This paper focus on related research of advanced concept of thorium fuel cycle. The plans and strategic research reports in India, Canada and Norway were analyzed. The quantitative analyses were also performed by using the data of research papers and patents from Web of Knowledge. Distribution characteristics of time, topics, countries, and affiliations, international cooperation and hot fields were described, combined with qualitative research. Some suggestions were given here that we should strengthen the national overall planning, enact national development strategy, expand international cooperation, plan priority development of basic research, and deploy prospective research of thorium fuel element fabrication technology, thorium fuel reactor fission production and radiomaterial processing technology.

Using bibliometric method, this article analysed the status of major courtries and institutions of marine ecosystem research, and the main content of recent research projects related to marine ecosystems. We found 9 hot spots of international marine ecosystem research: the impact of global climate change on ecosystems, marine ecosystem services, the relationship between human society and marine ecosystems, marine biodiversity, marine ecosystem based management, marine ecosystem protection, deep-sea ecosystems, the technologies and models about marine ecosystem, polar ecosystems research. Finally, we provided 7 recommendations on the marine ecosystem research for China.

Climate change adaptation is one of the important options of responding to climate change. Bibliometrical methods were used to appeal the research progress in this area. The statistics and analyses were performed by the Thomson Data Analyzer and Aureka in the database-SCIE, Thomson Reuters. The results elaborated on the world development, hot topics, and key research subjects of climate change adaptation. Finally, some suggestions were put forward.

The development of lagging areas has always been a principle focus for governments all over the world. By a bibliometric analysis (using ISI Web of Science database and TDA and Ucinet software) of 20 years (1991-2010) of research on lagging areas development, the current status, hot topics and distribution patterns of research since 1990s have been systematically demonstrated.