The NA TO Advanced Study Institute is, to quote the Notes for Applicants "primarily a high level teaching activity at which a carefully defined subject is presented in a systematic and coherently structured programme. The subject is treated in considerable depth by eminent lecturers . . . . **. . . " The NATO ASI on Generic Techniques in Systems Reliability Assessment was held at the University of Liverpool and the Proceedings are presented in the present volume. Regrettably many of the papers are in shortened version. This was an inter disciplinary assembly designed to focus on the synthesis of generic reliability concepts and technology and to discuss relevant teaching and research in universities and colleges. One important objective was, of course, to give opportunity for interchange of information on advanced techniques in reliability in various fields. The Institute was held in Dale Hall, one of the halls of residence of the University of Liverpool, England, from 17th to 28th July, 1973. Sixty-four engineers from twelve countries attended, namely, 27 from U. K. , 14 from U. S. A. 8 from Italy, 4 from West Germany, 2 from France, 2 from the Netherlands, 2 from Sweden each from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, India and Norway. and one Seven of these had their wives and some brought their children also. The technical affiliations which were represented were 23 universities, 22 national laboratories, 11 industry, 5 military, 3 consultants.

One of the most exciting developments in modern physics has been the discovery of the new class of oxide materials with high superconducting transition temperature. Systems with Tc well above liquid nitrogen temperature are already a reality and higher Tc's are anticipated. Indeed, the idea of a room-temperature superconductor, which just a short time ago was considered science fiction, appears to be a distinctly possible outcome of materials research. To address the need to train students and scientists for research in this exciting field, Jeffrey W. Lynn and colleagues at the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as other superconductivity experts from around the U.S., taught a graduate-level course in the fall of 1987, from which the chapters in this book were drawn. Subjects included are: Survey of superconductivity (J. Lynn).- The theory of type-II superconductivity (D. Belitz).- The Josephson effect (P. Ferrell).- Crystallography (A. Santoro).- Electronic structure (C.P. Wang).- Magnetic properties and interactions (J. Lynn).- Synthesis and diamagnetic properties (R. Shelton).- Electron pairing (P. Allen).- Superconducting devices (F. Bedard).- Superconducting properties (J. Crow, N.-P. Ong).