the condensed matter analogue of 4He. In this theoretical paper we discuss what happens at and beyond the limits of current experiments. Vortex lattices, as expected by analogy with helium and superconductivity, have been observed, but we demonstrate that the dynamics are unconventional. At faster rotation we demonstrate links to fractional quantum Hall effect physics and predict completely uncondensed but correlated ground states. In the mesoscopic regime we predict tunnelling as the route to vortex nucleation.

The maximum storage density in magnetic media is limited by the superparamagnetic size of the grains that make up the bits. The superparamagnetic size can be reduced by increasing the anisotropy of the grains; however, in conventional media, in which the anisotropy of the grains is uniform, this leads to a proportionate increase in the switching field. The switching field, however, is limited by the maximum magnetization of the core material in the write head. Recent calculations have shown that the switching field can be significantly reduced relative to the thermal stability of the grains if the anisotropy is made to vary appropriately from the bottom to the top of the grain. In this project we propose to test this concept by fabricating and characterizing anisotropy graded films. We will use the hcp CoPtX system, with X = Cr or Ru, where the anisotropy gradient is obtained by grading the composition. Both sheet films and granular films will be fabricated. The anisotropy gradients will be determined by ...

A well diversified portfolio is critical to prudent investment in a stock market. To lessen risk in a volatile market, portfolios should minimize dispersion. This paper analyzes skewness and kurtosis of businesses listed on Korean stock markets, e.g., KOSPI and KOSDAQ. It looks at distribution using the Gauss function, and examines how mean and variance can be applied in building a portfolio.

Gallium oxide nanodots of 220–300 nm diameters have been grown by SiO2‐assisted thermal evaporation. The grayish‐white crust deposited on the crucible walls was proved to be crystalline Ga2O3 through X‐ray diffraction and TEM electron diffraction. The morphology of the samples examined by SEM confirmed the nanodot structure formation of average diameter 220±30 nm and average density 1.77×108 cm−2. The absorption spectra of the Ga2O3 suspension in water revealed two absorption peaks at 329.99 nm (3.76 eV) and 338.60 nm (3.67 eV). Photoemission of blue light at room temperature was observed at 410.3 nm under excitation at 330.00±4.06 nm. The growth mechanism of the nanodots is explained by a liquid‐vapor‐solid mechanism. The measured remaining ingot hardness was found to be 16.6 Vickers hardness number, exceeding that of SiO2. This might well indicate the existence of a certain percentage of the hardening Ga2O3 compound in the remaining catalytic ingot.

Uzbekistan has about 30 scientific and higher education institutes in which research in physics and other natural sciences is carried out. Women make up about 30% of science researchers and are represented less in natural sciences and more in the humanities. In some institutes the share is less than 5–10%. Lack of financing caused the migration of many physicists into other fields and other countries. Uzbekistan has a deficiency of young scientists. To keep the accumulated scientific potential, to attract both women and men into physics and other natural sciences, it is necessary to improve the economic and technical conditions in science and to increase international collaboration.

We measured coherent x‐ray diffraction (CXD), an emerging technique to obtain three‐dimensional internal and external images of crystals, on ZSM‐5 zeolite microcrystals to get internal density distribution and to map deformation field of strain. The experiments were performed at the beamline 34‐ID‐C in Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory in the US. The CXD patterns of ZSM‐5 zeolite microcrystals with sizes of 2 μm by monochromatic coherent x‐rays with energy of 9 keV were obtained under continuously surrounding and Bragg conditions as a function of temperature. The oversampled diffraction patterns are inverted to obtain three‐dimensional images of the shapes and internal strain fields of zeolite microcrystals using phase retrieval algorithms of error reduction and a hybrid input‐output method. The internal density and strain distribution as a function of temperature are discussed.

We presents the progress of women in Yemen in various fields of science in general and in physics in particular. Women in Yemen attending universities tend to choose science after medicine. The percentage of women in physics is low compared with those for other departments. As a special case, in Sana’a University the percentage of women in the physics department has increased greatly in the last decade. At the level of teaching staff there are only two females with PhD degrees in the whole of Yemen.

300 years since the first glimpse through the earliest microscopes, light microscopy is still an active field of research, breaking new frontiers in optical imaging and even becoming a means of mechanical manipulation of microparticles.

We used break‐junction tunneling spectroscopy to investigate the Coulomb correlation in n‐type Germanium. The doping concentration was smaller than the critical concentration for the metal‐insulator (Anderson) transition. The tunneling conductance, which probes the electronic density of states, was found to depend strongly on voltage, temperature and magnetic field. At low temperatures the differential conductance showed a minimum at zero voltage, as expected for a material with a Coulomb gap near the Fermi energy. Applying a magnetic field up to B = 8 Tesla at T = 0.1° K to 1° K reduced the magnitude of the tunneling conductance. Furthermore, our data on n‐type Germanium seem to indicate a strong suppression of the Coulomb gap in large fields. This could be due to the field‐induced shrinking of the electron wave functions that strongly reduces the overlap between the localized electron states. Using our theory of break‐junction tunneling in the hopping regime, we are able to explain the disappearance of ...

Real‐time observation of molecules in living cells is of great importance in the field of biomedicine. Fluorescent microscopic imaging techniques are highly sensitive and specific, and allow detailed visualization. However, applicable methods still face challenges due to cellular complexity. Our interests include working to meet these challenges to study real‐time and in situ imaging of special biomolecules in living cells. Specific applications of fluorescent microscopic imaging have been explored, such as thymocyte apoptosis induced by S‐nitrosoglutathione. Start‐up processes of thymocyte apoptosis and apoptosis‐initiating time points were recorded in real‐time at the single living cell level. Real‐time studies of the cooperation processes of the inducer with various inhibitors suggest different mechanisms of action. During the apoptosis‐inducing course, rapid increase of intracellular free calcium ion concentration and gradual loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were also detected in real‐time and...

A recent international study of women in physics showed that enrollment in physics and science is declining for both males and females and that women are severely underrepresented in careers requiring a strong physics background. The gender gap begins early in the pipeline, from the first grade. Girls are treated differently than boys at home and in society in ways that often hinder their chances for success. They have fewer freedoms, are discouraged from accessing resources or being adventurous, have far less exposure to problem solving, and are not encouraged to choose their lives. In order to motivate more girl students to study physics in the Assiut governorate of Egypt, the Assiut Alliance for the Women and Assiut Education District collaborated in renovating the education of physics in middle and secondary school classrooms. A program that helps in increasing the number of girls in science and physics has been designed in which informal groupings are organized at middle and secondary schools to invo...

Four‐point probe measurement has been commonly used to measure the electrical properties of nanostructured semiconductors. With this method, however, mechanical contacts are required and in some semiconductors, such as GaAs, it is difficult to characterize their electrical properties due to the Schottky barrier at the interface between metal and semiconductor.

Graduate employee unions represent a significant fraction of graduate employees in the United States, Canada, and other nations. The collective bargaining process is a unique forum where issues ranging from paid parental leave, hostile work environment, and access to lactation rooms can be addressed on an even footing with the employing universities. Because employment is governed by a collective bargaining agreement, violations are subject to a grievance policy. The Teaching Assistants’ Association at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison is one of the oldest graduate employee unions in the world. We discuss this example union, including successes in both the collective bargaining process and the grievance procedure. In particular, we find that graduate employee unions are an effective means of fighting pregnancy discrimination. We also provide a comparison of parental leave policies for graduate students at various universities.

The penetration property of the terahertz electromagnetic (THz) wave is relevant to its use. We used the THz wave spectroscopy system which easily penetrates some materials that do not contain water, e.g., plastic and ceramics. The system has been developed for several purposes, including measuring the properties of semiconductors and bio‐materials, and detecting plastic bombs and ceramic knives at airports. It is also used for medical imaging systems, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at some research institutes. It can show not only the difference in amplitude, but also the difference of the phase of each point of sample. MRI technology usually uses contrast agents to enhance the quality of the image. Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd‐DTPA), made with a heavy metal ion, is commonly used as a clinical MRI contrast agent. Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticle is a new contrast agent. It serves to equip the core of each particle with antibodies or ligands. It can freely circulate in blood vessels without amassing in the liver or lungs. This study shows the characteristics of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles to further advance terahertz medical imaging.The penetration property of the terahertz electromagnetic (THz) wave is relevant to its use. We used the THz wave spectroscopy system which easily penetrates some materials that do not contain water, e.g., plastic and ceramics. The system has been developed for several purposes, including measuring the properties of semiconductors and bio‐materials, and detecting plastic bombs and ceramic knives at airports. It is also used for medical imaging systems, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at some research institutes. It can show not only the difference in amplitude, but also the difference of the phase of each point of sample. MRI technology usually uses contrast agents to enhance the quality of the image. Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd‐DTPA), made with a heavy metal ion, is commonly used as a clinical MRI contrast agent. Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticle is a new contrast agent. It serves to equip the core of each particle with antibodies or ligands. It can freely circulate i...

Tohoku University was the first National University to admit three women students in Japan in 1913. To support the university’s traditional “open‐door” policy, various projects have been promoted throughout the university since its foundation. A government plan, the Third‐Stage Basic Plan for Science and Technology, aims to increase the women scientist ratio up to 25% nationwide. In order to achieve this goal, the Tohoku Women’s Hurdling Project, funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), was adopted in 2006. This project is threefold: support for child/family, improvement of facilities, and support for the next generation, which includes our Science Angels program. “Science Angels” are women PhD students appointed by the university president, with the mission to form a strong support system among each other and to become role‐models to inspire younger students who want to become researchers. Currently, 50 women graduate students of the natural sciences are Science Angels and are encouraged to design and deliver lectures in their areas of specialty at their alma maters. Up to now, 12 lectures have been delivered and science events for children in our community have been held—all with great success.

The numbers of women receiving undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics from San Marcos National University and undergraduate physics degrees from San Luis Gonzaga National University in Peru are reported. The number of undergraduate degrees in physics has increased for women in San Marcos University, but not for women earning master’s degrees. Why don’t women complete their post‐degree studies? Economics and gender stereotypes are factors that women in Peru have to fight each day. Peru does not have a good scholar program in science, so few students are interested in beginning their university careers in science. Improvements in science education are needed for our country to reach its potential.

Terahertz spectroscopy is important in the study of biomolecular structure because the vibration and rotation energy of large molecules such as DNA, proteins, and polysaccharides are laid in terahertz regions. Terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy (THz‐TDS), using terahertz pulses generated and detected by femto‐second pulses laser, has been used in the study of biomolecular dynamics, as well as carrier dynamics of semiconductors. Laminarin is a polysaccharide of glucose in brown algae. It is made up of β(1–3)‐glucan and β(1–6)‐glucan. β‐glucan is an anticancer material that activates the immune reaction of human cells and inhibits proliferation of cancer cells. β‐glucan with a single‐strand structure has been reported to activate the immune reaction to a greater extent than β‐glucan with a triple‐strand helix structure. We used THz‐TDS to characterize the difference between single‐strand and triple‐strand β‐glucan. We obtained single‐strand β‐glucan by chemical treatment of triple‐strand β‐glucan. We measur...

We have shown in recent years that interatomic and interionic distances are sums of the radii of the adjacent atoms or ions. Many examples are provided and it is shown how the experimental bond lengths agree with the radii sums. The examples include inorganic compounds such as alkali halides, metal hydrides, and graphene; organic compounds such as aliphatic and aromatic compounds; and biochemical compounds such as nucleic acids, amino acids, caffeine‐related compounds, and vitamins.

The process of globalization and reforms in Russia resulted in great changes in the human resources of Russian science. Feminization and stratification of Russian scientific community has occurred in physics and all sciences. Active women physicists ages 35–50 years are part of a new group of “new Russian scientists,” whose expertise is in demand in Russia and abroad. But the social conditions for young mothers are not satisfactory as yet, so young women physicists with small children have great problems in their career building, though there are lots of grants for young scientists (Russian and international). The percentage of female in physics and mathematics on average is about 40%. We show the present situation for women in physics and the activities of organizations of women physicists.

Women’s composition in the field of science and technology (ST therefore, information on every woman physicist in state universities is given.

One of the vital ingredients for development of any nation is knowledge of basic science, of which physics is the root source. There is poor enrollment of women in physics at both secondary and tertiary levels of education in Nigeria. Recently, the number of women enrolling in physics in Nigeria has increased slightly, but women are yet to distinguish themselves fully in the field. With a population of about 140 million people, of which more than 50% are women, Nigeria still has low student enrollment for females in physics compared with other courses. After the first and second IUPAP Women in Physics conferences in 2002 and 2005, there has been some improvement for women in physics in Nigeria, through the implementation of some of the resolutions reached at these conferences. We anticipate that implementing the strategies from this Third IUPAP Women in Physics Conference will yield positive fruits, as well.

This paper presents the status of women physicists, students, and professors at the Faculty of Sciences of Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon.

The Physicists in Primary Schools (PIPS) project is a joint venture initiated by the UK Women in Physics Group. A team from the University of Sheffield, with Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funding, has developed fun presentations and novel class activities using everyday articles for physicists to take into primary schools. The objectives are to instill enthusiasm in young children—including girls—through the enjoyment and excitement of physics, and support primary school teachers with a curriculum which includes many abstract concepts. All PIPS material is free to download from the Institute of Physics website (www.iop.org/pips), providing PowerPoint presentations and detailed explanations, as well as videos of the activities in classrooms. The topics are suitable for children age 4 to 11 years. There is interest in translating the presentations into other languages as there are few words on the slides and the material is likely valuable for older age groups. The presentations therefore have the potential to be useful worldwide.