NEWS
Volt and Ohm Standards To Change in 1990
Center for Research on Parallel Computation Established
National representatives of the world's weights and measures community recently met in Sèvres, France, to adopt new conventional values for the Josephson constant and the von Klitzing constant. These fundamental physical constants are necessary for determining operational values of the volt (using the AC Josephson effect) and the ohm (using the quantum Hall effect). As a result of the changes, which have been approved by the International Committee of Weights and Measures and will be effective January 1, 1990, all industrial nations will share a common practical basis for measuring voltage and resistance. Currently there is an ~1.2 ppm difference between U.S. and European voltage standards. With the advent of modern, high-precision voltmeters, such differences have become increasingly significant to U.S. firms seeking to export high-precision equipment. The National Institute of Standards and Technology will adjust the U.S. voltage standard by ~ 9.3 ppm; the resistance standard will be adjusted by ~1.7 ppm. In addition, precision electrical measuring instruments will need to be adjusted or recalibrated to maintain consistency with the new standards.
The National Science Foundation has granted ~$4 million to four institutions to establish the Center for Research on Parallel Computation. Argonne National Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Rice University will join forces to study and develop efficient programming methods for state-ofthe-art parallel computers. Their efforts could lead to the development of advanced computers for solving complex scientific problems such as describing the motions of stars and galaxies and determining how DNA encodes blueprints and operating instructions for the human body. According to Jack Dongarra, scientific director of Argonne's Advanced Computing Research Facility, as scientific problems become more complex, scientists need more computational power. The logical solution is to use parallel computers that can perform many operations simultaneously. Dongarra states that parallel computers are extremely difficult to program and that new methods and software tools are needed to simplify the task. The Center will be coordinated by Rice University. Argonne and Los Alamos each will receive approximately $340,000 annually for five years; Cal Tech and Rice each will receive about $2 million annually for five years.
Graduate Students' Symposium The 7th annual chemistry graduate students' symposium will be held May 24-25 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. The symposium, initiated in 1983, is organized for and by graduate students and provides the students with an opportunity to present their research and enhance their professional speaking skills. This year's keynote addresses will be delivered by the 1988 Priestley Award winner, Frank H. Westheimer of Harvard University, and Arthur Diaz of IBM. Last year's conference featured 73 speakers from 12 schools. Attendance at the symposium is open to individuals from both academic and industrial sectors; presentations, however, are limited to current graduate students. For information and abstract forms, contact Linda Kelash or Marie Lo Re, Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214 (716-831-3017).
Nominations Sought for EAS Awards Nominations are being solicited for two Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) awards: the EAS Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry and the EAS Award in Chromatography. Established in 1986, the awards recognize individuals who have shaped the fields of analytical chemistry and chromatography, respectively. They will be presented at the 1990 EÀS meeting. Nomination letters and biographical sketches of the candidates must be submitted by July 1 to the Chairman, EAS Awards Committee, EAS, P.O. Box 633, Montchanin, DE 19710-0633.
Stephen Dal Nogare Award Candidates are being solicited for the Stephen Dal Nogare Award, sponsored by the Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions toward the advancement of the field of chromatography. Nominating letters and a biographical sketch must be submitted by March 31 to Mary Ellen McNally, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Experimental Station, Agricultural Products Department, P.O. Box 80402, Wilmington, DE 19880.
For Your Information The Federal Systems Division of Eastman Kodak Company has been awarded a $3 million contract by NASA to develop a prototype medical X-ray imaging system for use aboard the U.S. space station scheduled for operation in 1995. The Diagnostic Radiographic Imaging System, which will allow doctors on Earth to assess disease or injuries that occur to the crew of the space station, will consist of an X-ray system weighing less than 200 pounds compacted in ~ 5 - l / 2 cu. ft. For more information, contact James Blam¬ phin, Eastman Kodak Company, 343 State St., Rochester, NY 14650 (716-724-3854). BASF will build a $45 million biotechnology laboratory and pilot plant in the Boston vicinity. The facility, scheduled to be completed in 1991, will employ 230 people and will concentrate on developing pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and immune diseases.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 6 1 , NO. 4, FEBRUARY 15, 1989 · 285 A
